Online Software Purchases
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Last Wednesday 24-08-2011 I received an email from Acronis to tell me that Acronis True Image Home 2012 had been released. For AUD$59.99 I could purchase the Upgrade Edition of Acronis True Image Home 2012 and Acronis True Image 2012 Plus Pack. So tonight I go to the Acronis website and find that by default it was offering me the upgrade for USD$52.17. I reckon I can do better than this and remote to my home computer and go direct to Acronis Website[^] and not through the link provided by email. I select the 2 products mentioned above and purchase them for USD$47.98, this converts to AUD$45.87 using there ripoff conversion rate. Factor in the 2.95% I will get hit for an international purchase and I get it for AUD$47.23. This saved me 21.27% or AUD$12.76. This is for a product I get delivered for free over the internet and it costs the developers and sales team no more for me get it here in Australia than it does for those in Germany or the USA. Why do so many companies that deal with sales over the internet decide to rip their potential cuistomers off so much? Microsoft pisses me off the most in this regard. Their Technet Subscription is USD$379 but sells here for AUD$628 even though the Aussie dollar has been much stronger than the Yank dollar for ages. They even have the purchase locked down to a Credit Card from a US based bank. Microsoft Australian is more fucked cause they don't even allow online payment and doing over the phone means you get to talk to India or the Phillipines and you may get the purchased finalised 2 or 3 weeks later.
Michael Martin Australia "I controlled my laughter and simple said "No,I am very busy,so I can't write any code for you". The moment they heard this all the smiling face turned into a sad looking face and one of them farted. So I had to leave the place as soon as possible." - Mr.Prakash One Fine Saturday. 24/04/2004
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Last Wednesday 24-08-2011 I received an email from Acronis to tell me that Acronis True Image Home 2012 had been released. For AUD$59.99 I could purchase the Upgrade Edition of Acronis True Image Home 2012 and Acronis True Image 2012 Plus Pack. So tonight I go to the Acronis website and find that by default it was offering me the upgrade for USD$52.17. I reckon I can do better than this and remote to my home computer and go direct to Acronis Website[^] and not through the link provided by email. I select the 2 products mentioned above and purchase them for USD$47.98, this converts to AUD$45.87 using there ripoff conversion rate. Factor in the 2.95% I will get hit for an international purchase and I get it for AUD$47.23. This saved me 21.27% or AUD$12.76. This is for a product I get delivered for free over the internet and it costs the developers and sales team no more for me get it here in Australia than it does for those in Germany or the USA. Why do so many companies that deal with sales over the internet decide to rip their potential cuistomers off so much? Microsoft pisses me off the most in this regard. Their Technet Subscription is USD$379 but sells here for AUD$628 even though the Aussie dollar has been much stronger than the Yank dollar for ages. They even have the purchase locked down to a Credit Card from a US based bank. Microsoft Australian is more fucked cause they don't even allow online payment and doing over the phone means you get to talk to India or the Phillipines and you may get the purchased finalised 2 or 3 weeks later.
Michael Martin Australia "I controlled my laughter and simple said "No,I am very busy,so I can't write any code for you". The moment they heard this all the smiling face turned into a sad looking face and one of them farted. So I had to leave the place as soon as possible." - Mr.Prakash One Fine Saturday. 24/04/2004
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Last Wednesday 24-08-2011 I received an email from Acronis to tell me that Acronis True Image Home 2012 had been released. For AUD$59.99 I could purchase the Upgrade Edition of Acronis True Image Home 2012 and Acronis True Image 2012 Plus Pack. So tonight I go to the Acronis website and find that by default it was offering me the upgrade for USD$52.17. I reckon I can do better than this and remote to my home computer and go direct to Acronis Website[^] and not through the link provided by email. I select the 2 products mentioned above and purchase them for USD$47.98, this converts to AUD$45.87 using there ripoff conversion rate. Factor in the 2.95% I will get hit for an international purchase and I get it for AUD$47.23. This saved me 21.27% or AUD$12.76. This is for a product I get delivered for free over the internet and it costs the developers and sales team no more for me get it here in Australia than it does for those in Germany or the USA. Why do so many companies that deal with sales over the internet decide to rip their potential cuistomers off so much? Microsoft pisses me off the most in this regard. Their Technet Subscription is USD$379 but sells here for AUD$628 even though the Aussie dollar has been much stronger than the Yank dollar for ages. They even have the purchase locked down to a Credit Card from a US based bank. Microsoft Australian is more fucked cause they don't even allow online payment and doing over the phone means you get to talk to India or the Phillipines and you may get the purchased finalised 2 or 3 weeks later.
