Re: [CH] Semi Spam
Graham Fussell (fuss@aussiehot-headz.com.au)
Fri, 15 Oct 1999 08:46:28 +0800
Hi Luke,
It was not our intention to "spam" - but rather an honest effort to advise
OZ members of a local source of supply. Many of our customers have
erstwhile purchased their products from the US (as we have also) and find
this a very expensive exercise. Isn't this what the list is all about -
sharing information, helping, supporting - and advising of sources of
products and services?
We've been lurking members of the list for over a year now, and have
benefited greatly from its content. We love the information, personalities
and humour of its members. Our personal chile garden is all the better for
information shared. We've tried some great recipes, our knowledge of chiles
has expanded, and we've accessed, and in some instances, done business with
commercial sites the list has directed us to.
Most people who haven't been in business have little knowledge of the costs
of
setting up an operation such as ours. Before beginning, we spent months and
a
great deal of expense on research and feasibility. There are also many
government regulations involved. Unfortunately, comments based on lack of
information
can be misleading to the readers and potentially damaging to us.
Your comments on Cholula was particularly incorrect. If you can buy it at
such a low price - Great! But we cannot BUY from our US suppliers for
anywhere near the price you suggest we SELL it for. As you are well aware,
this industry is in its infancy in Australia - as we grow and our volume
increases, so will our buying power improve, and we will be better able to
offer products at more comparable prices. FWIW, our markup on imported
sauces is lower than normally accepted markup margins, in order to price
realistically. Regardless of the price goods sell for elsewhere, the
reality is that by the time they reach our shelves, there are considerable
costs over and above the price of the item. As one current example - we've
just received a bill for $500 from AGAL (Aust. Govt. Analytical
Laboratories) for sample testing on the 50lbs of Dave's burning nuts we
brought in. This cost will be incurred on each of the first 5 shipments and
then random 1 in 5 after that. This is just one of the many costly random
tests that occur with each shipment. Then there's freight and overheads to
consider. Sure - travellers can buy cheaper in the US - but it's not
exactly the price of local postage, or a car or bus ride to a local shop .
Individuals may also purchase via overseas mail order, and in most cases
avoid government intervention. However, as a bone fide business, we must
comply with all Government regulations. We don't have a problem with this,
for it is reassuring to know that our government is diligent in avoiding
imported 'nasties'.
Owner-operator, Gray is currently in flight on his way to the Florida Fiery
Foods Show . Part of that objective is to talk with manufacturers and
suppliers in the hope of improving our buying power. If successful, this
will reflect in consumer prices.
Also FWIW, we have now tried three different shipping companies, and still
can't get our products shipped under 6-8 weeks. We also air-freighted one
shipment - big financial mistake! If you or others can guide us to a
better method, we'd be pleased to hear.
Bev Fussell (Director)
mailto:fuss@aussiehot-headz.com.au
http://www.aussiehot-headz.com.au
----- Original Message -----
From: luke speer <lukasz@midcoast.com.au>
To: Chile Heads <chile-heads@globalgarden.com>;
<fuss@aussiehot-headz.com.au>
Sent: Tuesday, October 12, 1999 10:27 PM
Subject: [CH] Semi Spam
> If I was trying to spam as this poster "was"..
> I would have used a Bot and and at least had the decency to strip the
> Ozzie members from the list..
> FWIW
> I Visited the site/
> Suggestions are to find a new "importer-or-source" for Cholula sauce as
> I saw a 69c US$ tag on a bottle in Orlando FL (IHOP) (I was the End
> User) last year.. This should make it worth AUD "No More" than "$3.50",
> allowing for freight and a fair margin of profit..
> I won't tell the list what the price it was offered at this site
> was..(I'd be too embarrassed)
>
> FWIW: Fed Ex ships my brother @$3.00 US per kilogram sent friday PM from
> Newport Beach CAL -thru Asia Cleared thru customs and delivered to his
> offices SYDNEY Tuesday AM- between 35-70 Kg weekly..
> It could be a hellova lota bottles of Sauce..@ 15% import duty ??
>
> Luke in Oz
>
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