FS2002 Price Difference-US-UK

[Fracair]

Why is it that these prices are much the same in pounds as it is in dollars, when we know that the pound is stronger than the dollar. Yet anouther scam to rip us off here in Britain.
Professional Edition
US $69.99
Europe UK£64.99
Standard Edition
US $44.99
Europe UK£49.99

It's not right that Microsoft should rip us off in this way and that current market exchange rates should be set so that the cost is identical in which ever cuntry you are in. I would be interested in any comments

[Simon Evans]

...So buy it over the net in the States and pay the extra 3 dollars for UK shipping....

...Isn't that what the `net is for..?


Simon Evans

[pacallen]

VAT... at 18 or something percent, that's the prob! I used to live in England and I went there this summer. It is not just MS games that seem like pounds=dollars. It's burgers at burger king (I was actually surprised to see Burger King there), almost a pound for a litre of gas when it is about 1.50 dollars for a gallon which is about 5 times (is that right) the size of a litre, and stuff like that.

But the people in Britain are cooler :)

--Peter Allen

[alastairmonk]

Yes, there is a price differential in the UK - just check out the costs of computers and accessories, you'll find that they're far cheaper in the US than the UK.

Buying online can be cheaper, but not always so, once the delivery and excise charges are added, the latter frequently adding some 25% to the costs. However, if the US prices are significantly lower, you can still save money.

Its even more noticeable at present, as the pound:dollar ratio has been steadily reducing for months. A couple of years ago you could reckon on pound:dollar = 1:1.6-1.7, however recently the differential has, at times, dropped to 1:1.4, making imports much more expensive.

Alastair

[Simon Evans]

I guess buying from Europe in Euros is going to be the next best bet to having a friend make the purchase for you while in the `States...

Under EU rules VAT only need to be paid once - so choose the country with the lowest price-plus-VAT cost. Shipping is usually cheaper and more efficient from Europe than from a shop five miles down the road in the UK.

What's the cheapest EU country for hardware/software..?


Simon Evans

[Marshall]

go blame your government. your vat and import controls aren't giving you a fair price.


(but don't complain too loudly, with all those cameras over there...)

[CanuckInUSA]

LOL ...

Yup the people in Britain are cooler (thanks to the cooler weather in the UK).

:)

[helo_av8or]

Well, if England had the worlds largest software company, wouldn't you guys try to cheat us? Then we'd have to have another revolution and everything would get out of hand again, and we'd make a new declaration of independance relating to the inalienable rights of man to have cheap software, and then it would be the Fourth of July all over again... ;)

Sorry, just feeling extremely patriotic today. I like British people, especially those guys from Monty Python...

[Ihor]

I don't think you should blame Microsoft.
I've worked for a couple of software resellers in the past and we'd export software all over the world for this reason.
Say you have a business, You'd buy one copy locally at inflated prices and 19 others from the U.S. That way you always got support from the software manufacturer using the serial number from the local product. It didn't matter whether it was a $19 program or a $2,500 Autocad. It was business and even though the software manufacturers didn't like it. No laws are being broken. So always buy your software from th U.S. and have them use DHL to ship it. It's take 2 or 3 days.

18% VAT is stealing. Whos's in charge there? King John?

I'll be over in June, what can I bring you?
Levi's ? (can't get them at Tesco anymore, price fixing)
Lemme know

Ihor
KBUR

[Ihor]

Hmmm
Check the Weather in EGCC and KBUR
(hometown & current residence respectively)
You'll find Manchester is warmer.
I had to find my jumpers these past few mornings

[jwenting]

Germany has very cheap hardware, but it often comes with German manuals only. Could be a problem if you don't know that language.

Don't buy software or keyboards in Germany, they're language specific (usually).

Software is relatively cheap in the Netherlands compared to the UK (but more expensive than the US or Germany).
For your flightsim needs, take a look at http://www.lhshop.nl
Great shop, nice prices. Also stock huge amounts of models and pilot supplies.

[jwenting]

18% VAT is nothing really... We're having 19.5% across the channel and still our prices are a bit lower on many items.
Their prices are higher, and getting higher all the time.
I used to take a trip to London once a year to get books and CDs because they were some 15% cheaper 10 years ago. Now Brits go to the continent to do the same...

[ALO]

Hi,
I got my copy of FS2002 Pro from GB.buy.com cost me £47, that
included postage, packing and next working day delivery here in the UK, Quite a deal i think.
Alo

[Captain_Slarty]

Hello oh Fresnel user..

the UK/US thing is not really a great concern.

to import, you need to add VAT @17.5% and often import duty.

also, its relative to earnings :-)

Since most yanks earn LESS than most of us in the uk.. when you take disposable income and outgoings into context.. its fair really.. :-lol

there is a major price break between average earnings, but when you look at the realistic disposable income, it becomes blurred.. the main problem is the damned yanks pay far less for their property, its also in bigger grounds, bigger country 'spose.. :-roll

the other mans grass n all that...

but, the great global market is superb, providing you are aware of the costs incurred.

Caveat Emptor - but I WANT more land :-lol

http://www.captainslarty.com/images/737/slarty2.jpg

[Vike]

>(I was actually surprised to
>see Burger King there),

You'll be even more surprised to know that Burger King is owned by a British company then!

Adam

[mdklatt]

LAST EDITED ON Feb-04-02 AT 04:19PM (EDT)[p]Do you think maybe it costs more for Microsoft to sell it there? Shipping fees, import taxes, etc, will increase the price. Besides, doesn't the UK price include the VAT? The prices you see listed in the US do not include tax, which averages about 7% depending on where you live. That's still a lot lower than European taxes, but you have to pay for a welfare state somehow.

Besides, why should the market-adjusted price be the same in every country? Companies will charge what the market will bear. Obviously, enough Britons are willing to pay that price or it would go on sale.