Read more - Tux Love

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Catch amouse to the shops
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By Geoff ealmer
'Black Friday', the day after the Thanksgiving Day holiday, is the
traditionalstart of the Christmas shopping season in the United States.
Its name comes from the notion that many retailers make little or no
money in the first part of the year, but from that day until year's end,
they're firmly'in the black'.
But last year Black Friday took on a darker
tinge. Retail sales were down almost 3%
on 2ol2 and foot traffic for the year fell by
more than zoTo.lnstead of battling traffic
jams, queuing for car parks and waiting to be
served, many Americans did their shopping
online. On the Monday following Black Friday
-
now known as 'Cyber Monday' - online sales
reached a new daily record of US5r.74 billion,
and online sales for the 4-day weekend were
u? 34% on the previous year.
What's driving the change is not just internet
shopping per se - that's been around for
almost two decades - but the access to it.
With smartphones equating to a 'computer
in your pocket', it's never been easier or more
convenient. A survey ofAustralian phone
users
t5
February zol4
found that z5% used their phones to
check for competitive prices or read online reviews while actually
phyiically in retail stores. (And 4% of them went on to purchase items
from com petitors' websites.)
65T and dutg
There's a common misconception
There are bargains locally and internationally, and the high
New Zealand dollar makes overseas shopping especially attractive.
According to BNZ's Online Retail Sales Index,we spent $2.7 billion
online in the rz months to 3o September 2013, of which 6o% went
overseas. As Stephen Bridle, director of analysis firm Marketview
puts it, "We're a billion-dollar export market for international
online retailers."
ln its early days, online shopping was fraught wlth credit card
worries, currency hassles and hidden delivery charges, but the market
has matured rapidly. Secure payment systems mean that vendors
never get to see your credit card details, and a number of large
international sites offer the option of showing prices in NZ dollars.
Some even offer free international shipping.
All major retailers have their own websites, and many offer delivery
to your door. The lists that follow contain stores that exist purely
online or ones that feature services you might know about -they are
by no means comprehensive.
to import duty, some aren't. Most
electronics such as mobile phones, computers and cameras are
duty free, although there are odd exceptions. Ordinary radios
don't attract duty, but car radios do - at a rate of 5%. Jewellery
and cosmetics also attract 5% duty, while clothing and footwear
get ro% - exce ptf or baby clothing, which is duty free. For a quick
summary of items and rates, click the 'Customs Duty Rates' link at
www.cu sto ms.govt. nzlfeatu res/cha rges/feetypes.
Next comes CST. lf your import attracts less than 56o CST, it isn't
charged. But if GST comes to $6o or more, you're charged it plus an
lmport Entry Transaction Fee (IETF) of 5+5.89.
Note that the value of the goods you're importing
as including the cost
Shipping
that all comes together (in
5379.oo
5ub-total:
CST
bought from a bricks-and-mortar store?
Obviously this only applies to New Zealand auction sites, and only if
you pay a fixed price. Once bidding begins it becomes an auction and
the CCA no longer applies - even if you're the only bidder. Still, it's
worth keeping in mind.
charges $zo.oo
Effective 65T
will
be calculated
offreight and insurance.
Item (s) cost
Auctions are a form of online shopping in which most of us have
dabbled. But many businesses * small and large - sell items through
them too. Did you know that ifyou buy a new item from a trader (as
opposed to an individual) on Trade Me and pay a 'Buy Now' price for it,
you're covered by the Consumer Cuarantees Act (CCA), just as if you'd
less
Some items are subject
Here's an example of how
Auction sites
that imported goods worth
tha n $4oo don't attract CST or d uty - the real answer is that it
depends on what you're buying.
NZ dollars):
ltem(s) cost
Shipping
$38o.oo
charges
Sub-total: $4oo.oo
5399.oo
(r5%): SSS.8S Effective GST (r5%):
due:
Total
5o.oo
cost:
5zo.oo
S399.oo
$6o.oo
due:
$6o.oo
IETF:
5q6.8g
GST
Total
cost:
$5o5.89
that the New Zealand Customs Service
that don't fluctuate as much
as the real ones do. lf you haven't paid in New Zealand dollars, the
You should also note
(Customs) uses fixed exchange rates
cost
trademe.co.nz
Trade Me
Crays Online
grayson line.co.nz
ofthe goods (plus shipping and insurance) will
be converted
NZ's pre-eminent
at the exchange rate in force on the day the item reaches Customs.
auction site
The rates it uses are set for a z-week period and published a week
in advance, meaning your Customs rate may differ from the actual
Home and consumer
electronics
excha nge rate you pa id
!
