![Thanks](https://www.renovateforums.com.au/dbtech/thanks/images/thanks.png)
![Likes](https://www.renovateforums.com.au/dbtech/thanks/images/likes.png)
![Needs Pictures](https://www.woodworkforums.com/images/smilies/happy/photo4.gif)
![Picture(s) thanks](https://www.ubeaut.biz/wave.gif)
Results 31 to 45 of 57
Thread: A Rant- Buying OS
-
11th April 2008, 01:38 AM #31
It depends on what else you're 'buying'. If you driveg into your local shop, spend an hour or so discussing the various weapons with a knowledgeable bloke, choose exactly the right one for your purposes plus learn some stuff you didn't know about using/maintaining it, you are buying service and the use of his knowledge as well. Add to that a warrantee that can be honoured with a short drive and maybe other specials, and the price begins to narrow. Of course, none of this applies if you already know it all, don't intend to buy other stuff from the shop, the manufacturer has a crap warrantee policy or the shop is one of those places that treats every customer like a generic wallet.
The other thing to consider is that if you cultivate a good relationship with a good shop you visit often, you can gain quite of lot of extra value - discounts, advice, immediate servicing in emergencies (as opposed to booking it in for next week), sales staff that understand YOUR needs as opposed to treating you like one of the herd, etc. However, you can not build up this relationship if you buy all your stuff over the internet ... and it depends on what it is we're talking about, sometimes the online purchase is the best option.
Richard
-
11th April 2008, 01:56 AM #32
Senior Member
- Join Date
- Nov 2007
- Location
- Fremantle
- Age
- 56
- Posts
- 13
Economics 101 - The Law of Comparative Advantage : Countries should specialise in fields that they have a natural advantage over their competitors.
The reality is that Australia has never been a strong manufacturing country, and they never will. We rode the sheeps back(in the 50's) and now we're riding the shovel. We are good at taking advantge of our natural resources, but we're not good at investing back into the country and creating value added industries.
We have a car industry that should of shut down years ago. The cost of an Australian made Family sedan is so ridiculously high, yet the government still has to subsidise it for it to survive.
People then demand high wages so that they can afford the new car.............and there the spiral continues.
We're a high developed, well educated country, yet we continue to hang onto an old fashion view of where we fit in this world.
Just my 2c
-
11th April 2008, 06:03 AM #33
-
11th April 2008, 07:20 AM #34
Yup, lets just give up and let the country be bought by the Yanks, Japs, Chinese, whoever. As a small local manufacturer I deplore this lay down and die attitude. We have children to feed, future generations to think about, do you want them to become economic slaves? Once the minerals are dug out and the profits sent overseas then what will we have left? And they will run out, commodity prices are strong at the moment but also spend decades in the doldrums, this boom wont last. Then there will be less Australia left for the future (literally, pun intended).
Mate, we've got to do something for the future, spending our borrowed wealth overseas seems to me to be a one way track to nowhere. I try to buy Aus where I can, because the bloke Im buying off is trying to make a living as well. The taxes paid build our society and provide a future for my kids. Sending it OS is just peeing it away as far as I can tell."We must never become callous. When we experience the conflicts ever more deeply we are living in truth. The quiet conscience is an invention of the devil." - Albert Schweizer
My blog. http://theupanddownblog.blogspot.com
-
11th April 2008, 08:22 AM #35
Aussie owned
Surely Neil makes his products using all Aussie products and manufacturing equipment.
He exports
Sabastian's stuff is Aussie made ok its made in OZ
Why dont we manufacture in OZ for the same reason we whinge about Tradies costs, engineering costs, Union interferance, government interferance.
-
11th April 2008, 10:24 AM #36
Whilst I am a very satisfied user of Ubeaut products, I would doubt that even our intrepid leader would have difficulty sourcing Aussie shellac and a lot of his other raw materials
Regardless of the origin of the raw materials though, the end result is a great product that works very well. Beauty Neil.
-
11th April 2008, 10:30 AM #37
Senior Member
- Join Date
- Nov 2007
- Location
- Fremantle
- Age
- 56
- Posts
- 13
"..Mate, we've got to do something for the future.."
Exactly my point...we are, AGAIN, taking the easy route.
We are not reinvesting in areas where we have a natural advantage.
We can't complete with the Chinese & Indians. And its not just labour costs, its also the lack of regulation.
OH&S....no such thing in China.
Copyright....no such thing in China
The list goes on and on.
