I have a friend that works in a well known optics store, sells binos and
astronomical equipment. I know their markups are not extreme, certainly
not the 100% that is common for things like consumer electronics and
running shoes. A lot of the price is due to the importer setting large
mark ups. A lot of the more niche products require the retailer or
importer to provide warranty service out of their markup. This is a
left over it seems to me from the time when these items attracted 27.5%
luxury sales tax. They sold to pros who could quote a tax number and
not pay it, so it seemed cheap to them, then when GST came they adjusted
their prices and mark up accordingly and the pro camera stores also
marked up handsomely. These outlets are of course all dying out now.
As someone else has said, Nikon have dumped Maxwell's their old importer
as they weren't performing having grown old and fat from years of
gouging and by all reports it's a good thing they did.
If you're talking camera equipment, be aware of the warranty and service
implications. It varies from brand to brand. Nikon has a world wide
policy that local importers/service agents will not touch equipment not
purchased through the importer. By not touch I mean they will not
honour warranty, will not work on it if you are paying yourself and will
not provide parts. They ask for equipment serial numbers before
supplying parts to service personnel. Canon is a bit more forgiving and
if you can buy a product with a world wide warranty card I believe they
will honour it here, but their point and shoots say that the warranty is
only valid for Aust. an NZ.
As far as binos go, if I'm paying the premiums for something like
Leicas, I'll buy from a store that allows me try them and all the
alternatives so I get something that suits me, I believe binos are a
very individual item and really need to tried extensively to get the
item that best suits you.
Chris Ross
===============================
www.birding-aus.org
birding-aus.blogspot.com
To unsubscribe from this mailing list,
send the message:
unsubscribe
(in the body of the message, with no Subject line)
to:
===============================
|
