Apple prices outside US = Ridiculous

[RowdyFROG]

I know this is a recurring theme, but the problem is getting worse and worse. The example below is from Australia, but I understand the problem is just as bad in Europe and elsewhere.

If $1 US = $1.70 Australian:

Powerbook prices @ US Apple Store converted to AUD
12"combo drv $3058
12"super drv $3398
15"combo drv $3908
15"super drv $4758
17"super drv $5608

Powerbook prices @ Apple Store Australia
12"combo drv $3995
12"super drv $4424
15"combo drv $4995
15"super drv $5995
17"super drv $6995

Difference
12"combo drv +$937 (31%)
12"super drv +$1026 (31%)
15"combo drv +$1087 (28%)
15"super drv +$1237 (26%)
17"super drv +$1387 (25%)

THis is so far beyond a joke that laughing at it hurts. Especially in the wallet. And with the Oz $ on the rise against the greenback, our poor value for money will only get poorer.

What will it take to make Apple realise that people outside the US really do matter.

[kiwi]

That IS ridiculous. I wonder what the prices are in New Zealand? I think I'll take a look. Anyone know Apple's justification for this?

[LethalWolfe]

Originally posted by kiwi
That IS ridiculous. I wonder what the prices are in New Zealand? I think I'll take a look. Anyone know Apple's justification for this?


What do other US made computers (dell, gateway, etc.,) cost over there? I would imagine this is more of a tax/tariff/trade thing than Apple price hikes.


Lethal

[RowdyFROG]

Eg. Dell 2.2GHz P4, 40GB, 15", 256 DDR, Combo drv, 64MB DDR Radeon mob 9000...

AUD $3898.40 + $300 mail in rebate at present

No bluetooth, but still. I don't see how Apple Computer Australia can justify their pricing.

[Akira]

I live in Holland, and we have a pricedifference as well.
1 euro is about as much as 1 dollar (even more than one dollar) (I compared the prices excluding Value Added Tax, because some states in the US don't have VAT, am I right?)

some examples:
Powermac starting at: $1699 (US) €1899 (excl VAT, EU)
Xserve starting at: $2999 (US) €3599 (excl VAT, EU)

so almost everything in the US is about 100 to 200 €/$ cheaper than in the EU.

[Phil Of Mac]

Most states don't have VAT.

Aside from exporting costs (which shouldn't be much), yeah, prices are really high overseas. I don't know why this is, but there's a few possibilities:

1. Hidden taxes. The US has some of the world's lowest tax rates overall. Foreign countries, again, might have higher corporate income taxes and other taxes that add to the cost, but hide their true impact.
2. Apple is trying to increase immigration to the United States.
3. Maybe we just don't like foreigners :p

[CrackedButter]

I actually went to the US website and priced up an ibook that i want (non student pricing). After adding extras up it came to (converted into UK £) £970. That was with some software, a travel bag and an extra battery. Now i try it in the UK with student pricing and it was over £1300. Maybe i should come to the US and buy it and get a holiday at the same time? What you think about that?

[Tiauguinho]

I think that the biggest laugh is the Cinema Display 23''...

In the US this baby costs: $ 3499

In Portugal as in all Europe it costs without VAT: $ 4299...

If I add the 19% VAT that we have here in Portugal the price of the display will be... stand by guys! $ 5115 !!!!!!!!!!!

Is it just me or for a Dislpay here I could get there the Dispaly+PowerMac for the same amount of money... This is sad...

[Beej]

I'm in Australia too, and I am also confused as to why the price difference is so high. One point to remember is that a lot (if not all, I don't know) of Macs are not made in the US, like most US residents believe. My Power Mac, for example, is assembled in Singapore. Shipping costs from Singapore to Austraila would be smaller than to the US. So there goes the freight cost theory out the window.

Australians to have to pay a 10% Goods & Services Tax. Keeping that in mind, when the GST was introduced a few years ago, it did remove numerous other taxes on computer equipment, which was supposed to be more than 10%.

And it's certainly not the reseller's fault the prices are so high, our margins are no larger than anywhere else in the world.

