Taxes are another reason for higher prices. In Germany, US products cost 30% more to start with because the import duty is 11% and the sales tax is 19%. To that you have to add shipping cost etc.
On the other hand I can buy a Mercedes 40% cheaper than in Germany although they are made only 10 miles from my home in Germany. Go figure. Example: This car costs appr. $30.000 in the US but the exact same car is the equivalent of $50.000 in Germany.
I can recall prices in the US being substantially lower in many areas when I lived there. Cars, clothes etc were much cheaper. Maybe it was a larger and more discerning market. Now if another country tried to gouge in the US they would be sued due to US anti gouging laws.
I don't think consumer protection laws are the issue. The US has always been more litigious but we're following. When it comes to software it doesn't cost the supplier anymore for an Australian consumer to download bits than an Australian consumer from a US server. When I buy parts for a new PC some of them are US sourced and shipping costs are relatively small when shipped to an Australian distributor. We are as remote as anywhere in South East Asia were the US source many of its consumer products.
It gets very difficult to figure out pricing for most of us because we really don't have all the information.
Michael, I think another part of the "problem" is that Australia is upside down. It takes a huge change to the manufacturing process to keep products right side up when shipping to the land down under. And that adds to the overall cost.
If there are any skeptics who don't believe that Australia is upside down, why do they have upside down maps just for them?
NOTE: Before anyone takes offense, this is just some good-natured humor. Happy Holidays, everyone!
Years ago I used Norton products. The last one that I used was their removal tool. Wanted to renew A/V on line. Download for Canada was close to 70% on top of US price.
Art.
Following on from the above....
Most of the stores here don't seem to be offering NIS but rather Norton 360. I'm assuming 360 is NIS + a couple of things you probably don't need (backup, tuning)---am I right? I need to update in the next few weeks and a well known consumer electronics store here is offering me a 5 pack OEM 360 for $50. Should I take it?
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