"Spammy Sammy" wrote in message
news:1121005446.252456@teuthos...

"Peter Webb" wrote in message
u...
1. The $AUD has just come off a 10 year maximum against the pound.

I didn't know it was a *high* but I'll take your word for it.

2. It doesn't matter what the exchange rate is.

Of course it does. If coming/going to another country seemingly small
fluctuations in the exchange rate make a sometimes hefty difference to
your
purchasing power.

Doesn't make
any difference if you buy them in pounds corresponding to some US$, or
convert pounds to $AUD corresponding to the same US$. It will be the same
cost in pounds.

Untrue. You can currently buy a 3315 (not the snazziest phone but it's
still
a phone) for around $50. At the current exchange rate that's approx £20 I
believe. Is there an equal model similarly priced in the UK at present?


Gee, I don't know, you are the person claiming that phones are cheaper in
Australia than in the UK due to the "exchange rate being in your favour".
Would be helpful if you picked an example where you actually knew the price
in the UK.


On
the other side of the coin you can get a 3220 from Orange for £49.99 I
think
whereas here the cheapest PAYG 3220 is $250. The costs do not appear the
same to me, even if converted back to US$


So a phone which costs £49.99 ($US 100) in the UK costs $AUD250 ($US 200) in
Australia. Doesn't this directly contradict your arguemnt, that "the
exchange rate is in your favour" and so phones would be cheaper in
Australia?

And if this were the case, why wouldn't phone retailers simply buy phones in
bulk in the UK and import them?



The statement "the exchange rate will be in your favour" is
completely meaningless when talking about tradeable currencies (ie all
Western currencies including the pound and the $AUD). What does "in your
favour" even supposed to mean? How do you determine if its "in your
favour",
and how does that make tradable manufactured goods cheaper to buy?

Sorry - utter ********. Some goods work out as being the same cost when
sold
in diferent countries and their currencies are compared. Also one has to
factor in shipping costs. Some goods, however, work out cheaper to buy
overseas as when the shipping cost is factored in, the price is still
lower
than that available in ones home country.



OK, so how do you work out if the "exchange rate is in your favour". What
does this mean? For what currencies are the exchange rate in your favour?
Hpw do you determine this? I am really, really trying to work out if this
statement is completely meaningless as it appears to me to be.
If you

don't want to look a bit of an idiot, you might stop using the phrase
"exchange rate in your favour" in future.

I don't think I am the idiot here. I don't think I'm as rude either.


OK, just defining this "exchange rate in your favour" would be a start to
showing you are not an idiot. Then demonstrating that mobile phones are
cheaper in Australia as you originally claimed, not more expensive as seem
to be stating now would be a good follow-up.



3. Of all the things to buy overseas, a mobile phone looks one of the
stupidest. You get the best prices if you buy a handset "locked" to a
local
operator (telco), but such a handset is useless outside of Australia. One
of
the very few items that you can buy in Australia that you can be
guaranteed
will not work anywhere else in the world (a cheap and hence locked mobile
phone).

Please explain. Handsets can be unlocked, and phones in Aus use the same
frequencies as in the UK. I use a 3220 that I brought with me from the UK,
along with my 3330 and a ratty old 5110 (although I'm not sure how this
last
one ended up coming along for the ride).

The only issue may be if the item becomes faulty whilst under guarantee as
it'd be a bit of a pain sending it back I think.


Legally, locked handsets (locked to a carrier) can only be unlocked by the
carrier, though as other point out for those with a bit of technical savvy
who don't mind breaking the law there are ways around this.

Other than that, please keep up your useful, well thought through and
informed posts.

Hmm.