Looks like it comes back to blaming Apple Australia. Again. What a surprise.

[robbieduncan]

There is another option (for those in the UK). If you are flying out of Gatwick (and Heathrow too I think, probably others as well) Dixons will sell you Apple kit VAT free. Yes thats a 17.5% discount. As far as I can tell (talking to the people there) this applies whether you are leaving the EU or not. If you are going to do this phone ahead to ensure that you can do it (and that they'll have stock of the item) and get to the airport nice and early to ensure that you have time to complete your purchase :D

[iAlan]

In Japan the top of the line imac is 249,800 yen at the Apple Japan Shop @ an exchange rate of 117.82 today (Friday January17) is $2120, compared to $1,999 at the Apple Shop is only 6% higher (all Japan models come with Japanese OS and software installed).

I was somewhat surprised to realize this. but prices are not all that different, especially concidering sales tax here will only add another 5%, compared to higher VAT/sales tax elsewhere.

I guess I can't complain too much...not about Apple prices, but everything else here is priced over the roof (food, accomadation, $18 cheapest price to see a movie in a theatre, etc, etc, etc).

[melchior]

it is true, comparing the exchanges, japan is expensive, but salaries are higher and it pans out.

i don't find living in japan especially expensive. it hurts to pay high prices for things i know are dirt cheap at home, but it's not a huge deal.

transportation cost is my only real gripe. i con't fathom the difference to home....

[mac15]

damn straight dude, I as an aussie, don't but many Hardware products , if any at all. I was hoping to upgrade to a newer imac this yeare, but since its so damn expensive, I held back so far anyways, if there are some new ones with good deals, I might consider it but at the moment no way!

I didn't buy an ipod cause of this.

US price on a 5gig ipod
$199
AUS Price
$645

does that seem alot or am I mental, wake up apple, you'd pull alot more sales if things were cheaper!

[CrackedButter]

Originally posted by robbieduncan
There is another option (for those in the UK). If you are flying out of Gatwick (and Heathrow too I think, probably others as well) Dixons will sell you Apple kit VAT free. Yes thats a 17.5% discount. As far as I can tell (talking to the people there) this applies whether you are leaving the EU or not. If you are going to do this phone ahead to ensure that you can do it (and that they'll have stock of the item) and get to the airport nice and early to ensure that you have time to complete your purchase :D

Are we talking about the Dixons store that is inhouse at the airport?

It'd be the first time i'll shop at dixons if this is true.

[MacFocus]

Originally posted by robbieduncan
There is another option (for those in the UK). If you are flying out of Gatwick (and Heathrow too I think, probably others as well) Dixons will sell you Apple kit VAT free. Yes thats a 17.5% discount. As far as I can tell (talking to the people there) this applies whether you are leaving the EU or not.

I might be wrong here, but I thought that if you are leaving the EU, you can get your paid VAT back. Of course you have to pay the local taxes at the customs of the country you're entering.

Don't know for sure...

[CrackedButter]

I think now (after thinking about it since i don't like Dixons) i should go to the US and buy it, that way i get it cheaper but i also go to the US and see an apple store.


Only issue i see is power connections when i get back and try to plug it in.

[Akira]

that's a problem indeed
in the US they use 120V instead of 220-240V, as well as a different shape (two flat poles instead of two round ones).

But there's a switch on the back of your mac where you can set the powersupply from 120 to 240 and vice versa (correct me if I'm wrong)

[robbieduncan]

I don't like Dixons either but the deal is for real.

http://www.britishairways.com/airportinfo/docs/heathrow/term4/h-shop4.shtml

As long as you are flying internationally you get the equivilant of tax free prices. Yes this is inhouse at the airport AFTER security (i.e. you must actually be flying somewhere). I was going to get a 20Gb iPod on my way to Munich at Christmas, but they only had 5Gb ones!

[ftaok]

Originally posted by Akira
that's a problem indeed
in the US they use 120V instead of 220-240V, as well as a different shape (two flat poles instead of two round ones).

