Things That Aren't Value for Money!

Trying2SaveABuck on 14/04/2017 - 10:26
Last edited 14/04/2017 - 10:29

Ozbargin is full of deals, bargains and great advice!

But recently hitting the wise old age of 27 I look back at some of the times I've been ripped off or 'almost' ripped off and thought it be good to get a forum on the things people think are the WORST value for money.

So for example buying a car Brand new is generally considered a bad deal.

What i never new till i got old was how much i was getting ripped off getting my car serviced at the deal-ship (after warranty expires).

Dealership servicing is 50-100% more expensive then independents now whilst on warranty i think its best to get you car serviced by the manufacturer but a lesson i learnt is once that warranty ends you are being ripped of considerably.

Another thing that pisses me off are places that sell coffee for $4-6 but there coffee is absolutely shit. It cost 36cents to make a latte if your going to charge a ridiculous mark up the end product needs to be quality ie not burnt, not too cold etc

other examples

  • Certain private schools (fees for the education given had heaps of people complain about high school fees for inept teachers)
  • Taxi drivers (biggest rippers)
  • Insurance - Health/Car/home/occupational indemnity - especially when they dont pay out
  • Loans (Anything by the big four is usually over priced)
  • Almost anything from Harvey Norman
  • EB games (without price match)
  • Real estate agent fees (Can be really high and the service isnt always the quality you would expect)
  • Electronics Playstation VR, Fitbit (any of them), blu ray players when they 1st came out etc

If you got a story of being ripped off or someone/thing trying to rip you off comment below let the community know

General Discussion

Comments

  • Tuftsdude on 17/04/2017 - 01:46
    +1

    Jewellery and gemstones from jewellery stores in shopping centres in malls.

    As for the gold they give you a low amount of carats (mostly 9K's) and heat treated gemstones and overpriced diamonds which all have little to no resale value.

    Go to a real jewellery store, the guys who sell gold jewellery brought from Dubai. The normally sell 18K/21K & 22K and their gold actually has resale value.

    Also the watches at the jewellery stores in the malls, ask what the machine make is before buying. The Seiko and Citizen you're after may be pretty but there's a good chance it has a Chinese machine inside. Swiss and Japanese machine is the way to go.

    • Cluster on 17/04/2017 - 03:30
      +1

      I think most people on OzBargain would agree that jewelry and gemstones of any kind are a waste of money. Diamonds are pretty but unless someone's looking at the gem through a magnifying glass, a cubic zirconia does exactly the same job. Only place a diamond is truly useful for every day purposes is as an abrasive. Gold and silver is valuable as bullion and has real resale value that way.

      It's quite rare to see people wearing watches today. I haven't worn one since 1997, when I purchased a mobile phone. It's synced to the network and is always 100% accurate. We're surrounded by clocks and timepieces pretty much everywhere (car, office, computers, tablets, phones, TVs, etc) so the watch is only useful as a piece of jewelry.

      • Tuftsdude on 17/04/2017 - 05:30
        +1

        I disagree with the first part mainly because the stuff I buy I can resell for a profit to the right people - but I know what I'm buying and I buy from certain places and know the market and labour prices for this industry (to some extent at least). But that's me, I don't expect many ozbargainers to know this stuff.

        As for the diamonds, yeah, with zirconias around, it's quite hard to tell the difference, almost impossible without a magnifying glass unless you have a large diamond.

        Depends what industry you work in imo. I like watches as I believe they reflect some of ones personality. I've commented about it somewhere too. They give off a more professional look when you're in a suit as well.

      • scrimpingstan on 18/04/2017 - 17:42
        +1

        I disagree that your phone is 100% accurate. It is probably almost always accurate, but spend time on the nsw/qld border during daylight savings and the time jumps around depending on what tower you are connected to. very annoying.

  • [Deactivated] on 17/04/2017 - 03:16
    -1

    ITT: People expecting everything for free and have no idea how the world works

    • Trying2SaveABuck on 21/04/2017 - 18:17
      +1

      No one expects anything for free but somethings are clearly a rip off, these business people who go bankrupted will be the 1st to claim Australia has too much red tape, it is too hard to start a business etc etc

  • Tony76 on 17/04/2017 - 08:36
    +5

    This Gold Coast holiday I'm currently on. $2300 for accommodation, $1200 flights, $350 car hire, $250 Dreamworld tickets…..kids are still fighting.

