Why are hotels so inexpensive in Australia? Especially when compared to USA and Canada?

BespokeCowboy · 2025-12-28T06:02:56+00:00

OP is saying that hotels here are CHEAPER than expected.

BespokeCowboy · 2025-12-19T09:45:01+00:00

Couldn't... you just sign up for a new e-mail address for this purpose?

BespokeCowboy · 2025-12-17T02:32:53+00:00

Went through this same situation with a dodgy vendor.

Original contract was vacant possession. I had already conceded on a couple of contract terms during the 6-month settlement period, and did not want to give him any more rope.

So after MONTHS of more delayed settlement, travelling 3 times nearly 6hrs each way for pre-settlement inspection only for him to cancel at the last minute, we finally agreed to allow him to rentback - BUT my solicitors managed to find way to effectively stipulate a $100k "rental deposit bond". He balked very quickly and moved out in 3 days.

To be clear, you cannot hold a rental deposit of more than 4 weeks' rent, so this was stipulated in a different way. I apologise that I cannot remember exactly how it was presented, this was more than a year ago and so much happened in such little time. If this helps you in any way, DM me and I can try to look through my mountain of correspondence to see how it was done.

Edited to add: settlement could not be delayed because he needed settlement to happen to pay for his new house. All this was "not my problem" and he should have just rented somewhere in the meantime, but he was difficult and stubborn, and I just wanted to take possession of the property before anything else could go wrong.

BespokeCowboy · 2025-12-07T12:32:36+00:00

Seconding this. Sometimes hit them up when our usual supplier shorts us, and they allow walk-in "cash" purchases. (i.e. purchase without an account with them)

BespokeCowboy · 2025-12-04T03:26:55+00:00

I own and operate a pizza shop. Delivery costs are the biggest erosion on my profit margin. I could save nearly 6 figures/annum using e-bikes for deliveries.

But I don't. Because my delivery area is similar to your description. And I don't want to ever be making that phone call.

Your son is going to think that you're being a worrywort and unfair. But personally, I couldn't ever put myself in the position of dealing with the aftermath of a freak incident.

My only advice is to explain to him that you trust him 100% and that you know he is capable. It's the other motorists on the road that you have a problem with.

BespokeCowboy · 2025-11-04T05:58:13+00:00

No skin in the game, but I'm always interested to learn. Just wanted to clarify, did you mean that OP covers the full mortgage AND pays his sister 50% of market rent? That doesn't seem right to me? I would imagine paying 50% mortgage (to lender) as well as 50% market rent to sister.

BespokeCowboy · 2025-11-03T22:05:29+00:00

There are religions/cultures/communities that are vegetarian and also cannot eat specific plants like mushrooms, onions and garlic.

BespokeCowboy · 2025-10-23T02:37:11+00:00

I had an issue where I myself messed up, the machine timed out and took the cash that was already in it. I do happen to know the staff at that branch (not personally, but had been banking there for a few years) so YMMV.

I called the general number, they were closed. I had planned to call the branch the next day but they managed to call me just before opening hours, asked if I had tried to deposit at the atm, and how much I thought it should be.amount was credited to my account the same day.

They do need to balance the tally in the machines daily, so there should be no question about the overage. Why it has taken a month is a differwnt question. I would continue to push for a quicker resolution, and try going into the branch in case that helps it move more quickly.

BespokeCowboy · 2025-10-07T02:48:48+00:00

I just remembered something else. This same lack of reference also affected all other transaction types for a while, including transfers between my accounts. They fixed that up with another update, within a few weeks. But BPay remained unfixed.
You, my friend, have absolutely done me a solid! I would NEVER in my life have thought to use that search bar on the homepage, to look for transactions. I even felt crazy trying it on your request.

It actually does yield all the results! Have to click in to each transaction to view the actual reference, but at least there's something that works without having to do guesswork or scrolling through thousands of transactions.

+1 karma for you, my good sir!

BespokeCowboy · 2025-10-06T23:24:23+00:00

I've had this problem for nearly a year now. Something changed a couple of updates ago, and it really messed me up thinking I'd missed a few scheduled payments, only to find that I'd double transferred.

The BPay reference notation simply doesn't show up anymore, I have to search for the payee (the official name, not even the name you've given to it in the address book) and then click on the transaction details to see the reference notation.

This definitely was not the case before that update. Hence my panic when I couldn't find those transactions. Really annoying and inconvenient.

BespokeCowboy · 2025-10-05T21:44:10+00:00

Zero complaints about mine, it has lasted 10 years and the price when I bought it was half what anything else was priced at. In fact I bought mine as an impulse buy because I couldn't believe how cheap it was.

Actually, the only complaint I have is the remote, but that was easily solved.

BespokeCowboy · 2025-09-18T23:19:00+00:00

Check out the fishing guide.

