We’re no strangers to being ripped off here in Australia. But the fact that iTunes is asking for $259 for the complete Beatles box set on the Aussie store compared to $149 on the US store is beyond a joke. So it’s time for a refresher on how to legally purchase songs off the US iTunes and take advantage of the strong Aussie dollar.
The Gift Card Method
The quickest and easiest way to take advantage of Parity on the iTunes Store is via US iTunes Gift Cards. There are a few places online that will sell and ship US gift cards to Australia (including eBay), but there are some nefarious people out there who might try and cheat you this way. If you know anyone in the US or travelling to the US in the near future, it’s obviously a lot more reliable a method of ensuring you get what you pay for.
Once you’ve got your US gift card, sign out of iTunes on your computer and go to redeem your gift card. You’ll need to enter in a US address when you create a new American account, but that address can be anywhere. We recommend Apple’s own address, just for the hell of it.
Address entered, you’re now good to go! Because music is now DRM free on iTunes, there’s no need to worry about having an Aussie or a US account when you’re listening to your cheaper Beatles collection. If you want to take advantage of the US iTunes’ superior video collection, you may need to pay attention to which account you’re using on your iDevices, but they’ll still work.
The PrePaid Credit Card Method
If you don’t want to go through the hassle of acquiring gift cards from the US, you can opt for a prepaid US credit card. This is slightly harder to setup – you’ll need to get one of the prepaid cards from the US, but as some of these cards like the Netspend card allow you to top up your balance using Paypal, there’s the possibility of ongoing access to US iTunes content (and prices).
Once you’ve got your card, you just set up a US account with a US address and use your prepaid credit card details for purchasing. SImple.
Is it legal?
Definitely, but it does contradict Apple’s terms of service, so they could potentially suspend or cancel your account. That said, there are plenty of people who do this within the tech community and have never been busted. And given the ridiculous $110 surcharge we’re getting hit with just for living in Australia, the risk is well worth the savings…
Anon
Wednesday, November 17, 2010 at 10:33 AMNetspend asks for a US address to ship the card to. So that’s no use to people without US friends. Are there other options?
Allister Roger
Wednesday, November 17, 2010 at 2:44 PMhttp://www.hopshopgo.com/hsg/welcome.do?l=en&c= for a US shipping address,
Gonzalo Novoa Pozo
Thursday, November 18, 2010 at 11:27 PMI wonder if it would be worthy to buy a laptop, lets say a macbook pro with this method.
Anon
Wednesday, November 17, 2010 at 10:35 AMCan this method be used with Kindle books?
Brad Gawronski
Wednesday, November 17, 2010 at 10:42 AMI’ve used this method for the past year since the AUD has improved. Buying apps for the iOS devices is a pain as you have to update them by logging into your US account.
Try logging into your Apple TV with your US account, suddenly you get a much better range of movies and TV shows to watch, at HALF the price.
And legal ? Who cares, I still think the artists are getting a cut, more so than they would have, had I pirated the stuff.
Andrew Bitto
Wednesday, November 17, 2010 at 10:46 AMWhoa!!!!!11 Hang on while I delete all the Beatles albums I ripped onto my Hard Drive five years ago so I can re-buy them from Apple!!!1 $150. BARGAIN-AND-A-HALF!!!
Nozlaf
Wednesday, November 17, 2010 at 10:54 AM“So it’s time for a refresher on how to legally purchase songs off the US iTunes”
last time I checked fraud was illegal in Australia and a felony in the USA.
Nathan Young
Thursday, November 18, 2010 at 11:10 AMHow is it fraud? Either you get buy a US gift card, no fraud as no identity is involved in the purchase, or you use a US Credit Card, in which case you’ll only be committing fraud if you make yourself out to be someone you’re not.
Andrew
Wednesday, November 17, 2010 at 10:55 AMI don’t mind paying for music, I actually buy all the music I’m after that’s available on itunes. In this case though, with all the messing around you’d have to do to save $100, I’d probably just go the torrent option. It’s much simpler and it’s free and I think the beatles aren’t going to miss my money.
Jason
Wednesday, November 17, 2010 at 11:59 AMYeah… But being charged nearly double the price just because of where we are is totally okay, right?
