Electronics pricing – here and there

This has the potential to be a major rant but I’ll do my best just to be happy with my latest purchase:

As I say in the video, the iPod Touch 32GB cost CAD$469 with 5% GST, which comes in a little over €305 which is a little under €30 more than what the 8GB version costs back in Ireland or around €150 less than the same model in Ireland. Now there’s the key comparison, that’s a difference that can’t be explained away with hand waving arguments of higher shipping costs and VAT. So let’s do a comparison:

  • We’ll start with the official Apple price CAD$519
  • To allow for the current strength of the Euro we’ll take the average exchange rate for 2007 (1.4691)
  • Gives us a starting price of €353
  • Now, let’s add on 21% VAT:€74
  • Grand total: €427

That’s still €42 of a difference and the only thing we haven’t talked about is shipping which is neglibible in this scheme. That’s not a markup that’s acceptable in this global economy of ours. Is it just Apple?

 

Posted by James

31 year old guy living in Galway, Ireland since the end of February. Getting settled and really enjoying life back in Ireland. Interested in gadgets and tech with some strange tastes in Music!

  • http://archlever.blogspot.com/ Jeff Dickey

    Good one James,

    but… if only Apple were the only extortionist out there. Try pricing MS dev tools in the States/Canada vs. Europe and Asia. It’s a lot more difficult for the small guys here in Singapore to stay current with MS tools and certs. LPI and Red Hat have both been increasing their certification marketing here and finding fertile opportunities…

  • http://archlever.blogspot.com/ Jeff Dickey

    Good one James,

    but… if only Apple were the only extortionist out there. Try pricing MS dev tools in the States/Canada vs. Europe and Asia. It’s a lot more difficult for the small guys here in Singapore to stay current with MS tools and certs. LPI and Red Hat have both been increasing their certification marketing here and finding fertile opportunities…

  • http://www.pixelapes.com/ Alex Leonard

    I’m going to test out putting a comment up here, hopefully it’s all working again!

    Yeah, pricing between the states and europe is ridiculous. Adobe are mental, and as I recently found out, so are Microsoft.

    I wrote about it here:

    http://alex.leonard.ie/2008/08/13/the-disparity-of-us-and-eu-software-pricing-models/

  • http://www.pixelapes.com Alex Leonard

    I’m going to test out putting a comment up here, hopefully it’s all working again!

    Yeah, pricing between the states and europe is ridiculous. Adobe are mental, and as I recently found out, so are Microsoft.

    I wrote about it here:

    http://alex.leonard.ie/2008/08/13/the-disparity-of-us-and-eu-software-pricing-models/