    • [Deactivated] on 20/04/2017 - 15:34

      try drop $10,000 to maldives for your honeymoon, just plane ticket and accommodations, with few rides/eat-outs

  • syousef on 17/04/2017 - 12:39
    +4

    Just saw a Louis Vuitton handbag for sale on facebook for $1500. Bought at the LV store in Sydney for $3500 in 2015. I can't imagine anything a handbag would do that would be worth $1500, never mind $3500. If they're less durable at $100, buy one every 6 months and you'll still be well ahead. Fashion is for victims.

  • movieman on 17/04/2017 - 13:00
    +4

    Holidaying in Australia.

    4 nights for two people = $1k.

    So much better value overseas.

  • lippy on 17/04/2017 - 13:59
    +2

    Paying extra for sparkling water and take away places charging almost $4 for a bottle of water.

    • Marcsie on 18/04/2017 - 12:28
      +1

      I never paid for water, ever …

      • lippy on 18/04/2017 - 14:13

        you never justified to pay or never had to pay?

        • Marcsie on 18/04/2017 - 16:33

          Both :)

  • Architectonic on 17/04/2017 - 15:20
    +1

    Stamp duty as a percentage of transaction value - has the effect of making markets less efficient for no real benefit.

  • tdw on 17/04/2017 - 15:20

    anything out of a vending machine

    • Trying2SaveABuck on 21/04/2017 - 18:18

      I agree with this but most of the time it beats 7/11 if it is 3am and you need a bottle of water

  • Mx2 on 17/04/2017 - 16:11
    +2

    Employers that have more than 0.01% of staff on a 457 VISA. Instead they should invest in developing their own talent.

    • Mx2 on 18/04/2017 - 15:54

      Damn, just saw the news. Malcolm Turnbul must be reading this forum.

      • PVA on 21/04/2017 - 18:37

        dont beleve what was said, it will all be much the same with a different name.

  • Ragnarok1983 on 17/04/2017 - 17:19
    +3

    Prestige cars - total waste of money. Regret every cent I've spent that would have gone a long way in a mortgage or down payment for another investment.

    • freemoneyhunter on 18/04/2017 - 22:04

      I got my parents 1998 Nissan when my grandfather died, he had a 2010 model and they use that now. Good thing with a cheap car you don't have to worry about it nor insure it because it is no big loss if something happens. I just view cars as an A to B device. Prestige cars is more of a hobby thou and perhaps a thin kind of investment for the already done well crowd.

  • LadyCocoa1234 on 17/04/2017 - 19:13
    +1

    Food whenever you go to an event! I work in events and it pretty much takes an hour of my pay, sometimes more.

  • worldwidehappiness on 17/04/2017 - 21:21
    +2

    Life coaching. I paid over $1,000 about 15 years ago for 10 sessions. The idiot just gave me lists of questions to answer. I gave ridiculous answers sometimes, but he said I was doing great. His "exercises" just added to my worries rather than helping.

  • BuyoTheCat on 18/04/2017 - 09:34
    +2

    Fine dinning.

    • mranderson978 on 18/04/2017 - 15:24
      +2

      Especially with the portion sizes.

  • vinster55 on 18/04/2017 - 11:28

    A true OZ bargainer will go to 7 eleven twice on a tuesday and purchase 2 coffees each time for $1 (Free $1 coffee with any purchase on tuesday).
    Drinks one coffee and stocks up the other 3 coffees for the next 3 days.
    So thats 4 coffees sorted for $2. and 4 days worth of caffeine fixed up. :)

    • freemoneyhunter on 18/04/2017 - 22:25
      +2

      A true oz bargainer wouldn't give that lot any patronage. Same with Domino's ripping off workers. I view a good bargain coming from someone or entity who provides a good product and/or service without ripping people off, just because it is not you who is being ripped off but the person they hire is being ripped off to provide you product/service is wrong.

      I know you were only joking thou, when I fill up, I never buy anything in store unless travelling.

  • Friendly Troll on 18/04/2017 - 12:06

    Teas at cafes/restaurants. More expensive than coffees (which require more labour than tea).

  • [Deactivated] on 18/04/2017 - 14:55

    everything not online

  • Dr Prepper on 18/04/2017 - 17:27
    +3

    Easily the worst Straya tax right now:

    Our tradies plumbers ,brickies, sparkies and chippies. - my Mrs' old world tradesmen relos came over from Europe and they couldn't believe the low quality workmanship our tradies are allowed to get away with. Then they took a look that the amounts our guys rip us for. There is no bigger rip in Australia at the moment. Our tradies are the highest paid yet they are far from quality/value for money. WTF?

