Comments on: Global products, local pricing

By: hawil

hawil — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 22:53:23 +0000

As I do not buy many products so I,am not conversant with the prices, but as a shareholder of Telstra I,am very aware of the share price, and if Conroy keeps persisting with his idea of wrecking Telstra, I wonder how that will affect the products and prices in IT businesses in Australia.
Telstra may be poorely managed because they lost many customers by charging too much for their broadband services and even Telstra shareholders moved away from them.

By: michael Lewis

michael Lewis — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 04:31:02 +0000

Jon, had a similar experience with a non-IT product – a bottle of Australian wine in New York for $US9 ($A10.20 at the time) and it sells here for minimum $A17. Even with the taxes and shipping costs, that is a huge price to pay for a local product at home…..

By: Jon

Jon — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 02:12:20 +0000

I often see stuff overseas about half price in the US.

Here is what I DON’T get. I bought a microphone MADE IN AUSTRALIA while in the US for HALF THE PRICE of Aus retail. You can’t blame that one on shipping

By: Gareth

Gareth — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 14:03:35 +0000

As an apple user your article has struck a chord with me! I also agree that the price differential is unfair BUT there are things to consider such as market size impacting shipping costs, exchange rate differences, import duties, export duties (from the US) paying double taxes (in Australia and in the US). The list could go on. I am not making excuses and I think that the price per unit could drop substantially and sustain a healthy profit margin but do we really want this from certain companies?

By: What about local competition

What about local competition — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 13:45:26 +0000

An interesting article from a Telstra employee. I mean have you compared Bigpond prices for broadband against its competitiors? e.g. wireless.

Stop worring about what the overseas prices are and start working on how you can provide better value to your local client base.

By: eins

eins — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 22:59:47 +0000

Same with textbooks and even magazines. Unfortunately places like Amazon.com won’t allow Australian’s to purchase US magazines. They are often approx 50% cheaper, even when you factor in international postage. If I purchase 2 magazines from Australia eg at Mag Nation it is usually equivalent to the USA subscription rates and by the 3rd issue I would have covered the international postage.
Globalisation has many advantages, but old paradigm business models that dictate market regions such as Apple & Amazon should be dispelled by new market forces. All I can see is blatant profiteering. I wait in hope.

By: Michael Lewis

Michael Lewis — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 22:49:23 +0000

Tim, I am not talking about price matching international competitors. I am referring to a global brand selling direct to the public (via shopfronts and the internet) offering different pricing for idential products in their own outlets in different countries.

By: RobertC

RobertC — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 16:24:04 +0000

It is the same for many items. I have a French car and it is cheaper to pay to import parts from th UK + shipping than paying the local parts price. And this was before the AUD/Pound Sterling exchange
hit 0.58p heights. Part of the price differential has todo with the high costs of doing business in Australia, but even accounting for that, some companies love taking Aussies for a ride all the way to the bank!

By: Tim

Tim — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 05:24:50 +0000

Hmm – because telstra price matches international competitors?

By: Brendan

Brendan — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 03:38:29 +0000

It’s the shipping cost.
I’m from Malaysia, things from Peninsula Malaysia(Mainland) are slightly cheaper than in East Malaysia(North Borneo).
mostly are the cost for shipping.
Different part of world, different shipping price.