Hachette is Australian for Ripoff

[AlexBell]

For what it is worth I was appalled at the prices of books in Australia when we returned here from Canada in 2000. Not surprisingly I did not develop the slightest scrap of customer loyalty, even to a very good bookseller in Launceston who is doing the best he can.

[Blue Tyson]

Hachette website gives this :-

Phone and fax

Phone: 02 8248 0800
Fax: 02 8248 0810
Customer Service: 02 4390 1300
(International: +61 2 4390 1300)
Customer Service Fax: 1800 664 477

Key peopleManaging Director Malcolm Edwards
Finance Director David Cocking
IT Manager Michael Swarbrick
Australian Publishing
Publishing Director Fiona Hazard
Publishing & Production Manager Anne Macpherson
Publisher Bernadette Foley
Publisher Vanessa Radnidge

Non Fiction Publisher Matthew Kelly
Children’s Publisher (Lothian Children’s Books) Jon Appleton
Sales & Marketing
Hodder & Headline Sales & Marketing Director Matt Richell
Little, Brown & Orion Sales & Marketing Director Matt Hoy
Publicity
Hodder & Headline Publicity Manager Judy Jamieson-Green
Little, Brown & Orion Publicity Manager Jaki Arthur
Hachette Children’s Books Publicity Theresa Bray
Hachette Children’s Books
Hachette Children’s Books Director Chris Raine
Marketing/Administration Manager Christine Fairbrother


Email contacts

For title and purchasing information, price and availability, Customer Service: email adscs@alliancedist.com.au

General enquiries: email hsales@hachette.com.au

Accounts enquiries: email accounts@hachette.com.au

Australian Publishing enquiries: email auspub@hachette.com.au

Rights enquiries: email rights@hachette.com.au
Publicity Email Contacts

For publicity enquiries (including all cover scans, media releases, author enquires), please email publicity@hachette.com.au or contact the appropriate Publicity Manager or Publicist.
Hodder & Headline

Judy Jamieson-Green, Publicity Manager
Brendan Fredericks, Publicist
Little, Brown & Orion

Jaki Arthur, Publicity Manager
Laura Gale, Publicist

[Crusader]

South Africa is in a similar situation. The ebooks (those available locally) tend to be more expensive than their paper counterparts. That's one of the reasons I've largely reverted back to paper.

[tompe]

Originally Posted by Blue Tyson

It is also amazingly arrogant when people like Harvey complain that they are no longer making 35% profit margins and are down to only 16% or something still huge..

Profit margin on what?

If it is on books that sell well then it seems small because it has to cover the books that they loose money on.

[sabredog]

Originally Posted by tompe

Profit margin on what?

If it is on books that sell well then it seems small because it has to cover the books that they loose money on.

A recent survey done by the Australian Consumer Association has shown that mark-ups up to and over 140% on many goods are a regular occurrence.

You try to dare justify such rip-offs to the Australian consumer?

The facts are plain and the evidence clear.

Australians know they are being ripped off and more and more are turning to online purchasing. Why should we pay double the price that other countries pay?

[Blue Tyson]

Originally Posted by tompe

Profit margin on what?

If it is on books that sell well then it seems small because it has to cover the books that they loose money on.

You think a 35% profit margin is small?????!

[tompe]

Originally Posted by Blue Tyson

You think a 35% profit margin is small?????!

Profit margin on what?

Yes, if only one book in 10 will recover its cost then it seems small for example.

[Fbone]

Originally Posted by sabredog

Australians know they are being ripped off and more and more are turning to online purchasing. Why should we pay double the price that other countries pay?

For the privilege of living in Australia

[Blue Tyson]

Originally Posted by tompe

Profit margin on what?

Yes, if only one book in 10 will recover its cost then it seems small for example.

No, that is the profit margin after everything is taken into account for a year for that particular company - that is what the term means!

[wannabee]

Count the Australian cities in the list compared with others. There were more off the page and they only listed the top 50 most expensive cities in the world to live. A recent comparison of IKEA stores showed that Australians pay between 2 and 3 times the price of goods in those stores compared with the US or Sweden.

Spoiler:

Notes for Editors

The figures for Mercer’s Cost of Living and rental accommodation costs comparisons are derived from a survey conducted in March 2011. March 2011 exchange rates and Mercer’s international basket of goods and services have been used as basis measurements.

The information is used by governments and major companies to protect the purchasing power of their employees when transferred abroad; rental accommodation costs data is used to assess local expatriate housing allowances. The choice of cities surveyed is based on the demand for data.

[Blue Tyson]

Yep, so it is certainly crazy for low margin publishing businesses in Australia to be in Sydney or Melbourne.

[sabredog]

I would certainly agree with Perth getting far more expensive to live.

[CazMar]

Originally Posted by wannabee

Count the Australian cities in the list compared with others. There were more off the page and they only listed the top 50 most expensive cities in the world to live. A recent comparison of IKEA stores showed that Australians pay between 2 and 3 times the price of goods in those stores compared with the US or Sweden.

And I thought Ikea was CHEAP compared to a lot of local stores!
The only book I have bought from an Australian bookstore recently was a university textbook (at rip-off prices) mainly because they were using one I couldn't source from Amazon. As more and more Australians learn to use online shopping services (and I would say the majority already do so) the retailers are going to have to compete or sink. And if ebooks have geographic restrictions on them they will soon learn how to by-pass this!

[Blue Tyson]

The Book Depository was pretty good on textbooks I found. And you can check the UK and US sites, likewise to get the best deal. And abebooks.com can be worth it for that. You never know when an enterprising Indian might be selling one of their versions.

[jehane]

Originally Posted by Blue Tyson

Yeah, they recommended it be scrapped. The publishers lobbied against it. So the government said, fine 'on your own head be it, you'll get no help from us.'

The Productivity Commission recommended that parallel imports of books be allowed, but the publishing lobby was successful in convincing the Govt to not change the existing system. Dymocks lobbied hard the other way, because as a retailer it can't parallel import, while individuals can. Publishers are not suffering yet, but once Dymocks (as the only large chain left - Collins is not big enough) goes under then publishers will suffer as it will be difficult to showcase their books.

http://www.pc.gov.au/projects/study/books

Personally, I won't pay that much for books any more, and if there are Australian authors who aren't published overseas and can *only* be bought at the inflated prices, well, that's what libraries are for. On a trip to the US last year I came back with a suitcase full of books - and that is not an exaggeration.