ozziepom Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 Australia: From lucky country to land of rip-offs Love Australia, but can't argue with the above. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackboots Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 Agreed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason d 82 Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 agreed I arrived in australia 10+ years ago, the prices back then somewhat make sense because of the exchange rate but why on earth the prices now pretty much the same when australian dollars exchange rate blasting the US dollars? a lot of the comments in the link blamed the government tax here and there well actually it's the big business who want to get triple profits from australian people yet they cry foul of internet shopping a lot of the retailers blame the shipping cost and storage cost....that is not logical in my mind be honest and admit that 85% of stuff we bought in the last 5 years is made in china then how come it is more expensive to ship products from china to australia (which is closer by the way) than shipping the same item to US of A ? the retailers in US of A incur the same shipping cost and storage cost Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harpodom Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 Australia: From lucky country to land of rip-offs Love Australia, but can't argue with the above. Janus of Maroochy Posted at 9:09 AM Today Bought a genuine German made 3 part clutch kit for my Mondeo, from the UK. Cost 39 Pounds plus 52 pounds postage, arrived in 5 days. Repco wanted $800.00 for an Asian knockoff, 2 weeks delivery.Ford dealership wanted $875.00. Had a gutfull of you crooks in retail. I vote with my wallet now. There's not even any point trying to buy from Australian stores, because you are paying premium prices for Chinese crap, so retailers can pad their bottom line. I buy all my clothing from the US now. Made in US, much cheaper and quality, streets ahead of anything for sale here. totally agree with this commentator. I rarely go to shops for anything other than day to day groceries here. Clothes from online retailers like next and asos, DVDs and books from Amazon, I even bought my son a lego set from German Amazon as it cost $20 cheaper than the cheapest retailer here even with postage (don't tell him, he thinks it's from Santa)....basically anything I can buy online, usually from the UK. I have found that Graysonline is good here for random stuff like wine and clothes and usually v cheap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PositivePixie Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 Guess your PoV depends on whether you are caught up in the 'buy buy buy' culture we have been led to believe is the only way to live a life in the UK (and other countries, ie USA), or whether you come from the 'best things in life are free' school of thought. Obviously, man needs to eat, and needs a roof over his head, but how much of the consumerist stuff do we actually need? (Would point out that I'm not saying there is inherently anything wrong per say with wanting to accumulate 'stuff', it just depends on what your pov is as to whether it steams your guns or not). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockDr Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 Have to agree. The only xmas presents I've not bought online this year are haighs chocolates, and some local port. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockDr Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 Guess your PoV depends on whether you are caught up in the 'buy buy buy' culture we have been led to believe is the only way to live a life in the UK (and other countries, ie USA), or whether you come from the 'best things in life are free' school of thought. Obviously, man needs to eat, and needs a roof over his head, but how much of the consumerist stuff do we actually need? (Would point out that I'm not saying there is inherently anything wrong per say with wanting to accumulate 'stuff', it just depends on what your pov is as to whether it steams your guns or not). I spend most of my free time outside. 99% of the equipment I use to do this has been bought from America or the UK because it's more than twice the price in Australia, or simply not available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul1Perth Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 It's another thread that's all relative to what you earn and what your spending power is. If you've been over here for a few years and seen prices rise you might be comparing it to prices you remember in the UK when you left. Don't be fooled into thinking they've not gone up dramatically too. One thing I realise is how much we are ripped off in Perth for eating out, cost of beer in pubs, shopping. I was on a work trip to Townsville, Brisbane and Toowoomba and in all 3 places I could go to just about any pub and pay half the price of most pubs in Perth. Even in the centre of Bris in a popular pub. I asked for a pint of stella lager in the hotel and the bar manager said "that's $12 a pint mate, are you sure". As work was paying I wasn't really bothered but I thought at the time it wouldn't be out of the ordinary to pay that in a pub in Perth for normal beer. I went down the road to a couple of pubs and in the casino and the cost for a pint was about $8 on average. Same with eating out, much cheaper. On the flip side there is so much you can do here for absolutely free, even free parking, that's just not available anywhere else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockDr Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 Day to day stuff like food, eating/drinking out, yeah, it's gone up, but it has in other places too. It's still far cheaper than Switzerland... For that stuff, you buy what you can afford and deal with it, prices also reflect higher minimum wages and rent costs for the food/drink businesses. It's the jacked up prices on imported (non-food) stuff that gets me. It should not be significantly cheaper to buy the same item made in China from the UK/US than from Australia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul1Perth Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 Went to buy a pair of triathlon shorts from a local shop last