Dear Gerry Harvey,

There’s lots of debate following your whinging and whining about the lack of GST on overseas purchases made online. In my post at The Gadget Grill I included a few hard examples of why, Gerry, you are so far off the planet that I think you may be mistaken for Pluto.

Here’s another example that I forget to mention; but I figured that I may as well present it here, just for shits and giggles.

At my office, we needed to buy a brand new computer. An iMac, in fact. I believe that you sell these. So too does Apple.

The date upon which we decided to make the purchase was December 23, 2010. Yep, two days before Christmas. Less, in fact: the decision was taken around 11 am.

At this point I had a couple of options.

I could have, for instance, wandered into a local Westfield. This is never a pleasant experience; Westfields are amongst the unfriendliest (to prospective customers) places on the face of this planet.

But we’re talking Dec 23; a day and a half before Christmas! What are the chances of me getting in to a Westfield, finding somewhere to park my car, then navigating my through the hordes of Christmas shoppers to get into one of your stores.

Then I’d need to find someone in your store willing and able to serve me; that is always a challenge. Then they’d need to find the stock; fetch the stock. bring it to the front, where I can then enjoy the experience of waiting in line for one of your cashiers to process the sale. How long would the line be? We’re talking less than two days before Christmas, so I’d be willing to say “very”.

Finally, I’d have my iMac, paid for, in my hands, and I just need to find my way back to the car – never helped through Westfield’s poor designs – and then wait my turn to exit the parking lot.

How long am I bid for this experience? All up, I reckon there’d be little change from two hours here.

And, quite frankly, Gerry, I think I have better things to do with my time.

Consider the alternative: I logged on to Apple’s website. I note that they have both a retail store presence as well as an extensive online shop here in Oz, but I don’t see them among your whingers and whiners. Why isn’t Steve Jobs crying poor, along with you?

Oh yes, he has an online store. One that provides me, the customer, with a level of service that respects me, and my time and resources.

So, at about 11:30, I logged onto the Apple website, and ordered the computer that I needed. Ordered some extra software, too. (What’s your stock of third party Apple software like, Gerry? )

Completed the order; paid for it all; the whole task was completed in less than five minutes.

Without having to fight traffic.

Without having to wait for a cashier.

Without having to try to find a parking spot.

Now remember that this exercise started on December 23; peak shopping time. having ordered the computer, I then settled in to wait for delivery. Later that afternoon we received an advice telling us that the product had already shipped, and by lunchtime on December 24; a mere 24 hours after placing the order, it was delivered! Is that a level of service that you can offer, Gerry? No, I didn’t think so, either.

Now, dear Gerry Harvey, you can bleat and whinge and moan all you like about what you’re calling the lack of a level playing field, but you know what? I don’t see it.

Rather, I see a dinosaur, struggling for oxygen, and quite frankly, you are just making yourself look like a bloody idiot.

I think that it’s best that you stop your whinging, and just fix your bloody business, because it’s your business that’s broken.