We can't compete, because we play by the rules.
So my opinion is ... lets play a different game.
-
11th April 2008, 10:41 AM #38
I know a guy who builds caravans here and tried at one stage to source local supplies of ply and laminate for benchtops. It turned out he can land already laminated (Laminex) oak ply direct from Canada for half the price of ply AND Laminex supplied locally, which he then had to glue together!!
Why would he bother, especially when the ply was pine not oak?
Ditto with power tools like Makita drivers, he buys in boxed sets (with torch and drill etc) for well under the local price of just the driver; and I've already mentioned on another thread that he buys in bulk Robertson style screws for under half the local price.
Groceries are higher priced here than equivelents in NZ, UK, Canada, US etc, and then the big two complain that our local conditions mean we can't be compared!?!
It seems to me that Govt. duties plus the cut middlemen take, make prices way too high but are somehow untouchable.
Have a good day!Andy Mac
Change is inevitable, growth is optional.
-
11th April 2008, 10:41 AM #39
-
11th April 2008, 10:47 AM #40
Andy love the new avartar
Makita warehouse just down the roadwonder if they do 2nd's sales
agree or should that be greed Andy
lets say the attitude is "OK so I can't make it here that cheap I'll import it at cost, Then add import duties etc shipping etc union rates for workers and 100% for myself"
-
11th April 2008, 11:40 AM #41
Sorry but what us poor consumers buy and from whom has very little influence on the Trade deficit figures.
The trade deficit figures are more to do with :
1. Bottle necks, restricting our export volumes and
2. Our own governments defence spending on weapons upgrades as well as business, manufacturing and mining acquisitions of plant and equipment.
So you can sit back and sip on your Perrier without feeling guilty.
-
11th April 2008, 11:52 AM #42
I listen to you say you can buy cheaper from Canada, I say I can buy cheaper in the USA than my own country. Don't figure!
Our country is a resource for the manufacturing companies outside our own country, our manufacturing is weak and we live the fine life from our natural resources.
I wonder what we will do when we run out of resources?
We live in a global economy and other countries not as well off as ours have a work force willing to work for much less than ours so the out sourcing of manufactured goods makes good money sence.
It all boils down to dollars and cents, not the well being of our economy.
I wonder if you as an individual were working for "Joe local" and a company from another country built a competeing plant beside "Joe local" and offered you a job making more money, would you take it? This is the carrot that dangles infront of business as well as ourselves and they have to answer the question, do I stay local or go where my take is greater.
These are all decisions, we all have to make on a day to day basis.
Do I buy where it is the cheapest, Yes! Why, because it is good for my pocket.
We have to think global and not regional to compete in a global world in the 21 century.
Through the eyes of John
Have a great woodworking day!Cleaning my glasses will not make me look any better,
But will make what I am looking at better.
-
11th April 2008, 11:53 AM #43
-
11th April 2008, 03:06 PM #44
SENIOR MEMBER
- Join Date
- Nov 2006
- Location
- t
- Posts
- 79
Sorry but what us poor consumers buy and from whom has very little influence on the Trade deficit figures
It is the sad truth that a lot of that figure is goods that Australia simply does not make, but a 25% reduction would put our Trade balance into black.
As I said in beginning, our actions have consequences, despite all the denial, be aware that they do..
-
11th April 2008, 05:30 PM #45
Senior Member
- Join Date
- Feb 2008
- Location
- Kingscliff NSW
- Posts
- 12
My wifes cousin runs a rubber company, he is always in the Far East buying and has branched out into hospital equipment,from what he tells me you can take a drawing,blueprint whatever over there and within 24 hours you will have at least six companies willing to manufacture the item for you all at differing prices,all around half of your best price in Australia.What chance have we got?
Similar Threads
-
Bit of a rant.
By Toyboy in forum NOTHING AT ALL TO DO WITH RENOVATIONReplies: 17Last Post: 24th February 2008, 07:38 PM -
Rant! 'Getting Old'
By batcat in forum NOTHING AT ALL TO DO WITH RENOVATIONReplies: 22Last Post: 28th September 2007, 08:28 PM -
Rant
By imdusty in forum NOTHING AT ALL TO DO WITH RENOVATIONReplies: 10Last Post: 22nd December 2005, 07:33 AM -
What is it with Timbecon? <<< RANT MODE >>>
By Wild Dingo in forum HAVE YOUR SAYReplies: 22Last Post: 31st October 2005, 10:57 PM