Ordering question

[Double_Deuce]

Interesting blog post here at Shrapnel last month;

Why Pricing Remains Relatively Constant

[Skirmisher]

Originally Posted by Gandalf Parker

Im totally for it and understand the problems of overseas purchasing.

Can you shed some light on why that expense is basically one way?

I've bought stuff oversea's and haven't paid anywhere near double
for stuff to get it here. (US)

[DRG]

The guys to ask are people like Wdll who have paid the freight and duty and can give you an exact number. It also depends a lot on the "stuff" you bought, where it was produced and what the nation it's being sent to has decided how much tax to slap on it

Don

[Skirmisher]

Originally Posted by DRG

It also depends a lot on the "stuff" you bought

I'm just talking DVD/Audio CD/CD-ROM Software

[S.R. Krol]

Yeah, I think it's mostly a European issue. I've ordered miniatures, model kits, software from England, Australia, and Hong Kong and have never been slapped with a custom charge or any kind of fee whatsoever. But those European nations sure love to tax everything and anything.

[Gandalf Parker]

Originally Posted by Skirmisher

Can you shed some light on why that expense is basically one way?

I've bought stuff oversea's and haven't paid anywhere near double
for stuff to get it here. (US)

All of its one way. The charges for bringing things into a country are up to that country. We (the USA that is) charge really high for some things because we basically want to keep them out. But other things we actually give them breaks on.

Some people complain that there should be more of an effort to mke things "fair". They yell if they charge us then we should charge them. But really, that doesnt make much sense. That might make some people feel like vengence has been served but it would only make it harder for us to control the flow the way we would like.

[Wdll]

Originally Posted by S.R. Krol

But those European nations sure love to tax everything and anything.

That is the basic reason.

I don't remember anymore how much I paid for this game. Surprisingly enough I remember for an older purchase from a different publisher.

When I was in Plymouth England a few years ago, I ordered Strategic Command (or was it Galactic Civilizations...lol don't remember). I don't remember the exact price but let's say it was $50. I paid something like $25 for shipping and another $35 for customs and vat tax when it arrived here/there or else I couldn't pick it up.
That was the last time (apart from winSPMBT) that I bought a game from the USA.

It is not 100% guaranteed you will pay those taxes, it depends on the customs officer in charge in the day it arrives lol and if you are lucky to not have your parcel chosen in random.


For many products (most?) imported from the USA, you have to pay the price for the product (obviously), the shipping (obviously, which is higher due to the distance), a 15% to 25% (depending on the EU country) VAT on top, plus a customs tax as mentioned earlier. You might get lucky and avoid them, but don't confuse that with how things are done.

I don't know the specifics for other countries but an australian guy I know told me he would end up paying nearly double the amount of the game if he ordered it.

[Cross]

Originally Posted by Wdll

I don't know the specifics for other countries but an australian guy I know told me he would end up paying nearly double the amount of the game if he ordered it.

You have to take into account that you're paying a US price for the game, which is a lot less than you'd pay in the UK for example.

Yes, your credit card company will get you for a couple of percent on the exchange rate, you will pay a little more for shipping, the government may charge you an Import Duty and handling fee, but it still may only come to a little more than we pay in the US.

The game is currently on sale for 34.95 USD
Not sure but shipping may be 9.99 USD in the US

At the current UK exchange rate the game would be 23.86 GBP
Duty Tax is 17.5% that's now 28.04 GBP
Post Office handling fee of 4 GBP bring us to 32.04 GBP
If shipping is 20 USD that's 13.65 GBP
Brings us to a total approx price of 45.69 GBP

My experience from living in the UK and the US, is that you usually pay in pounds in the UK, what you pay in dollars in the US, and that includes games.

There's exceptions, like petrol is more expensive in the UK and food (from a store not restaurant) is more expensive in the US.

So in the US you may pay 45.00 USD to get the game, but in the UK (because of the great US price) you may end up paying 45.00 GBP, which is about the same relative price.


Cheers,
Cross

[Wdll]

Are you drunk? Since when is the UK a cheaper place to live than the US? The above example would work if say someone for job X gets $35000 in the USA and £35000 in the UK, in case you don't know, it's not anything like that.
I am sorry but your logic doesn't stand.

[Cross]

Originally Posted by Wdll

Are you drunk? Since when is the UK a cheaper place to live than the US? The above example would work if say someone for job X gets $35000 in the USA and £35000 in the UK, in case you don't know, it's not anything like that.
I am sorry but your logic doesn't stand.

It's not how much you earn, it's how much buying power you have.

Buying a game for 45 USD in the US is not much differnent from buying a game for 45 GBP in the UK. That's my experience. I last lived in the UK in 2005/2006, and have been back in the US since then.

You must consider how much you'd expect to pay for a similar product were you to purchase it domestically.

I buy quite a lot of PC games for my four boys. Paying 45 USD for a game in the US is higher than average (but WinSP is worth it). My experience is paying 45 GBP in the UK for a PC game is also higher than average, and about the same cost/value.


Cross