Australian iPod Pricing

Well it wasn't RECENTLY as such. But I bought the 30gb iPod, with my student discount, paying $919. It was only about 2 weeks later that they released the 40gb for even less.

Wasn't a happy camper But what can you do?

The exchange rate diffferences is blowing the pricing of Apple product in Oz completely out of whack.

I want to buy a PB15" but it will cost AUD1300 more in Australia than in the US.

It's much cheaper for me to buy in the US, pay the shipping and duty - I'm still ahead.

I don't think their pricing has adjusted for the big shift in the AUD v. USD. They better soon or they'll lose my sale to the US.

Yeah Apple seem to be waiting for hardware updates before addressing the exchange rate issue. For me it means waiting for the new iMac or laptops to appear before I purchase - and I will wait as I already have been waiting 2 months+ and don't want to be ripped off a $1000 AUD PLUS just because this seems to be their policy.

Jason

Yeah I noticed that you usually have to wait for a new hardware line to see if they change the price according to AUD vs. USD. They never ever change the price for a product already in Apple stores, even if our currency was dollar for dollar!

back2bondi maybe it's good to check out some asian currencies, I don't know the exchange rates now but my friend a while back gotta iPod $150 cheaper than prices here!

btw, why haven't they updated the Apple Australia website?

Glad to see all the Aussies come out of the wod work, how are you all. Dam we didn't win the test series.

Anyway, Yes there are serious pricing imbalances between the US and AUS apple stores. The Aussie dollar is @ 78UC cents, and computer hardware needs to adjust to the change in economic climate.

My bike has dropped $700AUD from my 2003 model (bought in March) to 2004 model (avaliable now,) and the 2004 model has better specs. This is good news for PC computer buyers once old invintories are sold. Apple better do something to.

I'm sorry but I find it hilarious that people would complain that Apple Australia is charging too little.

It's hardly as much of an Apple thing as it is a FOREX thing.

The Aussie dollar has gone from being, what, 50 US cents a year ago to 75 cents now. Excl the Euro, the Aussie Dollar has made the most ground percentagewise (?) of any major currency.

...Plus... the likelyhood of new shipments of iPods getting into Apple Australia at the moment are incredibly low.

Originally posted by squeakytoy
I was looking at buying a new Mac too, but it looks like I'll be putting that on hold until updates come through at the new 'iPod Exchange Rate' of USD * 1.5...

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I'd pay 1.5x for a PB - that'd make it just under 4k for the 15" superdrive but I won't hold my breath. Apple Oz are well aware of the option of buying direct from the US (if you have a local person who can ship it) but don't seem too concerned.

The warranty is global so how can you lose buying from the US?

BTW I bought a 15gb ipod 2 weeks before the upgrade to 20gb and price drop last year. I was bummed for a week or two but I still haven't filled the 15gb yet so I'm over it.

This is doubly true when for things like iPods they are clearly not old stock.

The price is really good, compare it to iRiver 10GB player which is a whopping $629AUS, the ipod is a steal.

If you look now you can see PC's with much better specs than lets say the eMac with a cheaper price, this is probably because of the PC manufacturers updating the pricing to compensate for the strengthening AU$ and this is making Macs look MUCH more expensive here. So Apple Australia really needs to fix this if they don't want to loose potential customers to the PC manufacturers.

Originally posted by B@SS_SHOCK
btw, why haven't they updated the Apple Australia website?

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The Apple Australia site has been updated for the Xserve G5, since it's shipping immediately, and also for iLife '04 since it's shipping im about 10 days. It was mentioned in the keynote that the iPod would be available in the US from February, and worldwide in April (I think), so I wouldn't expect to see anything on Apple Australia's site for another month or two.

Some friends from work and I recently purchased a bunch of PowerBooks together (we got 2 x 17" PowerBooks and 2 x 12" PowerBooks in one hit). We spent a bit of time ringing around the various dealers in Sydney to see if we could get a bulk discount (we ended up getting them from AppleCentre Taylor Square for a good price), but we also tried sourcing direct from Apple USA. Of course, Apple USA referred us to Apple Australia. One thing I didn't think of at the time was buying through Amazon. Has anyone tried buying Apple hardware direct through somewhere like Amazon.com which doesn't have any problem of cutting out local dealers? I'm thinking an iPod mini might be significantly cheaper direct from the US than buying locally through Apple Australia. Any thoughts?

I agree completely. Apple would sell a lot more machines in Australia if they charged a REASONABLE price, compared to US prices.

At current exchange rates of around AU$ 0.76 per US$ 1.00:

The dual 1.8 G5, which retails for US $2499 should retail for AU $3258. In reality, it retails for AU $4399 and therefore is AU $1141 OVERPRICED.

