Poll: The "Australian" Tax

[Blackdoom]

I have started importing most of my games and programs from overseas or using proxy to use a different countries online store as it is cheaper.

Consider buying retail. The big retail stores parrallel import games from the UK. Also while Steam is a good place to observe this not all devs/pubs do it. If you really want to weep compare Adobe software prices for the UK US and Australia. Buying OS can save you hundreds of dollars.

I remember someone telling me that it was cheaper for them to fly to America for a few days and buy the program they needed than to buy it in Australia.

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

i think steam really helped bring this issue into the spotlight, not intentionally but it did.

For the wider Australian community it was iTunes. That 50% average mark up starts to add up after a while.

 

[seditary]

I may not ever like Apple and their fanatic followship but that is one thing they do right, they don't allow region hustling.

Don't allow it? They actively participate in it. They're one of the big names being investigated by the Parliamentary inquiry into regional pricing and geoblocking in the sale of digital goods, iTunes is one of the prime examples being used to demonstrate the practice.

I was about to say that, but thankfully you already did.

iTunes can suck it.

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

I remember someone telling me that it was cheaper for them to fly to America for a few days and buy the program they needed than to buy it in Australia.

Heh... Yeah, it's currently cheaper to fly out to the US and buy a copy of Adobe Creative Suite 6 than it is to download it direct from Adobe.

 

[Blackdoom]

I remember someone telling me that it was cheaper for them to fly to America for a few days and buy the program they needed than to buy it in Australia.

Heh... Yeah, it's currently cheaper to fly out to the US and buy a copy of Adobe Creative Suite 6 than it is to download it direct from Adobe.

Just had a look the Adobe buying guide the Australian one doesn't even tell you how much each individual program costs.

 

[latenightapplepie]

Don't pirate, it's wrong.

If you don't like the prices, stop paying full price. Buy online, or used, or when sales are on. I almost never pay more than $50 for games anymore. The retailers will get the message eventually.

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

I remember someone telling me that it was cheaper for them to fly to America for a few days and buy the program they needed than to buy it in Australia.

Heh... Yeah, it's currently cheaper to fly out to the US and buy a copy of Adobe Creative Suite 6 than it is to download it direct from Adobe.

Just had a look the Adobe buying guide the Australian one doesn't even tell you how much each individual program costs.

Okay, the listed price for Adobe Creative Suite 6 Master Collection is US$2599 from their 'Business (North America)' page... yet, on their 'Business (Australia)' page it's AU$3948... which is currently equal to US$4109.86... we'll gift them the US86c and go with US$4109, giving us a difference of US$1510 or AU$1450...\


Edit: for those of you interested, that's a 63% mark up on a digital product.

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

Buy online

This IS online we're talking about.

 

[Blackdoom]

I remember someone telling me that it was cheaper for them to fly to America for a few days and buy the program they needed than to buy it in Australia.

Heh... Yeah, it's currently cheaper to fly out to the US and buy a copy of Adobe Creative Suite 6 than it is to download it direct from Adobe.

Just had a look the Adobe buying guide the Australian one doesn't even tell you how much each individual program costs.

Okay, the listed price for Adobe Creative Suite 6 Master Collection is US$2599 from their 'Business (North America)' page... yet, on their 'Business (Australia)' page it's AU$3948... which is currently equal to US$4109.86... we'll gift them the US86c and go with US$4109, giving us a difference of US$1510 or AU$1450...\


Edit: for those of you interested, that's a 63% mark up on a digital product.

Gotta love those mark ups for downloading from the same server from a different location.

 

[latenightapplepie]

Buy online

This IS online we're talking about.

I mean online retailers that sell physical copies, not Steam, Origin or any other digital download service. Ebay and ozgameshop.com are great places to find cheaper games.

