Just got back from a trip to Australia and all i can say is never buy a detector there!! all or most are 3 times the price than they are here.. $600 plus for a Garrett ace 250!! $1250 for a bounty hunter time ranger!! there is more!! b.h sharp shooter 2,$660, b.h q silver 400!! the rip off never ends minelab x t 30 $650,x t 50 $900!! x t 70 $1200!!! talk about greed!! i looked into sending my ozzie friend 2 detectors from the u.s to his home in Qld Postage was $70 Customs was $93.30!! ... Australia a total rip off if you want to buy and use a metal detector ..
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The Big Australian Rip Off!!
- Thread starter josey
- Start date
Josey,
Sorry to see you have a negative point of view of Aust. and the prices charged.
I would suggest you look at the current exchange rate for the $AUD against the $USD.
At the moment we are getting around $AUD0.65c to the $USD1.
Therefore if you are buying an item worth, say, $USD20 in your part of the world then you will pay, in Australia, $AUD30-77.
I fancy therein lies your problem. Also you need to consider the added costs of freight, handling and any other charges that are due on items imported from the States into this country.
I was overseas recently in Europe when the Aussie Dollar was at near parity with your currency. I therefore had a relatively cheap holiday compared with what I would be looking at today. The problem is with the loans crisis in the USA and the effect it has had with international currencies and economies.
Sorry mate, but the problem starts at your own back door.
Sorry to see you have a negative point of view of Aust. and the prices charged.
I would suggest you look at the current exchange rate for the $AUD against the $USD.
At the moment we are getting around $AUD0.65c to the $USD1.
Therefore if you are buying an item worth, say, $USD20 in your part of the world then you will pay, in Australia, $AUD30-77.
I fancy therein lies your problem. Also you need to consider the added costs of freight, handling and any other charges that are due on items imported from the States into this country.
I was overseas recently in Europe when the Aussie Dollar was at near parity with your currency. I therefore had a relatively cheap holiday compared with what I would be looking at today. The problem is with the loans crisis in the USA and the effect it has had with international currencies and economies.
Sorry mate, but the problem starts at your own back door.
C. Nyal de Kaye
New member
Josey's note about an Australian rip-off says nothing about Australia, but quite a bit about Josey's lack of understanding of financial matters, international exchange rates, and tax regimes. Today, 6th November 2008, there are a number of Minelab 4500's on the US eBay site. They are advertised for $4995 US dollars. The conversion to Australian dollars, as provided by eBay, makes them $7132 Australian.
You can buy a 4500 here for $5500 even though the rrp is $6100. If Josey bought a 4500 in Oz today he would in fact pay less in US dollars that he could buy it on eBay. According to Google the exchange rate today is 1 US$ = 1.43947027 Australian dollars, so $5500 Australian today converts to $3822 US Dollars. That is over $1100 cheaper than the US price. There is no rip-off Josey.
You can buy a 4500 here for $5500 even though the rrp is $6100. If Josey bought a 4500 in Oz today he would in fact pay less in US dollars that he could buy it on eBay. According to Google the exchange rate today is 1 US$ = 1.43947027 Australian dollars, so $5500 Australian today converts to $3822 US Dollars. That is over $1100 cheaper than the US price. There is no rip-off Josey.
Jonathan Porter
New member
mickance said:sounds to me like all detectors are priced too high for what they are ..shame the koreans or chinese couldnt do what they do with other products and make a raesonable cheaply priced copy
Yes the Koreans or the Chinese could copy and make a reasonable product but then the American and Australian companies who invented the things in the first place would pack up and go home leaving us with what? Crappy imitations for the rest of our lives?
JP
The US Dollar is weak for sure, but you have to also consider the cost of shipping goods to Down Under.
I lived in Australia for two years traveling about and I can remember in 1985 in Sydney, In a cafe where the
wait person was getting $10.00 an hour and the dish washer got $10.00 per hour, cash in hand. SO you can
imagnine how much the meal was. Here, a dish washed is luck to get $5.75 phr. Back then the US dollar was worth alot more.
If memory serves me correctly, one US dollar got me $1.73 Aussi Dollar. Not anymore. I also remember that the UNIONS were strong
in Australia, almost to the point of strangulation if you happened to own a business. Don't know what the
situation is there now. I will say this, Australia is not a rip off. They just happen to have their own economic problems.
Katz
I lived in Australia for two years traveling about and I can remember in 1985 in Sydney, In a cafe where the
wait person was getting $10.00 an hour and the dish washer got $10.00 per hour, cash in hand. SO you can
imagnine how much the meal was. Here, a dish washed is luck to get $5.75 phr. Back then the US dollar was worth alot more.
