Macmillan is Australian for Even Bigger Ripoff

[Blue Tyson]

Originally Posted by tompe

When you buy an ebook the point of sale is in your country. So it is not the same as buying a paper book from another country.

So what is the VAT for books in Australia?

10%. Exactly the same as everything else.

Obviously irrelevant when buying from foreign retailers.

[Fbone]

Originally Posted by sabredog

Rent?

Not any more. Not now.

I'm sure it has risen recently. Location and exchange rates factor into it.

But it currently is half of what an American would pay. At least to one living in the northeast.

[PKFFW]

Originally Posted by Fbone

I'm sure it has risen recently. Location and exchange rates factor into it.

But it currently is half of what an American would pay. At least to one living in the northeast.

I wonder how Sydney is consistantly rated as one of, if not the most, expensive cities in which to live in the world if our rent is half as much?

[ATDrake]

Originally Posted by PKFFW

I wonder how Sydney is consistantly rated as one of, if not the most, expensive cities in which to live in the world if our rent is half as much?

Maybe they take into account the prices of books as one of the costs of living?

[Fbone]

Originally Posted by PKFFW

I wonder how Sydney is consistantly rated as one of, if not the most, expensive cities in which to live in the world if our rent is half as much?

Originally Posted by ATDrake

Maybe they take into account the prices of books as one of the costs of living?

The Australian Dollar has strengthened considerably in the last few years and all these cost-of-living surveys convert to US Dollars. Europe (except for Switzerland) has dropped in the rankings due to currency fluctuations possibly caused by the Greek debt.

[Pushka]

I really resent buying goods from Australian stores because I know I can get them cheaper online from overseas, even with shipping.

I recently purchased the Kobo vox from the USA for $190 AUD and shipping to Australia was another $30. It has just been released in Australia for $299. Simply not justified.

[PKFFW]

Sony T1 is still $179 here.....last I heard $89 or $99 in the US. If I didn't have a $100 voucher for Myer and I felt I absolutely would not need to take it back for any reason, I'd get my bro to buy it and send it over in a second.

[tompe]

Originally Posted by Blue Tyson

10%. Exactly the same as everything else.

Obviously irrelevant when buying from foreign retailers.

Why irrelevant?

When I buy ebooks from amazon.com I pay Swedish VAT.

[sabredog]

Online purchases under $1000 are GST exempt. The ATO has ruled the cost of administering a GST for that sort of purchase too expensive to justify.

However, even if a GST was applied to online purchases the cost would still be considerably lower. I would suggest that you visit some news sites like news.com.au and appraise yourself of the situation in Australia.

[CazMar]

I am buying my recreational reading from Bewrite Books (no DRM, same price for everyone regardless or where you are) and making use of my university library for non-fiction works (and they also have an extensive online library for students). Because of warnings on the MR forum I managed to spend most of a very big gift voucher from Australian Borders before they went broke, that was the end of my Australian bookstore buying. I have only bought one rip-off price textbook for uni (no overseas supplier). Our local library now has ebooks on loan so I'll just wait on the queue if I ever have the urge to read the latest best-seller, but most of the time I wouldn't read them if they were going free anyhow.
I used to spend a lot of time browsing for new books, now I don't even bother going in the stores.
Australian consumers will vote with their credit cards - consumer electrical shops are starting to get the picture , but the book trade wants to stay in the 19th century.

[Blue Tyson]

Originally Posted by PKFFW

I wonder how Sydney is consistantly rated as one of, if not the most, expensive cities in which to live in the world if our rent is half as much?

Half as much as where? Maybe of New York, certainly wouldn't be half of lots of the USA.

Plus you could buy multiple houses in a lot of places for the cost of a reasonable Sydney dwelling.

[Blue Tyson]

Originally Posted by tompe

Why irrelevant?

When I buy ebooks from amazon.com I pay Swedish VAT.

Because we have so no such requirement.

[viviena]

I thought this was an interesting article, in light of the speculation that Aussie book retailers are slowly dying. Mind you, we'll have to see what these businesses say after the Christmas frenzy dies down.

Bookshops turn the page and cash in during Christmas rush.

[sabredog]

Originally Posted by Blue Tyson

Half as much as where? Maybe of New York, certainly wouldn't be half of lots of the USA.

Plus you could buy multiple houses in a lot of places for the cost of a reasonable Sydney dwelling.

When I purchased my first house, the mortgage amount was 3 times the average wage. In Perth at current it is 9 times the average wage.

With mortgages and rents now taking close to 2/3 the household income, little wonder there is a growing amount of anger over retailers ripping off customers.

The Aussie dollar has been at parity with the USD for the better part of a year now, so the cost of importing goods has lessened. But prices have not decreased appreciably for most items.

[Blue Tyson]

Yes, that is one thing that peeves buyers. When dollar goes the other way prices jump almost immediately. Reverse does not happen.