This Is Why I End up Torrenting (with a Terrible Feeling)

bhm133 on 01/07/2017 - 20:30
Last edited 01/07/2017 - 23:30 by 1 other user

I love books. I really do. I love reading on my Kobo. I really do.

I really, really, really love reading. I also love purchasing books so that the author can get their dues.

But, for the (profanity) of me, I cannot understand Kobo (and to a lesser extent, Amazon) and how they charge different prices throughout the world.

My current rant is a book that is $16.99 AUD here. If I check from Holland, it is 6.99 Euro ($10.00 AUD). Where does that magic $6 come from? An "air" tax.

I'd understand if this was Thailand vs Australia or India vs Australia, but Holland vs Australia? WTF? I'd even understand IF the price was the SAME…

A big middle finger to the companies who charge a different rate in Australia. (profanity)

I would rather torrent the crap out of books and pay cash direct to the author.

Rant over. Thanks for the fish.

Entertainment

Comments

  • bhm133 on 01/07/2017 - 20:33
    +26

    Wait, wait, wait….

    I just figured it out!

    The Government has to pay for the NBN and they are using ebook markups as a way to subsidise Australia's third world Internet connection… Sorry… less than third world.

    Yeah, I know I said my rant is over, but clearly I am not getting over my $6 air tax. Give me time.

    • [Deactivated] on 01/07/2017 - 20:44
      +8

      I have 500/500 fibre for $90 a month in my KL apartment, in Melbourne I pay about the same for 100/40.

      I mean sure, I guess 100 is okay, kind of annoying when uploading or downloading massive files for work. That extra speed makes a huge difference when you're downloading and uploading a few terabytes. A difference so big that I usually work using a remote desktop in my place in KL.

      • bhm133 on 01/07/2017 - 20:46

        Point proven. But KL isn't third world… I was only exaggerating and whinging.

        Seriously, even some net speeds in Jakarta are faster - don't ask me to prove. Wait till I am there next…

        Wow… I am really not getting over this am I?

        • [Deactivated] on 01/07/2017 - 20:49
          +5

          Yes, Malaysia is not a third world country. But god damn it, sure does feel like Australia is sometimes.

        • bhm133 on 01/07/2017 - 20:51

          @Drew22:
          You should hang out more at the mamak stalls at Taman Tun more often…

        • [Deactivated] on 01/07/2017 - 20:53
          +7

          @bhm133:
          You should hang out more in Frankston

        • bhm133 on 01/07/2017 - 20:56

          @Drew22: Far out. They can't even read. I have family there. However, they do have good choices of moccasins.

        • MeesusEff on 02/07/2017 - 02:21

          @bhm133: Jasmin, Mosin or Kayu? haha

        • Scrooge McDuck on 02/07/2017 - 11:02
          +13

          This concept is called price discrimination.

          In short it's a way for the seller to make more profit by exploiting Australians' higher willingness to pay.

          If Australians didn't keep paying the mark up, prices would fall.

        • [Deactivated] on 03/07/2017 - 12:37
          -1

          @Scrooge McDuck: But we don't have a higher willingness to pay? Case in point, the author of this post.

        • Scrooge McDuck on 03/07/2017 - 13:39
          +3

          @faceman54:

          But we don't have a higher willingness to pay? Case in point, the author of this post.

          That's one individual. The people who make the effort to protest something aren't necessarily representative of the whole market, particularly when there are many oblivious or otherwise apathetic consumers.

      • dcep on 01/07/2017 - 21:23
        +2

        lolxx , what about outside of KL ?

        You think whole Malaysia = KL ?

        You just love the monopoly of TMnutz streamshitt charging RM88 per month for 1Mbps package ?

        Yes guys, capped 1Mbps speed package adsl copper line at RM88. Welcome to "Not" third world country.

        Ohh don't convert the ringgit into aud, because typical worker earn peanutz in Malaysia too.

        • [Deactivated] on 01/07/2017 - 21:30

          How is that any worse than what Australia has in regional areas?

        • dcep on 01/07/2017 - 21:35

          @Drew22:

          idk. I've never seen a capped 1Mbps adsl offer in australia.

          ohh you don't need to be in "regional" area to enjoy the monopoly of TMnutz in Malaysia.

          perhaps you can categorize everywhere outside KL as regional.

