Price difference between the UK & US

M
Posted By
mnkspc
May 4, 2005
Views
733
Replies
13
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Closed
Can anyone give me a good reason for the significant price difference between the Adobe US & UK stores for a download upgrade copy of Photoshop CS2 ?

The price in the US Adobe store is $149, The price in the UK Adobe store is £149 (equivalent to $284).

I can see no justification for this price difference :

– download comes from US when purchased from either store – tax difference does not explain the difference.
– Support is charged for so does not affect price

Anyone have a valid reason ? Can anyone from Adobe provide a reason ?

Cheers

Mark

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J
johnkissane3
May 4, 2005
Retribution for the Stamp Act, maybe. 🙂
S
Sepen
May 5, 2005
Maybe to offset the costs of setting up and enforcing a license agreement (UK lawyers on staff) in your country as well as a UK Adobe office. The price seems outrageously different but your country would also represent a significantly smaller market. Perhaps such costs are kept "in country" due to Adobe having a UK company. For instance, I know Canon is a Korean Company but we have Canon USA which is incorporated in the US and technically another company entirely.

Could be totally wrong but I’ve seen this question before and that is the only possible answer I can come up with.

Perhaps you could call and ask Adobe UK? (UK: 020 73650735) I’m sure this is probably a common question that they already have an answer on hand for. I’d be interested in knowing as well if you ever find out.
T
troyhark
May 5, 2005
It’s obvious, Adobe make more money by charging the same in pounds in dollars. That’s pretty valid if you want to increase profits.
Adobe aren’t the only ones it has to be said, my girlfriend bought a mountain bike whilst working in the States, she saved £1000+ by buying there rather than back in UK. Even with duty taxes etc that’s a big saving. Most things as far as I can remember have always cost the same or less in dollars compared to pounds. Lots of people go to NY to do their Xmas shopping – have a holiday and save money.
But if I go to States on holiday and download PS there do I pay UK or US prices?
D
deebs
May 5, 2005
It may be worthwhile extending such a comparison to health care ops, price of gas(oline), autos … just to get a broader background picture too
MD
Michael_D_Sullivan
May 5, 2005
The difference in price is at least partly attributable to VAT, which is typically included in UK prices; also import duties can be significant.
D
deebs
May 5, 2005
I think it is a wee bit more – for example rumour has it that a 2000 USD health op will cost 20,000 UKP
MD
Michael_D_Sullivan
May 5, 2005
I think it’s the other way around, deebs. When my wife was teaching at Oxford a couple of summers ago, she had some sort of health issue and had to see a local specialist. She was charged some nominal amount, certainly less than UKP 50, while in the U.S. it would have been several hundred USD. Likewise, we took her to a hospital emergency room (not sure what the UK term is) for some further treatment that would have cost hundreds or thousands in the US, and it was again nominal in cost.
C
chrisjbirchall
May 5, 2005
But if I go to States on holiday and download PS there do I pay UK or US prices?

Why not just download from the US site regardless of where you live?

I bought my upgrade in a box. But if i’d downloaded, my ‘delivery address’ would have effectively been a string of numbers! Can the server detect which country you are in from an IP address?
DM
dave_milbut
May 5, 2005
yes
MM
Mick_Murphy
May 5, 2005
Chris – I don’t know if the server can detect where you are but you need to pay for it which means putting in an address for your credit card. Also American companies should and generally do charge VAT over the last year or so on e-sales to EU countries as well. Adobe is obliged to do this.

That said VAT has nothing to do with the price differential. As a rule you pay £ for $ on this side of the Atlantic for almost everything, seemingly regardless of the exchange rate.
JJ
John Joslin
May 5, 2005
I suppose if you were determined enough and know someone in the USA, you could get them to download it and pay for it and they could send it to you. Me? I bought the box in UK. Just love the bedtime reading!

Nevertheless, Adobe aside, Brits wouldn’t have to do a lot of shopping over there to pay for an air ticket and make a profit.
C
chrisjbirchall
May 5, 2005
Just love the bedtime reading!

….you mean you get time to go to bed?!

You must have a different version of CS2 to me! <grin>
MR
Moira Riddell
May 6, 2005
This is a subject dear to my heart!! Adobe will not let you download if you live in the UK, once you enter your address you are forwarded to the European web site at UK prices, which is double what you would pay in the USA.

I have also learned that my copy of PSCS was purchased in the USA, and an upgrade to PSCS2 cannot be made in the UK!

I have ordered a copy form B & H, and that works out a lot less than over here, mind you I will probably get hammered for VAT, not duty as software is exempt…. I won’t be out of pocket.

Moira
wrote in message
But if I go to States on holiday and download PS there do I pay UK or US prices?

Why not just download from the US site regardless of where you live?
I bought my upgrade in a box. But if i’d downloaded, my ‘delivery address’ would have effectively been a string of numbers! Can the server detect which country you are in from an IP address?

Must-have mockup pack for every graphic designer 🔥🔥🔥

Easy-to-use drag-n-drop Photoshop scene creator with more than 2800 items.

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