Can someone explain to us please

[breedesmallie]

Sorry English gents but I have to write this in Afrikaans to make my point.

Ek het so pas vir my 'n Lowrance 4 x dsi vanaf die VSA deur 'n kontak gekoop wat my R1600-00 gekos het afgelewer by my huis. Ok ek moet erken ek het nie posgeld betaal nie want die persoon het dit vir my saam gebring. Onder andere het ek ook op die koop toe 'n ander paar goedjies vir my hengel ook laat kom.

Ek is ongelukkig van die wat glo om eerder plaaslik te koop om ons eie mense te ondersteun, maar in hierdie geval kon ek nie anders nie want elke item wat ek gekry het kos amper vier keer meer plaaslik. My vraag is, hoe op aarde werk dit dat die 4 x dsi amper drie keer meer kos in RSA om nie eers te praat van al die ander goedere nie.

Mense ek verstaan daar is invoerbelastings en die manne moet ook wins maak, maar regtig, ek voel ons word gerook. Ek dink die manne wat die goed invoer moet vir ons verduidelik hoe hulle by hul belaglike pryse uitkom. :blue-evil:

Dit is my gevoel, ek weet nie hoe die ander manne hieroor voel nie.

[Navrik]

For the sake of everyone on the site I will reply in English

I tend to agree with you on what you are saying but since starting to dip a toe in the fishing tackle industry and meeting quite a few guys and speaking to them my viewpoint has changed slightly. There are definitely factors such as import duties, shipping costs, local warehousing, price of keeping slow moving products in stock which ties up cash flow. Then having to factor in after sales support and dealing with customer's warranty issues which can be a big problem with imported goods.

I think the problem starts with the manufacturers zoning their equipment e.g. fish finders with GPS which then opens the door or anti-competitive behaviours by everyone in the chain. By zoning I mean certain features such as GPS and certain settings are locked in. Warranty to products are also impacted.

When these kind of things happen a "Boer maak 'n Plan" which is exactly what you did. I have not purchased a single item from overseas (yet) and try to support the local industry and my bassing buddies selling items. One of the reason why I buy Quantum reels is because I can get it sometime cheaper through local channels when converting Rand to Dollar. So if the guys in the Quantum channel can do it why can't everyone else. I sometimes really battle to to understand why the same product in Cape Town can be priced so differently between retail shops.

Like with everything it pays to shop around or wait until someone else upgrades. I sometimes have my brother buy things for me at Gani's in Witbank and ship it to Cape Town for cheaper than I can get it on the shelves in Cape Town...that is if I can get the colours I want.

[Mick]

Although I hear what Nav is saying we are still getting ripped off on a lot of stuff, specially electronics. If you can buy a unit for 1600 from the US the local agents paid far less than that at cost, even landed with transport they will get it here for less than 1600, so why must be pay 4 times as much, really they are just screwing us coz we let them

[nutt]

Gentlemen If I May?

Besides the obvious fluctuations of Exchange rates and the cost of interest, This pricing parity we experience today is....and I am not wanting to start a political row but just highlight the economic fundamentals that brought this about. So without further ado, the pricing parity today stems from a culture of business that was created during the apartheid era. Now before everyone gets their muzzel loaders out, hear me out. During this period one couldn't import anything without paying a huge premium and normally these products had to be routed through more sympathetic countries, which added to the cost. So through the 80's the manufacturing sector in S.A. boomed because if you had something someone wanted you could name your price. When the boycotts eased off in the early 90's our country was starved for choice and it is after all choice that defines us as individuals. Now with this obvious Gold Mine as a platform, which businessman in his right mind is not going to profit from that? Why leave money on the table? This combined with the fact that as far as luxury goods go there are only 4 million people at best who live above the breadline and how many of those would ever buy a depth finder? S.A. has not experienced true globalisation yet, but with the arrival of international players such as Wal-Mart things will change at lighting speed and many of these seemingly overpriced businesses will suffer as a result, one needs to just compare the manufacturing stats on basic goods today compared to the mid eighties and you will then understand how serious the problem is for this country. At the end of the day its what do you value the service at local or globally and as confidence is gained on line the whole world is your apartment store.

That's my 2c worth.

Cheers

Nutt

[smurf]

Every time "the apartheid era" is mentioned,my toes curl ! There has been ample time to correct such situations,but it is easier just to let the ripoff continue rather than fix it...same goes for fuel,food,toll fees,fishing licences etc etc etc....

