Lenovo Caught Charging Huge Australia Tax Mark-Up On The Carbon X1


The Lenovo Carbon X1 is a great-looking ultrabook. We’ve said many-a-time that the X1 Carbon made business tech sexy again, but it turns out that if you want to have this good-looker in your life down under, you’d be paying huge premium. Why? Because ‘Straya.

CRN has broken out the calculator and found that if you want to get yourself a ThinkPad X1 Carbon in Australia, you’ll be paying a $750 premium for the same device as compared to US counterparts. $1999 in Australia, $US1299 in North America. Starting to see the problem?

When CRN asked about the frankly blatant mark-up, Lenovo blamed the mark-up on everything from Australian warranty provisions, to margin costs, right down to the cost of offering support in Australia.

I really recommend you head over to CRN to read the full statement from Lenovo’s director of product and solutions locally, David Heyworth. The excuses are just breathtakingly obnoxious.

This isn’t a new thing for Lenovo, either. It’s a repeat offender when it comes to the Australia Tax.

When the company’s S10 netbook came out all the way back in 2008, way before the term “Australia Tax” had even entered our minds, Lenovo was charging Australians more than they needed to be paying for identical tech. The S10 was priced at $US399 in North America, while Australians could expect to pay $699 for the same exact device.

Poor form, Lenovo. Where’s Ed Husic in a cape when you need him? [CRN]


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