Peter Morrison


Freedom of choice, if you think it's too pricey, don't buy it. £89 to me is cheap, if you say it quick. Wait until the first bug fix.

I think you are missing the point. No-one is saying it's too pricey, or at least I'm not. The simple question is why is a download 40% more expensive based on where I happen to live?
Ironically that's exactly what is missing - freedom of choice. I would like the choice to download and pay for it in $$.

Peter Morrison


Freedom of choice, if you think it's too pricey, don't buy it. £89 to me is cheap, if you say it quick. Wait until the first bug fix.

Whether £89, £189, £1089 or £10,089 for product X, Y or Z, is cheap to you, me or anyone else is neither here nor there.

What this whole topic has been about is the sale of US online downloadable goods to the Eurozone with itemisable cost listings showing the USD conversion and the correct EU tax being applied. i.e., as it is done correctly by a number of US companies, excluding Cakewalk.

You forgot the "Cakewalk Champagne Party Tax", which is an extra £15, all included! :P

But  seriously, ballpark estimation would be (for someone in UK):-

(USD * GBP_EXCHANGE) + (USD * GBP_EXCHANGE)*VAT
(99 * 0.628) * 1.175
= £73.05 (by all means, make it 74 and there's your 95p tip for the coffee fund!)

Bristol_Jonesey


What - for the sake of £15????????

Er, Yes???????? (8 question marks, I did count that right?)

I'd be happy to put that to something else, other than an accomplished sense of having been successfully ripped off and enjoying it.

At the end of the day, Cakewalk (either individuals, or as a corporate entity) don't care whether I buy or not. It's a blip on the financial radar to them. But I reserve the right to make a choice about whether I have been quoted the right price, and if not, look elsewhere.

No need to be upset, I'm sure there'll be plenty of bubbly at the launch party.

<Joker> You aughta know, you bought it! </Joker>

With Dolphin selling the boxed upgrade for £89 (inc VAT,  +carriage)  I know where I'll be buying my copy.

Bristol_Jonesey




It could be £189 and I'd still get it.

Don't give them ideas.
The premium we pay for being British is already too big IMO, thank you very much.

Wait until it's out and then go to digital village and get the boxed version - they always beat whatever others advertised prices for me.

The D/L is a rip-off plain and simple. I have bought from other software sites that let you pay in $ and my credit card co. just use the exchange rate of the day to convert to GBP - no mention of VAT anywhere. If they can do it, so can CW but they're not going to and they're not going to answer the question either as proved by exactly the same debate last year with the first download version. There was some vague offering from CW about needing to cater for fluctuating exchange rates etc, but this is just baloney as there is no fluctaution to them if they allow all customers to pay in $.

It just comes down to how much you want it I guess. I'm not convinced just yet, it looks pretty and all that, but is it enough..........not sure yet

benstat


I'll begrudgingly buy X1 on release day despite the rip off. The fact is I want the new stuff in X1 more than I care about the £40 extra I'll be spending compared to elsewhere in the world (8.5 Studio to X1 Producer upgrade, works out £40 more than USA).

And CW/Roland know this.
Ultimately they know enough people will pay whatever amount they ask.
 
For me, and most others it's not about the price CW are asking... yes £89 does seem reasonable.
However, if you could get the same product elsewhere at, say, £74 I assume you would go fo the cheaper option.
 
What I, and LOTS of others want is the option to buy from the US at $99 then let our bank do any currency conversions, and ourselves be responsible for any taxes. As method this WILL be cheaper than £89

UnderTow

Twigman


2 years ago Robin Kelly suggested that Cakewalk themselves collected and paid the VAT over http://forum.cakewalk.com/fb.ashx?m=1493554%C2%A0

Post (and thread?) deleted. I guess it was a pack of lies and they know it.

UnderTow

Very dodgy indeed.

think you are missing the point. No-one is saying it's too pricey, or at least I'm not. The simple question is why is a download 40% more expensive based on where I happen to live? Ironically that's exactly what is missing - freedom of choice. I would like the choice to download and pay for it in $$.

FastBikerBoy

Peter Morrison


Freedom of choice, if you think it's too pricey, don't buy it. £89 to me is cheap, if you say it quick. Wait until the first bug fix.

I think you are missing the point. No-one is saying it's too pricey, or at least I'm not. The simple question is why is a download 40% more expensive based on where I happen to live?
Ironically that's exactly what is missing - freedom of choice. I would like the choice to download and pay for it in $$.

Point taken

Cake think that if they ignore this thread it will go away...
It won't
The same topic comes up year after year and is on permanent ignore by CW.

This year I'm going to do what I can to ensure this thread stays on page1 of the forum until Cakewalk's policy changes and we can buy at the same price as the rest of the world.

Join me and keep this thead top of the heap.

Also lets not forget that all of the UK prices have this 40% mark up as well.  Considering that they appear to be going for a competitive pricing policy generally, its interesting that they are maintaining their previous stance in europe.

As has been noted in a few threads recently they have virtually no penetration in Europe, maybe they just aren't seriously interested in the market so don't care about a few disgruntled customers.

On another note I went to see the Neil Cowley Trio at the ICA last night and they were phenomenal.

As the UK price is 40% higher they could leave it be in Jan and still claim it's VAT causing it.

benstat


People in the UK are ruder, more miserable and complain more than anyone else. It says so here.

Cakewalk spend the extra 40% on spreading joy here in the forums to counteract our hopeless negativity.

How true, and I'm 40% ruder and more miserable than the average UK resident, maybe I'll get lucky and X1 will be 80% more expensive for me and then I'll have even more to complain about. Happy days..... or should that be sad days?

We don't set the prices outside of the US. We have a retail distribution network outside of the US that sets prices for each individual market. That's just how our business works.

I realize everyone would like to buy in their own currency in order to save a little based on exchange rates, etc.

But look - let's think about this rationally for a minute. To expend so much energy over what is frankly less than the price of a single modest meal for two (barely) seems a little out of line relative to the amount of "hurt" doesn't it? I'm just sayin'...

I'm not a rich man by any means, but I certainly wouldn't let the "loss" of 20, 30, or even 40 dollars linger in my head for too long, especially if it was for something I really wanted. Life is just way too short.

We are always looking at our worldwide retail distribution network and evaluating things. For now, it is what it is. It's not that we don't care or are trying to ignore anything - it's simply the way the business works. And yes we do pay VAT which accounts for some of the discrepancy.

And please understand - I'm not trying to belittle the argument or diminish anyone's feelings. I understand it sucks to pay more for something when you don't feel like you should have to. I guess I'm just saying that...

1) We here you.
2) We're really not trying to be greedy or punish anyone.
3) Nothing is going to change in the short term.
4) We are always evaluating the situation.
5) Perhaps try to put it in perspective and don't let it keep you from enjoying making music with SONAR.