BUYING O/S or Local???

[T1]

Hi Guys

Just thought i'd share a very recent experience with my new Sounder!

About 4 months ago, started researching a new Sounder. I finally settled on the Raymarine Digital DS500X following several recomendations. The BIG question was to buy from the US and have it shipped here or buy local and pay more?! I could get a refurb for approx A$600 and a new one for high A$6's from the US. It was $890 here at B/Boating. Got a tip that their website was carrying it on special for $800 and after paying the local store a visit, they agreed to match that price. Now, i as most, don't want to pay more than i have to for anything! So it came down to buy it here and if there are warranty issues, it's local, or buy from the US where it's a whole different ball game (as i'd heard stories about the time taken to get a product back under warranty from O/S)! Eventually, i figured i'd pay the extra $100-$200 and buy it from here!

Fast forward 4 months and i started getting fogging in the screen in sunlight. Didn't think much of it until i spoke with BAYFISHER who said he was without a Sounder as he sent it back (to the US) to get the screen fogging fixed! I mentioned i had the same problem and he said that it appears to be a common problem and they just replace the seals. So given i was going to be away, i decided to take it back and have it sent away. No problem except when i went back 2 weeks later, they hadn't received it back! So they promptly followed it up and within 30mins had a phone call:

'Spoke with Raymarine in Sydney and they have decided to give you another one!' Ok i thought, must have been something more up with it! 'The only problem is they can't get another 500 so they've decided to give you a new DS600X and they're just waiting on it to come in! Should be here next week.' Sh%t, i thought, that's alright! It's another $500 in price! Picked it up last week and plugged straight in to the existing plugs and bracket! Bonus was they didn't want any of the 500's accessories or cables back which means i have a new spare of everything including Transducer!

Now, i'm not saying buy O/S or local, but after this experience, i am certainly glad i paid the extra and bought local! And furthermore, i will buy Raymarine again!

Btw, i was extremely happy and satisfied with the 500X - should be even happier with my 600X...

Take Care T

[Noelm]

been down this road a thousand times, and often get "whipped" because of it, I know you can save X Dollars by buying Overseas, but in the long run is it worth it, some say yes, most say no (me) sure, the saving can at times be large, but overall, it is just a hassle, especially if something goes wrong! I know there is a dozen guys sharpening their knives right now, to tell me how the saved ... and it got here in 2 days and all sorts of other stuff about rip off Aussie dealers and all that stuff, but in the end, IS IT WORTH IT???

[Dirtysanchez]

Good for you T, a nice story with an excellent ending
Sure you can save some bucks going offshore, but there are risks, AND, when one day you think you need a new PFD, or anchor or something simple, and you go to your local chandlery, and they have closed down, then the impact of buying the high dollar stuff offshore will be driven home.
Support your local distributors, thats all I can say. Price is soon forgotten when you get good service..

[noosa_nipper]

Good for you T, a nice story with an excellent ending
Price is soon forgotten when you get good service..

i Think this is where the problem lies......Aussies are losing confidence in the service sector of retaill outlets.

There seems to be no after purchase service either.

Good to see you have found someone who does T!

[T1]

i Think this is where the problem lies......Aussies are losing confidence in the service sector of retaill outlets.

There seems to be no after purchase service either.

Good to see you have found someone who does T!

You are on the money N/N!

Before Xmas, i visited a Hummer & a Toyota dealership and spoke to another Hummer D/ship on the phone to test drive the Hummer & the Prado! All were going to call me for test drives of the right vehicles within a week or 2! I haven't received a single call from any of them - and i'm a serious buyer! One would think they're making sooooo much money that they don't need to follow up prospects! Ultimately, we've decided on a Prado and when i buy one, i'm going to go back to that Toyota d/ship and show him my new car!

