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Vista (again)
http://forum.gamecommunity.co.uk:8080/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=37851		 Page 1 of 2
Author:  Chips=GCHQ= [ Wed Jan 31, 2007 12:54 pm ]
Post subject:  Vista (again)
This time it's about the price.

The price in the US is half of that in the EU, or - alternatively, it's twice as expensive for us to buy Vista in the EU than it is in the US.


I cannot see a real and justified reason behind this, well, apart from the obvious "Lets claw back the billion dollar lawsuit".

So is there any legal reason why EU users cannot buy US retail versions over the internet, and then get them shipped to the EU?
If not, anyone fancy going into business on Ebay, shipping Vista from the US to the EU :P :D

I find the inflated price to be quite disturbing, what realistic reason is there other than milking the EU's member states to use MS's operating system?
Actually turning me slightly anti-MS that policy...

Is anyone out there knowledgeable about these sorts of things (ie, if you did import it, would you have to pay taxes to make it up to price, or is that only if the tax rate is different... therefore if the company are just making it more expensive, you're fine).
I can get my academic verison, which I will do when my computer can run it. However, for everyone else, I find it just bad that they've bumped the price right up there.
Author:  Arma [ Wed Jan 31, 2007 1:56 pm ]
Post subject: 
Yes, because theyre region fixed (you might get round that by using a us proxy to reggo your copy but dont guarantee it)
Author:  sylent [ Wed Jan 31, 2007 3:05 pm ]
Post subject: 
i think that in a couple of months MS will be wondering why they havent sold as many copies of Vista in the EU then they will lower their prices, probably not as much as in the US tho
Author:  Tjolbi=GCHQ= [ Wed Jan 31, 2007 3:54 pm ]
Post subject: 
the us doesn't have as much taxes as we do here so that might be part of it but a lot is probably because europe gets screwed by just about everyone i guess :( :?
Author:  Chips=GCHQ= [ Wed Jan 31, 2007 4:24 pm ]
Post subject: 
Tjolbi=GCHQ= wrote:
the us doesn't have as much taxes as we do here so that might be part of it but a lot is probably because europe gets screwed by just about everyone i guess :( :?



Maybe I've jumped the gun then, but from the BBC I made an assumption:
Quote:
Mr Gates also defended the pricing of Vista, which is twice as expensive in Europe compared to the US.


and then:

Quote:
Prices for the OS in the UK range from about £100 for an upgrade version of the Basic package to £249 for a copy of the upgrade to the Ultimate version of Vista.

In the US prices start from $100 (£52) for an upgrade of Vista Home basic to $249 (£127) for the equivalent Ultimate version.

Mr Gates defended Microsoft's pricing plans: "We try to keep our prices largely in line from country to country... but with price you do generally get some things that get a bit out of alignment as currencies go up and down.


At that point I came to the conclusion that the price is directly responsible to Microsoft, and not tax differences. Since I dunno much about that area, I must admit I didn't look!
Article is here:
BBC
Author:  Diablo-X [ Wed Jan 31, 2007 4:47 pm ]
Post subject: 
No problem some people are MS resistances fighters and will rebel by not buying it at all, but by possessing it by other means :).
Author:  Chips=GCHQ= [ Wed Jan 31, 2007 5:35 pm ]
Post subject: 
Urgh, I neglected to say - thanks for the quick response Arma, it sounded too easy to be true to be able to just ship them over here :lol:
Author:  Sleeper Service=GCHQ= [ Wed Jan 31, 2007 6:20 pm ]
Post subject: 
What exchange rates are they working off. its been above 1.5 for like 3 years and its only fluctuating upwards and they make it more andmore expensive.

Someone should slap the CEO's of Adobe, MS etc everytime they use the 'Exchange Rates' Defence.
Author:  Chips=GCHQ= [ Wed Jan 31, 2007 11:28 pm ]
Post subject: 
Hmm, interesting enough. Whilst prices at both play.com and amazon.co.uk reflect the prices as shown by the bbc - places like overclockers.co.uk and microdirect.co.uk are showing prices around £55 for Vista basic.

So if Microsoft are setting the prices high (which is what the article implies), then how can those guys be having such low prices in comparison?
Author:  GeneralPublic=GCHQ= [ Wed Jan 31, 2007 11:33 pm ]
Post subject: 
Because the trade price is £42 :wink:
Author:  GeneralPublic=GCHQ= [ Wed Jan 31, 2007 11:37 pm ]
Post subject: 
Interestingly enough, anyone buying OEM software who isn't a system reseller have been nobbled with Office 2007 at last.

The OEM purchase gets you a serial number only - the actual CD is approx £200 that you need to install it from.
Author:  Chips=GCHQ= [ Thu Feb 01, 2007 12:50 am ]
Post subject: 
GeneralPublic=GCHQ= wrote:
Because the trade price is £42 :wink:


Ooo interesting, thanks GP. Last one i promise, OEM - which is what they sell, does that require you to buy "an integral piece of kit for your pc" (okay, that's not a quote, it's my own words - meaning CPU, memory, mobo etc) in order to legally purchase or something?

I remember i bought winXP like that, but it required me to buy a piece of hardware as well or something (that's what the sites said anyways) as it was OEM or something along those lines (actually, not really sure what OEM is - something manufacturer? too late to read up, off to bed :twisted: )
Author:  elbow=GCHQ= [ Thu Feb 01, 2007 12:51 am ]
Post subject: 
I think scan have a disclaimer on their site about that, but say you can get away with buying a mouse or summat

Ebuyer just don't give a....
Author:  ONE [ Thu Feb 01, 2007 11:28 pm ]
Post subject: 
can u post the prices, too lazy, i paid for my Vista, £113 from ebuyer for the ulitmate 64 edish, dont mind though, not buyin retail, i know we get ripped off, but theres so many people on this server alone gettin free copies
Author:  GeneralPublic=GCHQ= [ Thu Feb 01, 2007 11:34 pm ]
Post subject: 
Vista Ultimate (full box) £350
Vista Ultimate (OEM) £137

Just a small difference :)
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