Hi Zsolt,
I'm not sure how you're interpreting my complaint, but it doesn't seem like you understand it or the math behind it. I am not complaining about the
shipping prices. I am complaining about the
product prices. I am complaining about the product prices at shop.lego.com AS WELL AS the retail prices for the products in our local Australian retail stores like Kmart, Big W, etc. It is cheaper for me to order Lego from the US website, pay for shipping to a USA address, and then pay for shipping from that USA address to Australia, AND STILL SAVE OVER 200 DOLLARS with an item such as the Lego Super Star Destroyer.
Are you implying that it costs Lego $200 MORE to ship a product to me in Australia?
Let me do the math again:
Lego 10221 Super Star Destroyer is USD 319. Now, USD 319 converts to AUD 315. Now, let's play it safe and add a 3% bank currency conversion rate on top of that, raising it, and rounding it up to AUD 325. Now, the US price does not include tax, so we will add Australian GST of 10% on top, bringing us to AUD 358. Now that same item can be bought from the Australian shop.lego.com and shipped to Australia (also at no charge) for AUD 560.
So you should be able to clearly see that my issue IS NOT the shipping price. It's the fact that you are gouging Australians.
Let me provide you (or your manager / lawyers) with some related reading material:
1.
Australian Price Gouging Inquiry Targets Apple, Microsoft And Others (April 30)
The Australian Consumer watchdog has started hauling companies that conduct this kind of global gouging in to account for their actions. I will be writing them to recommend that you be added to their list, as well as rallying other local local fans of Lego to do the same.
2.
Gerry Harvey laments retail woes as profits dip (Mar 12)
There is currently a large outcry in this country from retailers that shoppers are abandoning them in favor of online, overseas options. THIS IS BECAUSE OF THE PRICES THAT COMPANIES LIKE YOURS ARE GOUGING US WITH! Now, in this global market, why would anybody, with the TINIEST bit of knowledge, buy from shop.lego.com's Australia shop or a local retailer instead of a US, or other foreign retailer that ships overseas?
Don't you ethically see a problem with this?
Don't you think you might make up the loss of revenue/profit from lower prices with more volume? I haven't bought Lego in Australia in years. However, I have bought THOUSANDS of dollars of Lego from overseas sellers for a FRACTION of those prices!
Sincerely disappointed