If memory serves me correctly, one US dollar got me $1.73 Aussi Dollar. Not anymore. I also remember that the UNIONS were strong
in Australia, almost to the point of strangulation if you happened to own a business. Don't know what the
situation is there now. I will say this, Australia is not a rip off. They just happen to have their own economic problems.
Katz
My Friend Just sent me a Price list from Australia from a store called goldsearchaustralia and your NOT going to Believe the Prices!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Whites DFX $1800 ..MXT $1500 .XLT $1400 The Prizm 6T $1000!!! even with the exchange rate (yes i did check) its a 100% RIP OFF !!
OK Josey,
At the current exchange rate (AUD$1 = USD$0.63) the prices you quote are, in USD$:
$1134
$945
$882
$620
Please tell me, in USD$ the current price for the same machine in the States
Now remember, the Australian importer has to add freight costs, freight forwarder charges, customs charges and finally a profit margin.
Please give me the current Rec. Retail Price (not discounted) in your part of the world
At the current exchange rate (AUD$1 = USD$0.63) the prices you quote are, in USD$:
$1134
$945
$882
$620
Please tell me, in USD$ the current price for the same machine in the States
Now remember, the Australian importer has to add freight costs, freight forwarder charges, customs charges and finally a profit margin.
Please give me the current Rec. Retail Price (not discounted) in your part of the world
Josey
I think that once you understand the ups and downs of the US Dollar and the extra costs
that have to be tacked on such as shipping, customs etc, you'll better appreciate why the cost
is so high. If you plan to go "Down Under," then you better take your own detector.Thats just
how it is. New Zealand has a similar problem. Wew are quite fortunate to be able to get our
toys at such a cheap rate; we've gotten used to it. Go to England and see how much a detector will cost you.
You will just want to tear your hair out.
Katz
I think that once you understand the ups and downs of the US Dollar and the extra costs
that have to be tacked on such as shipping, customs etc, you'll better appreciate why the cost
is so high. If you plan to go "Down Under," then you better take your own detector.Thats just
how it is. New Zealand has a similar problem. Wew are quite fortunate to be able to get our
toys at such a cheap rate; we've gotten used to it. Go to England and see how much a detector will cost you.
You will just want to tear your hair out.
Katz
It is not very ethical to name stores and call them a rip off,The particular coy named is one of the most fairest and professional in all aspects e.g staff knowledge experience in the field repairs etc.
WHEN THE OZ $ WAS NEAR THE US $ Detectors were several hundred dollars Cheaper.
If any one wants to purchase overseas its your choice but Warranty will be a problem.
WHEN THE OZ $ WAS NEAR THE US $ Detectors were several hundred dollars Cheaper.
If any one wants to purchase overseas its your choice but Warranty will be a problem.
Josie
The population in the USA was 303,824,640 (July 2008 est.) The population in OZ is 19,000000
Perhaps the problem may be not over-priced in OZ but more to the point we don't have the turn over as the USA would have
So are buying of products from over seas may be/or will be higher.
I can buy a shimano fishing reel from a retail outlet cheaper than an Importer can land a shipment here here for resale.
The population in the USA was 303,824,640 (July 2008 est.) The population in OZ is 19,000000
Perhaps the problem may be not over-priced in OZ but more to the point we don't have the turn over as the USA would have
So are buying of products from over seas may be/or will be higher.
I can buy a shimano fishing reel from a retail outlet cheaper than an Importer can land a shipment here here for resale.
I agreed with Josey, I am in australia and I love the metal detectors since 1974's.. I have many it in my home from USA, good prices and I keep my eyes on current exchange rate at 0.80 to 0.90 best.
2 years ago I was in the shop at sydney and I saw price was $1,600 for fisher Gold Bug 2 (71Khz) NEW and $1,200 for second hand.
I phone quote at Perth W.A. he want $1,750 plus shipping.
At ebay in USA, I after Fisher Gold Bug 2 used working ok bidded US$430 plus shipping-Insurance total about US$490, I paypal only AUD$550 approx CHEAP!
In home and go to bush I happy..
Josey is right I think..
2 years ago I was in the shop at sydney and I saw price was $1,600 for fisher Gold Bug 2 (71Khz) NEW and $1,200 for second hand.
I phone quote at Perth W.A. he want $1,750 plus shipping.
At ebay in USA, I after Fisher Gold Bug 2 used working ok bidded US$430 plus shipping-Insurance total about US$490, I paypal only AUD$550 approx CHEAP!
In home and go to bush I happy..
Josey is right I think..