Take Care T

[Dirtysanchez]

Guys I don't think it is a matter of making too much money, it's more that good old fashioned service is just not taught anymore, I work in a distribution business, not related to anything here, and the amount of people in back end positions who have no idea on how to help me look after the customer.. it makes me wonder how they got the job in the 1st place!!
The old saying used to be if you aren't looking after the customer, make sure you are looking after the person who is.. Nowdays you have people with no knowledge or experience selling products and services.. it is a joke.
I was talking to a bloke in a phone shop about a bluetooth module.. I know how they are designed and built, and I was telling him how they worked. You would think he would have had some training before being put on the floor to sell, but no.. :(

[Local_Guy]

great to hear about the follow up service on your sounder T.

with your example you were only going to be saving $250ish if you bought from the US compared to Australia and though it's not a lot out of pocket expense the difference isn't really worth going overseas for.

Most of the people here i think that are buying from the US are the ones buying the big bucks.. My sounder i'm getting delivered for approx $800AU... to buy this in australia would cost me about $1300..... thats a $500 difference or 38% cheaper.

But with the American $$ at the moment and the country going into recession, for the majority of purchases you'd be silly not to even look at importing.

[Custaro]

If you're visiting a "hummer" dealership, do you really need worry about saving $200. On principal you should be able to afford to keep your money local. Also you should have put the FCV-585 attached to a shiny new BlackWatch into your shopping equation.

[on-one]

"On principal you should be able to afford to keep your money local”

Why is it important to buy local? If paying a bit more to go through a local dealer means you get better service or warrantee than an internet dealer can provide fair enough, but why pay extra just because someone is nearby?

[Noelm]

pretty simple really, IF you have a drama, need help with installation, need a bracket or just plain old free advice, the guy down the road is where you head don't you?, even if you did dud him out of a few dollars, usually he will help you anyway! not too much help from some Ebay seller, or on the other side of the World "cyber shop"

[croangler]

Here is my 2 cents,

Regarding the sounder, I would rather buy local for the warranty purposes and pay the extra $200.

But for example I recently purchased a loomis Drop Shot from US for $250.00 AU delivered. At the local tackle shops the cheapest one is $510.00 AU. How do the local shops justify these huge mark-ups.

I do find it that especially with tackle there is a huge mark-up in Australia, compared to US and Japan.

If I found a sounder in the US that is 40% + off the retail in Australia I would buy it, no problems. But for 10 – 20% off is not worth it.

[on-one]

I usually go where I get the best value (for price and service) often that means the local dealer and sometimes it's someone overseas. But that was my point, if the local shop offers good value then shop there but paying over the odds just because someone is local doesn't make sense.

[subzero]

I prefer to pay more and buy local but I treat every case on an individual basis. There are occasions when I have brought from overseas but they are rare.
Recently I brought a video camera from China for under $500 AUD but they stuffed up the currency on the customs declaration. Customs assessed I owed them $1,800.00 but the same camera could be brought in Australia for $800.
U.P.S refused to release it until I could satisfy them that their was a problem with the paperwork and before they would consider reviewing their decision I had to pay a fee of about $70 I think it was. This was non refundable.
In the end I got it about 1 month after it arrived in the country and after having to pay extra $. Conclusion, wasn't worth the grief, should have brought it here in the first place.

Cheers Lloyd

[Mark-P]

I'll be buying a GARMIN combo shortly from Fishon, with map very cheap in comparison & warranty is valid in Australia !! Only because after i buy the boat i wont have much cash left .......

Mark

[T1]

If you're visiting a "hummer" dealership, do you really need worry about saving $200. On principal you should be able to afford to keep your money local. Also you should have put the FCV-585 attached to a shiny new BlackWatch into your shopping equation.

CUSTARO, Hummer H3 is actually cheaper than Prado! Hummer/Prado are also FULLY tax deductible for me! Sounder is from my hip pocket (haven't worked out how i need this to do home loans yet :P )! So to answer your question, $200 buys me a lot of Placcies & Bait!

