Buying Service (Victoria) | Good Shepherd Youth & Family Service

Providing greater buying power & lower prices on select household goods & appliances throughout Victoria.

** Please note The Buying Service relocated offices mid-February, 2010 and our contact details have changed. Our new telephone number is 03 9495 9655.

The Buying Service is a program within the Microfinance unit of Good Shepherd Youth and Family Service and is funded by the Department of Human Services. It was created in 1990 in response to the growing demand from community groups and people living on low incomes for consumer information and affordable household products.

It is our experience that essential household items are often too expensive for people living on low incomes to purchase. If a family of four cannot afford a washing machine, for example, they either rent one or use the laundrette. In the long term these alternatives can cost more than the washing machine itself as is demonstrated by the approximate figures below:

Product	Normal retail $	Renting $	Laundrette $ *
Simpson 6kg washing machine	$719	$830 (per year)	$1248 (per year)

As a consequence, the Good Shepherd Buying Service operates as a free statewide telephone service, which assists concession card holders and various non-profit community groups in both METROPOLITAN and REGIONAL areas to purchase household goods and select appliances at reasonable prices. This typically includes items, such as fridges, washing machines, TVs, furniture, beds, computers and other appliances.

Since its inception, the service has made an important contribution towards obtaining real savings for people on low incomes.

Individuals who have a current healthcare or a concession card, or who receive income support, are able to access the Buying Service free of charge, as are community organisations, including Credit Cooperatives, who provide services to members and foster social justice in their area.

Not for profit agencies and government agencies are also able to access the service. This includes the provision of support for the purchase of essential household items for residential units owned by the Department of Human Services, for example.

This service is NOT a retail outlet. It offers information and advice regarding the quality and reliability of products and most importantly, negotiates discounted prices using its established and committed network of traders.

When consumers receive a quote from the Buying Service, there is no obligation to buy. However, should a consumer agree with the price quoted through the service, an order can be placed and the purchase arranged.

1. The consumer decides on the product with the features that are most appropriate for their situation (see ‘Advice on choosing your item'). If advice on product quality is sought then information can be provided over the telephone. The Buying Service uses resources, such as those produced by Choice Magazine and Sustainability Victoria.

2. The consumer phones the Buying Service, quoting the brand name and model number for all items of interest, except computers. The information requirement for computers is slightly different as each retailer has its own model number. This means that while the service might have a brand name, it is difficult to get meaningful quotes on a specific product requested by a customer unless we are provided with the desired features, such as screen size, size of the memory (GB) and a price range etc.

3. The Buying Service will find the lowest possible price through product listings and prices from traders, or by personally contacting our known traders.

4. Once the lowest price is found, the consumer then makes the decision whether to proceed with the purchase or not. If the consumer decides to buy the product, an order is placed through the Buying Service and delivery is arranged. The consumer pays the trader on receipt of goods.

If some assistance is required to pay for items, please enquire further via the appropriate links for the No Interest Loan Scheme (NILS®), low interest StepUP loan, or Pathways loan in order to assess the loan most suited to your situation and your eligibility.

It is good to be informed of your options, or at least to know what questions to ask salespeople when you are choosing a suitable new washing machine or fridge, for example. The following attachments contain some advice on choosing various items.

The Buying Service yields benefits to multiple groups including government, community, business and people living on low incomes. For example, the government fulfils its obligations to create a fairer society; care providers maintain and improve their standard of care; traders increase sales and contribute towards social justice; and consumers gain greater access to resources and develop confidence as consumers.

Traders who are prepared to offer their best price to consumers of the Buying Service could enjoy higher sales as a result plus the satisfaction of helping families on low incomes to purchase quality products at affordable prices.

The Good Shepherd Buying Service is keen to continue to build its trading network in order to better cater for our customers’ changing needs and widening regional and metropolitan access. If you are a wholesaler/retailer in the area of white goods, furniture or electrical goods and are interested in being involved in contributing to your community through our traders’ network, we would be delighted to hear from you on 9495 9655.

Over the years, the Buying Service has built up strong and trusted relationships with its network of traders. This has allowed the service to obtain discounts generally above and beyond what is possible in a normal transaction. During the period 1990 to January 2008, the service brokered sales of $11,416,096 representing a saving of $2,614,207 for people living on low incomes. That represents an average saving of 18.63% off normal retail prices.

To help low income households in particular to reduce both their utility bills and their impact on climate change, Sustainability Victoria has introduced the Whitegoods Appliance Rebate program. As a part of this initiative, Sustainability Victoria is offering a $100 rebate on the purchase of washing machines with a minimum 3.5 star energy rating and 4 star water rating and refrigerators with a minimum 4 star energy rating on the old fridge rating system (2.5 star new system).

This rebate is only available to concession card holders who have applied for a No Interest Loan with a registered NILS^® Provider, Progress Loan or who purchase through the Good Shepherd Buying Service. The rebate will be available from 1 July 2010 to 30 June 2011.

For more Information, call the Buying Service or visit the Sustainability Victoria website through the following link: http://www.resourcesmart.vic.gov.au/for_households/rebates.html

For NILS® providers and other Community Organisations wishing to use the Buying Service on behalf of their clients, the Buying Service has a specific Quote Request Form available for downloading (see link below). The form can be filled out electronically and emailed, or alternatively printed, filled out by hand and faxed.

There are two simple steps involved for NILS® programs submitting requests for quotes. The first is for the initial quote request where we ask you to complete all fields listed under Step 1 before forwarding the form on to us (please ensure your client gives you the model number). When our traders come back to us with their quotes, we will send you details of the best quote and any relevant information. If your client accepts the quote and decides to purchase through the Buying Service, please complete Step 2 (leaving the original information in place for our reference) and re-send the form through (even if you have called us). We will use this information when we place the order for your client and ask the relevant trader to contact them to arrange payment and delivery.

Please fill out all details requested – the Buying Service treats all information submitted as confidential.

NILS® programs, government departments or community organisations that would like copies of the Buying Service brochure to distribute to their clients, can either contact the Service directly or fill out the attached form below and return it to us by fax or email .

Please note, while our brochure has been translated into a range of languages, these translations are currently under review. We recommend that you submit your request for the desired language/s and we will let you know if it is currently unavailable.

The Buying Service can be contacted Monday to Friday from 10am to 3pm.
Telephone 03 9495 9655, fax 03 9495 9699 or email buyingservice@goodshepvic.org.au