 

[theblindedhunter]

As far as games are concerned, like from a service like Steam, I imagine there is an element of industry control in the works. It could be very economically damaging for Australian companies, or branches of companies, to still have to deal with imports while Steam can knock down the price tremendously at no cost.
Steam is no stranger to the idea that lower prices bring your market to more people and your total profits come out better much for the efforts. That's why they have massive 75% sales, and the numbers to back up them continuing to do it. With that in mind, I think it is pretty unreasonable to suggest that Steam is keeping it up just because they think it will get them more money - they've outright proved that wrong, in some ways.

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

Buy online

This IS online we're talking about.

I mean online retailers that sell physical copies

Many large online retailers also use geoblocking, which means if the site detects a DNS number within a certain block (representing a geographical location), it either blocks or redirects that user. In this context, it means Austalian customers are redirected to an Australia specific page on the site with specially inflated prices.

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

As far as games are concerned, like from a service like Steam, I imagine there is an element of industry control in the works.

Prices on Steam are set by the Publisher not Valve (except where Valve is the publisher).

 

[theblindedhunter]

As far as games are concerned, like from a service like Steam, I imagine there is an element of industry control in the works.

Prices on Steam are set by the Publisher not Valve (except where Valve is the publisher).

Yes, but I mean that there is an amount of agreement that goes on in markets, to avoid anyone being sued for things like trying to form a monopoly, or otherwise negatively effect things.

 

[neverarine]

I don't live in Australia, but I've got a friend from Australia who said a new video game can cost up to that much with tax. Also, minimum wage there is under 8$, which makes it even harder to buy new games.

minimum wage in the US is under $8...

and yeah its pretty bull paying that much for a game simply becuase they can charge it... but thats how the world works... i had to import a book that was printed in the States from the UK last week becuase it was $30 cheaper...

 

[Burrito With Legs]

I don't live in Australia, but I've got a friend from Australia who said a new video game can cost up to that much with tax. Also, minimum wage there is under 8$, which makes it even harder to buy new games.

minimum wage in the US is under $8...

and yeah its pretty bull paying that much for a game simply becuase they can charge it... but thats how the world works... i had to import a book that was printed in the States from the UK last week becuase it was $30 cheaper...

I know that minimum wage is under 8$ in the US, but video games there don't cost twice as much.

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

i had to import a book that was printed in the States from the UK last week becuase it was $30 cheaper...

Sure... and what would you say if, hypothetically, it was $45 cheaper for everyone else but because you're in the US (or whereever) you can just pay more 'because fuck you, that's why'?

And not just that book, but all their books?

And not just that retailer but many large online retailers?

Would you just shrug it off as 'well, that's the way the world works' or would you be somewhat browned off and wanting to bring this bullshit to light for public scrutiny?

 

[neverarine]

i had to import a book that was printed in the States from the UK last week becuase it was $30 cheaper...

Sure... and what would you say if, hypothetically, it was $45 cheaper for everyone else but because you're in the US (or whereever) you can just pay more 'because fuck you, that's why'?

And not just that book, but all their books?

And not just that retailer but many large online retailers?

Would you just shrug it off as 'well, that's the way the world works' or would you be somewhat browned off and wanting to bring this bullshit to light for public scrutiny?

the minimum wage there is practically twice what it is here, heck my job pays alot higher than any of my friends jobs and its still a good ways below the minum wage so it seems to me that you have no problems making the extra money to pay for the things there thus maybe why they cost more

 

[MeChaNiZ3D]

It is a little useful, in that we can complain about pricing and not come across as hypocrites, but as far as I can tell, it used to cost a lot more to get stuff out here, and they've been riding the status quo ever since.

 

[Vaishnav Reddy]

You know why software/games come at near 2x the price?
Because not too long ago Australia actually had a 100% import tax on those before it was considered standard goods, but after that shops just didn't change the prices... you are willing to pay 2x anyway so why not cash in.

I may not ever like Apple and their fanatic followship but that is one thing they do right, they don't allow region hustling.

What do you mean Apple doesn't allow region hustling? I have to pay the equivalent of US$300 for an 8gb Ipod touch.

OT : Because they can!