[siMac]

Adobe Store US:
Creative Suite 2 Standard - $899

Adobe Store UK:
Creative Suite 2 Standard - £705 ($1275) +41%

Adobe Store France:
Creative Suite 2 Standard - €1399 ($1725) +91%



Discuss.

[art_director]

Now that's weak.

[art_director]

Of course, if we were to list the prices of common pharmacuticals (sp) in the US and elsewhere you'd find that we, in the US, pay expotentially higher prices than anyone else. Adobe's price discrepencies don't come close to touching that one.

[siMac]

Originally Posted by art_director

Now that's weak.

Maybe to you, but to me here in France I find it very interesting.

Now, feel free to jump in and defend Adobe with talk of 'perceived value' and the international economy, but a 91% markup is outrageous, I'd like very much for someone to provide me with a logical justification.

(FWIW, I wasn't sure whether the prices on the US store included sales tax so I compared them with the before-tax prices from the European stores. If the US prices do include sales tax that takes the markup to well over 100%.)

[siMac]

Originally Posted by art_director

Of course, if we were to list the prices of common pharmacuticals (sp) in the US and elsewhere you'd find that we, in the US, pay expotentially higher prices than anyone else. Adobe's price discrepencies don't come close to touching that one.

Evidence?

[art_director]

The US price is pre-tax. In Minnesota, where I live, the tax would be 6.75% on top.

Nobody is defending Adobe.

[art_director]

Originally Posted by siMac

Evidence?

AIDs drug, Combivir by Glaxo, costs $7,093 / year in the US and $730 / year in Africa.
( http://www.twnside.org.sg/title/twr131c.htm ) -- Note the source of that graph info is the Wall Street Journal.

That's but one example. This is a very hot topic in the US. Granted, a reasonable person sees that Africa needs these drugs desperately and should get them at a lower rate. But these price differences are across the board including everything from blood thinners to heart medication.

Minnesota, the state in which I live, borders Canada. Here senior citizens are taking buses across the border to buy their drugs -- drugs they need to stay alive -- because they can save thousands of dollars each year simply by going to Canada. In some cases that comes to tens of thousands. When you're living on a fixed income we're talking about some serious change, eh?

The majority of drug companies are European owned -- many in Switzerland. When they sell their wares in the US we get the brunt of the cost of reasearch and development. The rest of the world, France included, gets discounts, often significant discounts, as result of us carrying the financial burden.

I understand that in France your health care system blows -- that opinion comes from French friends in Beaune and Gardoun. Socialized healthcare is an experiment that could use some fine tuning.

Sorry, this is well beyond the scope of Adobe's lame pricing.

One should also note that the price difference could be the result of the government. Before attacking Adobe I suggest researching how much the French government charges to import the software and what added costs or taxes are associated. Again, not defending Adobe but trying to be fair and honest about how and why the discrepency exists.

[siMac]

Originally Posted by art_director

The majority of drug companies are European owned -- many in Switzerland. When they sell their wares in the US we get the brunt of the cost of reasearch and development. The rest of the world, France included, gets discounts, often significant discounts, as result of us carrying the financial burden.

http://www.bain.com/bainweb/Consulti...tail.asp?id=22

Interesting read. Suggests that we Europeans benefit from an average discount of 25-35% on pharmaceuticals. Just as well since most of our health systems are already crippled from underfunding!

Originally Posted by art_director

Sorry, this is well beyond the scope of Adobe's lame pricing.

One should also note that the price difference could be the result of the government. Before attacking Adobe I suggest researching how much the French government charges to import the software and what added costs or taxes are associated. Again, not defending Adobe but trying to be fair and honest about how and why the discrepency exists.

Here in Europe we are accustomed to paying higher prices across the board for computer hardware/software - ie the Mac Mini - $499 in US, $649 in UK, $652 in France. And yes, usually this is down to import charges, fluctuating exchange rates, local taxes and the manufacturer trying to recover localisation costs. But c'mon, 91 percent??? The CDs we get here are identical to the CD's you get, plus these days you don't even get books so technically we are talking about an identical product, it's just the license that changes depending on your selection from a drop-down menu.

I'm not here to attack Adobe, just to discuss what seems to be a dubious international pricing policy and maybe get some kind of sensible explanation for it. I find this kind of situation even more alarming now that Adobe and Macromedia are set to merge - I don't worry for the quality of the products (look at Photoshop, years without major competition and still progressing) but rather I worry for the pricing in a 100% Adobe-controlled market.

[art_director]

Wish I had time to read that link...not today.

You're right to question Adobe's pricing in France. It sounds like you're getting screwed.

[CaptainHaddock]

That's why you shop around, and buy software from the market that's the cheapest. You might find another country's edition for even less than the US one, who knows.

Drug prices tend to vary from country to country because of patent laws; laws that, in my humble opinion, are immoral and prevent competitors from reverse-engineering life-saving medicines. In Africa, not many people give a flying you-know-what about patents, so prices have to be cheaper. On the other hand, pharmaceuticals and other large corporations own the US government, and Congress helps them protect their monopolies.

[Randman]

You think Adobe's bad, check out Quark prices internationally vs US. And that includes features as well.

[siMac]

Originally Posted by CaptainHaddock

That's why you shop around, and buy software from the market that's the cheapest. You might find another country's edition for even less than the US one, who knows.

But then I would be in violation of the EULA, so I might as well save even more money and just pirate it.

[siMac]

Originally Posted by Randman

You think Adobe's bad, check out Quark prices internationally vs US.

Fortunately I don't give a tiny rat's ass about Quark's prices - if they think I'm ever going to buy any more of their overpriced, underperforming POS software then they've got another thing coming. The Jig Is Up™. They can go cry on Extensis' shoulder...

[Randman]

Originally Posted by siMac

Fortunately I don't give a tiny rat's ass about Quark's prices - if they think I'm ever going to buy any more of their overpriced, underperforming POS software then they've got another thing coming. The Jig Is Up™. They can go cry on Extensis' shoulder...

Ok. Though I actually meant that many software companies have different pricing structures for the US and outside NA.

[CaptainHaddock]

But then I would be in violation of the EULA, so I might as well save even more money and just pirate it.

Since when do EULAs tell you where to buy software?

[Westbo]

Originally Posted by siMac

Adobe Store US:
Creative Suite 2 Standard - $899

Adobe Store UK:
Creative Suite 2 Standard - £705 ($1275) +41%

Adobe Store France:
Creative Suite 2 Standard - €1399 ($1725) +91%



Discuss.

Can we say VAT? Tarriff?

[siMac]

Originally Posted by Westbo

Can we say VAT? Tarriff?

Originally Posted by siMac

FWIW, I wasn't sure whether the prices on the US store included sales tax so I compared them with the before-tax prices from the European stores. If the US prices do include sales tax that takes the markup to well over 100%.

Yes that's right, VAT in the UK is now at 41%.

[siMac]

Broken post...

[siMac]

Originally Posted by CaptainHaddock

Since when do EULAs tell you where to buy software?

From the Adobe International English EULA:
"You agree that the software will not be shipped, transferred or exported into any country..."