Do what lots are doing... vote with your feet. I've used a US friend's address so that he could then 'on-ship' to me for hard merchandise; used the address of a well-know Yank uni dorm [nudge nudge, wink wink] for downloads; bought stuff from Hong Kong/China that would cost me several times what it cost me here in Oz... a recent example: Last Sunday i needed a 5.5mm x 2.5mm socket. About $3.50 from Jxxxxx who are normally the cheapest at retail level around here. I needed it straight away & couldn't wait 2-3 weeks from OS... but, if i could wait i could have gotten one posted for AU$1:
Code:
Please Login or Register to see the links
If I was happy to pay around $3.50, I could get 10 of the little beggars:
Code:
Please Login or Register to see the links
That's thru ebay.com.au instead of going to ebay.com where you can buy even cheaper usually. One-third to one-tenth the price if you shop around and are able to wait for delivery? A minor example i know, but it's the same with more expensive electronic parts. The Aussie retailers could stop bleating about 'turncoat' buyers and start playing the same game. Actually offer their customers the choice of 'dropship' from China and wait, or get it now and pay for the convenience. Heads up Gerry & Co!
In case someone feels like bashing me up over this, i'm not talking thru my hat. I had 10 years in retail straight from school, and went from 'counter jumper' to Dept Manager to State electrical buyer for a major retailer in less than 7 years, and then ran my own business for 36 years. You will ONLY get customer loyalty if you give BOTH service and value.
Bookmarks