But there's a switch on the back of your mac where you can set the powersupply from 120 to 240 and vice versa (correct me if I'm wrong) If you're looking at a laptop, just get a plug adapter. The transformer that comes with it will be rated for 50-60Hz, 120-240V.

[robbieduncan]

The newest Apple portable power supplies have a removable plug which reveals a standard 2 pin "kettle-style" socket. Simply plug a UK power lead in here and you are good to go.

[Akira]

Originally posted by robbieduncan
The newest Apple portable power supplies have a removable plug which reveals a standard 2 pin "kettle-style" socket. Simply plug a UK power lead in here and you are good to go.

Those look a lot like the iPod adapter, don't they?

[robbieduncan]

They look almost identical, but without the firewire socket and with a build in cable (and little flip out cable reel things). I'll take some pictures when I get home (or probably tomorrow as I don't inteand getting home sober).

[CrackedButter]

When talking about cables do you mean the ones that come in two parts? One part that plugs into the laptop with the other end holding the adapter and another cable that plugs into the adapter but also plugs into the mains?

If thats the case then it just means changing one half of the cable yes? If so i suppose it should be easy enough to get another from apple or something.

[robbieduncan]

Originally posted by CrackedButter
When talking about cables do you mean the ones that come in two parts? One part that plugs into the laptop with the other end holding the adapter and another cable that plugs into the adapter but also plugs into the mains?

If thats the case then it just means changing one half of the cable yes? If so i suppose it should be easy enough to get another from apple or something.

Basically yes. When I got my new iBook a couple of months ago the power adaptor came in 3 pieces. There is one common piece which connects to the laptop and terminates at the other end in a white box (the actual power converter). This has a standard 2 pin kettle power socket on it. There is a supplied standard 3 pin UK plug that kind of slots into this to give a solid unit. There was also the kettle style cable that can be plugged in instead of the 3 pin plug (it has a 3 pin plug at the end) to give a bit more range. The kettle style cable is very common - you can probably get one from Maplin or the likes.

Edit: Maplin code AK16S £2.99 would do it.

[CrackedButter]

What about buying a decent power adapter type converter that changes 2 pin to 3 pin, that way i keep the "apple cables"

[robbieduncan]

You could probably do this - but it would be easiest to buy one in the USA as it's pretty hard to find "travel" adaptors in this country for going to 3 pin, everywhere just sells the from 3 pin ones.

[CrackedButter]

Would seem the easiest option. Do you think i pull a student discount from apple even though i live in the UK. I could show them my NUS card! :)

Maybe making it that little bit cheaper.

[oscarp]

I think you will find youstill have to pay 17.5% VAT when you bring it back through the customs!

[robbieduncan]

Dump the boxes and claim you had it when you left!

[Akira]

Originally posted by robbieduncan
Dump the boxes and claim you had it when you left!
and mail the receipts and other paperwork to your home adress

[CrackedButter]

I thought you could bring a certain amount back into the country before they tax you?

[oscarp]

i think the amount you can bring in is £140

[Beej]

Originally posted by mac15
I didn't buy an ipod cause of this.

US price on a 5gig ipod
$199
AUS Price
$645

does that seem alot or am I mental, wake up apple, you'd pull alot more sales if things were cheaper! First, the US price is $299, not $199. Second, you need to take into account the exchange rate. AU$1 == US$0.6054, so the comparisson goes more like this, in Australian dollars:

5 GB iPod in USA: $495
5 GB iPod in Aus: $645

Still shockingly overpriced.

[CrackedButter]

How about if i get my friend to buy it for me? I have a friend in the US who could do this, that way if i get caught they cannot tax me on something that i never bought because it isn't mine!

Can this work?

[amnesiac1984]

Somebody mentioned export prices not being high enough to justify the price! Well my PowerMac came from Cork in Ireland and my 17" display came from Holland, before then it was in taiwan or something, so no, export prices from the US are not the Issue, if anything it should be cheaper here! (If only)

[CrackedButter]

I suppose one way of Apple adding to their market share would be to lower the prices so that they are inline with the US.

