european appliances...rip off prices

has anyone looked at the price of European whitegoods, ovens etc compared to the same products overseas?

talk about a rip off! we are paying in Australia approximately double that of the UK. Freight costs are but a small part of the total price.

I think the problem is that too many Aussie consumers are prepared to cop it, and the big premium manufacturers (eg Miele, Asko, Neff etc) all fix their prices and do not allow any discounting. This may be against the spirit of the law but they get around this because all the stock in the retail stores is actually owned by them, which gives them the right to set prices.

And they all do it so in effect there is no real price competition.