As you’d expect, Giz has been closely following the parliamentary inquiry into the so-called “Australia tax”. We’ve chatted with Ed Husic, looked over the submissions, and lamented Apple’s closed-door briefing in Canberra. Yesterday, as companies began explaining why Aussies pay more for tech and games, Gizmodo’s own Luke Hopewell helped break down the issue for ABC News 24 viewers.
Well done mate.
And what will this accomplish? They cant FORCE companies to stop ripping us off can they? Are they trying to guilt them into it? The general consensus is that there is NO reason for such high price hikes, yet the companies still defend them. Whats going to change?
nothing ... thats why everyone should just stfu and stay at home
Good on ya. I enjoyed how you made sure to reiterate it several times so it gets into peoples heads we're being ripped off.
Who cares? If you don't like the prices, buy elsewhere, don't just carry on like 4 year-olds. Personally, I don't have too many issues around tech pricing in Australia. I got my last laptop at almost exactly the same price it is in the US and I pay what I think is a very fair price for digital music of mostly $12.49 an album (through Zune).
At the end of the day, if companies are making lots of money from us, that makes them more inclined to offer us the full range of their products with good local support. I wouldn't blame any global company for packing up and leaving if they felt like it. Its not like their Australian sales are anything more than a tiny blip on their balance sheets. And the fact is that we can afford to pay twice as much as Americans anyway, because we earn roughly twice as much, on average.
I rarely agree with MotorMouth but do find myself in agreement with what he has to say.
The pricing isn't that disparate on a lot of things anymore. Most of the difference can be found with the extra import costs on hardware and then gst on top of that.
the content pricing is a bit rubbish though. I wonder though if we'd be better served by a variable pricing scheme based of the USD or similar? It'd be great (though exceptionally difficult) to have global legislation requiring international pricing for an internationally sold good to be equal in all nations before tax (and maybe shipping, but i'd imagine that'd be an easy loophole to climb through). too bad we don't seem to live in a global digital economy yet.
The enquiry is nothing more than a waste of money and time, if we can't legislate to prevent gouging or prevent certain companies from selling certain products at inexplicable mark up prices then why are we wasting our time?
Much like the mining companies who have set up shop to dig up parts of our country it appears these big multinational companies in the IT field play by their own rules and Australia acts powerless to stop it.
These companies need to be reminded that we the people are in charge and if they don't like what we have to say they can pack up their toys and go home, there will always be another willing to play by the rules and take their place as long as their are profits to be made.
When it comes to professional software such as CAD, Rendering Apps,
video editing and Corporate level Apps (e.g Corporate Antiviris
solution - Digital download from US based server, cost: US $400
Aussie Cost $800 and US purchasers get an extra 12month online
support module). the prices are vastly different. Even a quick
check on steam or EA's Origin site when the sales are not on to see
the HUGE difference in prices for download content. I am glad that
the ACCC is at least looking into this and hope they can actually
have an affect on these companies.
What was the software that we're paying $9k more for?