What happens when Suzuki over fill your battery cells?

[murcod]

It's a well known fact that we get "ripped off" on everything here- it's even commonly known as the "Australia Tax". The current exchange rate is US$1 = AUS$0.94.

I've bought tyres from TireRack numerous times because it's cheaper to import (even paying US$300 for freight and a tyre shop here to fit them!)

Comparing prices at international stores like IKEA we pay a lot more too. None of the companies will come clean on why- or have lame excuses.....

[KuroNekko]

Is it the same for Australian-made products? When I lived in Australia for a year when I was a kid, I recall all kinds of things being "Made in Australia".

[Wonson92]

A big factor in the price difference I believe is simply cost of living.

American minimum wage is approx $280 per week (correct me if thats wrong?) Australian minimum wage is $645 - both before tax. Given recent fluctuations in both directions lets call the dollar ever. With an iphone as an example, we pay 33% more in Australia for the exact same product (after 10% tax inc on both) but we're earning more than 50% more at minimum wage (which is a win in our direction in the end) so I guess its just companies 'taking us for what we're worth' to keep it fair internationally. US also has a much larger population for a company to market to. Thats how I justify it atleast

[murcod]

You'd have to look at average or median wages IMHO to get a better idea. It still leaves the question of exactly where the extra profits on the imported goods are going?

PS: You also have to ask how it's cheaper to buy Australian made vehicles in the USA than here!?

The Capri (back in the 1990's) was exported to the USA from here and was cheaper!

A more recent example was the Pontiac GTO (ie. Holden Monaro/ HSV Coupe). It was sold with the HSV spec 6.0l engine for half the price of the local Monaro (with it's lower spec 5.7l engine.)

The specs are hard to match up (wheel diameter, features etc) but here are some links:
http://www.cars.com/pontiac/gto/2006/st ... equipment/ 2006 Ponitac GTO US$31290
http://www.redbook.com.au/cars/research ... x=1&eapi=2 2005 Monaro CV8 Z AUS$60500
http://www.redbook.com.au/cars/research ... x=0&eapi=2 2005 HSV GTO AUS$78990

[Wonson92]

Interesting thought with medians, everything i've read has only mentioned minimums? Either theres a reason behind it or they're just trying to hide more realistic figures.

My searching came up with Australian median yearly: $76128 (Bureau of Statistics, May 13 2013)
American median yearly: $40,352 (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Second quarter 2013)
47% Difference which still covers the 33% pricing difference on the iPhone.

Where the hell do I sign for a $30,000 brand new Monaro! Ill take the ugly version, im not fussy!

P.S I in no way support the price differences, Im a huge fan of importing We all know we get no extra for the extra we pay. Definitely makes no sense in the Aus made products sold for less over seas? Could possibly be like the Holden Cruze (now Aussie made) vs the Chevy Cruze (Thai/China/Vietnam made like previous models in Australia)?

Anyway, irrelevant to batteries now!

[murcod]

My searching came up with Australian median yearly: $76128 (Bureau of Statistics, May 13 2013)

I must live in a different Australia. Surely that's not correct- half the population earn $76128 per year?

Just checked the ABS site http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/[email protected] ... num=&view= and the "All employees average weekly total earnings" is $1 105.20. Times that by 52 and that gives $57470.40. That's more along the lines of what I thought I'd heard previously, but is average and not median.

Totally off topic, but interesting....
Perhaps the other figure is total household income?

Here's some other info:

What is the typical Australian worker’s wages?

Among full-time workers, the average wage is $72 800 per year. But remember – the average (ie. the mean) gives a misleading impression about what the typical worker earns. It is pushed upwards by the large salaries of a small number of very high income earners.

The median gives a more accurate sense of the typical worker’s wages. If you earn the median salary, your wage is in the middle of the distribution – it’s higher than 50% of workers and lower than the other 50%. Among full-time workers, the median was $57 400 in August 2011, which is the most recent figure.

Even this figure, though, is a little higher than the typical worker’s wage. That’s because it doesn’t include the 3.5 million people who work part time. When you bring them into the fold, the average wage drops to $56 300, and the median drops to $46 900.

from : http://mattcowgill.wordpress.com/2013/0 ... e-in-2013/

[Wonson92]

I found a lot of conflicting information on ABS just then but I worked out its just difference between referencing. The figures I was looking at were for full time adults however, mean matches median?? Doesnt make a lot of sense

[murcod]

Yes, it seems all "medians" and "averages" are not calculated the same! Typical.

[Ronzuki]

Murcod, your thread has served as a reminder that I wanted to get a new battery before winter. I ordered the Optima Red online and picked it up at my local advanced auto. $151.99 plus tax. I'm curious, wasn't there a plastic tray under the OE battery to catch the battery leakage? I just swapped my OE Delkor maint.-free battery out and it was sitting in a plastic tray on top of the steel tray support that you show. I was surprised (I suppose I shouldn't have been) to see that the Optima Red 35 I purchased was made in Mexico. What's the origin of the one you had purchased? A yellow top I had purchased many years ago wasn't made in Mexico.

[murcod]

Hi Ron. Yes, there is a tray underneath the battery. The problem was that when I first noticed the acid issue (from slight damage to the paintwork on the underside of the bonnet) I did the normal thing- neutralise it with bicarb soda and water. I did that to all the areas that I could see acid damage on and then rinsed everything thoroughly.

That caused the tray to fill/ over flow with water- which I didn't think much of at the time. My guess is there was apparently a large amount of acid also sitting in the tray, which overflowed and wasn't neutralised..... That's the best explanation I can come up with.

Yes, I also have a Mexican under my bonnet. Interesting that you had a maintenance free battery from the factory.