The GST con story

[Trade_nancy]

Most people I know who buy things from overseas, myself included, understand this sentiment. But NZ retailers are taking the piss with their margins on some items.

Agree.
Wife just got a book in the post from FISHPOND. Cost including postage to a rural address = $4.75! Brand new book with a NZ RRP sticker on it of $38.00. Second book is winging it's way from overseas - total cost incl shipping of $10.75 and the marked price on same book in town here - around $40.00

So - go ahead add GST..you'll still make my day. Retailers are on a slowly sinking vessel.

[FJRider]

No conspiracy, merely pondering what could be a likely future course of events...

Your assumption ... you mean ..

You haven't bought anything overseas recently GST IS ADDED at border by NZ CUSTOMS on just about any import over the preset level unless you have resorted to some sort of fraud or trickey...

Anything I've bought was obviously under the "Pre-set" level ... lucky me .. eh .. !!!

Thanks for the Einstein level explanation about buying in bulk, guess no ones ever been so bright as you to work it out for themselves aye???? You've earned a chocolate fish with that one boy...

Perhaps ... we shut down supermarkets ... or maybe .. require businesses (by law) to set their mark up amount to a set level ... for ALL retail businesses ... Level the playing field (so to speak) THAT would solve ALL the issues ... eh .. !!

99.99% of my income is spent on goods with GST charged on them. The ONLY things exempt in NZ is bank fees and postage stamps but not courier tickets...

http://www.ird.govt.nz/gst/additiona...s/calc-exempt/

So .. you spend NO money on either a Mortgage ... or Rent ... or repayment of any loans ... ??? Fuck you must be lucky ...

Spend smarter ...

So we could all pay 15% extra income tax, drop GST and it would be exactly the same. The country would be a lot better off as they could cull a few jobs at IRD by dropping gST...

Do YOUR maths .... It's NOT the same. As I recall ... personal income tax was reduced at the time of GST introduction. Be careful what you wish for ...

IRD cull staff ... ??? you are a realist ... I don't think. Talk to your Labour MP ... ask if they'll ditch GST if they are elected. (They introduced it after all) ... and might just REMOVE it ... (doubt it though)

[Woodman]

It's also not fair the way the wholesalers/importers give larger places better buy in prices either. It really makes it hard for smaller outfits to compete and survive.

The bigger outfits spend a shitload more so they can negotiate a better deal or maybe a % rebate. If I was operating a large business with multiple sites therefore much higher costs i would be pretty pissed off with a wholesaler for giving a one man band the same price as me. If they don't want their products sold then thats a good way to go about it.

[R650R]

yada yada yada

Jesus your one of those people that needs everything individually spelt out for them... should have realised from the excess multi quoting syndrome...
Your wrong on most of those points but I cant be bothered...

[Shaun Harris]

Why the fek would anyone not buy off shore if cheaper, a lot of these business that will have to close are milking the system ( US) with there tax returns anyway

personell fuel,travel,accomadation bla bla bla

[Swoop]

There are those of us who TRY to buy locally but are prevented in doing so.
Either of:
grossly over inflated price,
not a stocked item,
not a stocked colour,
not a stocked size,
have no intention of stocking that product, ever!
can't be arsed getting the product in for you and charging excessively for the privilege as well.


And having to deal with some up-themself twat of an "assistant" who seems grossly insulted that you have taken them away from their cellphone (txting friends) or computer (surfing tardMe/porn/farcebook).

[FJRider]

Yada ... yada ... yada .....

Your assumptions ... opinions ... and guesswork are no replacement for actual facts.

Your statement ... "99% of my income is on goods with GST added to them" is a sure sign you (either) live rent/mortgage free ... or your income is excessive (if not impressive) ... not to mention being a big spender.

Or .. you're talking through a hole in your head.

Feel free to contradict me ... I know you can ....

Having facts to back those contradictions up .... is another thing.

I doubt if you can ...

Sorry ... I forgot. You can't be bothered.

[jasonu]

There are those of us who TRY to buy locally but are prevented in doing so.
Either of:
grossly over inflated price,
not a stocked item,
not a stocked colour,
not a stocked size,
have no intention of stocking that product, ever!
can't be arsed getting the product in for you and charging excessively for the privilege as well.


And having to deal with some up-themself twat of an "assistant" who seems grossly insulted that you have taken them away from their cellphone (txting friends) or computer (surfing tardMe/porn/farcebook).

You forgot to mention the 3 month wait while they order in the wrong size/color/year/item then tell you it is the disturbers fault and then make you feel like a cunt for asking for your money back.

[scrivy]

Interesting....