Keeps them competitve as well.

[gotohamish]

I was staying in Tucson Arizona recently with a friend who's a student there. I have just graduated from Uni here in the UK.

I knew the 20GB iPods were cheaper in the US, but thought I could get my friend to buy one at the Uni store with her discount.

As it turned out, I bought it myself in the student store, with the student discount - my friend wasn't even with me - the prices were already discounted.

I got a brand new 20GB mac iPod for £300.00.

That's a quarter off the price here - so I was pretty pleased. iBooks started at about £580 too, and they had PMs, PBs, and iMacs too - and those PowerMac boxes are pretty small to put in a suitcase... :p

[CrackedButter]

Originally posted by gotohamish
I was staying in Tucson Arizona recently with a friend who's a student there. I have just graduated from Uni here in the UK.

I knew the 20GB iPods were cheaper in the US, but thought I could get my friend to buy one at the Uni store with her discount.

As it turned out, I bought it myself in the student store, with the student discount - my friend wasn't even with me - the prices were already discounted.

I got a brand new 20GB mac iPod for £300.00.

That's a quarter off the price here - so I was pretty pleased. iBooks started at about £580 too, and they had PMs, PBs, and iMacs too - and those PowerMac boxes are pretty small to put in a suitcase... :p

What happened when you brought it back here?

Also how come you bought it at student prices without being with a student?

[cionheart]

Although it's the same here in Germany (+ 16% taxes +15% Apple Germany for various unknown reasons) it's not the price that annoys me the most. It's the fact that you get even less for the more on money.

Look at the iBook: $999 in the US, ~$1300 in Germany. Ok, let's have a look at the software: iPhoto online services. Missing. German Sherlock Channels*. Missing. EarthLink, AOL, Quicken 2003 Deluxe, World Book 2003 Edition. All missing. That's the bad point! :mad: Apple should at least give us the same/equal software for our money.

Well, I will buy an iBook anyway. They got me at design ;)

* FYI: There's a nice page with free channels for Germany at: http://www.thomasdingler.de/sherlock/

[Phil Of Mac]

Maybe Apple has to pay higher corporate income taxes in those countries for the business they do there, and the prices reflect that.

[cionheart]

Originally posted by Phil Of Mac
Maybe Apple has to pay higher corporate income taxes in those countries for the business they do there, and the prices reflect that.

That's totally right. That's why I am not complaining about higher prices. I'm complaining about the lower value for money :cool:

Anyway, somtimes I think Jobs really don't like Europe very much...

[Phil Of Mac]

Originally posted by cionheart


That's totally right. That's why I am not complaining about higher prices. I'm complaining about the lower value for money :cool:

Anyway, somtimes I think Jobs really don't like Europe very much...

Government regulation maybe? Maybe bundled software isn't really that big a deal? Maybe they haven't been able to get deals with European ISP's? I don't know if Jobs dislikes Europe or not, but it's highly possible he's just focusing on the US market.

[CrackedButter]

Would be nice if you could purchase apple hardware from the states and get it imported at a reduced cost or something.

[pianojoe]

Originally posted by CrackedButter
I actually went to the US website and priced up an ibook that i want (non student pricing). After adding extras up it came to (converted into UK £) £970. That was with some software, a travel bag and an extra battery. Now i try it in the UK with student pricing and it was over £1300. Maybe i should come to the US and buy it and get a holiday at the same time? What you think about that?

I think that you will be charged a HUUUUGE customs fee for importing computer hardware into the EU plus the applicable VAT for your country. You bet.

And yes, customs officers realize that you didn't purchase that iBook (with US keyboard layout) in the U.K. before you went to the States.

[CrackedButter]

Originally posted by pianojoe


I think that you will be charged a HUUUUGE customs fee for importing computer hardware into the EU plus the applicable VAT for your country. You bet.

And yes, customs officers realize that you didn't purchase that iBook (with US keyboard layout) in the U.K. before you went to the States.

Hence my last question. Since then i have been looking around on sites that deal with VAT and duty and i have realised it isn't worth it.