week. They had the 2XU shorts in there for $155. I bought a pair of asics ones for $55. Got back home, had a look on wiggle and the exact same pair of the 2XU were $68. Lucky I had just tried them on so I ordered them too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpo1971 Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 Can’t really argue with it. Same as previous posters, love Oz, hate all this nonsense. We’ve only been here 4 years but have watched the cost of living shoot up. There’s no way we’d have been able to make the move with the way things are now. The houses that were up for sale with ours 4 years ago, half still are and are 40k less. And they won’t be going up again any time in the next 5 years. We just wouldn’t have bothered; the exchange rate only compounds it. That said, I am obviously fantastically grateful that we missed all that, I just feel for anyone starting the process now that isn’t absolutely minted. As for the great Oz rip-off, I genuinely think some retailers just take the mickey. We have shopped for everything possible online for about 18 months now. Obviously, food, petrol etc. you can’t. I picked up some small bits for Chrimbo a couple of weeks ago but, as for going shopping centres etc. I think I’ve been about 3 or 4 times in the last 2 years. Eating out and drinking in Perth is criminal. But, have to say, I refuse to give it up. We earn enough so we deserve it, we enjoy it. I don’t worry about the cost because it’s our treat. We took the Mother-in-law to Hillarys the other week for Sunday dinner, the fish main course I had was $48 (32 pound). The whole thing, for bread & dips, 3 mains, 2 desserts, 3 or 4 drinks was over $250. We do earn twice as much over here as we did UK, and it does kind of balance things out, although that is no justification for being ripped off. Above all else, alongside being fleeced, generally service is poor and quality of goods is low. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flag of convenience Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 Perth is a gigantic rip off. Cannot think of a simple service where value can be found. Folk should consider once the Australian dollar returns to its normal trading level salaries may not look so flash. Life was without doubt far more comfortable for far more folk prior to 03 and the so called mining boom. The greed is totally out of control and the country worse off for that. Some are making shed loads of money but the majority are paying a very high price. The social divide grows ever wider. People work more hours than ever,holiday less and suffer from far more stress related factors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpo1971 Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 Why will an economy intrinsically linked with those about to prosper for the next Century in Asia-Pac go back to its old trading values against about-to-collapse archaic European economies? No opinion either way, just wonder why people think its going to happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akiralx Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 I just got back from the UK after a 5 week visit where I spent $800 on clothes, no way was I buying them here. Electronic goods, books, DVDs etc are insanely priced here, just buy them on eBay for about 40% of the Aus retail price. Though Australia does have a great tradition of used booksellers. But gas/electricity/petrol seems cheap. And the Hyundai car we are thinking of buying doesn't seem too expensive compare to the UK price. The strange thing is I do feel slightly better off here owing to higher wages than the UK... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harpodom Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 Can’t really argue with it. Same as previous posters, love Oz, hate all this nonsense.We’ve only been here 4 years but have watched the cost of living shoot up. There’s no way we’d have been able to make the move with the way things are now. The houses that were up for sale with ours 4 years ago, half still are and are 40k less. And they won’t be going up again any time in the next 5 years. We just wouldn’t have bothered; the exchange rate only compounds it. That said, I am obviously fantastically grateful that we missed all that, I just feel for anyone starting the process now that isn’t absolutely minted. As for the great Oz rip-off, I genuinely think some retailers just take the mickey. We have shopped for everything possible online for about 18 months now. Obviously, food, petrol etc. you can’t. I picked up some small bits for Chrimbo a couple of weeks ago but, as for going shopping centres etc. I think I’ve been about 3 or 4 times in the last 2 years. Eating out and drinking in Perth is criminal. But, have to say, I refuse to give it up. We earn enough so we deserve it, we enjoy it. I don’t worry about the cost because it’s our treat. We took the Mother-in-law to Hillarys the other week for Sunday dinner, the fish main course I had was $48 (32 pound). The whole thing, for bread & dips, 3 mains, 2 desserts, 3 or 4 drinks was over $250. We do earn twice as much over here as we did UK, and it does kind of balance things out, although that is no justification for being ripped off. Above all else, alongside being fleeced, generally service is poor and quality of goods is low. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul1Perth Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 Perth is a gigantic rip off. Cannot think of a simple service where value can be found. Folk should consider once the Australian dollar returns to its normal trading level salaries may not look so flash. Life was without doubt far more comfortable for far more folk prior to 03 and the so called mining boom.The greed is totally out of control and the country worse off for that. Some are making shed loads of money but the majority are paying a very high price. The social divide grows ever wider. People work more hours than ever,holiday less and suffer from far more stress related factors. But what are "normal trading levels" for the dollar? It's whatever the rest of the world thinks at any time, ther's nothing to say that it's going to go one way or the other. If Europe doesn't settle down soon, and there's no signs that it will, the dollar is likely to remain strong. Salaries