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Re: [OM] Zuiko 24/2.8 and Fedex

Subject: Re: [OM] Zuiko 24/2.8 and Fedex
From: andrew fildes <afildes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 27 Nov 2001 14:49:16 +1100
>
>
>Bizarre.  $1,797.00 AUS is just over $930.00 USD at today's interbank
>exchange rate.  For that price, you could buy one brand spankin' new from
>B&H in New York and have it shipped to you by FedEx Worldwide Overnight
>and *still* be ahead of the game.  Even including the bribes.  ;-)
>
>Garth
>

Yes, the price is ridiculous. But Fedex costs. Add US$100 to the B&H price.
Be warned. A friend of mine in Baltimore just sent me a Christmas present
(rangefinder accessory viewfinder) as thanks for looking after him while he
was touring here. Utterly unsolicited present. Unfortunately, he did not
send it regular post office air parcel but tracked priority o'night Fedex.
No problems for most US domestic deliveries.

I got a call Sunday to say it had arrived in Australia (took four days
because it went Baltimore, Memphis, back to Baltimore, back to Memphis,
Honolulu, Sydney.....).
I could now have it delivered if I paid AU$60.
Pardon?
$60.
For what?
Import duty and customs brokerage fee.
Why? - I get small parcels by post all the time and customs opens the odd
one but there's never a charge!
Because that's how we do it.
So you charge me to make sure I pay a tax I would not normally have to pay?
Would you like the parcel delivered sir? We take VISA.
Can you wait until payday?
We'll put a hold on it then?
Yes. Oh, and one other thing.
Yes sir?
The movie stank too.

So beware. If you send a personal parcel by post to any country with a
VAT/GST style tax system (most,thanks to globalisation and pressure from
the World Bank, IMF, etc.) then Fedex, DHL, TNT and the like will charge
the recipient a heavy fee for a simple computer entry which makes sure that
they pay a tax that they would not ordinarily have to pay. Fedex could
easily put the fixed brokerage fee on the front end but that would
discourage business and open the fee to competition. Some countries like
Canada are sticklers for collecting the tax but most like Australia and
Europe don't bother for low value items. The recipient of your gift will
have the choice of paying for it or refusing delivery which seems churlish
and will probably stick you with return fees. Leaves a sour taste in the
mouth.
And the moral is -
The post office is cheap and reliable and insureable - it just takes a bit
longer, especially at this time of year. But you keep your friends!
AndrewF
(Annoyed and broke. Happy Christmas!)



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