    • dufchips on 18/04/2017 - 18:36
      -4

      Is this sarcasm? Any numbers to prove the theory of your "Mrs' old world tradesmen relos"?

    • freemoneyhunter on 18/04/2017 - 22:42

      It's because that is where the money is being generated, Sydney house prices have doubled since 2008 so now people have lots of equity in their homes therefor the banks allow them to hire tradies to upgrade their homes and because it all happens at once silly prices are paid to tradies to upgrade their homes. The real value is not in the home, it's in the land, 200k of renovations might equal 125k extra when they sell. In Sydney, the house is worth perhaps 1/5th of the land value, It would be better to buy more land with the equity than trying build equity by improving the home using overprice tradies.

  • Chroma on 18/04/2017 - 18:48
    +1
    • Windows 10 (even if you got it for 'free' you're still getting raped)
    • Anything from MassDrop if you don't live CONUS
    • Absolutely anything in Sweden, especially if you live in Sweden
    • BuyoTheCat on 18/04/2017 - 20:41
      +1

      Thanks for the tip. I'll stay away from Swedish girls.

  • wonderpickle on 18/04/2017 - 23:40
    +1

    Hearthstone Packs

    • Trying2SaveABuck on 21/04/2017 - 18:20

      You pay for them?

      You clearly have too much $$$

  • boomramada on 19/04/2017 - 11:04

    How come no one mention, Australia Post!!

    • eug on 19/04/2017 - 11:08
      +2

      They have a funny pricing system. I wanted to mail a box via express post. The cost of express shipping the box itself was $28.
      But if i put the same box into an express post satchel, it becomes $17.

  • Konstantin on 19/04/2017 - 16:13

    LOVE

  • Lockieasy on 19/04/2017 - 16:38
    +1

    I learned to never lend money to your girlfriend (now ex). Still trying to get it back.

    Also good point about stealerships and car services. My car recently had it's last scheduled service and I'm moving to independants now. Much cheaper and I can do it once a year rather than every 6 months which is what the dealership wants (which is stupid for a Toyota).

  • worldwidehappiness on 19/04/2017 - 17:35
    +2

    If someone hasn't mentioned it: Jewellery.

  • Grandslam on 19/04/2017 - 22:45
    +1

    So pretty much everything for sale in Australia is a rip off? Yep, sounds about right.

    My personal faves:

    Move tickets - $20 is just too much and I don't even consider buying anything from the snack bar
    Beer - up to $40 for a basic carton now. Just getting too expensive to drink.

  • aromatase on 19/04/2017 - 23:24
    +1

    Bottled water. 3.50$ for water really doesn't make sense.

    Or drinks when eating out in general.

  • SkMed on 20/04/2017 - 09:14

    Travel Agents. These days you can organise your own holiday for a fraction of the cost, not sure how they are even around anymore!

    I used one once for the Greek Islands. Ended up paying about $500 for a handful of ferry tickets which I could have bought myself for about $100. I understand they need to make their commission but a 400 percent markup is ridiculous!!

    Looked into using a travel agency for the Trans Siberian Railway too. Cheapest I could find from Moscow to China was around the $4000 mark!! I ended up going by myself and bought tickets along the way which gave me more flexibility and cost me about $300!!! how do they get away with a markup from $300 to $4000? If you pay that you are insane.

    I also recently won a $2000 voucher for Hello World but could only be used in-store. Of course most of the cheap places/flights they had online couldnt be bought in-store. So for my $2000 I could only get a on-way ticket and some super overpriced travel insurance. On top of this I have no idea what insurance company im with or their policies/how much they cover etc. I tried contacting them to find out and they told me to contact the travel agency!!??

    Trabel Agents, utter waste of money these days (and real estate agents).

  • Ctn on 20/04/2017 - 09:54

    Magic The Gathering cards.

    Spent lots of money on it during Uni.
    Long time later, regretted it's a total rip.
    Then changed my mind when I made back my money + some more (mmm dual lands) :D

    • eug on 20/04/2017 - 11:11

      So they were really good value, then!

      • Ctn on 20/04/2017 - 13:24

        Yep, certain things don't appear to be good value at first.

  • bahgain on 20/04/2017 - 10:04

    Expensive HDMI cables - Especially brands like Monster.

  • OzTightArse on 20/04/2017 - 10:14
    +1

    Any vehicles younger than 25yrs old

    Get club rego for $75/year and fully comp. insurance for $80/yr fits my lifestyle perfectly. Drive 45days a year. You can add to 90.

