Absurd Trade Policy from Sony.

Rosebud wrote on 3/17/2008, 1:40 PM

Absurd Trade Policy from Sony for European customers:

For those living outside of USA (in Europe), maybe you noticed prices are now listed in Euro in the Sony Store page:
Prices in Euros.
Prices in Dollars.

As you can see, Euros and Dollars prices are very close while 1 Euro is over 1.50 dollar at this time.
I contacted Sony and they tell to me they don’t allow European customer to buy any more with dollars on their webstore.

This is discriminatory and totally absurd at Internet time.

Is there some European users here ?
What do you think about that ?

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Comments

MarkWWWW wrote on 3/18/2008, 8:32 AM

There's something really weird going on with these prices. I'm in the UK and it is giving me prices in US$.

Mark

JJKizak wrote on 3/18/2008, 8:57 AM

At the rate that our financial institutions are failing you might be able to get the software for nothing.
JJK

Mahesh wrote on 3/18/2008, 12:04 PM

I am in UK and my price is 415.95 sterling. Sony Adds 17.5% VAT on Top ( One hopes that the amount is paid to UK Inland Revenue.
Total for V8 for me would be 488.75 sterling - which at todays rate is $977.

I think it is very unfair corporate policy but big business is never fair. So some of us consumers in Europe, UK etc. get around this by going for gray imports.

ken c wrote on 3/18/2008, 12:25 PM

great points, it's totally unfair.. look at the currency imbalances, things should cost the same, and be currency-rate adjusted so it's equal for all.

then i woke up. :o

ken

Serena wrote on 3/18/2008, 3:54 PM

The currency shown (software) depends on the language set for the browser (I'm using Mozilla). Set English UK and prices are given in pounds. Set English Aus or US and you get US$.

Taxes: that these have to be paid is a given. The original query was about price differences that exceeded such considerations.

farss wrote on 3/18/2008, 4:02 PM

VAT = Value Added Tax
If you download the software from outside the EU what value got added in a EU country?

Is it unfair to the local dealer, it's not really unfair. It's just that the internet turned the planet into a global village so the local dealer is obsolete. Will that eventually lead to a huge shift in EU societies, for certain.
What is unfair is how the EU countries use local taxes as de facto import duties, duties that they agreed to not charge when they entered into international trade treaties.

Bob.

Mahesh wrote on 3/18/2008, 4:34 PM

--------
"VAT = Value Added Tax
If you download the software from outside the EU what value got added in a EU country? "
---------
I do not have problem with that. As a VAT registered, I would claim it back. What really gets me annoyed - and this has nothing to do with plummeting dollar - is a different pricing policy for users not in USA. There's abbsolutely no diff in software we use but same software is priced at $549 + tax for US but for UK it is priced at 415 sterling - that is equivalent to $800 + tax.

Some of you think that's fair. No wonder some of the banks are getting their nickers in a twist.

farss wrote on 3/18/2008, 5:07 PM

"Set English Aus or US and you get US$."

So it's a language surcharge. About time too, I've been wondering how SCS recover the costs of translating Grazie's posts :)

Bob.