Ultimately, i spent the extra and bought here anyway so NO, i didn't worry about the $200...

I also did consider the Furuno as it is also digital however the Raymarine represented better value for money!

Take Care T

[Horse]

There is no reason for the electronic equipment to be 40% more here apart from some greedy distributors. I will buy OS whenever I think it is worth the problems associated with it.
I can sit here in the comfort of my own home and compare prices and at the click of a few buttons have it delivered to my door within a week

[steve99]

I'll be buying a GARMIN combo shortly from Fishon, with map very cheap in comparison & warranty is valid in Australia !! Only because after i buy the boat i wont have much cash left .......

Mark


I agree 100%. Whats the point of spending any more than neccesary?

If by shopping overseas saves me money - Hooray !!!

As for buying locally - Thats personal choice. Lifes tough enough already without having to pay any more than neccesary.

I have been buying stuff from overseas ( mainly USA ) for years. From memory, I dont think I have ever had a problem,regarding warranties claims or faulty items.

Bottom line - I have saved money,to spend elsewhere.


Steve99

[snelly1971]

There is no reason for the electronic equipment to be 40% more here apart from some greedy distributors. I will buy OS whenever I think it is worth the problems associated with it.
I can sit here in the comfort of my own home and compare prices and at the click of a few buttons have it delivered to my door within a week

Have to agree Horse....I purchased my Furuno 585 with 1 Kw Thru hull transducer and icl postage was $2320 to my door in 5 days....I know of one member on Ausfish who sells and installs Furunos and his purchase price from Furuno Aust for the setup it approx $3500...And that is his purchase price,not incl what he has to add to make a few bucks. I think i was quoted somewhere around 4 k from Taylors for the same set up....Warranty isnt a issue for me when i am purchasing quality gear , such as furuno...

Mick

[BILLY THE KID]

question on all this ??

unless the manufacturer is 100 % local then your money isn't going to be KEPT local in any way , shape or form is it ???

If someone can save $$$ by buying O/S then good on them . why pay someone else to import, add their cut when the money eventually goes O/s to the same company anyway ??

Warrenties are a issue but thats the chance you need to take

EACH TO THEIR OWN I SAY

[marco]

Hi Guys

Just thought i'd share a very recent experience with my new Sounder!

About 4 months ago, started researching a new Sounder. I finally settled on the Raymarine Digital DS500X following several recomendations. The BIG question was to buy from the US and have it shipped here or buy local and pay more?! I could get a refurb for approx A$600 and a new one for high A$6's from the US. It was $890 here at B/Boating. Got a tip that their website was carrying it on special for $800 and after paying the local store a visit, they agreed to match that price. Now, i as most, don't want to pay more than i have to for anything! So it came down to buy it here and if there are warranty issues, it's local, or buy from the US where it's a whole different ball game (as i'd heard stories about the time taken to get a product back under warranty from O/S)! Eventually, i figured i'd pay the extra $100-$200 and buy it from here!

Fast forward 4 months and i started getting fogging in the screen in sunlight. Didn't think much of it until i spoke with BAYFISHER who said he was without a Sounder as he sent it back (to the US) to get the screen fogging fixed! I mentioned i had the same problem and he said that it appears to be a common problem and they just replace the seals. So given i was going to be away, i decided to take it back and have it sent away. No problem except when i went back 2 weeks later, they hadn't received it back! So they promptly followed it up and within 30mins had a phone call:

'Spoke with Raymarine in Sydney and they have decided to give you another one!' Ok i thought, must have been something more up with it! 'The only problem is they can't get another 500 so they've decided to give you a new DS600X and they're just waiting on it to come in! Should be here next week.' Sh%t, i thought, that's alright! It's another $500 in price! Picked it up last week and plugged straight in to the existing plugs and bracket! Bonus was they didn't want any of the 500's accessories or cables back which means i have a new spare of everything including Transducer!

