# Australian IT prices to be probed **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 24, 2012, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-it-prices-to-be-probed/622896 "2012-05-24T00:13:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![madrabbitwoman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c37758/32.png) [@madrabbitwoman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madrabbitwoman)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2012, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-it-prices-to-be-probed/622896/1 "2012-05-24T00:13:45Z")
[http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/australian-it-prices-to-be-probed/story-e6frfku0-1226365276217?from=public\_rss](http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/australian-it-prices-to-be-probed/story-e6frfku0-1226365276217?from=public_rss) > [@](#): > > Labor MP Nick Champion, who will chair the committee, said Australians were often forced to pay more for IT products than consumers in overseas markets. I’m hoping books will be next. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2012, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-it-prices-to-be-probed/622896/2 "2012-05-24T02:38:41Z")
Well of course they cost more, somebody has to pay for all the R&D to develop stuff that works running upside down. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2012, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-it-prices-to-be-probed/622896/3 "2012-05-24T02:49:49Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > Well of course they cost more, somebody has to pay for all the R&D to develop stuff that works running upside down. I find it easiest just to turn the monitor upside down: that’s easier than standing on my head. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2012, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-it-prices-to-be-probed/622896/4 "2012-05-24T03:44:53Z")
It’s so far to Australia. Those ones and zeros get tired. ---
**Author:** ![sisu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@sisu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sisu)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2012, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-it-prices-to-be-probed/622896/5 "2012-05-24T05:35:38Z")
Bah nothing will come of it, we really don’t pay that much more for stuff in Australia since the advent of the internet. The only thing that stops pricing falling is competition or lack thereof. If we look at mobiles we have some of the lowest pricing in the world [and best networks] solely due to 3 powerful competitors and an over subscribed market. What the government should be doing is encouraging competition through low start up costs etc. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2012, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-it-prices-to-be-probed/622896/6 "2012-05-24T11:57:41Z")
> [@sisu](#): > > Bah nothing will come of it, we really don’t pay that much more for stuff in Australia since the advent of the internet. I disagree (except for the “nothing will come of it part”). We pay over the odds for an insane amount of stuff, IMHO. Video games are $49 in the US and $79 here. Even from Steam. A new paperback books is $20-$30 here, or $9-$15 overseas (or from Book Depository, who manage to be half the price and include free shipping in the process). A pair of Levis is $90+ here (last time I checked), or $30 in the US. Most food is cheaper IME in the US and UK. Cameras and electronics are cheaper overseas for the most part IME too. Mobile phones are amongst the few things I _don’t_ think we’re getting shafted on price-wise, to be honest. However, I don’t think anything will come of the enquiry. Apple and Microsoft _et al_ will come up with some hand-wavy bullshit that amounts to “QQ Moar, Noobs” and the Government will say “Alright, carry on then” and nothing will change. What really annoys me is that we’re supposed to have a Free Trade Agreement with the US, yet you wouldn’t know it from the price disparity or the number of US online retailers that won’t ship to Australia at all. ---
**Author:** ![Imasquare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Imasquare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Imasquare)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2012, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-it-prices-to-be-probed/622896/7 "2012-05-25T01:52:51Z")
> [@sisu](#): > > Bah nothing will come of it, we really don’t pay that much more for stuff in Australia since the advent of the internet. The only thing that stops pricing falling is competition or lack thereof. If we look at mobiles we have some of the lowest pricing in the world [and best networks] solely due to 3 powerful competitors and an over subscribed market. > > What the government should be doing is encouraging competition through low start up costs etc. I wouldn’t be so sure of that. My sister visited Hawaii last year and bought a brand name bag for 30% of the price it retails for in Australia. But as far as IT goes it’s mixed. I think we are paying a similar price to the US for the iPad, but paying substantially more for software like Windows. ---
**Author:** ![sisu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@sisu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sisu)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2012, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-it-prices-to-be-probed/622896/8 "2012-05-28T03:35:51Z")
> [@Imasquare](#): > > I wouldn’t be so sure of that. My sister visited Hawaii last year and bought a brand name bag for 30% of the price it retails for in Australia. I got a pair of Levi 501’s for $40 the other day in Australia on special, that’s about 30% of the retail price. ---
**Author:** ![ladyfoxfyre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ad7895/32.png) [@ladyfoxfyre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ladyfoxfyre)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2012, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-it-prices-to-be-probed/622896/9 "2012-05-28T03:59:15Z")
So you’re basing your opinions on sale prices, rather than normal retail prices? ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2012, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-it-prices-to-be-probed/622896/10 "2012-05-28T04:02:52Z")
And I thought we were getting shafted in Canada.