[Donster]

$$$$$ = Bass fishing

[nutt]

Hi Smurf

Mine do too. I was just pointing out that its a culture that was created by circumstances in that era. :blue-biggrin: It's a culture which is changing as we speak but you are very correct when you say society finds it easier to complain than to actually do something about it especially when it concerns basic goods, services and quality of life. Don't get me started on stealth taxes either.

Eish.......its time to go fishing I tell you.

[breedesmallie]

Smurf I totaly agree. Apartheid is a long gone history and most of the younger people don't even know how it worked.

I am sorry but I just cant see how price fixing in this country can do us good. Why pay R100 + for a Rapala if I can get it for 40 odd bucks. Yes not everyone got contacts in the US, I am fortunate that my brother lives in the US and only 40 miles from a bass pro shop, he send it via a friend who works at the US consolate in SA so I do not pay postal fees. Everything I need I order from the US.

[smurf]

Nutt,even the thought of discussing "the dreaded past" puts pressure to my brain that gives me an instant migrane.There is one thing that is undeniable,that is the deprivation of one part of society by another,and those deprived will never recover from that situation...unless you are in the ruling party employed by the government,that is.But those 'not so deprived' lame arsed oversized and over paid individuals are not returning the system to normality without generating huge individual wealth for themselves first,and those deprived masses are STILL the losers,even more so as they cannot get education,medical assistance at a government hospital or drive safely down the road in Cape Town without a brick hitting you on the head...love this place,but systems and heads of the ruling party are stuck on the excuse of 'it is due to apartheid 'that my department is failing now...eish, more than my toes hurt and I have a monster crust ache....thanks Nutt !!! :blue-biggrin:

[nutt]

Hi Smurf

I Feel Bad sir the crust ache and the curly toes was not my intention at all, it was merely an indicator of a particular point in time. believe me my blood boild when I hear the proverbial donkey beign hauled out of the closet when it best suits the individuals you speak of who continue to enrich themselves off of the Masses who cant see the wood for the trees and therefore will not recover for many generations.

Breedesmallie

Please dont missunderstand what I was trying to get at, what you are doing is indeed what I was saying about the local businesses taking heed of the fact that the world has become a very small place and that people like us have options and we will vote with our cash by taking it elswhere were we feel we are getting a better deal. I do exactly that I will be replacing my reels shortly and guess where they will come from??? and I dont do this only because I'm going to save a couple of hundred bucks, its because my favorite reel companies agent dont keep enough stock of left hand drives in the country for me to change, thats why.

Cheers

Nutt

[breedesmallie]

Hi Nutt

Nope I did'nt misunderstood you, I totaly agree with what you are saying, I am just getting mad that our polititions don't do anything about it. They are the ones always using apartheid as the reason when they can't do things right. In those days we were forced to do certain things cause of sanctions but that's not the case anymore.

[nutt]

Meneer

Die waarheid is, as ek en jy al lankal die blomme laat beter groei gaan daai bliksems nog daai perd uithaal en wys, elke keer as hulle te kort kom. Ek dink hulle skryf dit al in die geskeidenis boeke in. Wat my rerig die donderin maak is dat ons kinders se klienkinders nog sal beboet word vir dit.

Sorry I dont profess to be very proficient at Afrikaans but it is one hell of a language and the Souties only wish they could be as descriptive as one can be in afrikaans.

Cheers

Nutt

[Riprap]

So let me try and get this right.
If you are left handed and you vote with your wallet because you don't want to pump up the apartheid balloon anymore, then you get the donderin much quicker than the liberals who support local out of guilt for the local economy?

[Navrik]

Ha ha riprap...you lost me shortly after "If...." :blue-biggrin:

[PDV]

Meneer

Die waarheid is, as ek en jy al lankal die blomme laat beter groei gaan daai bliksems nog daai perd uithaal en wys, elke keer as hulle te kort kom. Ek dink hulle skryf dit al in die geskeidenis boeke in. Wat my rerig die donderin maak is dat ons kinders se klienkinders nog sal beboet word vir dit.

Sorry I dont profess to be very proficient at Afrikaans but it is one hell of a language and the Souties only wish they could be as descriptive as one can be in afrikaans.

Cheers

Nutt

Well said NUTT - in 'n neutedop!! :blue-badgrin: