Australia/NZ Borders, A&R and Whitcoulls go bust - Page 5

WendyH · 02-24-2011, 12:50 AM

Thanks for the advice jehane, but mine is a debit Mastercard and I don't want to get a credit card.
sabredog, how much are the fees on your Westpac debit Mastercard? Are they $1 per transaction like the CBA's are?

sabredog · 02-24-2011, 01:11 AM

Wendy, it varies being around AU$1 per AU$40 of purchase. So it sounds like your Commonwealth card is better than my Westpac debit card it that respect.

WendyH · 02-24-2011, 01:14 AM

I don't know that it is sabredog, one of the books I bought cost $6.95 and then they added a $1 international transaction fee!!

That's a lot to add to the cost of a cheap book. I have been meaning to go in and ask them about it, I must do it.

sabredog · 02-24-2011, 01:26 AM

Paypal tends to work better in those situations.

jehane · 02-24-2011, 02:08 AM

I should mention that you should compare the annual fees and other charges as well. I have the gold card and use the free travel insurance, and I pay it off every month so I never pay interest. It is worth it to me, but if you aren't buying from overseas or using the travel insurance or other features, the cost may outweigh the benefits.

WendyH · 02-24-2011, 03:45 AM

Thanks jehane, but as I said, I do not want a credit card at all. I am happy with a debit card, just don't like the international currency conversion fee and I am going to go and see the bank about it.

AprilHare · 03-03-2011, 06:19 PM

Interesting: 38 bookshops to close, 37 of which are A&R stores, 1 a Borders store:
http://www.smh.com.au/business/38-bo...303-1bg6e.html
I'm familiar with some of the NSW suburbs with stores set to close and it disturbs me that these are some of the suburbs that need people reading books, desperately.
- Especially Mount Druitt, which is a disadvantaged area in the Greater West of Sydney.

WendyH · 03-03-2011, 06:25 PM

I agree, it's pretty sad Mt Druitt is going to lose its A&R. I am really upset about the Borders at Rouse Hill closing. That is the closest one to us and a visit to Borders is one of the highlights of our trips to Rouse Hill Town Centre. We don't buy the books, just browse so we can then look for the ebooks at home, and have a drink at Gloria Jeans, but it won't be the same without Borders. The staff there are really lovely, I feel very sorry for them all.

Laine · 03-04-2011, 09:17 AM

The Liverpool A&R is closing but there is a Dymocks there as well. Also Target and BigW who sell all the popular fiction at 1/3 less. Is there any wonder A&R gets closed?

I think it's silly to have 2 practically identical shops with a smallish range of books competing in a place like Liverpool. One larger store with a better range might have been more sucessful. But I doubt it.

sabredog · 03-04-2011, 06:58 PM

Both Perth CBD stores are going.

AprilHare · 03-04-2011, 10:39 PM

The list.

kiwipippa · 03-04-2011, 11:33 PM

They haven't announced closures in New Zealand yet - sad to see all these Australian stores close.

AprilHare · 03-05-2011, 02:55 AM

Luckily it's far from all of them. My local A&R store isn't on the list and my closest Borders isn't closing either.
NZ Whitcoulls customers needs to keep an ear to the ground.

Clancy_s · 03-06-2011, 12:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WendyH

We don't buy the books, just browse so we can then look for the ebooks at home...

I'm inclined to do that too, but not buying books in store presumably leads to more of them closing. It's a pity one can't buy the ebooks in store (or if you can, a pity it wasn't more widely publicised).

tech_au · 03-06-2011, 03:55 AM

Its a bit sad that so many stores are closing. I guess they figured Border's is a better brand name than A&R.
I've lived in Newcastle for 6 years and I didn't even know we had an A&R in the CBD

Then again no-one in Newcastle shops in the CBD these days thanks to the big shopping centres in the 'burbs and I haven't bought a p-book for 3 years now.

03-04-2011, 10:39 PM	#71
AprilHare Wizard Posts: 2,981 Karma: 11862367 Join Date: Apr 2008 Device: Sony Reader PRS-T2	The list. Attached Thumbnails

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02-24-2011, 12:50 AM	#61
WendyH Enthusiast Posts: 39 Karma: 5846 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Sydney, Australia Device: Sony Reader PRS-650	Thanks for the advice jehane, but mine is a debit Mastercard and I don't want to get a credit card. sabredog, how much are the fees on your Westpac debit Mastercard? Are they $1 per transaction like the CBA's are?