    That's 10yrs of rego vs. 1

  • idonotknowwhy on 20/04/2017 - 14:23

    Litecoin

  • SupeNintendoChalmers on 20/04/2017 - 16:47
    +1

    German cars- Unless you're talking about Porsches and Bugattis they're terrible waste of money
    I see so many C and 3 series on the road as with people thinking they are "prestige" when in reality they're nothing more than the German equivalent of Falcon/Commodore Taxi. They are massively overpriced here, for example, I can buy a 328i in the US for around $37K ($50K AUD), whilst here in Australia you pay around 65-75 for the privelege

    • eug on 20/04/2017 - 17:04

      German cars- Unless you're talking about Porsches and Bugattis they're terrible waste of money

      Dunno bout that. The ride and build quality, as well as the feel of the trim are pretty different to a Falcadore. Not to mention the technology you can get in a modern Merc.

      But just like how some people will be completely satisfied with a Moto G, some people will have no qualms about paying for the better technology in an S8 or iPhone.

      • Trying2SaveABuck on 20/04/2017 - 17:29
        -1

        The only German car ill say is over priced is BMW not worth what they cost in Australia.

        Mercs are worth every dollar if you can afford it

    • PJC on 20/04/2017 - 17:59
      +1

      Bugattis are not German. They are made in Molsheim, France.

      • vinster55 on 21/04/2017 - 09:24

        Not that anyone who could afford to buy Bugatti cares about it

        • PJC on 21/04/2017 - 11:21
          +1

          For my blue one they took ages to apply my family Coat of Arms on the ostrich leather upholstery. No hang on, that was my heliotrope one.

        • vinster55 on 21/04/2017 - 15:55
          +1

          @PJC: Yeah they did the same with my red one as well. Forgot to patch in the limited edition badge for my Veyron Super Sport. So I had to turn down the deal and went for La Ferrari instead.

          Just woke up by the way after a long sleep ;)

        • PJC on 21/04/2017 - 17:03
          +1

          @vinster55: I commiserate.

  • snajper on 20/04/2017 - 21:11

    McDonalds and the rest… $10 for meals
    Near my work there are several restaurants selling proper restaurants quality food for $8-$10 ….take away

    • SupeNintendoChalmers on 24/04/2017 - 16:21

      By restaurant, do you mean an actual restaurant, or something like a Chinese shopping centre takeaway store?

      • snajper on 25/04/2017 - 10:30

        Proper licenced restaurant

  • vinster55 on 21/04/2017 - 15:56
    +2

    I feel Nandos is a rip off with a proper meal for a big guy like me costing nearly $20

    • bobbified on 21/04/2017 - 16:48
      +1

      Bloody $18.50 for a "whole chicken" that's half the size of an $8 Coles chicken! I go to Coles nowadays.

    • John Kimble on 22/04/2017 - 07:08

      I find Nandos is only good/worth it if you go in a big group (around 6 or more). If you order correctly you each person gets 1/2 chicken or more sharing multiple sides for ~$15 each

  • John Kimble on 22/04/2017 - 07:19

    Restaurants? Not sure if you would call it a rip off, because you are obviously paying for the experience, service and convenience of not having to cook yourself etc

    For me I believe usually the dishes with the biggest profit (due to low cost of ingredients) in terms of restaurants are things like pasta and pizza (flour based items) with low ratio of fresh protein or fresh vegetables.

    So although I enjoy these kinds of dishes, I personally steer away from ordering them at restaurants unless I'm really craving them, because I don't feel like I'm getting value for money. The only exception is if the place does a good risotto or gnocci; that stuff is hard to get right!

    Most places charge $30 or more for a simple pasta dish and it would costs them peanuts to make (I know as per the coffee example there are labour costs and overheads which explain it), but they charge the same (or slightly more) for steaks/seafood where they would have less profit margin.

    • eug on 23/04/2017 - 09:55

      Most places charge $30 or more for a simple pasta dish and it would costs them peanuts to make (I know as per the coffee example there are labour costs and overheads which explain it), but they charge the same (or slightly more) for steaks/seafood where they would have less profit margin.

      If there was a $45 steak next to a $15 pasta on the menu, I think lots of people who are there just to hang out with friends and not actually care about the food, would just get the $15 pasta. That would probably end up unsustainable for the restaurant.

  • Scorpex on 26/04/2017 - 10:11

    Anything from a servo

  • bighead on 27/04/2017 - 11:06

    Stocking/hosiery. Not cheap for something that can easily tear up after one use. Not built to last.

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