        • [Deactivated] on 01/07/2017 - 21:37
          +2

          @phunkydude:

          Ah you got me there! Everyone in Australia can get up to 24Mbit with ADSL2.
          Even in North Melbourne though you might struggle to get 200Kbit throughput, but don't worry my friend! It's still up to 24Mbit!

        • dcep on 01/07/2017 - 21:41
          +1

          @Drew22:

          ohh well, you don't get 1Mbps for paying RM88 either.

          At least i have a choice of paying $60 TPG and getting a solid 17 Mbps line instead of capped 1Mbps.

          By the sounds of it, I guess you prefer a single company to monopoly the market and charge 1Mbps at $88 ?

        • [Deactivated] on 01/07/2017 - 21:48

          @phunkydude:

          I remember paying $60 to TPG and getting a solid 200Kbit line.

        • RiseAndRuin on 01/07/2017 - 23:23
          +1

          @Drew22: FYI I moved to Caulfield (Melbourne) over 2 years ago, and I was left without internet and phone for 3 months. I had to go through the TIO to be able to get out of my contract with TPG who could not provide any service there but was billing me anyway and wanted me to pay to end my contract. since then I've been with DODO, $60/month for phone line (no calls included) + the ancient adsl1 (~6mbit max, when I'm really lucky).

          most of the neighbors who moved in after me were not that "lucky", as the Elsternwick exchange has pretty much no ports available at anytime, unless someone in the area moves out and cancel the service.

        • terrys on 02/07/2017 - 10:13
          -2

          @Drew22: "Everyone in Australia can get up to 24Mbit"

          Except the ones who can't because they are on a pair-gained line, or in a unit that is part of a block built on what was once one house - where the first one to order can have a line provided the original house wasn't on a pair-gained line, if there are free DSLAMs at the exchange and they are not on a RIM that didn't get a top-hat added before Telstra understandably walked away from a copper infrastructure that was going to be replaced. Otherwise, you may be close with your claim by 2020 if this doesn't turn out to be another of Malcom's/Ziggy's predictions that will be deleted, denied and re-defined as yet another milestone passes unmet.
          You were saying?

        • [Deactivated] on 02/07/2017 - 10:34
          +2

          @terrys:

          You missed the sarcasm in my post, like all the sarcasm, and there was a lot of sarcasm, like A LOT.

        • airzone on 02/07/2017 - 11:15

          Agree that internet in rural Malaysia is terrible and expensive… At least when it's not sometime like CNY, in which case, forget it.

        • terrys on 02/07/2017 - 12:25

          @Drew22: Sorry mate, I've been caught by Sophie's law - some of the trolls in Whirlpool the past couple of years have left your post looking like reasoned argument and discussion :-/

      • rompastompa on 01/07/2017 - 21:30
        +1

        I'm paying $90 for 8/.384.. includes $30 Telstra line tax :/

        • [Deactivated] on 03/07/2017 - 16:03

          That sounds like my speed limit that occurs when I've downloaded too much. If only labour named it the national fibre network, adsl1 shouldn't be part of NBN, I've been on it before, can barely check banking.

      • Hirolol on 01/07/2017 - 23:04

        …is that unlimited in Malaysia?!

      • ChubbyMastiff on 04/07/2017 - 10:00

        Where can you get 100/40 for $90 a month? I'm paying $95 a month to telstra for not even half that speed on cable.

      • Easton on 10/07/2017 - 15:26

        When I was in a small town in Eastern Europe, I had 1000/500 fibre for about $13 AUD per month. This was with a commercial operator and not government subsidised.

      • [Deactivated] on 16/07/2017 - 18:55

        I have 500/500 fibre for $90 a month in my KL apartment, in Melbourne I pay about the same for 100/40.

        Yeah, but the downside to that is you have to live in Asia.

        • [Deactivated] on 16/07/2017 - 19:33

          I choose to live in Asia, I don't have to. I can live damn well anywhere I like.

    • CyberMurning on 01/07/2017 - 21:44
      +1

      or government need to pay for baby bonuses

      • bhm133 on 01/07/2017 - 21:47

        @dragonindespair That too. Actually, for each baby we have, we should be given free books.

        • CyberMurning on 01/07/2017 - 22:21
          +1

          i support better and more libraries, cheaper transports, etc compare with giving free money for making babies.

