More about rip-offs
August13
A couple of economists have written a piece in the NZ Herald about rip-offs. It’s an interesting read:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10665062
The Herald is also preparing another big read on the subject – to be published sometime soon.
Just adding a comment emailed to me by Mike B. (Who can’t post from work, but wants to)
I’ve lived in Aotearoa for 23 years. I go back to the US to visit, and buy clothes. I have never bought any new clothing here (in 23 years!) and I won’t. Not shoes, not shirts, not retail anything. I won’t reward kiwi greed.
I go to Thailand for dental work that’s not only 1/3 the price, but done to a better standard, far more gentle, and state-of-the-art, unlike the bad work I’ve paid thru the nose to have done here.
I wont have a mobile phone here, either, and I resent what I pay for landline and- um, ‘broadband’ which isn’t broadband at all.
Yet, it’s only the everyday items which everyone needs that are exhorbitantly over priced. Home Theatre and HDTV are cheaper at The Warehouse than at Wal Mart when the exchange is taken into account.
Unfortunately we all need toilet paper and shampoo and paper towels and capsicum and mince and chicken and- all of which are insanely expensive compared to overseas.
What worries me is that, with everything so overpriced, why are none of us making the same kind of income as the same job overseas would command? Where IS all that money in-between going???