The totally off-topic thread

[Robbi]

We are living in the dark ages here I kid you not

In nearly every way. Giant country, small population, captive audience. Little incentive to make things better.

Businesses like Harvey Norman already screw us over, then complain to Government because of no GST on foreign purchase <$1000, when price gouging is the cause of people not buying locally.

 

[rogerkambah]

Now its official. Radelaide is the 'hottest' city in the world.

 

[Robbi]

Now its official. Radelaide is the 'hottest' city in the world.

What, Tomorrow?

 

[Buzzard]

Can you say Das vi danya Melbourne?

That's simple..... try Brzenczyszczykiewicz

 

[markis10]

Businesses like Harvey Norman already screw us over, then complain to Government because of no GST on foreign purchase <$1000, when price gouging is the cause of people not buying locally.

Price gouging is claimed often as happening with imports, the reality is different, thanks to the various layers of government and their regulations an importer must ensure products meet our local rules, ie telecommunications equipment needs an a tick, which is a set of rules and tests unique to australia, if you pay the fee and fail the test the only feedback you get is you failed! Then you need C tick, that's normally easy as it's based on overseas rules, the you need Australian electrical safety approval, along with Australian plugs etc.

All that's on top of GST, customs duty, and other expenses, when I was bringing in containers the port handling and transport charges were more than what the shipping line charged to get it here! Many importers have now worked it out, ship direct to the end user and make them responsible for certifications etc!

 

[rogerkambah]

What, Tomorrow?

I thought it was today. As the (old) Torana ad said: When you're hot, you're hot!

 

[Robbi]

I thought it was today. As the (old) Torana ad said: When you're hot, you're hot!

You might be right, I understand that it was bouncing back and forth between ADL and MEL today as BOM prognostications kept changing.

I think ADL won

 

[Kieran2274]

Price gouging is claimed often as happening with imports, the reality is different, thanks to the various layers of government and their regulations an importer must ensure products meet our local rules, ie telecommunications equipment needs an a tick, which is a set of rules and tests unique to australia, if you pay the fee and fail the test the only feedback you get is you failed! Then you need C tick, that's normally easy as it's based on overseas rules, the you need Australian electrical safety approval, along with Australian plugs etc.

All that's on top of GST, customs duty, and other expenses, when I was bringing in containers the port handling and transport charges were more than what the shipping line charged to get it here! Many importers have now worked it out, ship direct to the end user and make them responsible for certifications etc!

GST is a bit of a furphy issue, but I think it is your second comment that rings true most. GST is nothing, compared to customs duty levied - it can be multiple times the GST paid and up to almost half the value of the item imported!

 

[markis10]

GST is a bit of a furphy, but I think it is your second comment that rings true most. GST is nothing, compared to customs duty levied - it can be multiple times the GST paid and up to almost half the value of the item imported!

GST is still a 10% markup on the final cost to the consumer, hardly nothing, and not paid by the sellers who drop ship direct.

 

[Pukka]

GST is a bit of a furphy, but I think it is your second comment that rings true. GST is nothing, compared to customs duty levied - it can be multiple times the GST paid!

The whole GST thing is a complete joke . I have a "friend" who bought a LV handbag for his wife at Xmas for $5k went skiing and claimed back the GST thinking there would be a big record of the bag etc but no they didn't even look at the bag and refunded the money without question so it's obviously not a big deal for them.

 

[JohnK]

In Thailand, China, Korea etc the internet is blindingly fast and very cheap often free in hotels.

I dont find wi-fi very fast in the hotels in Thailand. In fact it is very slow and sometimes impossible to use. The Hiltons earlier this year were a classic example.

 

[medhead]

Shipping is the smallest cost in any country. When discovery channel get get on and tell me that shipping a container from Shanghai to Hamburg costs less than driving that container 100km out of Hamburg, then Australia isn't the only country that has high handling charges.

I can't believe the whinge about putting on Australian electrical plugs. If anything that's a furphy. But then why not let importers ignore Australian safety rules. It worked out ok when insulation installer ignore building safety rules didn't it? Or was that building contractors ignoring home wiring standards? Either way, I'm surprised anyone can argue against complying with standards.

 

[Major]

Just to let everyone know the saga of drrons knee is over !! He finally got his knee replacement done today. He will be outta action for a while

As long as he can hobble to a good restaurant

 

[mrs.dr.ron]

As long as he can hobble to a good restaurant

looks like I will be doing the driving for a little while !!

 

[Pushka]

All the best to drron for a speedy recovery. All the best to mrsdrron for her patient's speedy recovery

 

[cove]

Just received our first power bill after installing a solar system and the payback looks like taking less than 3 years. If it takes 30 months to get the big purchase price back it will turn out better than we had ever thought possible. We chose east west orientation for aesthetics and no problem so far.

 

[Buzzard]

Just received our first power bill after installing a solar system and the payback looks like taking less than 3 years. If it takes 30 months to get the big purchase price back it will turn out better than we had ever thought possible. We chose east west orientation for aesthetics and no problem so far.

Unfortunately where we live in ADL solar will never pay for itself otherwise it would have been installed years ago.

 

[Pushka]

Unfortunately where we live in ADL solar will never pay for itself otherwise it would have been installed years ago.

Whereabouts is that? Everywhere I look in Adelaide there are solar panels - and some of them look dreadful from the street.

 

[amaroo]

Just received our first power bill after installing a solar system and the payback looks like taking less than 3 years. If it takes 30 months to get the big purchase price back it will turn out better than we had ever thought possible. We chose east west orientation for aesthetics and no problem so far.

Loving our solar system!

For the last qtr (Sept-Dec) our gross credit was $1386. After deducting actual power consumption the net credit was $765 Payback on the 7kw system is under three years.

The next bill will be even better since we've been away for a month so consumption will be way down. The only thing gobbling the power while we were away was the pool which is a super energy efficient pump anyway

 

[blackcat20]

Managed to cool my house from 34 to 28 overnight. Looking forward to a cooler weekend!