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Mac prices increased with VAT increase snag
- Thread starter Artmuzz
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I couldnt believe it aswell. Last week I got a quote off £1,479 now i find its 1,512. Not on really. Just greed. I wouldnt buy anything from PC World with all the crap I've had to put up with from them (customer service, general dodgy salesmen). Im gonna wait a few month to generate cash and buy from Apple.
PS. Price I quoted included the mini displayport to dvi adapter.
PS. Price I quoted included the mini displayport to dvi adapter.
You resolved your post. I don't live in the UK, but my understanding is most retailers are going to increase the price because of the VAT increase (or revert).
nope.
imho apple has been shafting the UK so much in the last couple of years, its growth is mainly on continental europe and its American core.
The UK is definately not a hotspot for macs, iphones & touches are doing very well though especially with the iphone going multiple carrier in 2010 and britains biggest retail store Tesco selling it.
No it didnt. prices have not gone down, they have gone up for the past 2 -3 years.
Umm..
BBC said:
Link
As for the prices in general – America is always cheaper for Apple and most others. It's not like your oil prices are a whole lot lower. It's not just Apple, it's most things.
Wait, Apple sets the VAT in the UK ? They have government and taxation powers ? Wow, redefines the whole corporate state thing...
no he was asking did apple drop prices, and they didnt.
apple did not drop prices 2.5% so they have no right to raise them 2.5%
Given that the VAT dropped 2.5 percent last year, that seemed like what the other poster was referring to. I'm lost, I thought that it just was reflective of the VAT going back to 17.5%.
Hmm. Its funny you should mention that as I found the process of the order at PC World a bit suspicious. The salesman tried phoning the PC World branch that had the model I was looking for but he couldn't get through. He then said that he will have a word with the manager as he lives near the PC World store with the MacBook Pro in stock and that he will phone the manager of that store with is cell phone/mobile phone and pick it up. He then came back I told me that the order as been made and the MacBook Pro will be waiting for me on the 6th January and thats when I paid him. I then asked him that if there was any problems would I get my money back and he said that would be no problem.
I am getting a bit more worried now after you mentioning that you had problems with dodgy salesmen at PC World as I feel I could be a victim too
Art
Yeah around my area it's amost scientific fact that PC World are no bothered about you or what you're after, just the cash.
My first experience was when I was trying to install a router, it wouldnt work for whatever reason. So I rang them up, on hold for 1 HOUR. Now anyone would probably hang up, but I held on and waited for someone to decide to answer it. In the end I was told they were too busy and would log my call for later enquiries. Bit of a kick in the teeth
Second one was when I was buying a TV deal (Sharp 32'' Aquos with free Sharp BD player for £500). All was going well until this woman was really pressuring me into buying the customer care option they o for £10 or £15 a month. I explained my previous experience to her, but she just ignored me and went on about how they would actually take te money from my account every month. No joke. In the end I just walked away from her to a different till and left lol. On a side note - that is the worst BD player ever made. Not only ruins your discs, but is buggy, takesages to load and just generally a pain.
Third, and this was where I lost my temper lol. Took the Blu Ray in because it wouldnt play Shaun of the Dead DVD (I know its a BD Player but it should play DVD's fine). So he Player just turned off when I put the disc in...took it in to PC World after seriously thinking of throwing it into the fireplace. I asked the guy if he could remove my disc, and send me a new Player. He first said 'There's no disc in there'. I replied, 'But how could you know when I've just put it on the desk?'.
He then accused me of deliberately putting it in there (despite me pleading with him to open it) to get a new machine. Needless to say I went mad, asked for the Manager...told him. He didnt seem bothered, in the end I grabbed hold of the Player, nice pulled the tray open and got my disc. Waved it in both of there faces, demanded a new Player and walked out.
In conclusion, ANYONE thinking of buying from PC World..don't. All they given me is grief and not one bit of enthusiasm to sort a problem for me. The BD Player is in bits..it wouldnt play another DVD, so I just took it apart. Gonna get a PS3 whenever I can, and the TV has been fine.
rant over!
My first experience was when I was trying to install a router, it wouldnt work for whatever reason. So I rang them up, on hold for 1 HOUR. Now anyone would probably hang up, but I held on and waited for someone to decide to answer it. In the end I was told they were too busy and would log my call for later enquiries. Bit of a kick in the teeth
Second one was when I was buying a TV deal (Sharp 32'' Aquos with free Sharp BD player for £500). All was going well until this woman was really pressuring me into buying the customer care option they o for £10 or £15 a month. I explained my previous experience to her, but she just ignored me and went on about how they would actually take te money from my account every month. No joke. In the end I just walked away from her to a different till and left lol. On a side note - that is the worst BD player ever made. Not only ruins your discs, but is buggy, takesages to load and just generally a pain.
Third, and this was where I lost my temper lol. Took the Blu Ray in because it wouldnt play Shaun of the Dead DVD (I know its a BD Player but it should play DVD's fine). So he Player just turned off when I put the disc in...took it in to PC World after seriously thinking of throwing it into the fireplace. I asked the guy if he could remove my disc, and send me a new Player. He first said 'There's no disc in there'. I replied, 'But how could you know when I've just put it on the desk?'.