    • cameldownunder on 03/07/2017 - 11:27
      +1

      I am on Copper, and subscribed to a Cloud Backup: I am trying to save my 195GB of pictures, currently on day 12 uploading, around 30% done.
      I was thinking of burning my data onto 5 Blue rays, and sending it via DHL ( Don't trust AU post either )
      It's really sad.

    • CalamansiTree on 04/07/2017 - 01:15

      Isn't it just because of the REALLY HIGH base salary that's offered in Australia?

      SOme coutnries basic salary $11/hr (converted to local)
      Australia.. $17/hr or something?

  • Toons on 01/07/2017 - 20:54
    +12

    yeah even worse is paying double for content from Australian artists on itunes that should be going back into our music industry instead of the US

    7.99 on us store
    19.99 on aus

    it's another made up figure that nobody can justify like the price of petrol

    Even exchange rates can't account for the extreme differences.

    • [Deactivated] on 01/07/2017 - 20:55

      What about goods that are physically produced locally, yet once shipped half way around the world they magically cost 1/4 of what they do here?

      • bhm133 on 01/07/2017 - 21:02

        @Drew22

        Curious. Do you have any examples?

        • bhm133 on 01/07/2017 - 21:03
          +1

          Wait, I read your comment wrong. This would be things like beef exports, I am sure. Aussie beef in Japan and Korea is damned cheap and better quality than here.

        • [Deactivated] on 01/07/2017 - 21:07
          +17

          I'm ranting on the internet, of course I don't have any examples!

        • bhm133 on 01/07/2017 - 21:09
          +2

          @Drew22:
          GOLD! Random pretending to know shit. Well played, sir. I shall quote you when I get caught out to prove myself.

        • kipps on 01/07/2017 - 22:29
          +2

          Australian wine. Costs peanuts in US. I get that it is taxed higher here, but still.

        • highdealer on 02/07/2017 - 00:17

          @bhm133: If i was living in Japan, i don't think i would even bother buying imported beef considering Japan produce the best quality beef in the world.

        • skillet on 02/07/2017 - 08:51
          +1

          @bhm133:
          Try Aeon, I have seen lots of Aussie Scotch fillets for very cheap prices. So cheap you can have it for three times a day everyday.

          How do they do it?!??

        • munecito on 02/07/2017 - 11:44
          +10

          ARB bullbar for a Suzuki Sierra. Made in Australia from Australian steel RRP $1200 at the ARB shop. Same bullbar made in Australia sent from a business in Colorado USA back to Sydney $770 including shipping.

        • Tarnsie on 02/07/2017 - 12:23
          +1

          I remember some products from Margaret River chocolate factory were much cheaper in San Fran than in Perth when the aud and us dollar was at par

        • [Deactivated] on 02/07/2017 - 18:04

          @bhm133: What the (profanity), who gave you that idea? Aussie beef in Japan and Korea is 1. Expensive as (profanity), like 3 or 4 times. and 2. Much worse quality than in Australia…

          Seriously have you ever actually lived in these countries? Even in the costcos they eat the slop for 3x the price we can find in Australia.

        • cameldownunder on 03/07/2017 - 11:30

          Wine. AU wine in Switzerland is about 1/2 price when on special. Why ?
          Low Taxes on Alcohol in Switzerland.

        • CalamansiTree on 04/07/2017 - 01:13
          +2

          Hahaha…this!
          I work for a catering company and we go through about 120kg of roasted meats/day.
          They're Australian meat, but they've been imported from China.
          I know. WTF right?

          It's cheaper to import Australian produce that has been exported China than to get it locally.

          I know.

          WTF right?

    • bhm133 on 01/07/2017 - 21:02
      +2

      Actually that argument makes sense but doesn't… maybe? The publishers in Australia all protect the "interests" of our nation. This is my reasoning for the high prices of literature here - protect the local market. The same "could" be said for an Aussie artist selling for $19.99 here and $7.99 in the States.

      Still, all it does is make the Australian consumer miserable as s&^t and want to screw someone over just despite themselves. Hence me about to become Indian to purchase the book I want to buy - can't find a torrent :).

      And don't get me started on petrol. I am considering being a temporary Venezuelian every time I fill up at BP. Pity the guy at the counter will see through my bull sh&^t.

