" I contacted Sony and they tell to me they don’t allow European customer to buy any more with dollars on their webstore."

I don't get this. So you are European - presumably get paid in euros...use euros in your daily life...yet you somehow think that because your currency is super high compared with everywhere else in the world - you want to pay in US dollars?

I didn't catch any breaks when my Canadian buck was like 58 cents against the US buck. Should I have asked Sony if they would consider letting me pay $99.95 for an upgrade but pay exactly $99.95 Canadian?



VP

Man is this a special monday only "offer" or what ? What's the plan behind this: trying to compensate the low dollar prices by increasing the Euro prices or do they want to limit their products to USA-only?

They should spend time and effort promoting their products to a wider audience in Europe and get advance of the low dollarprice instead..

As European it's Good to know you can always shop elsewhere....

It's not just Sony. You can buy the CS3 in $ (USD)for the same number (more or less) of £(GBP) that's a near 100% difference in cost based on current exchange rates.

Should I have asked Sony if they would consider letting me pay $99.95 for an upgrade but pay exactly $99.95 Canadian?

No and this is precisely why I want to pay with dollar US.
I always paid my software in dollar US, even when 1 dollar was cost 7 Francs (French money).
And so Far, SCS has always sold their software in dollars US in their webstore. So why this change ?

"SCS has always sold their software in dollars US in their webstore. So why this change ? "

Probably because the Euro is 1.50 USD.

"I didn't catch any breaks when my Canadian buck was like 58 cents against the US buck. Should I have asked Sony if they would consider letting me pay $99.95 for an upgrade but pay exactly $99.95 Canadian?"

LOL!

We're STILL not getting any breaks! Our dollar is now worth MORE than the US buck and we're STILL paying twice as much for everything

It's quite likely, and entirely probable that fair trade restrictions prevent them from selling at equal rates.

I'm sure Spot is right, but the fair trade restrictions were to protect national distributors who had to pay for higher local salaries, higher local taxes, and the high costs of localization.

These restrictions don't make quite as much sense in today's global village, when most everyone is happy to buy an English language product as a download, and none of the above applies.

Not only have Adobe and Microsoft done this for years, but a lot of US-based software companies ignore unfavorable exchange rates. As was suggested, order Vegas from B&H. Read the International Shipping FAQs, but it doesn't seem like a big deal. If the $ keeps falling in the toilet, people in the States will start converting their US currency to Euros.

I agree with this Absurd Trade Policy, if SCS want to sell in Euros they should update USD / EUR price rates by the day or at lest by the week. European Audio/Video Producers always payed too much for video gear.
A recent example: a Z7E in the Portugal costs about 6800€ incl. taxes, in the US the Z7U in B&H costs $5,999.95 (3800€) it's less 3000€!!! at today exchange rates. So do all of you think this is fare, in Portugal the minimum salary is around 420€ per month. With my Euros I could by almost two Z7U and do a more effective business to clients, but no I have to content my self with one for 6800€. OK it's not the same, because of the frame rates you have. but it serves as an example.

here's an idea: they let you buy it for 263 euro's OR you can buy it for $414! Or (even better), you buy it for 263 euro's & I buy it for $131!

you don't live in a "dream world" where because you have a few $$ handy you can swap them on par with your currency. What you going to do when the euro dips below the dollar (and it will, just a matter of time)? Then you going to say "I want to switch back to my euro's!"

People in the US don't complain "no fair your Sony BD players only cost 234 euro's & our Sony BD players cost $400! Cheaters!". We just eigther a) don't but it or b) wait.

So do all of you think this is fare, in Portugal the minimum salary is around 420€ per month.

So move to the US when the min salary a month (assuming 40 hours a week) is ~$1160. Yes, I'd say it's fair. I'm sure many US citizens would happily trade places to live in a country that's pretty much beach-front property for that much $$ vs twice that much to live in the middle of nowhere.