He then accused me of deliberately putting it in there (despite me pleading with him to open it) to get a new machine. Needless to say I went mad, asked for the Manager...told him. He didnt seem bothered, in the end I grabbed hold of the Player, nice pulled the tray open and got my disc. Waved it in both of there faces, demanded a new Player and walked out.
In conclusion, ANYONE thinking of buying from PC World..don't. All they given me is grief and not one bit of enthusiasm to sort a problem for me. The BD Player is in bits..it wouldnt play another DVD, so I just took it apart. Gonna get a PS3 whenever I can, and the TV has been fine.
rant over!
Apple dropped the VAT to 15% and increased it back to 17.5% accordingly. I don't see a problem here.
Macs are more expensive in the UK. The £>$ used to be over 2, now it sits around 1.65, combine that with the higher sales tax (which btw is not included in the American price), and the fact it costs more to do business here (business unfriendly policies, higher cost of store space, higher cost of fuel, etc. etc.) Steve Jobs doesn't just have a grudge against the UK, that is what it costs to sell a MacBook here.
And whoever told you Apple had been keeping the 2.5% for themselves is full of BS.
Macs are more expensive in the UK. The £>$ used to be over 2, now it sits around 1.65, combine that with the higher sales tax (which btw is not included in the American price), and the fact it costs more to do business here (business unfriendly policies, higher cost of store space, higher cost of fuel, etc. etc.) Steve Jobs doesn't just have a grudge against the UK, that is what it costs to sell a MacBook here.
And whoever told you Apple had been keeping the 2.5% for themselves is full of BS.
It was pretty obvious the price would rise with the VAT increase
.The pound has still dropped a lot against the dollar over the past 18 months - at one point it was $2=£1 now its $1.60=£1. The same applies against Chinese Yuan which is where the Macs are made, it used to be £1=C¥15, now its £1=C¥11, ditto Japan, in July 2008 it was £1=J¥230, now its £1=J¥150.
I doubt that the cost of doing business here has increased, with the currency reduction it should have dropped.
This is for everyone who is saying "Apple DID reduce their prices according to the change of 2.5% VAT back in December 2008".
Ok, fair enough, they DID reduce their prices according to the 2.5% VAT Drop. However, as they swiftly released new models, they swiftly went and ROSE the cost of their products back up to their original prices when they released new models.
Lets take the Macbook. :
-It USED to be £699 before the VAT decrease, then it went down to £681ish.
-However, then Apple went and released a new MacBook back in October, where they re-raised the price to £799, and then when VAT went back up on January 1st, they raised it once again to £816.
Therefore, they had no right to raise their prices and say it's according to the VAT change, as they were sneaky A**Holes who raised their prices beforehand too. They even did this with all the iMacs and new MacBook Pro's etc.
However, for EVERYONE whom may think they're affected by the 2.5% rise, I have a solution!
Some of you in the UK may or may not be aware of 'QuidCo.com'. QuidCo is a cashback site, where if you sign up, and use their link to order from Apples' website (or a number of other retailers) you pay the price Apple lists, however after about 1 month, your account is credited with 3% of however much you paid, and then QuidCo pays you.
So if any of you are affected by the 2.5% rise, get 3% off at the online apple store (No educational discounts allowed). Just visit THIS LINK to take back what Apple are unrightfully calling theirs.
Enjoy, especially your 0.5% profit
Ok, fair enough, they DID reduce their prices according to the 2.5% VAT Drop. However, as they swiftly released new models, they swiftly went and ROSE the cost of their products back up to their original prices when they released new models.
Lets take the Macbook. :
-It USED to be £699 before the VAT decrease, then it went down to £681ish.
-However, then Apple went and released a new MacBook back in October, where they re-raised the price to £799, and then when VAT went back up on January 1st, they raised it once again to £816.
Therefore, they had no right to raise their prices and say it's according to the VAT change, as they were sneaky A**Holes who raised their prices beforehand too. They even did this with all the iMacs and new MacBook Pro's etc.
However, for EVERYONE whom may think they're affected by the 2.5% rise, I have a solution!
Some of you in the UK may or may not be aware of 'QuidCo.com'. QuidCo is a cashback site, where if you sign up, and use their link to order from Apples' website (or a number of other retailers) you pay the price Apple lists, however after about 1 month, your account is credited with 3% of however much you paid, and then QuidCo pays you.
So if any of you are affected by the 2.5% rise, get 3% off at the online apple store (No educational discounts allowed). Just visit THIS LINK to take back what Apple are unrightfully calling theirs.
Enjoy, especially your 0.5% profit
You realise that exchange rates with other currencies do change quite a lot. And that also the pound has weakened compared to other countries...
The exchange rate has been £1GBP to $1.65USD for the past year... Quite literally. Most it has changed is by about 10cents so.
It was $2 to the pound when I was in the US in August 2008, and by January 2009 when I was in Singapore it dropped as low as $1.34=£1 and now its back at $1.65=£1. So its changed quite a lot.
EDIT: You can check on http://www.global-view.com/forex-trading-tools/forex-history/ if you don't believe me.