Online Shopping - GST

Looks like GST on imports is on the agenda once again.

I guess I am one of many who shop online.

My reasons are better price, fast delivery and superior after sales service.

Better Price
A recent purchase of mine was for dog clipping bits and pieces

Clipper - USA purchase $A170 - AU purchase $A399
Blades for above (6) - USA purchase $A15 x  6 = $A90 - AU purchase $A95 x 6 = $570
Assorted leads and harnesses for around 1/3 AU price.

My order with $A55 postage came to around $350. If purchased in AU would have cost me around $1000

Delivery Time
As for delivery I have recently discovered that there are 4 x Sydney, 1 in Oz and three in USA.
Perhaps my orders from Sydney are coming from one of the latter which would explain the long delivery times. 

After Sales Service
On one occasion I was sent an incorrect item. I phoned the supplier who apologised profusely and said to keep the incorrect item and they sent the correct item that same day.


If I am ultimately going to be charged GST on my purchase, I am still unlikely to purchase in Oz as the above purchase will rise by only $35 and I will still save over $600.

Of course, if an Australian supplier wanted to charge a similar price and provide me with prompt delivery and good after sales service I would certainly deal with them.

I'm with you there, still going to shop for the best price wherever it comes from.

I do not buy from overseas to avoid GST

Australian retailers need to get with the program. The internet has created this world wide market and bleeding out for the government to help them is not going to work.

Hear Hear!

I`m with you lot.

I want to support Australia, but when with some things I`ve bought U.S. delivered, has been half price for the same item.

What the Aussie retailers dont get is there is way more difference in price than 10%. What will they bitch about then? It can't be introduced as a GST anyway. Just imagine the ATO chasing all that revenue all over the world.  Can't and won't happen.

When it was brought up before they were going to get ebay Australia to collect for them. Good luck with that!

madmax wrote:When it was brought up before they were going to get ebay Australia to collect for them. Good luck with that!

Government going after big business, this should be better than the Hunger Games, wonder which side Mr Palmer is going to sit on ?

barry_mcki wrote:

madmax wrote:When it was brought up before they were going to get ebay Australia to collect for them. Good luck with that!

Government going after big business, this should be better than the Hunger Games, wonder which side Mr Palmer is going to sit on ?

that's easy, the party that supports his next coal mine!

Some valid points there , however , it is worth noting that with the Asian suppliers in particular , wages are the equivalent of our small change , rent is bugger all or they ship from home , & stock carried to give varied consumer choice is minimal at the very least . This also applies to a degree with the USA where labor etc. is minimal comparatively . I suppose if you could get Australian workers to work for $ 1.50 an hour or less, & get landlords to accept bugger all rent , Pay no insurances on workers or property & minimize your choice of an article to one instead of multiple , then the playing field may be more even & prices may come down ...........doubt you will find many in Aust willing to take that pay cut though .
I also prefer to try on any thing I'm going to wear for fit , quality etc . , but am not totally anti ebay & have bought some things through them ...................It's a bit like the corner deli with Aust suppliers , never use them , & one day they will be gone & that personal touch to shopping will become as clinical as the ATM at the bank, or the self serve line at the checkouts .....that would be a pity IMO.

paul wrote: or the self serve line at the checkouts .....that would be a pity IMO.

I personally don't use the self serve lines at the checkouts, as that is taking away after school job opportunities for our kids! My son has just finished yr12, but my daughter still has a few years to go. I'll probably end up getting over that idea & start to use the self serve checkouts, but not yet. The other day there was a line-up at the self serve checkouts, & I pretty much went straight thru the main checkout! Absolutely no way I would line up for a self serve checkout!

Kiwisteve wrote:

paul wrote: or the self serve line at the checkouts .....that would be a pity IMO.

I personally don't use the self serve lines at the checkouts, as that is taking away after school job opportunities for our kids! My son has just finished yr12, but my daughter still has a few years to go. I'll probably end up getting over that idea & start to use the self serve checkouts, but not yet. The other day there was a line-up at the self serve checkouts, & I pretty much went straight thru the main checkout! Absolutely no way I would line up for a self serve checkout!

