What are some particularly egregious examples 'kiwi tax' or companies creaming the NZ market vs international prices?

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#2660375 21-Feb-2021 07:48

I had a pair of cheap sports sunglasses with interchangeable lenses that I used for MTBing that broke a while ago. I was looking at these yesterday online to see how much they cost on the UK now where I got them from - they sell for £9.99 (I think I picked them up on special for £5 at a 50% off sale).

Themarket have them for $77.99 here in NZ.

SATTV

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#2660383 21-Feb-2021 08:15

neb: Another example I just ran into: Elfa shelving components. Go to the Container Store, the US outlet for Elfa, and look at their prices, which are automatically listed in NZD if you're coming from a NZ address, then compare them to the M10/Storage Box prices. For example the Elfa Utility Platinum Mesh Baskets from the Container Store are NZ$13.50 - NZ$18.30, while at Mitre10 (Storage Box is the same price) the exact same item is NZ$39.98 to $59.98. That's three to four times the price on the same item, and since they're made in Poland it's not like the cost of shipping to the US will be much cheaper.

We would be lucky to get one container a quarter where as the US will be shipping several container per quarter or less so freight and buying power is considerably better.

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mudguard

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#2660387 21-Feb-2021 08:53

snnet:
Handle for the back door of a work van broke away from the backing of itself (plastic) meaning I had to open it using a system of pulling a cable to pull the lock latch cable from the inside -- rang nissan parts nz - eight week delay from Japan and $360. For a piece of plastic (admittedly with a little metal attached!) After a lot of searching I came across Amayama NZ for parts - found the handle for $30, shipping from Japan was $15 - arrived within a month over the Christmas period and was a genuine part! I was a little skeptical at first so only ordered one, but have since ordered a couple more for other work vans as it's a piece of plastic that seems to be easy to break with wear

Yeah that site is godsend for those of us with old Hondas. Things like window trim plastic, rubber etc. Shipping can take awhile but the Civic is project not a daily.

MarkH67

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#2660395 21-Feb-2021 09:44

I buy heaps of stuff from overseas because of the huge range of things I just can't get here. If a product is available locally then I would prefer to buy it here, unless the price is just too much higher . . .

With motorcycle helmets it is recommended that they are replaced after 5 years (approximate guide) due to compression of the foam making them not as protective as they used to be. My Schuberth C3Pro (which I bought locally) is actually over 6 years old now. So I've decided to replaces it, going with a Schuberth C4Pro. These are expensive helmets, but great quality and very quiet compared to most. A new C4Pro from Germany is under NZ$800 including shipping, but in NZ they are generally sold at NZ$1495. Add GST to the Germany price and you end up at NZ$900 including shipping & GST vs $1495 locally.

I like to support local businesses, but do I want to make a $600 charitable donation to them? Actually, no, no I don't. My new helmet has been ordered from Germany. Maybe if local suppliers were charging $1095 I might just pay the couple of hundred more to buy locally, but $600 is just too much extra to pay.

I've bought plenty of things locally that are pretty competitive with overseas prices, places like PB Tech are often selling Chinese brands at similar prices to what Chinese companies sell them for. Not everything is horribly overpriced here, just some things. When I can buy locally at a fair price I will.

Lostja

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#2660435 21-Feb-2021 11:38

neb: Another example I just ran into: Elfa shelving components. Go to the Container Store, the US outlet for Elfa, and look at their prices, which are automatically listed in NZD if you're coming from a NZ address, then compare them to the M10/Storage Box prices. For example the Elfa Utility Platinum Mesh Baskets from the Container Store are NZ$13.50 - NZ$18.30, while at Mitre10 (Storage Box is the same price) the exact same item is NZ$39.98 to $59.98. That's three to four times the price on the same item, and since they're made in Poland it's not like the cost of shipping to the US will be much cheaper.

I was excited for a minute but container store now no longer ships ELfa to NZ according to their website

neb

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#2660458 21-Feb-2021 12:47

Lostja:
I was excited for a minute but container store now no longer ships ELfa to NZ according to their website

That was the first thing I checked :-(. You get a big popup about selling internationally and then later a small footnote saying they don't do NZ. At Elfa prices in NZ you could pay for a fractional container and still come out better off.

neb

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#2660461 21-Feb-2021 12:51

SATTV:
We would be lucky to get one container a quarter where as the US will be shipping several container per quarter or less so freight and buying power is considerably better.

At the rate the local M10 goes through that stuff, and frequent responses to empty shelves of "next container arrives on Thursday/next week/whatever", I don't think it's low volume that's the problem.

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Juicytree

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#2660594 21-Feb-2021 15:59

Harvey Norman Australia, Samsung 75" Q950 8K = $7,995 AU ($NZ 8,611 at current exchange rates)

Harvey Norman New Zealand, Samsung 75" Q950 8K = $NZ11,997

$NZ3,386 difference (5% less GST in Australia) The rest must be the Tasman freight costs.

Geektastic

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#2673953 13-Mar-2021 20:02

I just bought some Timberland boots in a sale. 33% off made them only $20 more than the USA!

GV27

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#2673973 13-Mar-2021 20:38

Juicytree:

Harvey Norman Australia, Samsung 75" Q950 8K = $7,995 AU ($NZ 8,611 at current exchange rates)

Harvey Norman New Zealand, Samsung 75" Q950 8K = $NZ11,997

$NZ3,386 difference (5% less GST in Australia) The rest must be the Tasman freight costs.

This is a bug-bear of mine, especially considering the wider range that these outlets have in Aus as well.

Premium price here for their mid-range products.

neb

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#2674003 13-Mar-2021 21:25

Juicytree:
$NZ3,386 difference (5% less GST in Australia) The rest must be the Tasman freight costs.

Well yeah, that's the first-class air fare and wages to have a valet fly over with it on a silver platter. How else do you think they ship them?

afe66

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#2674203 14-Mar-2021 12:23

Does bring up the question of whether its cheaper to fly to au and bring back as luggage on plane..

Did people to that for Adobe software in USA in past ? Or is that an urban myth?

cshwone

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#2674238 14-Mar-2021 14:56

afe66: Does bring up the question of whether its cheaper to fly to au and bring back as luggage on plane..

Did people to that for Adobe software in USA in past ? Or is that an urban myth?

Your $3000 saving would pay for MIQ :)

neb

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#2674562 14-Mar-2021 19:35

afe66: Does bring up the question of whether its cheaper to fly to au and bring back as luggage on plane..

In the late 1980s that was actually the cheapest way to get anything above the crappiest low-end Apple Mac.

GV27

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#2674672 15-Mar-2021 07:19

neb:
afe66: Does bring up the question of whether its cheaper to fly to au and bring back as luggage on plane..
In the late 1980s that was actually the cheapest way to get anything above the crappiest low-end Apple Mac.

Cameras too, for the longest time.

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