on โ29-01-2014 07:59 AM
Who else is sick of corporate price gouging and the Governmentโs seeming inability and/or unwillingness to do anything about it
Two recent examples.
I recently purchased late model second hand car. Unfortunately it came with only one ignition key. Called my local Holden dealer to get a duplicate. The cost $380 for an item which would have only cost a couple of dollars to produce and distribute.
Recently moved to a new residence, where the phone lines are so old they wonโt support an internet service. Therefore our only option was wireless.
Now in our old house, where the internet service was connected to the land line our total monthly phone and internet bill was $65, which included 8 gigs of data and free calls to all landlines including STS calls. However here for the same amount of calls and data the cost is twice is much.
on โ29-01-2014 09:06 AM
@tall_bearded wrote:"of course it starts the car lol"
No it doesn't. The key has a chip in it. When the key is placed into the ignition switch the chip disengages the immobiliser. Therefore unless the key has a chip with has been programmed to the correct frequency it will not start the car.
Also capitalism only works where Governments force business to compete and penalise them when they donโt.
The car key is a perfect example. There is no way $380 could be justified on any other basis but, โyou need it because your car is useless without it, so I can charge pretty much as much as I wantโ. Now a locksmith could produce the same item for less than $50, whilst still leaving a healthy profit margin. However because the car company charges so much, they follow suit. That is, reduce the already significantly inflated cost by a few dollars and call it competition. The solution, if the product being sold falls within the definition of โa necessary itemโ then the profit margin is a regulated, with mandatory fines for those caught charging in excess of the regulated amount.
The phone bill is even easier to implement. All that is required is a small change to the existing legation to the effect that, if a company supplies item or service which fall within the definition of โnecessaryโ then all customers are entitled to the same product and/or at the same price. That is if Telstra has a plan which provides free calls and a given amount of gigs of data to landline customers at a fixed price, then the same product at the same price, must be made available to those customers, who because of the lack of infrastructure, are forced to use wireless.
Telstra only have to provide a phone service under the universal service agreement. The NBN would have solved the bad line problems. It's because of the "last mile" issues the previus govt decided to go fibre all the way.
on โ29-01-2014 09:16 AM
If you read my posts you would find that I said a locksmith can produce the key, however the key is useless without the chip.
Also can you provide name of the locksmith you used because the lowest quote we have obtained to date is $150 and that is for the key only. That is if we want to do more than just open the doors it needs to programmed, and if its programmed its $40 more, with the only justification received to date being "if you donโt like it go to Holden and pay more".
As for the NBN, you will find that those opposed to it have one thing in common. They already have landline broadband access. As for the rest of us itโs a case of โBlow you Jack, Iโm all rightโ.
on โ29-01-2014 09:22 AM
did you miss the part where I said the locksmith came out to my car and coded/programed the new key?
on โ29-01-2014 09:22 AM
on โ29-01-2014 09:29 AM
@tall_bearded wrote:
As for the NBN, you will find that those opposed to it have one thing in common. They already have landline broadband access. As for the rest of us itโs a case of โBlow you Jack, Iโm all rightโ.
Topped by a govt who thinks the internet is a passing fad
on โ29-01-2014 09:33 AM
โTelstra only have to provide a phone service under the universal service agreement. The NBN would have solved the bad line problems. It's because of the "last mile" issues the previus govt decided to go fibre all the wayโ
And herein is the problem.
The agreement is simply outdated. That is itโs a long time since the prime function was to provide a phone service. These days itโs all about data, and as such, unless the agreement is amended to reflect this fact, then unless you regulate to cap he cost of wireless, there simply is no incentive to upgrade the copper to fibre.
on โ29-01-2014 09:41 AM
@tall_bearded wrote:โTelstra only have to provide a phone service under the universal service agreement. The NBN would have solved the bad line problems. It's because of the "last mile" issues the previus govt decided to go fibre all the wayโ
And herein is the problem.
The agreement is simply outdated. That is itโs a long time since the prime function was to provide a phone service. These days itโs all about data, and as such, unless the agreement is amended to reflect this fact, then unless you regulate to cap he cost of wireless, there simply is no incentive to upgrade the copper to fibre.
At least the previous govt did something about it. It's just a shame we now have a govt determined to erase everything.
They're still calling it NBN but have demolished it anyway it to make it fail.
on โ29-01-2014 09:51 AM
โdid you miss the part where I said the locksmith came out to my car and coded/programed the new keyโ
No. I didnโt
Quotes from my previous posts
โ Now a locksmith could produce the same item for less than $50, whilst still leaving a healthy profit marginโ This is in the context what I was looking for, a replacement key, which by inferance means one which will perform all the fuctions of the original
coupled wirh
โNo it doesn't. The key has a chip in it. When the key is placed into the ignition switch the chip disengages the immobiliser. Therefore unless the key has a chip with has been programmed to the correct frequency it will not start the car.โ
And
If you read my posts you would find that I said a locksmith can produce the key, however the key is useless without the chip.
and
Also can you provide name of the locksmith you used because the lowest quote we have obtained to date is $150 and that is for the key only. That is if we want to do more than just open the doors it needs to programmed, and if its programmed its $40 more, with the only justification received to date being "if you donโt like it go to Holden and pay more".
That is yes you can buy a key. Yes you can get it programed and if programmed it will start your car. But that is not the point behind my posts. The point is if you reduced the price to the cost of the components cost and manufacture (including the cost of programming) the total cost would be a dollar or two. Yet the lowest quote I received to date is $150 for the key and $40 to have it programmed.
Now put all of the above into the context of this thread โ Price gouging.
on โ29-01-2014 09:52 AM
@twinkles**stars wrote:did you miss the part where I said the locksmith came out to my car and coded/programed the new key?
It would depend on model and age of car
on โ29-01-2014 09:57 AM
@tall_bearded wrote:โTelstra only have to provide a phone service under the universal service agreement. The NBN would have solved the bad line problems. It's because of the "last mile" issues the previus govt decided to go fibre all the wayโ
And herein is the problem.
The agreement is simply outdated. That is itโs a long time since the prime function was to provide a phone service. These days itโs all about data, and as such, unless the agreement is amended to reflect this fact, then unless you regulate to cap he cost of wireless, there simply is no incentive to upgrade the copper to fibre.
Only a ph service is deemed as necasary, Data is a want and its up to the individual to sourse it the best way posible.
As for price gouging it happens every day on every product and service, it called "charge what the market can support", its the Australian way to rip everyone they can off it starts with taxes at the top and works its way down the food chain.