      • D C on 01/07/2017 - 21:16
        +5

        The publishers aren't really interested in protecting our interests. The goverment is interested in protecting local publishers by tariffs on imports (so even items that aren't produced here are more expensive), or blocking parallel imports thus forcing you to buy the local copy (or preferred country of origin) rather than the cheaper foreign one.

        That's not the case here, this is just the publisher shafting us because they can.

        Publishers also have an inherent monopoly, normally competition (multiple publishers) means lower prices, but 'Harry Potter vs The Evil Capitalist' only has one publisher so they can charge what they like.

        So they do.

        As per the OPs complaint most of this all falls over in the case of digital versions, so yeah, shafting it is.

        (Also stuff about 'but we're a small market so costs are higher lol' etc)

        • bhm133 on 01/07/2017 - 21:21
          +2

          Thanks for the clarification in your first paragraph. You verbalised it better than I could.

          Harry Potter vs They Evil Capitalist? That is a must read! Googling now.

        • D C on 01/07/2017 - 21:38
          +2

          @bhm133: Oh, the other wrinkle in book publishing is rights.

          Say 'Bonza Beauty Books' purchased the right to publish 'Harry Potter vs The Evil Capitalist' in Oz, so they need to recoup those licencing fees. World-wide other companies have the rights for their respective countries, so 'Cheap Communist Compositions' brought the Chinese rights.

          Blocking parallel imports prevent importation of the same book from CCC in China (regardless of price) so only BBB can sell here. That's from publishers lobbying the government, and maybe possibly sorta kinda apply here for digital copies if you squint at it from the right angle. (Dunno how digital licencing works.)

          (global marketplace lol bit here.)

        • bhm133 on 01/07/2017 - 21:46

          @D C: I hear you. Interestingly (and scarefully - this is a word now) this is very close to the truth/reality.

      • Toons on 02/07/2017 - 00:49

        not when it is the same company

    • hmac on 02/07/2017 - 00:41

      You should check out the fuel prices in New Zealand, they are so much worse than Australia. The average price for 91 all around the South Island is $2/L

    • bhm133 on 01/07/2017 - 21:31

      Ah, and out come the random bashing from the not so random Diji1.

      I am actually kinda proud I have hit nerve to warrant your comment.

      My comment has nothing to do with pretending. Your inference not mine.

      Piracy isn't "free". I still pay my monthly Internet bill.

      Your comment comes from reading all posts which have been a work in progress for my trying to find a book and have a complaint at the same time. Original post stands, despite other posts showing my own musings and 'working through' my thought processes.

  • bhm133 on 01/07/2017 - 21:27
    +11

    Well, my credit card won't let me purchase my book from Amazon via India ($6).

    I emailed the author directly asking for a way to give him/her my $16.99 AUD directly. I am not holding my breath for a reply.

    Oh, and thanks to the two people who have "heads-upped" the moderators because I used the word torrent in my post (random presumption) Hmmmmmmm…. You are either anti piracy advocates (looking out of front window now), monopoly publishers (not worried as you wear thick glasses and once I slap them off your face, I win) or angry people from Frankston.

    I may have to find another series of books to read until the price drop… dammit.

    Any recommendations?

    • trongy on 01/07/2017 - 23:50
      +4

      I emailed the author directly asking for a way to give him/her my $16.99 AUD directly. I am not holding my breath for a reply.

      Author Charles Stross, whose work I read, published an answer to that frequently asked question on his website.

      Reminder: why there's no tipjar on this blog

      You should probably read the whole article, but here's a couple of quotes:

      …the money would come to me, not to the publisher. And without the publisher those books wouldn't exist…

      and

      Your typical book publisher is not like the music or movie industry; they run on thin margins, and they're staffed by underpaid, overworked folk who do it because they love books, not because they're trying to make themselves rich on the back of a thousand ruthlessly exploited artists. I think their effort deserves to be rewarded appropriately.

      • 2ndeffort on 03/07/2017 - 18:01

        Clearly then Australia must have the hardest working most underpaid publishers since ours seem to have the highest cost. Could it be that the cost of doing business here is much higher than the rest of the world. All of the precious protections that we've won from the evil 'Bosses' and the soaring property prices that all property owners love might be having an impact elsewhere.

    • bhm133 on 01/07/2017 - 21:44
      +2

      Shame on me.