will still look good when you are spending dollars in Oz and not trying to compare with other currencies. It doesn't make sense to keep comparing exchange rates unless you are going on holiday or thinking of moving back to the UK. People earning the big money on the mines may well be working longer hours and have a bit more stress (they aren't getting those big salaries for nothing) but the majority still have the choice of having the same amount of holidays, no more stress than usual and lots of time off in great weather. I hear the argument often about people working longer hours, suffering stress and not being able to take holidays. I don't find that amongst the crowd we hang around with and the people that do that kind of work are sometimes driven by their own desires to get on in the business world, own investement properties, live in a big house by the beach, have flash cars etc. We know a few people like that and it's their choice to be stressed a lot of the time. I have a friend who keeps saying "it's allright for you, I've got to go painting over the weekend" when I'm heading down the beach. I didn't take on the investement properties that someone has now trashed and he has to fix up. I keep telling him to sell a couple of houses and relax a bit. He wants to retire early. Personal choices are sometimes to blame. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpo1971 Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 I just got a Next delivery for Xmas. $220 for 3 polo shirts, 3 shorts, 2 flip flops and a pair of sunnys. Great value. Pair of similar shorts in Country Road are $120. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpo1971 Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 Whiskey Tango Foxtrot? Dhufish main course. Never had it before. It was lovely, nice fish fillet over broken roasted salt potatoes with green beans and some sort of pureed sauce. Like I said lovely, but $48 dollars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul1Perth Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 I had a meal in Toowoomba with a workmate a couple of weeks ago. Nice restaurant and a really good meal, one of the best I've had in a long time. We had a few beers, a couple of wines with dinner and a glass of desert wine, 3 courses and the bill was $240 for the 2 of us. Was an excellent meal though. Wouldn't pick Toowoomba to have such a good restaurant eh!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul1Perth Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 I just got back from the UK after a 5 week visit where I spent $800 on clothes, no way was I buying them here. Electronic goods, books, DVDs etc are insanely priced here, just buy them on eBay for about 40% of the Aus retail price. Though Australia does have a great tradition of used booksellers. But gas/electricity/petrol seems cheap. And the Hyundai car we are thinking of buying doesn't seem too expensive compare to the UK price. The strange thing is I do feel slightly better off here owing to higher wages than the UK... That's just personal choice though. I wouldn't have spent $800 on clothes in 10 years, even at Perth prices. My missus on the other hand......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul1Perth Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 I just got a Next delivery for Xmas. $220 for 3 polo shirts, 3 shorts, 2 flip flops and a pair of sunnys. Great value. Pair of similar shorts in Country Road are $120. That sounds expensive to me!! I honestly know places in Perth where i would be able to buy the same shirts, shorts, flip flops and sunnies cheaper. You don't have to shop at Country Road. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpo1971 Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 That sounds expensive to me!! I honestly know places in Perth where i would be able to buy the same shirts, shorts, flip flops and sunnies cheaper. You don't have to shop at Country Road. Yeah Paul, I could find a polo shirt for $10 or a pair of flip-flops for $5 but the quality isn’t the same, which I why I used Country Road as a barometer. That is supposedly better quality but it costs a fortune. Reminds me of Gap but the prices are 4 time more expensive. Cotton-On or whatever is rubbish stuff, the Next stuff I got is much better quality. And what I bought for $220 would have cost over $600 in Country Road, easy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest GoldCoastMag Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 I agree with much of what is being said by pp's. Sadly though I know it is contributing to friends and relatives losing jobs and struggling to find something. There must be some sort of happy medium so we can continue our lifestyle, but reduce some of the consumerism that seems so invasive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northernbird Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 Love the people who say it isn't about having all the extra stuff, clearly haven't ever lived in Australia. I love living in Perth, it is my home and I wouldn't live anywhere else in the world. But and it's a big but, the cost of living in the almost 7 years I have lived here has gone up a ridiculous amount. It isn't about having the extras it is about the day to day living expenses. When I arrived I was spending $175 a week on shopping, now it's $300. Older family I guess but not dramatically different. My electric has gone up from 9c per KW to 19c per KW. Same for gas and water. Car rego and insurance also increased. All of these necessities, not the extras. If I had to move now, knowing what I know about the cost of living I would have to think long and hard if it was worth it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozziepom Posted December 14, 2011 Author Share Posted December 14, 2011 Love the people who say it isn't about having all the extra stuff, clearly haven't ever lived in Australia. Yep, agree with that, anyone who arrives and who isn't shocked by the cost of things isn't taking notice (or is very, very well off). While its true that incomes can be higher, that doesn't help people who bring savings over, and in many cases I'm not convinced the higher incomes compensate for the higher costs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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