Now, i'm not saying buy O/S or local, but after this experience, i am certainly glad i paid the extra and bought local! And furthermore, i will buy Raymarine again!

Btw, i was extremely happy and satisfied with the 500X - should be even happier with my 600X...

Take Care T

raymarine covers international warranty so it didnt matter where you got it from .

[Sea-Dog]

... Hummer/Prado are also FULLY tax deductible for me! Sounder is from my hip pocket (haven't worked out how i need this to do home loans yet :P )! ...

Take Care T

Hey T, have you really considered the tax deductibility of the vehicle?

As long as the vehicle is used 100% for business, you can claim 100% of interest charges and 100% of depreciation as well as 100% of running costs, but I don't see how you could claim the capital expense of the vehicle.

Either that or you're talking about a novated lease arrangement where the payments could be deductible but the car doesn't belong to you.

Here is a link to some basic info: http://www.ato.gov.au/print.asp?doc=/content/25430.htm

Cheers, Ross

[Outsider1]

Just to add another dimension to this discussion, of course those buying goods from overseas valued at $1,000 or more are paying your import duty and GST aren't you!!??.

If you are not then that effectively robs Australian Tax payers of tax that would otherwise been received from a local distributor and retailer!:-X;)

http://www.customs.gov.au/site/page.cfm?u=5549

Cheers

Dave

[steve99]

Just to add another dimension to this discussion, of course those buying goods from overseas valued at $1,000 or more are paying your import duty and GST aren't you!!??.

If you are not then that effectively robs Australian Tax payers of tax that would otherwise been received from a local distributor and retailer!:-X;)

http://www.customs.gov.au/site/page.cfm?u=5549

Cheers

Dave


Avoiding duty and GST is impossible.

Goods are not delivered untill its payed ( usually at post office )

Dont worry we all pay our share !! Customs see to that.

Steve99

[Outsider1]

Avoiding duty and GST is impossible.

Goods are not delivered untill its payed ( usually at post office )

Dont worry we all pay our share !! Customs see to that.

Steve99

Thanks Steve,

that's good to know. I assume it is still very much worthwhile then, even after the tax is added?

The other thing I wonder is it the local distributor(s) or the manufacturers that are adding the extra mark up? A volume business selling via the net is always going to have substantially lower overheads, but the price differences being quoted, and I have seen, seem to go way beyond that sort of competitive advantage.

Cheers

Dave

[snelly1971]

Avoiding duty and GST is impossible.

Goods are not delivered untill its payed ( usually at post office )

Dont worry we all pay our share !! Customs see to that.

Steve99

Thats completely wrong Steve....There are ways and means of avoiding GST and import duties

Mick

[Scalem]

Gidday T

That's a really good outcome mate, and on the topic of O/S vrs local I vote local every day of the week. When I buy my fuel, it's always from my local Caltex where I have come to know the staff. Before water restrictions, I used to flush the boat at the servo after a night trip - with manager's permission.

I buy my tyres from the same guys, always get good deals, and they recently gave me a spare holden rim, fitted a good 2nd hand tyre for 10 bucks!!

I buy all my placcies from the same shop, they give me free advice ( I think more than the average customer) and bloody good discounts. If I have any problems, the people I stay loyal to in my dealings go the extra mile to help sort things out. I can't put a price on walking into a tackle store, knowing they will have any of the colours, and getting a competitive price from people I enjoy dealing with.

Frankoo has a similar story to yours over sounders and GPS's where they were replaced after repeated failure. I think his loyalty to the same boat dealer over the years has earned respect there, and they too have gone the extra mile.

Scalem

[steve99]

Thats completely wrong Steve....There are ways and means of avoiding GST and import duties

Mick

If you follow correct procedure,paying GST or duty is unavoidable

Of course, there are people that do the wrong thing all the time. Filling out a customs declaration incorrectly is just one example.

Not surprisingly, severe penalties apply for making false declarations.