      Actually, shame on me having to bend over to read. This country has enough literacy problems as it is. Make cheaper books, make better readers (I am a teacher… I am allowed to say this rubbish).

      • supnigs super skids on 01/07/2017 - 21:49
        -1

        I assume you are in Australia therefore you pay Australian prices. There are different overheads involved depending on country. Readers can use libraries here too where it's free! Plenty of them.

        • bhm133 on 01/07/2017 - 21:53

          Yep. And I do. Unfortunately, none in Sydney stock this book (dated 2016). There has to be some kind of "something" with this author, hence the challenge of getting this book. To be honest, $16.99 for a book I really want to read is not even a story. It is the knowledge of being able to get it much cheaper, but being blocked/restricted as I am in Australia…

          Dammit. Ranting again.

          Back to your topic. I love libraries and all they give.

        • supnigs super skids on 01/07/2017 - 22:05
          +1

          @bhm133: yes the vast availability of libraries here is a privilege

        • bhm133 on 01/07/2017 - 22:05

          @supnigs super skids: I'll plus that.

        • Toons on 01/07/2017 - 22:38
          +6

          hmmmmm not really, you don't understand what your delving into. if you think piracy is the issue you need to start reading a lot more.

          Free library's what a concept they have them overseas too. have you been out the country.

          Electronic content give me one reason why it should cost more here, when recorded and produced in this country yet if you change to a US account you can buy the exact same digital file cheaper from the same company and same server.

          once upon a time we used to be a closed off country and that was what they used to justify it.

          The more transparent things have become the more aware Australians are becoming educated in the bullshit that goes on.

          Why do you think geo blocking occurs on more than just books or netflicks it increases profit in business so although politicians say we shouldn't be subjected to it they won't do away with it it until forced.

          Our government is weak and we pay for it

          Almost every internationally recognised company who has a distributor in this country bans any of their registered distributors overseas from selling the product to Australia. Thats why we pay jacked up prices on everything. and as i've already stated this is way more than exchange rates can account for or import duty.

        • supnigs super skids on 02/07/2017 - 00:27

          @Toons: we have good libraries. because tax rates and market. What's the population in Australia?

        • Toons on 02/07/2017 - 00:35
          +1

          @supnigs super skids: price of eggs

          but i'll play

          24,573,769.projected as of today

          I'm trying to tell you we are not the only country in the world with free libraries

        • supnigs super skids on 02/07/2017 - 00:52

          @Toons: I never said anything about Australia being the only one with free libraries. Maybe read what I wrote better.

          Bringing something to market needs to be worthwhile to do. You start off with our demographic and go from there.

        • Toons on 02/07/2017 - 02:12
          +3

          @supnigs super skids: i read it and still think it's a nothing statement justifying price due to the fact we have a good public library where you can possibly read it for free what i'm saying is travel these countries where you can buy things at half the price have these facilities too on a much larger scale.

          the economics of our country don't work and it's hard to justify why, company A can supply same product via 2 streams Aus heavily pilfered by every opportunity available or US sometimes more than 50% cheaper.

          One day companies will realise that location is just an address and a sale is a sale but while it's filling coffers the gov't won't do anything

          We are still trading under an island mentality when it's quite clear the world has become a global market

        • OZB Al on 02/07/2017 - 09:47

          @bhm133: have you checked your library for availability of the ebook? That is one of the main advantages of using the kobo after all.

          Otherwise find a friend who can give you an invite for myanonamouse.net.

        • 2ndeffort on 03/07/2017 - 18:02

          Hard to see where the overheads come in if it is digital content being delivered from an international server. Maybe local hosting?

        • supnigs super skids on 03/07/2017 - 18:06

          @2ndeffort: sales, advertising, billing?

        • 2ndeffort on 03/07/2017 - 18:12

          @supnigs super skids: Couldn't they all be done more economically from an offshore data centre? Probably economies of scale to offshore that along with everything else to some massive Amazon hub in India etc. I own an IT company and twice a month on average i get approached by some kind of sales guy for the outsourcing companies to send things like that offshore.

        • supnigs super skids on 03/07/2017 - 18:15

          @2ndeffort: yes but still requires implementation and ongoing support. You see servers offshore doesn't mean you can leverage existing everything. Localisation for a market costs money such as taxing, product classification, reporting , etc would be different for other markets.

