Alt-BEAM Archive

Message #13662



To: beam@sgiblab.sgi.com
From: Meabadboy@aol.com
Date: Wed, 19 Apr 2000 00:13:13 EDT
Subject: Re: Best wheels?


i used the inner core piece of a ear plug for hearing protection ~ it is a
small diameter ~ but not too small that it cannot be put on the shaft ~ also
it has realitivly good traction ~ the materials are soft but not too soft.

you can get these ear plugs at most hardware stores ~ or contractor supply
stores ~ lumber yards ~ ect.

I have them because I am the health and safety director for a large company
and we use them daily by the box full.



13663 Wednesday, April 19, 2000 2:56 PM Re: Costings in Australia beam@sgiblab.sgi.com ; Ben Hitchcock Peter Hamer
>Hi Ben and all,
>
>With Ben's rant and slam I do feel quite justified to have some defence on
the
>list. Normally I would reply personally, but I can not let Ben's comments
>pervade the list with lack of understanding of price setting etc. Please
hit the
>delete button if you are not interested in the Australian economy.
>
>Let it be known that the prices we have to charge are a factor of:
>
>What we can buy products for in reasonable quanties from suppliers like
>Solarbotics, Digikey etc
>The exchange rate from USD to AUD. (very poor at the moment)
>Most of the products we import into the country attract 5% Customs duty and
22%
>Australian Sales Tax (based on a 20% uplifted wholesale cost), because we
buy in
>bulk we cannot circumvent customs and the ATO like Ben does.
>
>So a few figures for you:
>
>Buy a product at $10 USD.
>Convert to AUD at 0.60c = $16.67 AUD
>5% Customs Duty = 0.83c = $17.50
>Now uplift that price by 20% = $21.04 and mulitply by 22% = $4.62 = the
>Wholesale Sales Tax
>Now add the $4.62 to the $17.50 = $22.12
>
>So the landed cost (without cost of shipping (varies) and importation fee
$35)
>will equal $22.13 AUD.
>
>And what does that leave us to support the costs of business. So do a bit
of
>economics and you see that we are essentially providing a cost neutral
service
>and not running a business.
>
>Now come July 1 when we move to a GST things will change and hopefully
prices
>can be lower because of the getting rid of the 22% Wholesale tax (although
the
>government has decided to now include cost of shipping etc into the
things
>they will charge 10% GST on) in determining the landed cost.
>
>So how do people get things in cheaper than that? It is because you buy in
small
>quantities and do not pay customs duty nor sales tax - although if you are
>ordering items worth more than $250 AUD customs should pick that up and you
>should be paying. Customs and the Government do not support small business
and
>because of that customers end up not supporting small business. It is a
viscious
>circle. In fact if you do get to have to pay customs duty and sales tax
your
>$150AUD woud convert to $200!! - so our prices are purely a factor of the
>government making more out of small business than what small business can
ever
>hope to achieve!!
>
>Of interest is that with the poor exchange rate at present and that exports
do
>not attract Australian Sales Tax that international customers find it
cheaper to
>buy from us than elsewhere. So at least I'm doing a bit to help our balance
of
>payments.
>
>I am quite happy to receive feedback and suggestions - it doesn't mean they
will
>all be implemented. But Ben your public slam really does make me feel sour
.
>Sure I'd like to have a secure server for instant shopping lists, but I got
to
>make that decision that the large cost will be offset by sales.
>
>Regards
>
>Peter
>kits@robotoz.com.au
>www.robotoz.com.au
>
>> Because for me, anyway, you cost too much. It's as simple as that.
>> Sorry for being
>> harsh, but as far as I'm concerned if I can ship something into the
>> country for less than it takes to buy it here, then I'll do that.
>> Sorry about the rant but if you don't know how the consumer feels then
you
>> can't change. I assume you don't want to go broke :-)
>>

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