Thats why i am asking about a company importing it over here for me instead.

[bryng]

New Zealand Prices...

iBook G3 cd $2,365
iBook G3 combo $3,010
iBook G3 14" $3,445

That's all in New Zealand dollars and excludes the 12.5% tax that is levied by our Government on all goods and services.

But as I understand it there are some analogous consumer taxes in various places, levied in various ways, so let's exclude it for now. It's not strictly a tariff or duty.

That converts back to US dollars (at today's exchange rate) at...

$1,305.47
$1,661.51
$1,901.63

(But in reality you can add that 12.5% on to those NZ Prices, because that's what the consumer will pay).

As compared to Apple store prices of...

$999
$1,299
$1,499

Now directly converting currencies doesn't tell you a whole lot about purchasing power (and the US dollar has better than parity with most others).

But that puts the iBooks at a higher price point in NZ than competing PC laptops by a couple of hundred dollars.

(Excluding the lower-end iBook - I haven't seen a lot of PC laptops around without combo drives recently...)

There are very few Apple retailers and negligible advertising. Which kinda turns specialist Apple retailers into niche "geek shops" that sit some way from the CBD.

(Though I think our retailer here, MagnumMac does a great job).

But, given how much I like Apple products, this is very sad indeed!

And given the cost differential, it makes it even sadder to consider ever affording a 17" lunch tray.

It would be great to see a well marketed product here, with bigger stores and a geek...er genius bar!

[janey]

you think the prices for apple products in other countries is exorbitant? I asked my pen pal in south korea how much it was...oh my lord. It's nearly impossible to get a Mac in a country where almost (literally 95+%) everyone uses a Wintel machine. Forget about linux, unix and the mac! Horrible...I'll get run over by a crowd of apple-hating people there!

[oscarp]

Actually as i have said before computers at the moment are free from any other tax other than VAT at 17.5% but all i am saying is if anything goes wrong shipping back and Forth to the US can prove costly!:(

[melchior]

apples portables have world warranty. i don't know about desktops.

you take a risk not to be hassled by customs when you import something (and mark it down)

how strict are the customs officials in your country? in japan they are pretty lax

[iAndy]

apples portables have world warranty. i don't know about desktops. That's a good point Melchior


you take a risk not to be hassled by customs when you import something (and mark it down) My only "hassle" with UK customs has been when I have deliberately ASKED to pay duty on equipment brought into the UK for friends - once for a laptop, and once for a high spec video camera. Because both friends were going to claim VAT back though there own companies anyway.

Interestingly both occasions were after early morning flight arrivals ~6am, and coincidently they were with the same customs officer - yes he remembered me trying to declare before :( After spending nearly an hour rifling through the duties books for the correct categorisation (not to mention keeping my wife & baby and parents waiting in the arrival hall), the officer basically hinted for me to not waste his time next time. Since then I have brought a laptop, digital camera or portable DVD player on most trips and NEVER had any problem. More to the point I haven't had a guilty concience as I have walked through the Nothing to Declare channel ! ;)

But there again that is just my experience...

Andy

[iAndy]

One thing that i forgot to mention in my last post, was that it is not just Apple prices that are high outside of the US - rather it seems that there is a culture of paying higher prices for electronics equipment in some countries - especially the EEC. In the case of the latest photography equipment (DSLR cameras) the UK is around 40-50% more expensive than out here in Hong Kong !

Is there any wonder then, that at a time when Apple are deperately trying to improve their cashflow situation, that they should decide to charge prices that they feel each respective market can bear.

Fortunately for me the Hong Kong dollar is pegged to the US greenback, and prices of Apple equipment is only slightly more than US prices.
BUT
Unfortunately we always seem to be months behind the US on product shipment (ie PB12" expected mid-end March !), probably due to lower profit margin.

Just my 5c's...

[benixau]

only hong kong ehhh??

i think even the us has an apple product supply problem. apple just never gets its market demand right, thats all.

[kenkooler]

There is the same situation here (prices are around 35% higher), probably due to Apple having a 1-2% market share... still, I think that it should be cheaper.