iPod Apple Aust: You cannot do this! iPod$$ = rip! (RANT)

[Ivan P]

well now here i am nearly a year later.. the situation HASNT changed...

8gb Touch:: $US229 (should be $AU280), $AU329

16gb Touch:: $US299 (should be $AU366), $AU419

32gb Touch:: $US399 (should be $AU489), $AU549..

it goes on really, dont even get me started on the laptops... will we ever get relief? i may as well start shipping things over from the US!

Well that's not unexpected, Apple usually never adjusts their prices until the product is actually updated and, as it is, no iPod except the shuffle has seen any sort of update since this topic was made. Totally normal, I'd see what happens this September, that's when the prices will change.

 

[alhedges]

It's not just Australia - prices in Europe (and even South Africa!) for electronics are almost always substantially cheaper in the US than in those countries. I've had friends from Germany visit, and colleagues from South Africa visit, and in both cases they stocked up on electronics before heading back.

I'm not really sure why that is. WRT Australia, I could see that the much smaller population and the relative isolation might account for some difference in the price...but this wouldn't hold true for Europe. (Well, it might for Apple products, but not for, say digital cameras).

I should note that the median income in AU/NZ is 20% less than that in the US, so it's not like the prices are increased to account for that, either.

 

[DoFoT9]

Well that's not unexpected, Apple usually never adjusts their prices until the product is actually updated and, as it is, no iPod except the shuffle has seen any sort of update since this topic was made. Totally normal, I'd see what happens this September, that's when the prices will change.

yup thats a good point, they have hardly been updated its quite sad. you would think that the space in them would of at least changed (32gb became available however), 64gb + 128gb arent that costly really.

It's not just Australia - prices in Europe (and even South Africa!) for electronics are almost always substantially cheaper in the US than in those countries. I've had friends from Germany visit, and colleagues from South Africa visit, and in both cases they stocked up on electronics before heading back.

its sad, kind of like they do it on purpose to get more people into the country or to get more people to get stuff shipped from their country. argh

I'm not really sure why that is. WRT Australia, I could see that the much smaller population and the relative isolation might account for some difference in the price...but this wouldn't hold true for Europe. (Well, it might for Apple products, but not for, say digital cameras).

our smaller population yes, but isolation?? we live closer to Singapore and China then the US does (im pretty sure we do anyway haha). unless they want to ship to the US then back to our place i dont understand why we are further away 🙁

I should note that the median income in AU/NZ is 20% less than that in the US, so it's not like the prices are increased to account for that, either.

that also doesnt make sense. we are poorer so things should be cheaper 😛 at least our dollar has slightly gone up!

 

[mrkgoo]

well now here i am nearly a year later.. the situation HASNT changed...

8gb Touch:: $US229 (should be $AU280), $AU329

16gb Touch:: $US299 (should be $AU366), $AU419

32gb Touch:: $US399 (should be $AU489), $AU549..

it goes on really, dont even get me started on the laptops... will we ever get relief? i may as well start shipping things over from the US!

A year later, and you still don't get the concept of a sales tax.

Not to mention, where were you several months ago when the exchange rate was a lot poorer? I moves to the US from NZ 6 months ago, when the exchange rate was so poor for NZers, that a lot of things were actually CHEAPER to buy in NZ (I assume same for Aus). And I'm in Oregon, where they don't have a sales tax.

In February, I understand the exchange rate was from US->Aus was something like 1.56. If you bought an iPod in the US at that time, that would have made the 8GB iPod touch, somewhere in the region of AU$360. If you include Sales Tax (of a conservative 10%), you still get near AU$400. See how exchange rates don't really tell the whole story?

Look - here's the way Apple does things. When something is released, it is released internationally, and the prices appear to be set for the exchange rate at the time, and they don't change until another hardware release. For example, the October release of the Macs last year couldn't have come at a worse time - all the Macs in NZ shot up nearly 40% in price.

Another example - 99c apps and iTunes songs are that - 99c in the US. In New Zealand a 99c app is NZ$1.29, while a 99c song is NZ$1.79. So, the songs are a rip-off, but the apps are bargains. You win some, you lose some.

 

[DoFoT9]

A year later, and you still don't get the concept of a sales tax.

Not to mention, where were you several months ago when the exchange rate was a lot poorer? I moves to the US from NZ 6 months ago, when the exchange rate was so poor for NZers, that a lot of things were actually CHEAPER to buy in NZ (I assume same for Aus). And I'm in Oregon, where they don't have a sales tax.

Look - here's the way Apple does things. When something is released, it is released internationally, and the prices appear to be set for the exchange rate at the time, and they don't change until another hardware release. For example, the October release of the Macs last year couldn't have come at a worse time - all the Macs in NZ shot up nearly 40% in price.

Another example - 99c apps and iTunes songs are that - 99c in the US. In New Zealand a 99c app is NZ$1.29, while a 99c song is NZ$1.79. So, the songs are a rip-off, but the apps are bargains. You win some, you lose some.

the sales tax accounts for some of the costs, not all of them. i have been talking to my GF about the topic and she said that australia also has some sort of Electronic Goods Tax or something from overseas products. i have no idea if its true but she would be the one to know.

the things (at the bad price point) were never cheaper to buy here in australia (for me), because im in australia - im not buying externally with money that "rates" higher then what it is, i wouldnt know.

nice way to tie in the insult btw 🙄

 

[tabasco70]

yes i know. however its not like apple needs to make as much profit on their ipods... come on it just plain annoys me that their profits are through the roof yet we see no price cuts or anything..

but then apple is a company. its goal is to make the most profit possible. its not a service. just because theyre making money doesnt mean theyre somehow obliged to give everything for cheap. that just doesnt make sense.
people are still buying from apple, and only when microsoft started to attack apple's prices (and alerting customers that they could get similar things for cheaper) did they lower them.