.Mac which retails for US $99 sells for AU $189, when it should sell for AU $129.

Not only does apple rip us of, but we are treated like second rate customers, with lack of support for iPhoto, iTunes, Sherlock. Addidionally, we have to wait longer for new products to reach Australia, such as the iPod mini, which wont come here until two months after the US release, at the earliest.

Originally posted by oingoboingo
The Apple Australia site has been updated for the Xserve G5, since it's shipping immediately, and also for iLife '04 since it's shipping im about 10 days. It was mentioned in the keynote that the iPod would be available in the US from February, and worldwide in April (I think), so I wouldn't expect to see anything on Apple Australia's site for another month or two.

Some friends from work and I recently purchased a bunch of PowerBooks together (we got 2 x 17" PowerBooks and 2 x 12" PowerBooks in one hit). We spent a bit of time ringing around the various dealers in Sydney to see if we could get a bulk discount (we ended up getting them from AppleCentre Taylor Square for a good price), but we also tried sourcing direct from Apple USA. Of course, Apple USA referred us to Apple Australia. One thing I didn't think of at the time was buying through Amazon. Has anyone tried buying Apple hardware direct through somewhere like Amazon.com which doesn't have any problem of cutting out local dealers? I'm thinking an iPod mini might be significantly cheaper direct from the US than buying locally through Apple Australia. Any thoughts?

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Amazon.com only allows shipping of iPods to the US

Originally posted by woodsey
Amazon.com only allows shipping of iPods to the US

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Ahh crap well there goes that plan. At this stage it may be cheaper for me to use frequent flyer points to fly to SF or LA, buy an iPod at the airport duty free, and fly straight home.

Originally posted by woodsey
I agree completely. Apple would sell a lot more machines in Australia if they charged a REASONABLE price, compared to US prices.

At current exchange rates of around AU$ 0.76 per US$ 1.00:

The dual 1.8 G5, which retails for US $2499 should retail for AU $3258. In reality, it retails for AU $4399 and therefore is AU $1141 OVERPRICED.

.Mac which retails for US $99 sells for AU $189, when it should sell for AU $129.

Not only does apple rip us of, but we are treated like second rate customers, with lack of support for iPhoto, iTunes, Sherlock. Addidionally, we have to wait longer for new products to reach Australia, such as the iPod mini, which wont come here until two months after the US release, at the earliest.

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I guess they will argue 10% for GST and the rest for airfreight shipping...

+~35% more seems pretty damn rude nethertheless.

Jason

Originally posted by aswitcher
I guess they will argue 10% for GST and the rest for airfreight shipping...

+~35% more seems pretty damn rude nethertheless.

Jason

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Yeah, I bet those shipping costs for a 1 year .Mac subscription are a real killer . A somewhat reasonable proposition at AUD$99, but out of the question for AUD$189.

Originally posted by aswitcher
I guess they will argue 10% for GST and the rest for airfreight shipping...

+~35% more seems pretty damn rude nethertheless.

Jason

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Shouldn't shipping be cheaper to Australia? Where do most of Apple's products come from? I would assume most are assembled in Asia, which is closer to Australia than the US.

RE the discussion about purchasing Apple products from the US due to cheaper prices, has anyone actually done this? How would you go about it?

Recently a friend of mine was in NY and I had arranged for him to pick me up a 12" Powerbook but some financial problems arose and it didn't happen.

Paying $2100 (even allowing for freighting/whatever, an extra $200?) instead of $2999 is an absolute steal

Hate to think what the resellers are getting out of this, they must be getting a good deal with exchange rates and apples pricing the way they are now...

I would get a PB 17 but at $5499.00 but its overpriced and underpowered IMHO. US pricing for same is $2999.00. Using current exchange rate...works out to $3990.00 approx. $1500.00 difference? Gotta be joking...

Originally posted by MyLeftNut
Hate to think what the resellers are getting out of this, they must be getting a good deal with exchange rates and apples pricing the way they are now...

I would get a PB 17 but at $5499.00 but its overpriced and underpowered IMHO. US pricing for same is $2999.00. Using current exchange rate...works out to $3990.00 approx. $1500.00 difference? Gotta be joking...

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From bargaining around Sydney with the various AppleCentre dealers while shopping for 2 x 17" and 2 x 12" PowerBooks, i didn't get the impression that margins were all that fat...it certainly didn't seem like they were making anything like $1500 on a 17" PowerBook. Of course I was probably just being outbargained (or the Sydney Macintosh market is just really uncompetitive), but I'd be willing to bet that the spoils of the US/AUD price disrepancies end up in the pocket of Apple, rather that its' resellers.

Anyone with any inside knowledge care to comment?