Must admit that I was more than happy to take advantage of low prices in "foreign countries" when I traveled, back in The Olden Days when the US$ was worth, for example, almost two Australian dollars and goods I bought in Australia cost me the same number of Aussie dollars as the number of US dollars the goods would have cost me here in the USA. In other words, I used to enjoy a huge effective discount when I bought stuff while traveling.

The shoe has now shifted to the other foot (or plug in your own preferred more appropriate cliche here...)

A clarification: I never bought technogoods like cameras in my travels (couldn't afford to, so I didn't even check the prices), but I did buy clothing, gifts, books & CDs, etc. All at that long-ago fabulous discount caused by the strong US dollar.

Well here in oz we get quoted in English pounds which when you do the conversion we will pay close to double the price when we were able to buy in US dollars. Hope Sony does'nt expect sales to double. They need to redo the currency parities.
Mick

I wonder when it was that US produced goods sold in Australia had a one to one dollar ratio ($100 in US and $100 in Aus)? Everything from the USA that I've ever bought has cost me in the ratio of the exchange rate, and then some. The argument is that our smaller market and great distance involves proportionally greater support and distribution costs. Now if you're talking of goods produced in China, say, then maybe the importers have different mark ups. If you're talking of goods produced in Australia, well it's hardly surprising that they cost you more than the Aussie dollar equivalent in the US. The idea that prices are somehow related to incomes in the retail country (or the cost of houses or availability of beaches) is novel. Basically prices are determined by production costs (including related fixed costs), distribution, support and profit. A large market can minimise distribution and support and allow a good return on lower unit profits. The European market is very large, so the point made by the original poster is quite valid.

There is an other reason possibly. Sony know the greenback is soon to be in free fall (together with domestic inflation) and they do not want to be changing their European prices every week. This "cheap" US will soon equalize out because Euro prices will remain about the same but as the US dollar falls US prices (in US Dollars) will rise to compensate.

Those of you who own houses and equipment in Aussie dollars or Euros will be the lucky ones soon. Only the wise Americans who get out of anything that must be sold in US dollars (such as US stocks and US realty) will be similarly pleased.

Well I just checked what it'd cost me to buy another V8 licence and it's USD 549 which at the current exchange rate is pretty cheap. Or I can buy it from B&H for USD 469.95 + USD $42 shipping and I get the box. Or I can buy it locally for AUD 606 which at current exchange rates make the local price quite competitive.

DSE > It's quite likely, and entirely probable that fair trade restrictions prevent them from selling at equal rates.

SCS sold software in dollars US for years without to care about trade restrictions.
And now, suddenly, they decide to do that…
An official explanation from SCS would be welcome.

"Well here in oz we get quoted in English pounds ..."

Where did you see GBP? I see only US$ and I'm in oz.

>>>I see only US$ and I'm in oz.<<<

Go to "software" on this page and have a look. Maybe Sony is trying to return to the Sterling standard.

Sony is a Japanese company, so they could charge in yen and convert that to other currency. Then you'd be paying even more in Europe and especially in the US.

Euro used to be between 160 and 170 yen for most of the last 7-8 months, now it down to almost 150.

It's absurd to tie sony to US dollar value, what's that got to do with anything? They can ( and should ) charge whatever they want. It's their product, and they shouldn't lose money because of some currency being flushed down the toilet by politicians.

When I go to the software page all my prices are in pounds Sterling - Vegas Pro 8; 415 pounds 95p.
I think the balance of the argument is that no person in any country with reference back to whatever currency they are billed with should pay anymore relative to anyone else.
Anyone selling a product worldwide should make the adjustment that keeps prices relative to a single currency. If the dollar is in collapse then make the prices based on the euro or whatever, but don't use the change to greatly inflate prices to any customers in any country whatever their currency. Customers aren't that gullible.
Mick

"When I go to the software page all my prices are in pounds Sterling - Vegas Pro 8; 415 pounds 95p."

??? Mine are all in USD.

Bob, in Sydney Australia.