 

[mrkgoo]

the sales tax accounts for some of the costs, not all of them. i have been talking to my GF about the topic and she said that australia also has some sort of Electronic Goods Tax or something from overseas products. i have no idea if its true but she would be the one to know.

the things (at the bad price point) were never cheaper to buy here in australia (for me), because im in australia - im not buying externally with money that "rates" higher then what it is, i wouldnt know.

nice way to tie in the insult btw 🙄

Oh, it wasn't meant to be an insult (apologies).

And yes, there is associated electronics taxes for both Aus and NZ.

But I think you get my point - the exchange rates mean very little unless you are actually prepared or able to get a product from overseas, at that time. You're in Australia, buying Australian goods, with Australian money. The situation in US is different. It's a strange and confusing system to consider products by exchange rate. See, on the one hand you are using the currently more favourable exchange rate to down play the price of products in AUs compared to US, but you don't balance that with when they are bad. Point is, it doesn't matter.

I'm in the US at the moment, earning US dollars, and I can buy US goods. If I were to transfer that money to NZ, some things are actually cheaper here. But that's because I am in the unique situation of having both accounts. While the price doesn't actually change in either place, I can pick and choose the cheaper price. A few months ago, the iPod touch was cheaper in NZ. Now it's more expensive.

When you don't have that ability, for example, people who are in NZ, they haven't seen anything change. Like yourself - the price of an iPod touch has not changed in Australia ever, yet the price in US to you has been going up and down. The point is - the exchange rate is what it is, but it shouldn't matter. One day, the price will be very favourable again when Apple releases new hardware, and you'll be smiling.

What's the price of apps in the appstore? I'm still buying apps at NZ$1.29, which is around US80c. 😀

edit: Also the sales tax DOES account for a large portion. Take the current exchange. An iPod touch for US$229, assumign a sales tax of 10% makes it around US$253 = AU$311 - not actually that much of a difference from the AU$329

 

[DoFoT9]

but then apple is a company. its goal is to make the most profit possible. its not a service. just because theyre making money doesnt mean theyre somehow obliged to give everything for cheap. that just doesnt make sense.
people are still buying from apple, and only when microsoft started to attack apple's prices (and alerting customers that they could get similar things for cheaper) did they lower them.

good point, apple is a company whose sole goal is to make profits for their shareholders.. giving stuff for cheap has never been an option with apple i guess - you pay the premium for a (imo) better quality product. im fine with that for their computers - but in a quite harsh market for mp3 players and stuff it should be a different story.

ah well, wasnt like i was going to buy a Touch anyway 😉

Oh, it wasn't meant to be an insult (apologies).

thats cool, no offense - was just checking

And yes, there is associated electronics taxes for both Aus and NZ.

But I think you get my point - the exchange rates mean very little unless you are actually prepared or able to get a product from overseas, at that time. You're in Australia, buying Australian goods, with Australian money. The situation in US is different. It's a strange and confusing system to consider products by exchange rate. See, on the one hand you are using the currently more favourable exchange rate to down play the price of products in AUs compared to US, but you don't balance that with when they are bad. Point is, it doesn't matter.

ok well that makes sense then, guess its actually more fair-er then i thought.

I'm in the US at the moment, earning US dollars, and I can buy US goods. If I were to transfer that money to NZ, some things are actually cheaper here. But that's because I am in the unique situation of having both accounts. While the price doesn't actually change in either place, I can pick and choose the cheaper price. A few months ago, the iPod touch was cheaper in NZ. Now it's more expensive.

When you don't have that ability, for example, people who are in NZ, they haven't seen anything change. Like yourself - the price of an iPod touch has not changed in Australia ever, yet the price in US to you has been going up and down. The point is - the exchange rate is what it is, but it shouldn't matter. One day, the price will be very favourable again when Apple releases new hardware, and you'll be smiling.

What's the price of apps in the appstore? I'm still buying apps at NZ$1.29, which is around US80c. 😀

apps here in Aust are $1.19Aus, or $0.96US, so we are JUST ahead in terms of the price we pay. that is probably the ONLY thing that is cheaper haha. MBP's, MB's, iMac's etc are a good $200 more 🙁

edit: Also the sales tax DOES account for a large portion. Take the current exchange. An iPod touch for US$229, assumign a sales tax of 10% makes it around US$253 = AU$311 - not actually that much of a difference from the AU$329

that makes it a lot more closer 🙂 thanks for clarifying!

 

[YanniDepp]

The next state north of me is about a 15 hour drive on the highway. It's about 5 hours to the southern border and about 15 to the west.

Wowzers. I can drive from one end of Scotland to the other in four hours, and from East to West in under 2 hours.

 

[DoFoT9]

Wowzers. I can drive from one end of Scotland to the other in four hours, and from East to West in under 2 hours.

lol nice way to bring back the thread 😉

its 15mins to the north border, 20 hours to the south and 20 to the west for me 😛