Let's imagine a world where there are no local shops. Imagine the inconvenience of not being able to get anything that day. Imagine not getting the items you wanted for up to a week. Imagine not receiving the right item, or it was the wrong size, shape or colour. Imagine buying a present for a birthday or a special occasion and it didn't turn up.
It's not easy out there, but helping support other towns or other countries' economies is certainly not helping ours. How high do we want to see our balance of trade deficit grow? How high do we want to see our unemployment grow? How high do we want to see our crime statistics grow?
You may like to save lots by using out-of-town or overseas websites, but in the end, all you'll achieve is empty local shops, higher local and national unemployment, and simply less people able to afford to use your business. So you may directly save a percentage by buying overseas, but indirectly, could you survive a drop of the same percentage of sales in your business from unemployed locals not being able to afford your services? I am picking not.
Internet retailers generally do not stock a whole range from their suppliers, but usually only the top-selling lines. Local businesses stock a wider range of unique items, because they buy for their individual market.
When you go out of town for the weekends, would you really travel to another town to sit down for a coffee, or to have dinner, beside 30 empty shops, with no atmosphere? Imagine what rates home owners will pay when shop tenants aren't subsidising their rates any more. After all, who will pay for all the CBD under-verandah lighting currently paid by shop tenants? Imagine if this wasn't lit up. Imagine how dark and dingy CBD streets would be. Not to mention a magnet for graffiti, vandalisim and crime. A great reason for people to not visit your town. Is that really what we want? If we all spent just $2 a week buying New Zealand made items, as opposed to items from Australia or elsewhere, we would keep 10,000 New Zealanders in employment! Imagine if we spent $50 a week!
This would solve most of New Zealand's unemployment woes, not to mention reduce our balance of trade deficit, and reduce our huge reliance on overseas borrowing. Hey, it might even mean a reduction of your taxes.
Having local shops close down means advertising spend will decrease, media jobs will go, then your free community newspapers will stop. Sponsorship will decrease, and sports teams, local schools and individuals will suffer. They all get a large amount of community support from local retailers.
For many charities, the majority of their income is from the support of communities and local businesses. How will they suffer from a dramatic reduction in funding? I hate to think of the consequences of any reduction in the services that they currently provide to our local communities.
Studies have shown that local businesses donate to community causes at more than twice the rate of large corporations. But, how many internet businesses get hit up for local sponsorship? Also, how many overseas businesses donate to your community? Locally owned retailers support local causes - it's as simple as that.

[Kickaha]

blah, blah blah,blah,blah, blah blah,blah,blah, blah blah,blah,blah, blah blah,blah,blah, blah blah,blah

You're taking a far too longsighted view there, if it doesn't affect us now then we really don't care about what it's going to be like years down the line

[JimO]

everybody wants a bargain then moans if they get laid off because the industry they work in is hit by people buying overseas

[Voltaire]

Shopping Locally makes sense.

Mortgage payments to ASB- Aussie
Shopping at Countdown- Aussie
Filling up at BP- UK I suppose
Herald- Aussie
Trade Me-Aussie

[Shaun Harris]

Interesting....

Let's imagine a world where there are no local shops. Imagine the inconvenience of not being able to get anything that day. Imagine not getting the items you wanted for up to a week. Imagine not receiving the right item, or it was the wrong size, shape or colour. Imagine buying a present for a birthday or a special occasion and it didn't turn up.
It's not easy out there, but helping support other towns or other countries' economies is certainly not helping ours. How high do we want to see our balance of trade deficit grow? How high do we want to see our unemployment grow? How high do we want to see our crime statistics grow?
You may like to save lots by using out-of-town or overseas websites, but in the end, all you'll achieve is empty local shops, higher local and national unemployment, and simply less people able to afford to use your business. So you may directly save a percentage by buying overseas, but indirectly, could you survive a drop of the same percentage of sales in your business from unemployed locals not being able to afford your services? I am picking not.
Internet retailers generally do not stock a whole range from their suppliers, but usually only the top-selling lines. Local businesses stock a wider range of unique items, because they buy for their individual market.
When you go out of town for the weekends, would you really travel to another town to sit down for a coffee, or to have dinner, beside 30 empty shops, with no atmosphere? Imagine what rates home owners will pay when shop tenants aren't subsidising their rates any more. After all, who will pay for all the CBD under-verandah lighting currently paid by shop tenants? Imagine if this wasn't lit up. Imagine how dark and dingy CBD streets would be. Not to mention a magnet for graffiti, vandalisim and crime. A great reason for people to not visit your town. Is that really what we want? If we all spent just $2 a week buying New Zealand made items, as opposed to items from Australia or elsewhere, we would keep 10,000 New Zealanders in employment! Imagine if we spent $50 a week!
This would solve most of New Zealand's unemployment woes, not to mention reduce our balance of trade deficit, and reduce our huge reliance on overseas borrowing. Hey, it might even mean a reduction of your taxes.
Having local shops close down means advertising spend will decrease, media jobs will go, then your free community newspapers will stop. Sponsorship will decrease, and sports teams, local schools and individuals will suffer. They all get a large amount of community support from local retailers.
For many charities, the majority of their income is from the support of communities and local businesses. How will they suffer from a dramatic reduction in funding? I hate to think of the consequences of any reduction in the services that they currently provide to our local communities.
Studies have shown that local businesses donate to community causes at more than twice the rate of large corporations. But, how many internet businesses get hit up for local sponsorship? Also, how many overseas businesses donate to your community? Locally owned retailers support local causes - it's as simple as that.

very good logical points

[scrivy]

Shopping Locally makes sense.

Mortgage payments to ASB- Aussie Try TSB...
Shopping at Countdown- Aussie Try PakNslave
Filling up at BP- UK I suppose Try Gull
Herald- Aussie
Trade Me-Aussie

Maybe........

[scrivy]

You're taking a far too longsighted view there, if it doesn't affect us now then we really don't care about what it's going to be like years down the line

You say that Kick, 'cause you don't have kids that are soon to be in the non-existant workforce....