Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Prices vary from country to country

D

discoboy

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Feb 14, 2007
9
0
Hi everyone I'm new here so please be kind :eek:
What do you think of Apple's pricing policy that fixes prices in each country but allows each country to charge a different amount?
Even allowing for exchange rate fluctuation prices between the UK, Australia and Hong Kong vary enormously. Case in point, a Mac Pro of identical configuration as taken from each website costs GBP1445 in the UK, AUD3999 in Australia and HKD19900 in Hong Kong. Converted to HKD (for no particular reason other than that is my current location) the prices are $21675 in the UK, $24399 in Australia and $19900 in Hong Kong. Am I getting a really good deal?
 
Yes I anticipate moving down there in the next few months hence the indecision.
 
discoboy said:
What do you think of Apple's pricing policy that fixes prices in each country but allows each country to charge a different amount? Even allowing for exchange rate fluctuation prices between the UK, Australia and Hong Kong vary enormously.
Click to expand...

Taxes, duties, tariffs, import fees and other politically imposed costs are what makes the price vary so much. Even the exchange rate is based on political policies since currencies, which were originally units of weight, are now no more than a measure of how much money a government is willing to print.
 
^^^Exactly what I was going to say.

HK doesn't have sales tax! Australia and the UK do. I know that by this logic, the UK price should be the most expensive since sales tax in the UK is higher. However, there are other taxes that you just need to factor in.
 
Does that mean that taxes and blah blah blah are higher in Australia than the US? Australian prices are 22% higher than those in Hong Kong - does that sound right?
 
I hear so many people are saying the pricing in UK and Australia are very high. When I looked at Apple Japan's website for the price comparison with USA pricing, the pricing is very reflective of the overall exchange rate. I think Apple is setting up the pricing for each country based on the market size, operating expenses in those countries, and revenue/profits targets. Smaller the markets, Apple would need to set up a higher price for a Mac as they cannot count on the volume of orders.
 
discoboy said:
Does that mean that taxes and blah blah blah are higher in Australia than the US?
Click to expand...

Yes.

Australian prices are 22% higher than those in Hong Kong - does that sound right?
Click to expand...

Again, HK doesn't have sales tax! This means 0%, but you should know that.

Australian sales tax isn't 22%, but maybe there's some sort of import tax. I'm not sure. Comparing to HK isn't fair, anyway. How many countries charge taxes (ie: taxes of all sorts, not just sales tax) as low as in HK? Not very many with an Apple store, that's for sure.
 
True we don't have a sales tax (yet) but then how does that explain the 12% difference between the UK and Australia. I always thought direct taxes in the UK were high but Apple in Australia are charging more.
 
discoboy said:
True we don't have a sales tax (yet) but then how does that explain the 12% difference between the UK and Australia. I always thought direct taxes in the UK were high but Apple in Australia are charging more.
Click to expand...
Reread emptyCup's post. They mention more than just taxes.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back