Turners
firners.co.nz
Buy and sell cars
You'll find the rates at www.customs.govt.nzlnews/utilities/Pages/
eBay
ebay.com/ebay.com.au
US/Australian for
'Trade Me'
Rates-Of-Exchange.aspx.
Computers and consumer electronics
lf you don't fancy sitting down
has a simole online calculator
with a pen and paper, Customs
that combines all of the above at
whatsmyduty.org.nz.
Not surprisingly, computer equipment is well represented online. Here
are a few local favourites.
Ascent
ascent.co.nz
Free delivery
ComputerLounge computerlounge.co.nz
Dragon
PC
Paradigm
PLAYTECH
PCs
dragonpc.co.nz
pp.co.nz
Free delivery
playtech.co.nz
on MAS
rne magazine for MAS Members
t7
Generalist sites
The YouShop
Taking the place of old-fashioned department stores, these sites feature a wide (and sometimes
massive) range of items, from jewellery to electronics, tools to fashion accessories. You just
option
have to check them out!
After hours spent searching to find just what
you want, you then discover that the vendor
concerned doesn't shio overseas. Grrrr!
Game over? Not quite...
Mighty Ape
With New Zealand Post's YouShop
Parallel lmported
you sim ply
enter a United States, United Kingdom or
European YouShop delivery address and
complete your transaction as usual. Pay
YouShop the international postage, and it
willforward the goods to you.
mightyape.co.nz
parallelimported.co.nz
NZ$rz.5o per parcel, plus N2$4.75 per 5oo
- and it will even evaluate your parcel
to see if it can be repacked to reduce the
amount of postage you need to pay.
- free
Gumboot
gumboot.co.nz
Mainly books and movies
AliExpress
aliexpress.com
A vast range in 4o categories
Amazon
a
DealExtreme
dx.com
mazon.com/amazon.co.uk
Way more than just a book store
Hong Kong based - mostly
electronics - free worldwide delivery
as
grams
Parallel imported items
delivery
(nzpost.co.nzltools/youshop),
International postage is calculated
More than 33o,ooo products in stock
overnight delivery
Focal Price
focalprice.com
Another Hong Kong-based giant
-
free shipping
Specialist sites
Specialist stores cater for niche markets or focus on doing a few things really well. Again, the
range is vast, but here's a selection to show the sorts of things on offer.
Tips
Model numbers and product names
may vary between countries. Make sure
you're getting exactly what you expect.
When buying overseas, check that
electrical goods have compatible power
adapters and suitable wall plugs.
re a I ly getling a ba rgain ?
out local prices on pricespy.
Are you
Check
co.nz and double-check our sidebar on
GST
and Duty.
the store. What are its
warranty provisions and what's the
return process if goods arrive damaged
or fall apart in a month?
Check out
Check out
the goods. Some ofthe bigger
Countdown
countdown.co.nz
Grocery shopping online, delivered
to your door
and infirm
-
a boon to the elderly
Fatso
fatso.co.nz
DVD and Blu-ray rentals by post
Hyperdrive
hyperdrive.co.nz
Everything for your car
Hyper Ride
nypernoe.co.nz
5urf, snow and skating gear
Lollies Online
lollieson line.co.nz
For those
Marine Deals
ma rine-dea ls.co.nz
Fishing, diving and marine gear
Pet.co.nz
pet.co.nz
with
Pet supplies
a sweet
tooth
for cats, dogs, fish, birds
and reptiles
Smart Marine
sma rtma rine.co.nz
TheBookDepository
bookdepository.co.uk
Boating
andfhing
Books galore
with
gear
NZ$ prices and
free worldwide delivery
sites allow candid customer reviews.
These can be a useful guide
ifyou don't
know the manufacturer.
Avoid impulse buying. You can get
some great deals, but there's also a lot
of iunk out there.
Habex
habex.com.au
Hearing aid batteries. NZ$ prices
Select Specs
selectspecs.com
Glasses and contact lenses, including
prescription lenses
Dailg deal sites
Don't forget 'daily deal' sites that offer limited deals for short periods of time. Many feature
deals on goods and services that are specific to your area. But tread carefully. Try to avoid impulse
buying and note that they're sometimes used to clear old stock and end-of-line items.
l8
February zor4
crazysa Ies.co.nz
grabone.co.nz
dailydo.co.nz
groupy.co.nz
dea laday.co.nz
spreets.co.nz
treatme.co.nz
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