Huge price differential - Acronis backup UK / vs USA

Hi there

Seems the UK is quite an expensive place to get software -- I'm at a loss to understand why there is a HUGE difference in price considering the product is DOWNLOADABLE from a central server -- no shipping / packaging costs etc etc.


Here's an image comparing the USA and UK price of Acronis 2011 True image home including the addon pack.

At today's currency market 1 GBP is approx 1.6 USD


Mid-market rates: 2011-05-20 09:20 UTC 1.00 GBP =1.62543 USD British Pound US Dollar1 GBP = 1.62543 USD 1 USD = 0.615223 GBP



So look at this and "go figure" at approx 15 USD difference in price - what gives here -- any financial experts available for comment.

I got the product via a US proxy but a lot of people can't do this from Europe BTW.


Cheers
jimbo

A lot of things in the EU have always been more expensive than in the US. Just one example, even in the early '70s when I was stationed in Germany, gas in the US was less than 50 cents/gallon while I was paying almost $3.00/gallon through the military post exchange. So a $15 -$20 price difference in software doesn't surprise me. Seems like European countries have always been getting the short end of the stick. The same economic factors that affected gas prices in the early '70s are still affecting most prices today.

That is a much smaller price differential than most products carry.

Usually there is a straight $ to £ .

E.G an item in US for $49.99 will often be charged at £49.99 in the UK - that is about 60% more.

It has been that way for as long as I can remember.

Not just software - everything is like that.

You wonder who is pocketing all those billions.


@Jimbo,

Acronis should give you their products - the amount of publicity they get from your posts.


Seriously, there are some valid reasons for higher prices here - nevertheless there is still an additional mark up on top.

In addition to the hated 20% tax which is included - evrything is expensive here.

If they are physical goods - the cost of transpost is much higher - road taxes and fuel duty in particular are enormous here. Storing products is expensive, warehouse and shop rents and, in particular rates ( rates are an annual tax on property ) are vastly greater, too.

That does not account for all of the difference - it gives an excuse to add an additional mark up - and disuise that as part of the higher costs.

There is no reason for non physial goods to be priced higher. They do it because they can.

The poor consumer is so used to being ripped off - they don't even question it.

There was a government campaign a while ago to try to address the issue. They termed it "Rip off Britain ".

It was quietly dropped when they realised part of it is due to higher taxes.

That includes the plus pack, tho, mate.

Normally it is $30 extra.

I don't know how they get away with that.

You have to pay extra for Acronis version of Adaptive restore ( most Paragon products include that - no extra charge ).

You also have to pay extra to get a winpe cd ( Paragon and macrium include that - no extra charge ).

Then - you have to download 1.9GB WAIK and make it yourself - unbelievable

I expect that saves Acronis having to pay the license fee to MS.