02-24-2011, 01:11 AM	#62
sabredog Geographically Restricted Posts: 2,629 Karma: 14933353 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Perth, Australia Device: Sony PRS-T3, Kindle Voyage, iPad Air2, Nexus7v2	Wendy, it varies being around AU$1 per AU$40 of purchase. So it sounds like your Commonwealth card is better than my Westpac debit card it that respect.

02-24-2011, 01:14 AM	#63
WendyH Enthusiast Posts: 39 Karma: 5846 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Sydney, Australia Device: Sony Reader PRS-650	I don't know that it is sabredog, one of the books I bought cost $6.95 and then they added a $1 international transaction fee!! That's a lot to add to the cost of a cheap book. I have been meaning to go in and ask them about it, I must do it.

02-24-2011, 01:26 AM	#64
sabredog Geographically Restricted Posts: 2,629 Karma: 14933353 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Perth, Australia Device: Sony PRS-T3, Kindle Voyage, iPad Air2, Nexus7v2	Paypal tends to work better in those situations.

02-24-2011, 02:08 AM	#65
jehane Book addict Posts: 441 Karma: 2650464 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Antarctica/Australia/Ohio Device: Sony PRS-300/T1/Asus TF101	I should mention that you should compare the annual fees and other charges as well. I have the gold card and use the free travel insurance, and I pay it off every month so I never pay interest. It is worth it to me, but if you aren't buying from overseas or using the travel insurance or other features, the cost may outweigh the benefits.

02-24-2011, 03:45 AM	#66
WendyH Enthusiast Posts: 39 Karma: 5846 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Sydney, Australia Device: Sony Reader PRS-650	Thanks jehane, but as I said, I do not want a credit card at all. I am happy with a debit card, just don't like the international currency conversion fee and I am going to go and see the bank about it.

03-03-2011, 06:19 PM	#67
AprilHare Wizard Posts: 2,981 Karma: 11862367 Join Date: Apr 2008 Device: Sony Reader PRS-T2	Interesting: 38 bookshops to close, 37 of which are A&R stores, 1 a Borders store: http://www.smh.com.au/business/38-bo...303-1bg6e.html I'm familiar with some of the NSW suburbs with stores set to close and it disturbs me that these are some of the suburbs that need people reading books, desperately. - Especially Mount Druitt, which is a disadvantaged area in the Greater West of Sydney.

03-03-2011, 06:25 PM	#68
WendyH Enthusiast Posts: 39 Karma: 5846 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Sydney, Australia Device: Sony Reader PRS-650	I agree, it's pretty sad Mt Druitt is going to lose its A&R. I am really upset about the Borders at Rouse Hill closing. That is the closest one to us and a visit to Borders is one of the highlights of our trips to Rouse Hill Town Centre. We don't buy the books, just browse so we can then look for the ebooks at home, and have a drink at Gloria Jeans, but it won't be the same without Borders. The staff there are really lovely, I feel very sorry for them all.

03-04-2011, 09:17 AM	#69
Laine Addict Posts: 341 Karma: 1162396 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Cabramatta, Sydney, Australia Device: Aura H2O, Voyage	The Liverpool A&R is closing but there is a Dymocks there as well. Also Target and BigW who sell all the popular fiction at 1/3 less. Is there any wonder A&R gets closed? I think it's silly to have 2 practically identical shops with a smallish range of books competing in a place like Liverpool. One larger store with a better range might have been more sucessful. But I doubt it.

03-04-2011, 06:58 PM	#70
sabredog Geographically Restricted Posts: 2,629 Karma: 14933353 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Perth, Australia Device: Sony PRS-T3, Kindle Voyage, iPad Air2, Nexus7v2	Both Perth CBD stores are going.

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03-04-2011, 11:33 PM	#72
kiwipippa Fanatic Posts: 578 Karma: 613022 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: New Zealand Device: kobo glo, kobo touch (dead), kindle touch, android phone	They haven't announced closures in New Zealand yet - sad to see all these Australian stores close.

03-05-2011, 02:55 AM	#73
AprilHare Wizard Posts: 2,981 Karma: 11862367 Join Date: Apr 2008 Device: Sony Reader PRS-T2	Luckily it's far from all of them. My local A&R store isn't on the list and my closest Borders isn't closing either. NZ Whitcoulls customers needs to keep an ear to the ground.

03-06-2011, 03:55 AM	#75
tech_au Oz Bookworm Posts: 516 Karma: 4056 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Australia Device: Sony PRS 505,PRS 650	Its a bit sad that so many stores are closing. I guess they figured Border's is a better brand name than A&R. I've lived in Newcastle for 6 years and I didn't even know we had an A&R in the CBD Then again no-one in Newcastle shops in the CBD these days thanks to the big shopping centres in the 'burbs and I haven't bought a p-book for 3 years now.