Harvey Normans Direct Imports (Games)

"Harvey Norman peddles GST-free computer games"

This is the website.

http://www.harveynormandirectimport.com/

 

Don't sell PC games yet

 

Yeah coming soon.

 

Couple of very cheap titles. Deus Ex & Red Dead Redemption are cheaper from HN (Deus Ex & Red Dead) than from Play Asia (Deus Ex & Red Dead)!

 

I still won't buy them from there

 

Hope it fails, really dislike that organisation.

 

I wont buy anything there just to save a couple of bucks.

How long until this gets a ad story on TT/ACA?

 

If they're importing the games and stocking them in Aus, I'll consider buying from them. If it's just like buying from other UK sites and waiting a week or more, they're not getting any of my money.

EDIT: Looks like they're sending it from Ireland when ordered. LOL, good job...

 

I thought Harvey was always the one whining about people buying online and from overseas, killing the Australian economy blah blah blah.

 

‘Our Irish entity is the one that is making the offers to the customer and they will be invoicing the customer. Therefore the customer is direct-importing the game on their own behalf,’’ Mr McIntosh said.
^So.

 

This made me wonder. So I brought up news.com.au and it was the top story. Just as bad as TT/ACA imo.

 

Have to wonder if this is a ploy from HN to engender further scruitiny of the import market, to try and get all imports taxed. Would make sense really, given their previous position, and their extremely low prices. If the prices were above Play Asia, I'd assume that they were hedging their bets - either everything gets GST, or they increase sales (in part by killing the profitability of one of the sectors of their business).

But then, Harvey Norman are run on a franchise model, are they not? So they aren't necessarily undercutting the profitability of one of their sectors, but rather undercutting one of their franchisees sections.

 

I thought Harvery Norman themselves didn't sell anything. They just rent floor space to mini businesses that do all the peddling. That's why the different departments in a HN store are separate businesses. Different ABNs etc.

 

meh all console crap, and meh HN.

 

I assume they'll be able to sell games that are RC in Australia too.

 

Zing. Harvey is doing this as a childish way of 'proving' his idiotic point of view. It would seem like he is deliberately advertising the lack of GST and is laying bait for the government. Hopefully they see sense and don't take it - after all most of the population think Harvey is a colossal ass regarding his views about 'the intertubes'.

Either way, no way on earth would I buy anything from him or his stores. In fact I have recently seen an item cheaper at a store then realised it was a harvey norman ad in the paper and then changed my mind about buying it there.

 

So on the one hand we have customers demanding access to tax free and import duty free global pricing.
Gerry responds by taking the only legally available option to circumvent local laws and local copyright holder regional pricing.

Quote:
"The company had been contemplating the online initiative for 12 months.

The Australian Productivity Commission announcement that it would take another six months to investigate the GST threshold of online purchases had sped up the company's decision, Mr Harvey said.

''Why should an offshore retailer be able to evade duty, evade GST, evade even more importantly all the on costs retailers have, the biggest ones are wages, advertising and rent?,'' he said. ''We will be just the same as any of those companies overseas.''

Harvey attempts to stay relevant in market segments that are moving to on-line purchasing and some people whine about Gerry's whining.

 

LOL@Gerry...I had a mate managing the PC section in Orange(HN) and he told me not to buy anything from there as the mark up is stupid high.
I haven't bought anything from HN for about 10 years and I'm not starting again now.Leopards don't change their spots and Gerry is a dyed in the wool ripoff merchant. I'd like to know what his real agenda is here cos it sure as shit isn't about saving consumers money.

 

That is an issue true. Wonder if, seeing as he is an Australian entity if he is more or less likely to run afoul of this.

Whilst it is good that he is doing this in some ways, it is wrong as well. Delivery is super expensive and they are trying to make it seem like they are doing it because the GST makes them uncompetative which is misleading and wrong in the extreme. We do need more retailers to go this way, BUT they need to bring those prices/products into their brick and mortar stores. I would HAPPILY pay those prices + GST to force publishers/wholesalers to lower their prices locally.

Overall, not using it because Gerry keeps on harping on about GST and stuff making him poorer rather than the real reasons.

 

The whole point is the LACK of the bricks and mortar dude...