      • spackbace on 01/07/2017 - 21:53
        -1

        I am a teacher

        Please stay in Sydney, so my kids will never be taught by you…

        • bhm133 on 01/07/2017 - 21:54
          +1

          An English literature nut or just a weirdo? I do have a police check.

          Seriously, was that sarcasm or seriousness?

        • gimli on 02/07/2017 - 20:33

          @bhm133: I didn't sense any sarcasm.
          Sorry to break the bad news.

        • smartazz104 on 03/07/2017 - 16:57

          Elaborate on your comment.

    • Godric on 03/07/2017 - 20:57

      Having to click "show" on every comment zzzz

  • KitchenSink on 01/07/2017 - 22:37
    +8

    Don't hate on me but as customers we only look at the final price and make judgement between different countries/markets. I understand why you can get upset about the different prices in buying things in comparison to different countries but there's a some factors that can affect the pricing for most products.

    1. Conversion/exchange rate
    2. Publisher and distributor deals and licence agreements in different countries/markets (e.g why is it we can only get some shows here on netflix compared to US counterparts?)
    3. Whether sales tax is applied or not and different tax rates for different items
    4. Sales numbers in different markets over a period (e.g sold 100,000 copies in US so price can come down a bit in comparison to Aus where say only 1000 was sold).
    5. Our cost of living on average and our rates for minimum income vs other countries
    6. Competition from other distributors (amazon vs nook)
    7. Different laws may affect certain way of doing business in different markets

    and more I'm sure.

    I'm only speaking in general but you shouldn't pirate ebooks or anything like that just because of inflated prices. The content is available to you. Yes in Australia we may get ripped off but there's reasons why as above. Most of the time its not the Author's fault for the price differences. Publishers set the prices based on their research (so blame them) on the above. Pirating hurts the creators more than it does to publishers (1 person vs 1 company).

    • Toons on 01/07/2017 - 23:03
      +4

      Since you threw in the kitchen sink the whole range of Holden's built in Australia the Monaro's produced here and sent to the US or if you took say a 2010 HSV upwards of 90k here when i was in the US i could buy the same car only with the next gen engine for a third of the price brand new.

      Reason i pick that one

      My mate sent me a picture of his new toy i immediately sent him a picture back of the same car advertised on the big electronic billboard in times square for 23,900 drive away and i think we may have been on or around parity on the dollar at the time.

      I understand Volume sales but when it's all going back to one conglomerate were still being treated as an island nation and old world thinking.

      Cost of living once again start travelling it's expensive here.

      Income we used to be up but that is declining while prices are still rising so margins are pushing further apart.

      Not condoning piracy but even artists have said that a simple 1$ transaction per album would be more cost effective than the money spent trying to protect IP. many think it would actually increase revenue more than that people purchasing it legally.

      Everything that i can get at a reasonable price here i will if not i'll buy overseas.

      GST FFS petrol is around 80-90c excise and tax per litre

      • trongy on 02/07/2017 - 11:12

        I think what both the books and cars have in common is comparison of primary markets to secondary markets. The primary market for Holdens is Australia and any exports are just a bonus. The primary markets for English language books are USA/Canada, UK/Australia/NZ, exports to India and Malaysia are just similarly a bonus. The manufacturer/publisher are happy to sell into secondary markets at a steep discount as long as they are not undercutting their primary market.

        From memory the Holden Monaro was around $60k when it was being produced. HSV vehicles carry a price premium because HSV doesn't work at the same volume with production line efficiency so not directly comparable with the stock vehicle. Even after accounting for the difference in taxation, Holden must have been selling the Monaro to the US, at really low margins. But there was now way the GM in the US could have marketed it without undercutting local brands like the Ford Mustang.

        i think we may have been on or around parity on the dollar at the time.

        The contracts with Holden were probably made when the Australian dollar was much lower (e.g. in 2006 the average exchange rate was 0.75). Note that the end of the contract did not result in a new contact with better pricing for Holden, it resulted in no new contract at all.

        • Toons on 02/07/2017 - 12:56
          +1

          Holden is one of many under the General Motors Heard Holden was just a manufacturing plant for them and they were rebadged according to market.

          they took what they wanted the Monaro aka around the world as

          Chevrolet Lumina
          Chevrolet SS
          Pontiac GTO
          Vauxhall Monaro

          The HSV i referred to was a E Series 2 HSV GTS sold as a Pontiac with more fruit than ours i think total volume for the year was under 25000 units across the series in the US

          They dumped it that year also and GM moved in Chevy Camaro to fill the slot.

