CakeAlexS
@200bpm without a unit of currency being quoted next to the figures, your post is meaningless to me. Cheers...

sharke
Really? Seems obvious that the first set of figures is dollars and the second set represents "some other currency."

 
I must remember to file my tax returns like this if it is that obvious ;)
Regardless I get his point now, he's now talking about rounding off numbers for some reason. Well obviously a selling price is most often rounded off in some way, and a currency conversion on a credit card does not. I think most of us understand the difference between the two. I don't quite understand how this applies to gaps or buffer zone in currency conversions vs actual price.
 
(Edited for typo).

@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.
 

sharke

CakeAlexS
@200bpm without a unit of currency being quoted next to the figures, your post is meaningless to me. Cheers...

Really? Seems obvious that the first set of figures is dollars and the second set represents "some other currency."

Wow.  And this is why I've got him on block.  I have no idea what he's saying unless someone quotes him.

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

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!!!
 
Sharke, I totally accept your argument regarding the cost of goods in the US against the UK and I'm fully aware of that but Cakewalk are directly offering different pricing to the same audience!
 
I agree, if I buy from a UK dealer, it'll be more but that's if I choose to buy from a UK based dealer.  Cakewalk aren't UK based.  If I buy from a US seller on eBay, I pay in USD the price advertised and using PayPal who'll do the conversion for me with a small charge but nothing more.  When I checkout on eBay, I don't get a different price because I'm buying from the UK.
 
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.
 
 

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.
 
 

That's a great suggestion 200bpm.  However, we'll be subject to import duty doing that and could get a slap from our inland revenue office.
 
I'm not sure how they'd find out though.  Anyone up for that challenge?  Can UK customers log-on to the US store and buy it at $99?
 
200bpm, I'm not sure about the "bad mouthing", making a point though is a different matter and I think you'll find that Sonar users are a very verbal and passionate bunch which is why this forum is probably more active then most other DAWs!

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

sharke

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

Yes, granted but I believe I made the following points in my previous post clear so that negates this excuse:
 
"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".

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.