Michael Martin Australia "I controlled my laughter and simple said "No,I am very busy,so I can't write any code for you". The moment they heard this all the smiling face turned into a sad looking face and one of them farted. So I had to leave the place as soon as possible." - Mr.Prakash One Fine Saturday. 24/04/2004
The #1 rule of the market: sell it for as much as they will pay for it. When you see the brand new superduper LED driven innovation technology state of the art 3D LCD televion in the store that costs you a liver and a kidney, it's not because it cost that much to design, develop, produce, transport and so on, it's that much because the target group will pay that much for it. Not that i am some expert in these things...
> The problem with computers is that they do what you tell them to do and not what you want them to do. < > If it doesn't matter, it's antimatter.<
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Last Wednesday 24-08-2011 I received an email from Acronis to tell me that Acronis True Image Home 2012 had been released. For AUD$59.99 I could purchase the Upgrade Edition of Acronis True Image Home 2012 and Acronis True Image 2012 Plus Pack. So tonight I go to the Acronis website and find that by default it was offering me the upgrade for USD$52.17. I reckon I can do better than this and remote to my home computer and go direct to Acronis Website[^] and not through the link provided by email. I select the 2 products mentioned above and purchase them for USD$47.98, this converts to AUD$45.87 using there ripoff conversion rate. Factor in the 2.95% I will get hit for an international purchase and I get it for AUD$47.23. This saved me 21.27% or AUD$12.76. This is for a product I get delivered for free over the internet and it costs the developers and sales team no more for me get it here in Australia than it does for those in Germany or the USA. Why do so many companies that deal with sales over the internet decide to rip their potential cuistomers off so much? Microsoft pisses me off the most in this regard. Their Technet Subscription is USD$379 but sells here for AUD$628 even though the Aussie dollar has been much stronger than the Yank dollar for ages. They even have the purchase locked down to a Credit Card from a US based bank. Microsoft Australian is more fucked cause they don't even allow online payment and doing over the phone means you get to talk to India or the Phillipines and you may get the purchased finalised 2 or 3 weeks later.
Michael Martin Australia "I controlled my laughter and simple said "No,I am very busy,so I can't write any code for you". The moment they heard this all the smiling face turned into a sad looking face and one of them farted. So I had to leave the place as soon as possible." - Mr.Prakash One Fine Saturday. 24/04/2004
I hate Acronis now... their customer service sucks too... and don't use their proprietary formats because no other software can use them (hell, stupid Acronis can't use files made with other versions, sucks). :thumbsdown:
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I hate Acronis now... their customer service sucks too... and don't use their proprietary formats because no other software can use them (hell, stupid Acronis can't use files made with other versions, sucks). :thumbsdown:
Albert Holguin wrote:
I hate Acronis now... their customer service sucks too... and don't use their proprietary formats because no other software can use them (hell, stupid Acronis can't use files made with other versions, sucks). :thumbsdown:
I've used Acronis True Image Home Version 10, 11, 2009, 2010, 2011 and now 2012 and Acronis Disk Director 10 and 11, can't say I have had a problem with them, though I have never had to call their Tech Support.
Michael Martin Australia "I controlled my laughter and simple said "No,I am very busy,so I can't write any code for you". The moment they heard this all the smiling face turned into a sad looking face and one of them farted. So I had to leave the place as soon as possible." - Mr.Prakash One Fine Saturday. 24/04/2004
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Last Wednesday 24-08-2011 I received an email from Acronis to tell me that Acronis True Image Home 2012 had been released. For AUD$59.99 I could purchase the Upgrade Edition of Acronis True Image Home 2012 and Acronis True Image 2012 Plus Pack. So tonight I go to the Acronis website and find that by default it was offering me the upgrade for USD$52.17. I reckon I can do better than this and remote to my home computer and go direct to Acronis Website[^] and not through the link provided by email. I select the 2 products mentioned above and purchase them for USD$47.98, this converts to AUD$45.87 using there ripoff conversion rate. Factor in the 2.95% I will get hit for an international purchase and I get it for AUD$47.23. This saved me 21.27% or AUD$12.76. This is for a product I get delivered for free over the internet and it costs the developers and sales team no more for me get it here in Australia than it does for those in Germany or the USA. Why do so many companies that deal with sales over the internet decide to rip their potential cuistomers off so much? Microsoft pisses me off the most in this regard. Their Technet Subscription is USD$379 but sells here for AUD$628 even though the Aussie dollar has been much stronger than the Yank dollar for ages. They even have the purchase locked down to a Credit Card from a US based bank. Microsoft Australian is more fucked cause they don't even allow online payment and doing over the phone means you get to talk to India or the Phillipines and you may get the purchased finalised 2 or 3 weeks later.
