Australian Members

[blahman]

I say the premium for local purchase should be worth at most the amount it costs to ship shoes back and a new pair delivered should the pair you ordered not fit.

 

[lennier]

Originally Posted by Indra

How good is this local service you speak of? I'm guilty of hitting up the local David Jones to try out Loake sizing and then ordering from Herring, no regrets at all.
Yes, the only places you get anything approaching actual service are stores like McClouds, but in my experience you'd be paying anything from 70-300% premium for the privilege, if you shop carefully online. DJs and such like are a joke.

 

[CHECKstar]

Originally Posted by blahman

I say the premium for local purchase should be worth at most the amount it costs to ship shoes back and a new pair delivered should the pair you ordered not fit.

That's what I am thinking. On a $300 pair of shoes bought online that retails locally for $500, at the most it would cost you about to send back would be about $80ish, leaving me still $120 ahead.

 

[California Dreamer]

Originally Posted by CHECKstar

That's what I am thinking. On a $300 pair of shoes bought online that retails locally for $500, at the most it would cost you about to send back would be about $80ish, leaving me still $120 ahead.

Any op shop hounds in Melbourne? Saw a pair of black Florsheim Royal Imperials in 9EEE at the Salvos in Glenferrie Rd Malvern.

 

[fxh]

Specially for some at the meetup - you know who youse are:

http://www.styleforum.net/showthread.php?t=234912

 

[CHECKstar]

Originally Posted by fxh

Specially for some at the meetup - you know who youse are:

http://www.styleforum.net/showthread.php?t=234912

I am thinking something like this:

 

[fxh]

Originally Posted by CHECKstar

That's what I am thinking. On a $300 pair of shoes bought online that retails locally for $500, at the most it would cost you about to send back would be about $80ish, leaving me still $120 ahead.
It costs about aud$40 to send shoes back. And don't forget to add in the free shoe trees with the Ask Andy code or something.

 

[Journeyman]

Originally Posted by blahman

I say the premium for local purchase should be worth at most the amount it costs to ship shoes back and a new pair delivered should the pair you ordered not fit.

That's probably a bit harsh.

Whilst it is true that local importers should be able to purchase wholesale, they still have to bear the cost of shipping and import duties/GST (including on the cost of shipping), and also bear the perils and costs of inventory accumulation.

As has already been said, it's often worth paying a premium for local service, too, particularly as it means that you can purchase an item then and there in the knowledge that it will fit you, rather than having to wait two weeks to receive it, find out that it doesn't fit you, return it and order a replacement and wait weeks for it to arrive.

Having said that, whilst I certainly don't begrudge a local retailer wanting to make a profit, the mark-up by a lot of places really seems over-the-top to me.

 

[Trick1337]

Can someone recommend me a professional suit cleaner/launderer in the Melbourne conservative business dress area? was caught in the rain the other day my sleeves and back are abit wrinkled up.

And how much does it cost?

-cheers

 

[corey.m]

I think it's important to support the smaller businesses who choose to wear the risk of importing the unfortunately niche appeal products that we enjoy.

I think that a 30% premium over the price of the item abroad plus shipping is very fair for peace of mind and instant gratification.

 

[fxh]

From The Australian::
CYBER-SHOPPERS are costing the federal government $1.3 million a day by buying tax-free imports over the internet, the Treasury has revealed.

Lost revenue from the GST -- and the savings to consumers -- are forecast to grow 10 per cent each year to hit $610m by 2013-14.

The Productivity Commission has found Australia's $1000 tax-free threshhold for imported products to be the world's most generous outside Hong Kong, where all imports are tax-free.

In a report that will fuel pressure from traditional Australian retailers to restrict tax-free imports, the commission says it would be "preferable" to give all retailers the same tax treatment.

"The number of parcels entering Australia under the low value importation threshold has risen in recent years and is likely to increase further as online shopping becomes more prevalent," the commission says in an issues paper published this week for its inquiry into the retail industry.

"Consistent with the principle of minimising distortions in resource use, it would be preferable to apply the same rates of taxes to all imports so that competing businesses were treated equally."

Retailers are lobbying the Gillard government to overturn the Howard government's decision in 2005 to raise the tax-free threshold for imported goods from $250 to $1000, on the grounds it cost Customs too much to police.

Overseas goods bought over the internet -- including fashion, perfumes and cosmetics -- are exempt from the 10 per cent GST as well as Customs duty of 10 per cent for clothing and 5 per cent for footwear. But Australian "bricks-and-mortar" retailers, which import goods in bulk to sell within Australia, have to pay both taxes, which they pass on to shoppers.

The Treasury has calculated the exemption will save shoppers $460m in GST payments this year -- enough forgone revenue to pay for the government's promise to fix hospital waiting lists.

The tax break is forecast to widen to $500m next financial year, $550m in 2012-13 and $610m in 2013-14, according to Treasury costings.

The commission paper reveals that Australia's tax-free threshold is 50 times higher than Canada's, three times higher than in New Zealand or Singapore, and eight times higher than Japan's.

It says the commission "understands" that the average value of parcels entering Australia is less than $100 -- 10 times below the tax-free limit.

"Based on the preliminary evidence available to date, it appears that even a large reduction in the threshold may not necessarily have a significant impact on the number of parcels not subject to GST and duty," it says.

The commission refers to claims by some retailers that smaller retailers are "abusing" the tax-free threshold by buying goods valued at less than $1000 from overseas, and onselling them to customers without paying GST or Customs duties.

"There is nothing illegal about this practice, but some have alleged that the current regulations in this regard put larger local retailers at a competitive disadvantage," the report says.

The report says some consumers buy over the internet because they "simply cannot purchase an equivalent product from a local supplier".

 

[meister]

Originally Posted by California Dreamer

Any op shop hounds in Melbourne? Saw a pair of black Florsheim Royal Imperials in 9EEE at the Salvos in Glenferrie Rd Malvern.

Recently I scored a pair of Alden shell cordovan...never before in Australia at an op shop.

 

[Journeyman]

Originally Posted by meister

Recently I scored a pair of Alden shell cordovan...never before in Australia at an op shop.

I found a pair of vintage Florsheim shell cordovan wingtips at St Vinnies once.

They fit perfectly but they were so well used that not only did the interior look disgusting, but there were multiple holes in the heel "sock" lining and the leather at the top back of the heel was broken.

I ended up passing on them as, whilst the idea of scoring a pair of shell cordovan shoes for $45 was tempting, it would have cost a couple of hundred at the very least to have brought them back to something actually wearable.

 

[CHECKstar]

Originally Posted by corey.m

I think it's important to support the smaller businesses who choose to wear the risk of importing the unfortunately niche appeal products that we enjoy.

I think that a 30% premium over the price of the item abroad plus shipping is very fair for peace of mind and instant gratification.

I agree. But a 66% premium?

 

[Geoffrey Firmin]

Originally Posted by meister

Recently I scored a pair of Alden shell cordovan...never before in Australia at an op shop.
That has to take the Gold Medal in terms of op shopping. I think the last time I got anything decent clothing wise from an op shop was about twenty years ago. A leather jacket which my wife appropriated after we met. Still fits her. If it was a 25-30% premium on the product then I would consider it for ease and availability, but the mark up charged by some establishments make it absurd to give them your money. I think the focus of the debate should shift to the rents that the (singular) shopping centres and real estate agents charge retailers.