Shane
Wednesday, November 17, 2010 at 11:02 AMYou could buy the set from amazon, I think I saw it for $129 – add in shipping though…:P
moggyx
Wednesday, November 17, 2010 at 11:06 AMI think we all agree that this is a blatant rip off. I would love to see the justification for this level of extortion, especially given the strength of the aussie dollar.
Nick, any chance we can get some formal reasoning behind why aussies continue to get gouged?
Guy
Wednesday, November 17, 2010 at 12:58 PMI think it’s more likely that the record companies are responsible rather than Apple. It seems there’s always been a controversial markup on music sold in Australia. A couple of years back Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails fame caused a stir by encouraging Aussie concert goers to “Steal, steal and steal some more and give it to all your friends and keep on stealing. Because one way or another these mother fuckers will get it through their head that they’re ripping people off and that’s not right.” after finding out his records had a significant mark up applied to them in Australia with no other justification than ‘his fans were willing to pay more’.
freddy
Wednesday, November 17, 2010 at 11:37 AMOr you could get it for free from a torrent website?
matt
Wednesday, November 17, 2010 at 12:40 PMi’m for this too in this case…
if a door to door salesman tried to rape me, and I managed to fend him off, I wouldn’t then listen to his sales pitch!
they are trying to rob us blind! so they can go get completely stuffed!
Damo
Wednesday, November 17, 2010 at 12:49 PMYes, I strongly second calls to hear some justification from Apple and all others who treat us this way. Those prices are absurd and they can’t claim shipping.
DrWevil
Wednesday, November 17, 2010 at 1:00 PMYeah that sucks
I just complained to the ACCC about it.
We need ALOT of people to do it as then the ACCC is more likely to do something.
go here to do it.
http://www.accc.gov.au/content/maintain/create/index.phtml?contentTypeItemId=9133&informationSpaceItemId=268347&inPop=1&returnUrl=.&type=Other
Cheers
DrW
Richard Djordjevic
Wednesday, November 17, 2010 at 1:51 PMI don’t see what that will accomplish? Apple isn’t doing anything legally wrong by charging a lot. They are under no obligation to charge the same here as they do in the US. If you don’t like it vote with your wallet, but it’s not a matter for the ACCC. You can just buy the music in a store (of which these prices are probably comparable) or import it if you want.
DrWevil
Wednesday, November 17, 2010 at 3:03 PMThe ACCC said to me that the more people that complain the closer they will look at it.
So people complain away.
While its not illegal it does seem to be profiteering IMHO.
or at the very least it would be discriminative trading IMHO.
Why should I be discrinatated against just for living in Australia???
Also ther is nowhere else to get legal digital versions of thier music. Last I heard there is no fair use laws in Australia so you cannot legally rip your CD’s. That may have changed by now tho. I know it was in the pipline.
DrW
Richard Djordjevic
Wednesday, November 17, 2010 at 4:42 PMYou can buy it in physical form easily enough if you want…I did so for about $130 last year from some Australian site through a bulk buy.
If other digital stores don’t have the records then arguably it’s the rights owner to the music you should be attacking, not Apple. As it is, the digital copies cost the same amount as the RRP for the physical copies.
I’d love for it to be a lower price but I really can’t see an ACCC complaint resulting in anything. The fact they’ve said “if enough people complain” to me sounds like they’ve already decided your case isn’t worth a look unless people really begin to get upset.
Dooga
Wednesday, November 17, 2010 at 1:48 PMI think with the AUS dollar reaching parity with the US, these companies are going to come under increasing scrutiny and asked to explain the disparity in prices for digital products. Ebooks, music video prices here in Australia is HUGE… and with no justification. It is the SAME product, and it isn’t even a physical thing that they can build shipping prices and whatnot into! The gouging these companies indulge in is excessive and it shows Australian customers that they are stupid and beneath contempt in their eyes.
Richard Djordjevic
Wednesday, November 17, 2010 at 4:47 PMhttp://www.exchange-rates.org/history/USD/AUD/G/M
As that graph shows the AU dollar hasn’t exactly been stable vs the USD for the past year (or longer). For us to have companies want to even begin thinking about adjusting prices the government has to insure that the dollar remains either strong or stable. Companies aren’t going to drop prices if theres a risk that in a few months we will be back to 0.8USD.
