Outback isn't Australian. It's an "Australian themed" American restaurant chain.
I think some elements of his comment were lost on you. . .
Outback isn't Australian. It's an "Australian themed" American restaurant chain.
It really sucks to pay twice as much for the same slave labour made goods.
You'd be pissed if the ARM license fee from the UK company shot up for US only companies wouldnt you.
Capitalism and free market has absolutely nothing to do with fair, at least not in so far as everyone pays the same amount goes. If you want everyone to pay the same amount, you need a different economic model.
In the UK we pay around 10% more for Apple products (after tax). That's not much on something like a mouse or keyboard, but on a mac thats a crazy amount more.
Prices in the US are almost always advertised at their pre-tax price. This is because every level below the federal government can add additional sales taxes at the State, County, and City level. I live in Seattle WA, and I believe our base combined tax is around 9.5% on everything but groceries bought at a store. Other things like prepared food can be even higher. Here is a nice example that perhaps shows the pain of displaying post-tax prices in the United States.
I'm not going to argue this one way or the other, but for discussion sake I thought I'd point that out. We're no strangers to biatching about our neighbors either, as Oregon (neighbor state) has no sales tax. As us what we think of that
Second, the distance between the manufacturing completion point and point of sale is near irrelevant in shipping price. The quantity of the units to a location does mater in the price, along with the amount of tonnage shipping. I don't know if the United States receives more than Australia, so I'll let you figure it out or guess.
Lastly, in general every "market" in the business world needs to justify their own sales. The money that goes into a market can go towards any number of things, from shipping, to advertisement, lawsuit chances, local taxes, etc etc. I'm no expert here at all, but the cost of "doing business" is not simple, and companies succeed and fail on their ability to track this stuff. At the end of the day, the cost to do business in the Australian Market will be recouped in the price, and if it can't be than it's not worth Apple doing business there. This is also why there is no Apple store in the Arctic.
And then, at the end of the day, in a capitalist economy, Apple can charge whatever they want. However, I wouldn't try and simply the cost difference into "Taxes" and "Greedy". A lot more goes into it, and some of it is secrets in how they are doing business. The entire cost model is not something I would expect any business to openly display to the world, as it might allow other companies to mimic how they are able to "do business" for less than they are.
I agree with you, to be honest.
And stepping on them is a total bitch, too.
Well, to give you an example. The highest standard-configuration Retina MacBook Pro costs $2799 in the United States, without taxes.
In Europe, it can cost as much $3265 without any taxes at all. So, without taxes, there's already a difference of $466. You could buy an iPad mini + an iPod shuffle + accessoiries with this money.
If you take into account that taxes are extremely high in other modern, western, countries, than the difference is even more astonishing. In Europe, the Retina Macbook Pro I talked about will cost you $3951. If you compare that with the United States, where in some states you don't even need to pay sales tax, than there's a difference of $1152.
Basically, there are two issues:
- Apple asking much more money, even when taxes are taken out of the equation (as seen above: a Retina MacBook Pro standard configuration costs $466 extra).
- High sales tax, adding to the cost compared to the USA [in some states, you don't even need to pay sales tax] (as seen above: when you include taxes, a Retina MacBook Pro standard configuration costs $1152 extra)
The second thing is something Apple can't fix. It's not their problem. The first thing, however, is outrageous.
The combination just makes it really hard to swallow for a lot of people. You can get one Retina MacBook Pro in Europe while, for the same money, in the United States you can get one[/b] Retina MacBook Pro, one iPad mini, one unlocked 16 GB iPhone 5, one Apple TV and still have $75 for accessoiries or iTunes content or whatever.
Again, the problem is a combination of Apple asking a premium plus high sales tax. Also, again, it should be no surprise: for a lot of people, it is hard to understand why in Europe - and other parts of the world - you can only get one MacBook Pro, while for the same money in the US you can get a Retina MacBook Pro + iPad mini + iPhone 5 + Apple TV + still have money left for accessories or iTunes content or whatever.
That's how much it costs to ship products to the Edge of the Known Universe.
Obviously there wasn't any cues you noticed. Sadly for you you're the only one missed it.
Unbelievable.
It's a free world and a free market. If you can't afford your tech, buy Lenovo.
Well, to give you an example. The highest standard-configuration Retina MacBook Pro costs $2799 in the United States, without taxes.
In Europe, it can cost as much $3265 without any taxes at all. So, without taxes, there's already a difference of $466. You could buy an iPad mini + an iPod shuffle + accessoiries with this money.
If you take into account that taxes are extremely high in other modern, western, countries, than the difference is even more astonishing. In Europe, the Retina Macbook Pro I talked about will cost you $3951. If you compare that with the United States, where in some states you don't even need to pay sales tax, than there's a difference of $1152.
Basically, there are two issues:
- Apple asking much more money, even when taxes are taken out of the equation (as seen above: a Retina MacBook Pro standard configuration costs $466 extra).
- High sales tax, adding to the cost compared to the USA [in some states, you don't even need to pay sales tax] (as seen above: when you include taxes, a Retina MacBook Pro standard configuration costs $1152 extra)
The second thing is something Apple can't fix. It's not their problem. The first thing, however, is outrageous.
The combination just makes it really hard to swallow for a lot of people. You can get one Retina MacBook Pro in Europe while, for the same money, in the United States you can get one[/b] Retina MacBook Pro, one iPad mini, one unlocked 16 GB iPhone 5, one Apple TV and still have $75 for accessoiries or iTunes content or whatever.
Again, the problem is a combination of Apple asking a premium plus high sales tax. Also, again, it should be no surprise: for a lot of people, it is hard to understand why in Europe - and other parts of the world - you can only get one MacBook Pro, while for the same money in the US you can get a Retina MacBook Pro + iPad mini + iPhone 5 + Apple TV + still have money left for accessories or iTunes content or whatever.
This thread is so full of blatant ignorance and blind arrogance that it's downright mind boggling.
A 3.8% price premium is what they are complaining about? Do they forget to take into account their own taxes?
1) A clear pissing contest. The government could make it's own study and calculations and figure this out. Too lazy?
If Australia doesn't like it, maybe Australia should develop it's own home-grown talent and compete.
Wouldn't matter. Fosters isn't an Australian beer, from what friends in Australia tell me. It's ran by a UK company now.
I've lived in the UK and mainland Europe, dealing with Pounds, Euros, and back in the day, Guilders and Marks. Local cost of goods is so much more complex than simple math based on an exchange rate snapshot. Remember there's a whole economy involved in setting those local prices. Hedging against currency fluctuations is a factor too.
This is a political move to build local support. "Look voters, we're going to bat for you."
It's also pretty ridiculous that adjusting for taxes is an afterthought. It's probably because in most countries they just see the price something is to walk out the door with it. In the US tax is a nasty surprise at the register. These consumers should also be reminded that even in the US, buying a computer costs literally hundreds of dollars more in NY than NH, when you look at taxes.
Welcome to the Internet.
Most people wouldn't care about this story if it didn't reference Apple... but it does and most get so defensive.
More like welcome to America. Sheesh.