I can only speak from my own personal experience. Whenever Ive had GST to pay, the local post office has notified me in writing telling me the amount payable on pickup

Of course, keeping the value of imported goods to less than $1000 AU is another way of legally avoiding GST and duty. Unfortunately,that not always possible when importing expensive marine electronics.

Mick - You said Im completely wrong,but you forgot to mention how and why ???????

Steve99

[T1]

Hey T, have you really considered the tax deductibility of the vehicle?

As long as the vehicle is used 100% for business, you can claim 100% of interest charges and 100% of depreciation as well as 100% of running costs, but I don't see how you could claim the capital expense of the vehicle.

Either that or you're talking about a novated lease arrangement where the payments could be deductible but the car doesn't belong to you.

Here is a link to some basic info: http://www.ato.gov.au/print.asp?doc=/content/25430.htm

Cheers, Ross

SEADOG, Ross, we Lease all our business vehicles as they are all 100% business use - hence completely Tax deductible! Yes, i actually don't 'own' the vehicle, but i get to drive what i want when i want and when i'm sick of it, i buy another! At the end, depending on the sale price, it's either a loss or a profit accordingly (nearly always a loss though ;) ). The 'Capital Expense' of the vehicle is negated by 'Depriciation', but again, as we lease, this not a consideration. Ultimately, the Lease Payment, all Rego & Insurances, and ALL maintenance & Running costs are full deductions. There are no other expenses to cover. Thanks for the link but our accountants are some of the best in the business in Brisbane... (don't worry, we pay a premium for them but they are worth every cent in my opinion!).

I just want to emphasise that my thread was purely about sharing my recent personal experience - i'm not advocating buying one way or another! One of my business partners has a race care (Nissan Patrol 4wd) and competes in all the Outback Challenges in OZ. He often has to go to the States for parts and mod's because very few in Oz have the expertise and 'know how' to give him that edge - and he's rated in the top 3 in OZ for this category... He'd like to keep his business here but can't justify it on a monetary and achievement level! It cost him less to send a 30kg parts package to the US recently than it did to Perth!

Take Care T

[snelly1971]

If you follow correct procedure,paying GST or duty is unavoidable

Of course, there are people that do the wrong thing all the time. Filling out a customs declaration incorrectly is just one example.

Not surprisingly, severe penalties apply for making false declarations.

I can only speak from my own personal experience. Whenever Ive had GST to pay, the local post office has notified me in writing telling me the amount payable on pickup

Of course, keeping the value of imported goods to less than $1000 AU is another way of legally avoiding GST and duty. Unfortunately,that not always possible when importing expensive marine electronics.

Mick - You said Im completely wrong,but you forgot to mention how and why ???????

Steve99

Well Steve you said that there is no way of avoiding import duties...

What if a friend or relative mailed the parcel from say...US...to you as a present or gift...then there is no import duties or GST payable....

Just maybe there are marine electronic stores around the globe willing to do this to there valuable customer base..

Mick

[steve99]

Well Steve you said that there is no way of avoiding import duties...

What if a friend or relative mailed the parcel from say...US...to you as a present or gift...then there is no import duties or GST payable....

Just maybe there are marine electronic stores around the globe willing to do this to there valuable customer base..

Mick


Unfortuneatly, I dont have friends or relatives in the USA to help me avoid my GST and duty obligations.

Even with the addition of taxes,importing marine electronics from the USA is a money saving exercise.

I just prefer to follow correct procedure,so If customs start asking questions I have nothing to worry about.

As for people that fill out customs declarations incorrectly - thats thier business.

Steve99

[Blackened]

G'day

Well done T, I also picked up a DS500 Raymarine, and wrapped in it.