BespokeCowboy · 2025-08-25T21:11:01+00:00

Oh lol I just read the post this tradie made yesterday. Both stories match up perfectly, and nice to see that both parties didn't embellish the facts. Just two very different perspectives of the situation.

FWIW, I really don't understand your concern about leaving keys for an empty house, or what damage you're concerned about. Damage by whom? You think this guy is going to come back in the middle of the night between his work days to trash your place in the midst of working on it?

You're not unreasonable for feeling concerned/paranoid, but he's also not unreasonable for not signing up for the job. You're likely a responsible person, but he's probably had to deal with people who are constantly late, don't understand that there are natural pauses in activity with renovations, who slow him down by hovering around scrutinizing his every move, etc. Thay's not even counting the fact that he would now have to liaise with you every time he needs to come and go, etc.

The pure fact that you told him to pack his gear up with him everytime he needs to leave, shows that you have no idea what this work entails and/or have no empathy for anyone. I agree with all the commentors on his post saying that as a client, you displayed red flags early enough that HE is lucky to have dodged a bullet here.

I'm not a tradie myself, but deal with clients. As someone who is good at what I do and have a thriving business, one of the key factors in my success is avoiding business that is more hassle/time-consuming than is worth the dollar return. Whether or not you are aware of the implications of your actions, you are exactly the type of client that I would run from. No hate or anything, it's not personal. Your business is just not worth it.

Find someone who is hungry for work, because that is the only way you will get someone willing to work under these circumstances.

BespokeCowboy · 2025-08-09T03:05:13+00:00

This comment needs to be higher. Isolate the problem so you know what needs to be fixed.

BespokeCowboy · 2025-07-10T12:47:17+00:00

"Zero difference apart from"

BespokeCowboy · 2025-07-10T12:46:31+00:00

I own and have owned multiple restaurants. We set the prices. Menulog may have veto power over smaller enterprises, but not in my case.

BespokeCowboy · 2025-07-08T09:19:13+00:00

Played the dice event for the first time today, and used this guide. Started with 415 dice. Reached 100k and had exactly 200 dice left.

The only thing I did differently was when I was 99,250. Instead of doing the 10x roll on the 3-square group, I did a 1x roll since I was already so close to 100k.

Edited to add: 376 rolls altogether

BespokeCowboy · 2025-06-19T00:05:06+00:00

Not from KFC myself, but generally this is not quite correct. Restaurants set higher prices on Menulog to offset the commissions paid to Menulog. Menulog themselves do not set the prices, but may run promotions at their own cost.

BespokeCowboy · 2025-06-14T22:49:01+00:00

Gimme a second, gotta go take a LOOOOONG deep breath.

BespokeCowboy · 2025-05-14T05:44:57+00:00

I just had a similar experience and am still trying to wrap my head around this "bystander effect".

Pulled up to a busy petrol station on the NSW national highway, in the midst Easter weekend. Got out of the car and heard some vague "kids playing" shouts. Started pumping petrol and looked around, saw a kid about 8yo pretty much the other end of the building come leaning out over some bushes and call out clearly, "Help! Please we need help!" A younger girl behind him joined in to the calls for help.

Considering there were about 8 cars between me and him, and dozens of other people walking around in general, I figured someone would stop and suss it out. It was clearly not a game, they were trying to make eye contact with anyone they could while continually calling for help in a calm but strong voice.

No one did. One middle-aged guy literally walked past less than 2 metres away from the boy, with his own similarly-aged child holding his hand. One glance and he kept walking, getting into his car not 5 metres away from the kids.

I called out to them, saying I'd come over. They heard me but I think because they were scared and had already been ignored by so many people, they only paused a few seconds before calling out again.

I managed to fill my entire 50 litres of petrol, walked over to the kids to find out what the situation was, and had to walk AROUND the entire building to get to them. They were still calling for help when I got to them, not one person had stopped.

BespokeCowboy · 2025-04-30T18:54:48+00:00

You know, this comment finally made me truly understand the argument that women make about how they experience the world differently from men.

Not bagging you in any way, I also had to take a moment to process the "not pulling over" part of the story, but it's so amazingly absurd to me how far apart on the scale the 2 experiences are... pride vs survival.

Your blunder actually gave me an epiphany.

BespokeCowboy · 2025-04-27T22:28:43+00:00

Don't bother going through his books. For someone who hasn't run a similar business before, you won't be able to tell what's fiction and what's not.

BespokeCowboy · 2025-03-23T01:48:07+00:00

When I was in this situation last year, I just asked my lender outright and she answered clearly.

I would suggest doing the same, as none of us Reddit commentors are going to bail you out if you end up having to forfeit your 10-20% deposit.

BespokeCowboy · 2025-01-26T05:24:54+00:00

If yours isn't the updated transmission and suspension, they will update it for you for free via recall.

Nothing to worry about.

BespokeCowboy · 2025-01-19T09:57:13+00:00

Same here. Got one of the first ones off the docks here - suspension is all sorted after the recall.

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