@sharke  Exploit = make use of (a situation) in a way considered unfair or underhand.
Therefore I don't really think I have any need to reassess my definition of the word.
 
We seem to be getting a little off track here as some seek to defend (for whatever reasons they have) a position that is clearly unfair and hope to obfuscate the main points of the argument:

• An open offer was made to all users by Cakewalk to upgrade at $99 "Congratulations! You qualify for special upgrade pricing" 
• The upgrade turned out only to be for US Customers in that non US Customers are asked to pay a premium of 13% simply to cover ‘potential exchange rate fluctuations’
• The premium is also "to avoid directly competing with local dealers". So does this mean there are no local dealers in the US or are local dealers in other countries also paying a premium over and above? Remember, this is a limited time upgrade offer as X3 nears the end of it's life and users look towards X4, it is nothing to do with competition.

It's simply time for Cakewalk to play fair - it really is that simple - and honour the offer they made. Again, if these circumstances were reversed would you really be happy to sit back and say nothing? I suggest not and I suggest you look to yourself for the reasons you seek to defend this practice.
 

Nothing like a one sided opinion from edited highlights :) Ah well... who cares...

RickJP909
Guys, it's not just about the money difference but the principle behind it and for the record, if you work out the exchange rate of what UK customers are actually getting, the equivalent US price is in fact $124!!!
 
The question was asked why are we grumbling about Cakewalk and not other companies?  Easy answer, the other companies are irrelevant to most Sonar users and as Cakewalk is the maker of our DAW, we're taking issue with them as we want to continue buying and using Sonar.
 
To make it fair then, just let UK customers buy the upgrade using PayPal in USD + 20% for UK VAT and let PayPal charge their exchange rate!
 
I can tell you that we'll only lose about £3 doing that and it also means we can get the exchange rate of the day!
 
Lastly, the excuse for allowance of currency fluctuation is irrelevant as this is a very time limited offer during which, the fluctuation in exchange rate would be minimal.
 
 

Its still not clear ot me how it puts you into a UK store with higher prices.  Since you are downloading it, why not spoof your IP so it thinks you are in the USA, log into the US store and pay in dollars?  Or just change your physical address to usa if its basing it on your registered address.  
 
Lots of effort wasted here bad mouthing when you could be finding a solution.
 
 

Stockport
@sharke  Exploit = make use of (a situation) in a way considered unfair or underhand.
Therefore I don't really think I have any need to reassess my definition of the word.
 
We seem to be getting a little off track here as some seek to defend (for whatever reasons they have) a position that is clearly unfair and hope to obfuscate the main points of the argument:

• An open offer was made to all users by Cakewalk to upgrade at $99 "Congratulations! You qualify for special upgrade pricing" 
• The upgrade turned out only to be for US Customers in that non US Customers are asked to pay a premium of 13% simply to cover ‘potential exchange rate fluctuations’
• The premium is also "to avoid directly competing with local dealers". So does this mean there are no local dealers in the US or are local dealers in other countries also paying a premium over and above? Remember, this is a limited time upgrade offer as X3 nears the end of it's life and users look towards X4, it is nothing to do with competition.

It's simply time for Cakewalk to play fair - it really is that simple - and honour the offer they made. Again, if these circumstances were reversed would you really be happy to sit back and say nothing? I suggest not and I suggest you look to yourself for the reasons you seek to defend this practice.
 

Here is a graph of the US/UK exchange rate over the course of a year. It ends up approximately 13% higher than it starts out. So their rationale sounds reasonable.
http://www.exchangerates....ange-rate-history.html

200bpm
Its still not clear ot me how it puts you into a UK store with higher prices.  Since you are downloading it, why not spoof your IP so it thinks you are in the USA, log into the US store and pay in dollars?  Or just change your physical address to usa if its basing it on your registered address.  
 
Lots of effort wasted here bad mouthing when you could be finding a solution.

Another bunch of irrelevant comments I'm afraid.


1) He expects everybody to have a technical knowledge on to spoof an IP.
2) He forgets about how we pay. We pay with UK credit cards that have UK addresses. Try and spoof that one! Not sure about Paypal though. Probably not...
3) He forgets about upgrades that already in a UK store for instance.
4) He entirely bypasses the subject of tax.

And then he bad mouths yet another poster by telling him he's bad mouthing... so friendly of him....
 
The crutch of the issue is that some people here think the exchange rate buffer zone that Cake imposes is too large, and some people do not. End of.

LOL. Maybe we should buy a laundry as well (this is a Breaking Bad joke). Maybe I'll just stuff the cash in an envelope and send it to Boston.

Stockport
"The discrepancy between prices on our US Web Store and the GBP Web Store is due to the fact that all prices on the GBP web store include VAT. The additional amount above VAT is there to make up for potential exchange rate fluctuations and to avoid directly competing with local dealers. As a resident of Great Britain, the web store will require you to make a purchase in the Great Britain store."

Disclaimer: I don't speak for Cakewalk. However, I have had much experience in this industry and have seen the view from the retailer's, manufacturer's, and customer's side.
 
First, the amount of legalities that all three have to go through (although it tends to be hidden the most from the customer) is immense. That alone influences price.
 
But overall, a quick search showed that the prices for all American software tends to be higher in European countries. If you think Cakewalk is bad, Apple Logic Pro X - which is download only, sold only by Apple, and doesn't involve physical packaging or shipping - sells for $240 (all prices are quoted at today's exchange rates) in the UK compared to $199 in the US. MOTU Digital Performer is $616 at Thomann compared to $499 at Sweetwater. Reason 7 is also $616 at Thomann and $399 at Guitar Center in the US. Cubase 7.5 is $839 in the UK and $499.99 at Sweetwater.
 
I could go on, but I think the point is obvious: It costs more to buy American software in England, and given the Cubase price, I suppose German software as well. And in comparison, Sonar is generally much kinder on your wallet than some other programs.
 
Why is this? I don't know, but I assume it has to do with the cost of doing retail business in the UK. Software companies cannot undercut their dealers without basically putting them out of business, which is no way to reward companies that promote, sell, and support your products. 
 
If you want to get to the root of the problem, I think it probably lies with the British government, retailers complying with the regulations of the British government, and software companies accommodating the retailers.
 
I think the answer received from Cakewalk was quite direct, which is why I highlighted what I considered the most pertinent part in bold. Blaming Cakewalk for a problem that apparently affects all software manufacturers is, IMHO, misdirected.
 
 
 
 

CakeAlexS
From that statement I know exactly who your voted in the last election Criag LOL!!!! .

 
I highly doubt you could infer who I voted for from that statement. When I moderated the Political Forum on Harmony Central people often debated whether I was a liberal or a conservative. They never did figure that out, because I haven't.  I take things on an issue-by-issue basis.
 
Besides, I don't think that statement was an opinion. I really do get the sense the cost of doing business in the UK is higher than in the US. Which means retailers charge higher prices. Which means to avoid undercutting them, direct sales from manufacturers are higher too. I don't think it's rocket science but then again, I've never launched any rockets. Maybe it's not as hard as people say. 

But to get back to the topic, is there anything incorrect about my logic as to why all software I surveyed, not just Cakewalk, is more expensive in the UK? Do you think it's that all UK retailers are price-fixing to keep prices artificially high? And if so, what would prevent Thomann from coming in as an outsider, undercutting everyone, and taking over market share?
 
Fact: All the software I mentioned costs more in the UK. I advanced one theory...any others?