That's outstanding service you got, well done

Dave

[Whitto]

Bit the bullet and ordered a Garmin 300C D/B Transducer from J and H Marine Products, As I understand it Garmin honor International warranty should the need arise, As for buying from the local guy, there is no local guy(tackle/marine) selling this Sounder apart from an on line mob whose asking price including postage is $100.00 + dearer, I will clearly reserve judgement till I have the sounder in my hot little hand, hopefully in a week, Cheers Whitto

[snelly1971]

Bit the bullet and ordered a Garmin 300C D/B Transducer from J and H Marine Products, As I understand it Garmin honor International warranty should the need arise, As for buying from the local guy, there is no local guy(tackle/marine) selling this Sounder apart from an on line mob whose asking price including postage is $100.00 + dearer, I will clearly reserve judgement till I have the sounder in my hot little hand, hopefully in a week, Cheers Whitto

They are the best to deal with Whitto,

Mick

[reelchippy]

Just got my Garmin 400c and GPS 133 Antenna for navman have the back down

J and H Fishon
Garmin 400c $291.46 $319.99
GPS 133 Antenna $75.60 $89.99
Shipping $54.30 $60.00

All i am getting at is there are about 4 great online stores in us and it pays shop around cheers

[Whitto]

Just got my Garmin 400c and GPS 133 Antenna for navman have the back down

J and H Fishon
Garmin 400c $291.46 $319.99
GPS 133 Antenna $75.60 $89.99
Shipping $54.30 $60.00

All i am getting at is there are about 4 great online stores in us and it pays shop around cheers G'Day Reelchippy, Sent away Thursday for the 300C+ Postage to JandH all up $257.00, The best I could find in Oz was $383.00 + $29.95 postage, a considerable saving from the States. Cheers Whitto

[bayfisher]

better put in my 2 cents worth ;D ,

As T1 said i bought a refurbished raymarine ds500x from B-o-n-z-e-r a while back and it developed a foggy screen (seemed to happen when direct sunlight hits the screen). Having talked to a few people this does seem to be a common issue. I sent the unit back to the states to be fixed and it cost me about $40 (After B-o-n-z-e-r refunded half of shipping costs) to do so, and I got the unit back in about 3-4 weeks. Not that it mattered too much because of the shocking weather we have been having. B-o-n-z-e-r have been extremely helpful and the problem was no fuss, i cant recommend them highly enough. I did save a fair bit of money at the time i bought my unit (though there have been some good specials locally on the ds500x units recently). Would i buy from over seas again ...sure would!

Cheers Chris

[eatmybait]

I had a good experience buying from overseas, after walking into a retail store to be ignored. Furuno arrived 5 days later. Never heard if them Furunos fog up.

[Sepultallica]

hey fellas..just read the story and i thought i add my 2 cents..

i just bought a new lowrance lcx-37c from the states for $1995 delivered which in townsville would have cost me $3500 so i thought why not...its due to turn up at the end of the week...will let you know how it goes

[marco]

I had a good experience buying from overseas, after walking into a retail store to be ignored. Furuno arrived 5 days later. Never heard if them Furunos fog up.
they do fog up , easy to put a sica gel pack inside them which fixes it .

[Whitto]

hey fellas..just read the story and i thought i add my 2 cents..

i just bought a new lowrance lcx-37c from the states for $1995 delivered which in townsville would have cost me $3500 so i thought why not...its due to turn up at the end of the week...will let you know how it goes Unbelievable saving of $1500.00, for those who say u should support the local guy what would u do, I know I wouldn't thing twice about buying O/S and have done so, well done Sepultallica, Cheers Whitto:D

[Malcolm W]

they do fog up , easy to put a sica gel pack inside them which fixes it .
Marco, My last 2 fishfinders fogged up ( raymarine dsx 500 ) and currently a navman 6600. The navman fogged on every trip for the first six months even after going back to navman. One trip my plastic cover blew off on the way to the boat ramp( fishfinder is mounted in c/c ) and I have not had any trouble since. It appears the cover was holding the moisture in. The gel pack sounds like a good idea.
Mal.