Australian iPod Pricing

[squeakytoy]

While I did start this thread, I don't agree with using the actual exchange rate to decide how much we 'should' be paying here. There's too many factors (shipping, GST, smaller market, local advertising, local wages, daily exchange rate fluctuations...) for that to be an accurate figure.

What I do support, is the theory that the same conversion from the USA RRP to Aus RRP on the newly priced iPods should apply to all Apple gear. This theory makes practically every other Apple item overpriced here.

Instead of waiting for a hardware update on each model in their range, prices need to be adjusted across the board, not every week, but surely after such a dramatic rise in the AUD.

I'm sure Apple wouldn't want to cop the loss if the Aussie dollar dropped to 40c tomorrow...

 

[jxyama]

my two cents...

i realize that in this day and age of global market and internet, it's hard to understand such a big price disparity after conversion... but it's pretty complicated stuff. apple oz does its thing to price itself in the intended market, australia. it pretty obvious that they don't (and CAN't) take the apple u.s. prices and convert to oz dollars...

a can of coke is $1 in japan. it's 50 to 75 cents in the U.S. how much is it in australia? why would there be any difference?

 

[squeakytoy]

A can of coke here is $1.40 - $1.60, but the exchange rate itself is not really the issue.

The fact that the same product can drop in price significantly in one day for no other reason than the exchange rate (ie the USA price remained steady) means that:

a) people who bought it yesterday get burned, and

b) other products are obviously due for a price reduction. Why would you buy, say, a Powerbook now and expect to see $600+ knocked off it in the near future even without an official Apple price reduction?

 

[MyLeftNut]

er...in no way was I suggesting that $1500.00 should be taken as an indication of the profit resellers are making on the powerbook. As you mention oingo, if there were any resellers out there willing to give a breakdown of the real costs involved then that would be enlightening.

I just doubt, even with all the costs, Australian customers are getting real value for money when it quite often is a complaint of American mac enthusiasts (even with US pricing), things could be better value. Yeah I know, we are paying for a premium product but we here in OZ seem to be paying premium, premium prices.

 

[squeakytoy]

I've been told by my local Apple Centre Guy that he makes only 8% on the iPod. Dunno how accurate that is, but when you consider he also gets slugged 2-3% by credit card companies, you can see when some computer shops pass that surcharge on to the customer.

 

[Icekey]

I'm looking at ordering stuff from the US. My brother is in NY which becomes an issue due to their 8.75% tax. Does anyone know if he gets taxed the same if ordered online? I guess he will

Either way, I make a saving of roughly around 500 bucks if ordered through the US. What I want to know though is, for powerbooks in the US, do they offer the 3 year warranty thing for educational purchases in the US as well?

I guess the best thing to do is to wait till the 16th, see if price drops come with the powerbooks at that time and hopefully I'll be a happly chappy over here.

As for the iPod, the 413 dollar price tag for the 15 gig on education is an awesome price.

 

[manitoubalck]

Originally posted by squeakytoy
I was lucky enough to wait for my 2004 Giant VT. I saved money and got the better specs on that one

Insurance payed for mine, and Warrenty is paying for the 2004 bike, because the 2003 is defective. I'm laughing all the way down the hill.

 

[manitoubalck]

Originally posted by oingoboingo
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?

The prices of Apple mac's are set by apple corp. hence the retailers have little room to move. However on the PC front, stores just buy from whole salers, and love the smell of our plastic money. Sorry but if you want a good deal on comuters you only get them on the PC side.


Part two of this post: I'm waiting for the price of the old Dual 1.25GHz PM to be re adjusted, there sstill charging ove $3000.

I think apple have too much pride.

 

[manitoubalck]

Originally posted by jxyama
my two cents...

i realize that in this day and age of global market and internet, it's hard to understand such a big price disparity after conversion... but it's pretty complicated stuff. apple oz does its thing to price itself in the intended market, australia. it pretty obvious that they don't (and CAN't) take the apple u.s. prices and convert to oz dollars...

The point is I could order a whole buch of stock from the US, Ship it over here, and still make over $1000AUD, and still be under cutting apple Australia, I wouldn't have to pay GST since I'm selling a secondhand unit. The warrenty is good, and all is happy except apple Australia.

Hey, That's not such a bad idea

 

[woodsey]

Anyone care to speculate on the Australian price of the iPod mini?

I say somewhere around the AU $375 mark.

 

[CalfCanuck]

Originally posted by Icekey
I'm looking at ordering stuff from the US. My brother is in NY which becomes an issue due to their 8.75% tax. Does anyone know if he gets taxed the same if ordered online? I guess he will

If your brother orders from an established on-line company based in a certain states the computer will be shipped sales tax free (these are gathered, and the rates set, at a state by state level - there is no US federal sales tax).

Check out MacConnection as well - they've been around for 20 years, and I got 512MB free RAM on a G4 iBook that shipped just weeks after they were released.

Also, here's a comparison site with current promotions for you to compare:

http://www.macprices.com/g4tracker.shtml

(edit: by "certain states", I mean if your brother orders from a mail order or web-site in New York, or from a company that has "a business presence" in NY, they will have to collect the sales tax for shipping to NY.

So ordering from the web site of a company that has stores in all states will mean EVERYONE has to pay sales tax. Thus mail order (or web) businesses usually set up in only one location that gives them maximum sales tax advantages)

 

[aswitcher]

Looking at the percentage increase for Oz

I did some mucking around with Australian markups to find average cost based on $1 AUD dollars equals $0.74 US cents.

I note an average of

eMacs 29%
iMacs 31%
G5s 31%

iBooks 29%
PBs 38% - 12" Super highest at 39.81%
iPods 11% or 18.5% for 40 gig.

-> MiniPod should be $369 or $379 if about 11%

Why roughly 30%?
GST for 10% Rest shipping/profit?

Why are the PBs a clear 7% more on top, and 9% above iBooks? Are desktops all airfreighted as well, if so I think a 20kg e or imac versus a 3.3kg PB makes no sense...

Things to wonder about

Jason