The International Agreement To Gouge E-book Customers

[wannabee]

jehane
couldn't agree more.
.....and I reckon you'd rely heavily on the online bookstores in Antarctica. Or is there a Dymocks franchise next to that seal colony down the way a bit?

[MrsPartridge]

I'm in Canada and right now the U.S. dollar is just below the Canadian $. It's been like that for a while. However books, even e-books cost much more for Canadians.

I don't want to hear about shipping, paper costs etc. Back in the 70's when the our dollars were around the same, books and magazines only had one price on them. There was no special price for Canadians. If I go shopping in the US, I'm sure the store wouldn't charge me more because I'm Canadian. So why do publishers think they should charge more for e-books?

This is a cash grab. Same with Australia, I'm sure.

[khalleron]

On a recent visit to Australia, I was shocked! by the book prices. Reading must be an expensive hobby Down Under.

[Blue Tyson]

Originally Posted by MrsPartridge

I'm in Canada and right now the U.S. dollar is just below the Canadian $. It's been like that for a while. However books, even e-books cost much more for Canadians.

I don't want to hear about shipping, paper costs etc. Back in the 70's when the our dollars were around the same, books and magazines only had one price on them. There was no special price for Canadians. If I go shopping in the US, I'm sure the store wouldn't charge me more because I'm Canadian. So why do publishers think they should charge more for e-books?

This is a cash grab. Same with Australia, I'm sure.

Yep. And the Australian dollar was 1.06 US yesterday.

[sabredog]

Originally Posted by MrsPartridge

I'm in Canada and right now the U.S. dollar is just below the Canadian $. It's been like that for a while. However books, even e-books cost much more for Canadians.

I don't want to hear about shipping, paper costs etc. Back in the 70's when the our dollars were around the same, books and magazines only had one price on them. There was no special price for Canadians. If I go shopping in the US, I'm sure the store wouldn't charge me more because I'm Canadian. So why do publishers think they should charge more for e-books?

This is a cash grab. Same with Australia, I'm sure.

Absolutely.

There has been radio interviews with Dick Smith here of late. Dick is normally someone I listen to as he is a self made millionaire, making his money in electronics and is now heavily involved in promoting Australian made products.

But he rabbitted on about internet shopping and how Australians should buy locally to support local businesses and their staff.

Sorry Dick, you are in the same camp as Gerry Harvey. I am not going to continue being ripped off. I will continue to buy online. Plus, my wallet loves me for it!

[wannabee]

Originally Posted by khalleron

On a recent visit to Australia, I was shocked! by the book prices. Reading must be an expensive hobby Down Under.

Yep! The hard cover Stephen King novel 11.22.63 is $52.95 at our local book store.

Originally Posted by sabredog

Absolutely.

There has been radio interviews with Dick Smith here of late. Dick is normally someone I listen to as he is a self made millionaire, making his money in electronics and is now heavily involved in promoting Australian made products.

But he rabbitted on about internet shopping and how Australians should buy locally to support local businesses and their staff.

Sorry Dick, you are in the same camp as Gerry Harvey. I am not going to continue being ripped off. I will continue to buy online. Plus, my wallet loves me for it!

There's one flaw in this argument. One which gets a bit political but as the subject of off-shore business has been raised I'll make a quick comment.

While our wallets like it, our jobs fly off overseas. They're closing the car manufacturing plants and we're importing more and more food while farmers bulldoze their orchards.
If we go to a serious state of war we'll be unable to manufacture aircraft or vehicles or feed the troops because we are no longer self-reliant. Just like what happened to the U.K. in WWII.
The reason that the U.S. just set up military bases in Australia's north west, much to China's annoyance and protesting, is that they have publicly stated that Australian and Canadian territories are in their sights for expansion. But by the looks of it, they'll probably just buy it rather than take it because we're selling it to them like it's a fire sale anyway.

[sabredog]

One of the chief reasons why jobs are moving offsure is increasing business profit, more than customers refusing to pay inflated prices. This is standard business practice for all major Australian businesses including Woolworths, Coles and the major four banks.

The example of the current price war between Coles and Woolworths is indicative of the length either will go to win the price battles being raged. Farmers are the real loser in this conflict.

The rot is deeper than that however, customer and after sales service is almost non existant now. Sales staff are rude, not interested, non existant or simply do not know their products most times. Little wonder customers look elsewhere.

BTW, during the dark days of WW2, the UK had left almost all their military equipment on the beaches and fields of Dunkirk. Lend-Lease with the USA enabled rapid re-equipping of the British army. If the Germans had actually invaded during 1940, the army would be facing them with little artillery and virtually no armour. But that is a subject for another day.

There is a fair price somewhere, but until that becomes a reality, Australians will pay far more for items that cost far less elsewhere.

[teh603]

Originally Posted by sabredog

The example of the current price war between Coles and Woolworths is indicative of the length either will go to win the price battles being raged. Farmers are the real loser in this conflict.

Farmers have always gotten the short end of the stick. Its truly sad when they start splitting their cropland into five- acre plots for housing development and make more money if one of them than the land had ever made in its entire history. Farmers were also the first victims of the revolving door credit trap. And then there's the issue of the English Corn Laws which were partially responsible for the starvation during the Irish Potato Famine, corporate moves to prevent seed banking, the emphasis on high- yield but vastly inefficient crops, and a lot of collateral expenses like the damage caused by feral hogs.

[wannabee]

Looks like we all agree. Large businesses want our money and are providing less and less in return.
Banks want our money and charge us for the privilege of lending it to them.

Sheesh!

[sabredog]

Originally Posted by wannabee

Looks like we all agree. Large businesses want our money and are providing less and less in return.
Banks want our money and charge us for the privilege of lending it to them.

Sheesh!

Absolutely!

I have great sympathy for farmers. I grew up in WA's central wheatbelt and my grandfather was a dairy farmer (family since 1841) before he and Nana sold up and retired in 1974.