Obviously not the same comparison as ebay , but as a sea change for a few years , we owned & operated a 7 day a week Mini Mart . We also had a Woolies about 100 mtrs up the road .
 The local community still came in to buy from us & supported us in a huge way ..........were we dearer .......obviously.......but they liked the fact that they or their family were known when they walked in the door ( sometimes more than once a day ) & someone was taking an interest in what they were doing . They enjoyed the personal banter ,& they liked the fact that if woolies didn't have that special condiment or whatever , & neither did we , I would get it in for them .Personal service goes a long way , ( I also avoid the self serve checkouts & would rather be served by people .) It's a nice feeling years later to be approached by past customers in the street or the shops years later ( from any of our businesses )  & be met with a friendly greeting , but sadly  the world seems to be heading in a different direction

I`m exactly as you just described paul. 

I always support my local, and want the little guy to survive.  Sadly, the little guy is a dying breed to the multi corporates.

when I can only deal with a multi corporate, like Suzuki Australia, is when I go O.S for shopping

mtbeerwah wrote:I`m exactly as you just described paul. 

I always support my local, and want the little guy to survive.  Sadly, the little guy is a dying breed to the multi corporates.

when I can only deal with a multi corporate, like Suzuki Australia, is when I go O.S for shopping

The problem is, in my recent experience, the local "little" guys are often complete pricks who are only in business because back when they started people didn't have a choice. Now they do, and those same incompetent business owners and operators are wondering why people are happy to deal with international sellers who not only offer a lower price, but can get it delivered to my doorstep faster than the locals will even be able to place an order.

Sloth_27 wrote:The problem is, in my recent experience, the local "little" guys are often complete pricks who are only in business because back when they started people didn't have a choice. Now they do, and those same incompetent business owners and operators are wondering why people are happy to deal with international sellers who not only offer a lower price, but can get it delivered to my doorstep faster than the locals will even be able to place an order.

I`ll support a little guy before I support coles and woolworths, who bleakly support Australian grown and owned products, in favour of their own brands typically from O.S. countries.

what about citrus farmers that have ploughed their crops back in to the soil due to getting screwed by the government in favour of O.S. businesses that support the said monopoly players.

then there`s the milk industry being destroyed once again by those same wankers, and dumb fuck joe blow who hasn`t got a brain in his head goes, "but milk should only cost a dollar because woollies say so"

I pay around $4.20 for a 2L bottle, and I don`t give a shit, cause I do support my local dairy farm that sells to my local shop....who also buys from the local fruit and veg farmers, that also supply to that shop....if I want bread, I buy from my bakery....if I want meat, I buy from my butcher, who`s meat is far superia and cheaper than the big chains.
and so on and so forth!!

hey to each their own, but I`ll support Australia when and where I can

I'm talking about retail products more so than local grown produce (the topic is about GST after all).

But you know Woolies and Coles are basically what keeps the local producers in check. You say you pay $4 for 2L of milk. If the supermarkets didn't sell it for $1, the small chains would happily charge you $8 for 2L.

Sloth_27 wrote:I'm talking about retail products more so than local grown produce (the topic is about GST after all).

But you know Woolies and Coles are basically what keeps the local producers in check. You say you pay $4 for 2L of milk. If the supermarkets didn't sell it for $1, the small chains would happily charge you $8 for 2L.

 if you had have read what paul said, I  responding to paul, which was about the little shop.

milk has rarely had a major increase in its price, and the farmer`s are flat out selling it for what it costs to produce now days. Of yester year, there was a decent profit for them, but I don`t recall to many people having a problem with the price it was, until the dollar war.

the same people who buy $1 milk probably buy bottled water, and I`m trying to get my head around the price of a natural product compared to a refined product like fuel, which is cheaper per litre . that does my head in.

I just extended the view of big corporates from what paul had said, and lets face it, the likes of woollies are big corporates.