Why is Australia so much more expensive?

[PeteD]

I do buy from Kho and others but with delivery included the cost is AUD$575, the difference of AUD$55 is not so great and if we do not sometimes support local pretty soon there will be no local shops and that would be a bad thing. When I bought my K10D I already had a DG 500 Super flash but found it did not work with the K10D, local shop sent it back and got it updated even though I did not buy it through them, I also get discounts on other items because I am a repeat buyer. 

With the Australian dollar at almost 85c, they should only be AUD$485 anyway according to my converter so perhaps you should review what currency you use to pay, maybe Visa or whatever will convert a bit more in your favour. Not sure if it makes any difference but it is probably worth investigating.

Sadly the last item that I bought was delivered by a complete idiot, failed to actually deliver it or put a slip in the letterbox to notify they had tried, only because it was tracked and I decided it had taken a little long that I fronted them at the post office to get it.

Cheers.

Pete

[AnatoliSirota]

Pete, your currency converter is definitely faulty . I have just checked my Netbank account and they withdrew just  AUS$532 for Tamron 90mm. So, I do not know where you found a differant amount.
Sadly you had a problem with a courier. But it is not a typical situation with delivery. A few months ago I had much bigger problem with a well known DHL courier company. I expected my friend to visit me around 8am and we suppose to travel together to the beach with our dogs. But the door bell rang much earlier at around 7.30am. I thought that my friend came a bit earlier and I opened the door without any thinking. There was a courier in the door with a parcel from my business agent in China.  My lamp-chop Golden Retriever dog Elvis happily rushed to the man and jumped around him.  The reaction of that courier was unbelievable. He started to yell hysterically and threaded me with the worse words I have ever heard in my life. “G.. f…” were the softest words among them !? Can you imagine me – 2 meter and 100kg man and compare me with that little 1.5 meter hysteric idiot in front of me and on my territory ?! Then I simply lost control. I took him by T-shirt and a shoe and threw him away from my front yard and locked the gate.  Then I went inside and refused to take the parcel. The next story was very long and it has nothing to do with our topic. But we canceled our accounts with that DHL. Actually they didn’t show any regret.
As for the very typical illusion and common propaganda – Buy Australian Products, please Pete be realistic. Have you bought many Australian made products before ?  99% of all businesses import their goods from China or Hong Kong. The cost of labor is so high, that it became typical to import  products rather then to manufacture them here. So, Pete, buy from overseas and do not be scared to go against your conscience. We hardly have any Australian products in this country except Liberal and Labor parties.

[calsan]

Sounds like the courier was a cat person...
 Oo)

[PeteD]

Sounds like the courier was a cat person...
 Oo)

http://www.ac-markets.com...ncy-converter/default.asp

I did not say buy Australian, I said support local shops, quite different and for different reasons. I buy some locally and some for best price and am happy with that. Do what makes you happy.

Cheers.

Pete

[AnatoliSirota]

http://www.ac-markets.com...ncy-converter/default.asp

I did not say buy Australian, I said support local shops, quite different and for different reasons. I buy some locally and some for best price and am happy with that. Do what makes you happy.

Cheers.

Pete

Pete, check this calculator.  http://www.x-rates.com/calculator.html

Tamron 90mm = US$410 and US$439.74 incl. shipping. It is under AUS$520 and probably the bank took $10 fees.

I just want to put a full stop to the question about supporting local shops. They are all importers from Asia. If they want to rip us off, I would better off support my friends in China without any local middlemen. But all this has nothing to do with the topic of Mr. Calsan. I think he has already received full answer to his question and he probably decided where to spend his bucks.

Cheers,
Anatoli

[llpjlau]

Maybe someone can tell me why we Aussies appear to be paying too much for our stuff.

On ShaShinKi Malaysia shop website Pentax AF-540 FGZ P-TTL Shoe Mount Flash is 1295RM which is AU$441.60.

Best price I can find in Australia is Camera Warehouse in Sydney AU$749.00.

I checked prices on Yodobashi Japan and it's ￥44,600, which is AU$431.00

ie: Malaysia and Japan both about 40% discount on best Australian prices.

I imagine that the spare $318 should cover shipping costs to Perth.... in it's OWN CONTAINER!!

the prices are less different these days after the dollar plunged into dire straits.

on buying australian, they are all the same products whether you buy them in australia or outside australia. but buying in australia will at least support local businesses. i dont mind paying a few bucks extra for good customer service.

[Clarky]

Don't blame the retailers for the high prices of camera gear in this country, Blame the importers who I believe are ripping off the retailers.

The fact CR Kennedys are the only licensed importer of Pentax and Sigma gear into Australia, affords them a monopoly on the market, they sell there gear to the retailers at grossly inflated prices 

And what really gripes my cookies is they will not honour warranties if you purchase from overseas, even though the item has an international warranty    Its criminal if you ask me.

If you have ever had the displeasure of dealing with this inept company you will understand what I mean.

Case in point: I needed a replacement hood and lens cap for my 21mm ltd. I couldn't get it through any of the retail outlets and was told I had to go through Kennedy's to get it.
Firstly they sent me a cap which was for a 77mm ltd, and it was silver, totally useless, and no hood.
Then they sent me a standard 49mm lens cap, again totally useless. (I had even given them the part numbers for the items I wanted)
I told them to forget it and sourced both items from the US at half the price Kennedy's were quoting.
I then get a phone call 3 months later from them saying my cap and hood are in and will be sent out after payment.

 I thanked him and said I will call him back, that was a month ago, and as far as I know he's still waiting by the phone for me to call and arrange payment   

[tavern]

I too am a little miffed with the CR Kennedy situation, With the relatively recent HOYA merger I am hoping things will change.... but maybe not.

[xjjohnno]

Well if folk spend offshore all the time that makes the little camera shops caught up in a tiny little dilemna. To survive they need to turn over a profit and if the volume of sales are not there then the margin per item needs to increase. That being said the bigger players in retail who I won't name seem to hold the buyers in contempt, some not even bothering to list their prices on their websites.
We are a small market and that will flow on in prices. Bitching about CR Kennedy doesn't seem fair when they do to price match for Sigma products, an arrangement that other manufacturers don't seem to want to make viable.
Now if you really want to rebel against the rude pricing you might dare to go retro, start using all those wonderful M42 and other manual focus lenses out there and put a rocket up all the current manufacturers. On second thoughts don't go that path or I won't be scoring my fast 50s for SFA on Ebay.

[Ozzi-Paul]

I recently got the Sigma APO 70-200mm EX DG HSM II lens and the Metz 48 AF-1 flash through camera house, the lens cost me $1038 and the flash $500, could of probably got them slightly cheaper OS but at least I have the Aust warranty.
I found prices on the net then went to camera house with them, they contacted C R K and ended up going close to matching the prices on both items. I was happy with that and don't mind paying that little extra for quality service and having an Australian warranty. A lot of other places here will try and give better prices, you just have to ask, I even got a $25 discount on a $70 SDHC card not long back, I just asked if they could match the price of a store just down the road and they beat it.