          The difference doesn't come from the always come from manufacturer it comes from the excises, taxes, and any other cost the government can stick in. we even get taxed more with an additional tax for buying a more expensive car

          The Holden's we buy today are at the mercy of GM they will fulfil US Market without delay at the expense or orders placed for cars here it's a sad unfortunate truth.

      • Cluster on 03/07/2017 - 14:01

        "GST FFS petrol is around 80-90c excise and tax per litre"

        40c/L fuel excise, then add GST on top. So you're looking at 44c. Quite a long way away from 80c to 90c/L tax.

        https://www.ato.gov.au/Business/Excise-and-excise-equivalent…

        Regarding the Holden HSV for US$24k drive away in the USA versus $90k here, I assume the comparison is correct and not inflated like the tax figure. Holden is charging what the market is happy to pay. If people want to fork out $90k for a car that's $24k in the USA then so be it. Don't like it, don't buy it. We're not talking about a life essential like food, clothing, and housing.

        Holden is now rapidly crumbling in Australia, with 1 in 10 dealers about to close and sales plummeting. Judging from the above example, the market has spoken and is reacting well to Holden's hubris.

        • Toons on 03/07/2017 - 14:57

          We actually get hit a couple of times in things not seen Refining / Shipping / Processing / all add to cost and all taxed in different ways and the excise raises with inflation twice a year which correctly currently about 40c but the GST is 10% on top of all so your already above 53c as an average based on may price and 65c MOP if we imported 100% of fuel this would add up

          Add the adamant stance from retailers that they add no more than around 10c a litre when they are lucky

          I think the current wholesale price is 65c as i said after the gov't has already had a couple of dips max price recorded in Sydney metro area was 148.9 average 126.5 for May

          You have to go back to January 05 for the last time the average fuel price in Sydney to drop below a $ Fueltrac Monitor

          What we don't see and can't be accounted for is what is imported vs produced and refined locally

          The stuff produced locally is what is getting hit with more taxes. increasing the amount per litre produced and bought to the coffers of the gov.

        • TruckTrespass on 03/07/2017 - 21:54

          Cluster, that would be true, if the GST only applied to the excise portion of the fuel price, which obviously is not the case.

          Let's assume a fuel price of $1.30 p/L. The GST on that would be $0.118 p/L, so you're actually looking at excise and tax closer to $0.52 per litre (still, not quite the $0.80-$0.90 that was being touted).

    • El Cap on 02/07/2017 - 00:46

      I agree, just comparing the prices of items alone isn't enough.

  • Hirolol on 01/07/2017 - 23:07
    +1

    I torrent and I don't think twice about it.
    Those people making more money than some of us will ever see and they still complain.

    • trongy on 02/07/2017 - 10:24

      I think you are deluding yourself. Most authors do not make their whole living from writing.

      the average income derived from practising as an author is $12,900.

      Australian authors INDUSTRY BRIEF NO. 3:AUTHORS’ INCOME - Macquarie University

      • T1OOO on 02/07/2017 - 11:45

        No Offence but most shouldn't be. Sad truth is most books out there are rubish and done purely to make money. I blame the bringing press for thinking anyone can be an author not a good author.

        • trongy on 02/07/2017 - 22:33

          That may be so, but there's also room in this world for books for a specialised audience that will never be mass market successes.

          Suppose an author writes a book as a labour of love (while keeping their day job) and it sells 5,000 copies. That could be a success for the author, 5,000 readers and the publisher who turns a modest profit.

          On the other hand if the publisher was targeting a book at the mass market with a hefty advance and promotional budget and it sold 5,000 copies it would be a disaster.

          It all depends on the author and publisher having reasonable expectations of what it is worth in the market place.

  • KaTst3R on 02/07/2017 - 00:05
    +3

    You may be giving the big companies the middle finger, but you are hurting the author who puts in the hard work to bring you good content which is enjoyed by her readers.

  • Powershopz on 02/07/2017 - 00:12

    Video game companies are notorious for this. e.g. Latest diablo 3 update costs 12% more for Australians for no reason.

  • tigs6969 on 02/07/2017 - 00:20
    +4

    bookdepository.com

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join