Hopefully we do get lower prices…but it’s not like we’ve been at parity for long and I expect there will be some time until we really see any consequences of this.
Joe
Wednesday, November 17, 2010 at 8:28 PMRichard, sensible comments from people who understand the nature of business and the world in general do not belong here. In future please remember to narrow your view and ensure comments are constrained to whinging or speaking from ignorance.
DrWevil
Wednesday, November 17, 2010 at 5:50 PMLoL your an apple user I think or work for them.;)
Still looking at that and even if the AU $ is unstable its no excuse IMHO for charging an extra $110. An extra $30 – $50 maybe but $110 is over the top. The AU $ would have to drop below 50c to justify the markup you are talking about.
It could very well be EMI. Simple fact is either EMI or Apple think Australians will pay $259 and I think people will because we as a nation are use to the “Oh you live a long way from every where and you dont have the population and the transprt costs and we know we can charge you what we want because you will pay it” mentality.
Richard Djordjevic
Wednesday, November 17, 2010 at 10:35 PMI don’t work for Apple…I’m just realistic. Companies aren’t likely to adjust their prices because the AU dollar has been strong for a three month period. That post wasn’t a defence of the price gauging, just that a few months of a strong dollar isn’t going to change things. The dollar has to show it can stay there for the long haul otherwise distributers are in for a world of hurt if they then have to raise the price of good again in a few months.
Anyway, I’d say it’s definetly EMI…the songs are priced similar to they are at retail…just as every other album on iTunes is really.
Please don’t get me wrong…digital files really should be on parity across the world if the company is acting in consumers interests since it usually doesn’t cost any more to offer the files. That said, I refuse to think that a) they are breaking any laws or b) that they will change their minds just because our dollar has been good for a short period of time.
Thats all I’m getting at.
amiga_tone
Wednesday, November 17, 2010 at 2:02 PMLast I saw (in August this year actually) you need a social security number to set up the pre-paid credit cards )Visa and Mastercard). It’s possible that this was a particular brand because I did consider getting one, but reading the instructions you have to have a valid US SSN.
Steve
Wednesday, November 17, 2010 at 4:38 PMYep. Apparently it takes 110 extra dollars to squeeze just that little bit more data through the pipes to Australia. Jesus Christ. Not even the Beatles is worth $259.
How can we not be expected to torrent when studio greed is so brazen.
DrWevil
Wednesday, November 17, 2010 at 5:58 PMAre Beatles songs protected by DRM?
Gilbert
Wednesday, November 17, 2010 at 6:17 PMThe price difference is because Apple has to give the local music mafia a cut of the sale.
Same reason why the books on iBooks cost more with an AU iTunes account then they do with a US one.
Unlike hardware, there’s no freight, standards compliance cost, or warranty provisioning, so the difference *has* to be someone in the middle demanding a cut.
Daniel Goodman
Friday, November 19, 2010 at 3:59 AMI got this response from an iTunes rep:
“I understand that you would like to know why there is a huge difference in pricing for the “The Beatles Box Set”. I will surely explain with this issue.
Daniel, the iTunes Store endeavors to offer you competitive prices on current selections. Your total price will include the price of the product plus any applicable sales tax (in effect on the day of download). Apple reserves the right to change prices for products offered at the iTunes Store at any time, and does not provide price protection or refunds in the event of a price drop or promotional offering.”
Hoodoo
Friday, November 19, 2010 at 5:04 PMTranslation:
I hear you’ve been whinging about our prices. Lemme break it down for ya.
, the iTunes Store knows for a fact that you can’t legally get it much cheaper elsewhere. The price is whatever we make up, plus government skimming. Apple reserves the right to start charging people anything they want up to and including DNA samples at the drop of a hat if they so desire. Suck it up,
Love Apple OX
PS. Thanks for providing an email address to send ads to.
Steve Anderson
Friday, July 1, 2011 at 9:24 PMTo answer those people who say it’s of no use complaining to the ACCC well they maybe able launch action under provisions of the Aus/US free trade aggreement. Secondly, Richard D, the only way the goby can even influence currency movements is through pol them is the reserve bank, which