Michael Martin Australia "I controlled my laughter and simple said "No,I am very busy,so I can't write any code for you". The moment they heard this all the smiling face turned into a sad looking face and one of them farted. So I had to leave the place as soon as possible." - Mr.Prakash One Fine Saturday. 24/04/2004
It's not just software - at least one ticket agency in the UK allows you to print off your own ticket. They generate a pdf ticket that has a barcode embedded. You print it and take it with you, and they scan the barcode at the entry gates to the venue. If you have them print your ticket and post it to you, they charge delivery of about £3.00 IIRC. If you print off your own ticket, they still charge the £3 fee!
==================================== Transvestites - Roberts in Disguise! ====================================
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Last Wednesday 24-08-2011 I received an email from Acronis to tell me that Acronis True Image Home 2012 had been released. For AUD$59.99 I could purchase the Upgrade Edition of Acronis True Image Home 2012 and Acronis True Image 2012 Plus Pack. So tonight I go to the Acronis website and find that by default it was offering me the upgrade for USD$52.17. I reckon I can do better than this and remote to my home computer and go direct to Acronis Website[^] and not through the link provided by email. I select the 2 products mentioned above and purchase them for USD$47.98, this converts to AUD$45.87 using there ripoff conversion rate. Factor in the 2.95% I will get hit for an international purchase and I get it for AUD$47.23. This saved me 21.27% or AUD$12.76. This is for a product I get delivered for free over the internet and it costs the developers and sales team no more for me get it here in Australia than it does for those in Germany or the USA. Why do so many companies that deal with sales over the internet decide to rip their potential cuistomers off so much? Microsoft pisses me off the most in this regard. Their Technet Subscription is USD$379 but sells here for AUD$628 even though the Aussie dollar has been much stronger than the Yank dollar for ages. They even have the purchase locked down to a Credit Card from a US based bank. Microsoft Australian is more fucked cause they don't even allow online payment and doing over the phone means you get to talk to India or the Phillipines and you may get the purchased finalised 2 or 3 weeks later.
Michael Martin Australia "I controlled my laughter and simple said "No,I am very busy,so I can't write any code for you". The moment they heard this all the smiling face turned into a sad looking face and one of them farted. So I had to leave the place as soon as possible." - Mr.Prakash One Fine Saturday. 24/04/2004
I suspect that there is an Australian division in Microsoft which is making this money from the sales of the MSDN and probably registered on the Australian stock exchange (which would require an Australian registered company). The real annoying thing about this is that since Australia/New Zealand population is very small and the companies have their overheads we have a tendency to pay more for the same product from overseas. Unfortunately this is the direction larger online services seem to be taking which probably helps isolate the risk but it means that us as customers have price difference (basically a tax) because the other overseas division is not legally allowed to sell the same product at their price. I know AVG and paypal have ‘recently’ started an Australian version of their websites but where it will end who knows. One really bad case I was made aware of was a kitchenaid mixer which could be bought from amazon.com with an adaptor so the American product can use the Australian power supply was about $350 all up (including shipping) but in Australia I think it was on special for about $700 online (don't know about shipping). This issue has been around in the book/ebook market for ages because whoever has the rights to the product are then making contracts with the different regions at the most money they can but then making it really annoying for customers. And because Australia is classed as its own region so when the local printing companies make the book we end up paying about double the price because of the low population purchasing that particular product. If it was just limited to the print versions of the book I could sort of understand but it’s the same with the eBooks. I find that most major ebook sites (US) have most of the titles I want to buy marked as geographically restricted to the US (despite the fact I can buy other books without issues). This means I then have to go through the local book websites to find who has the rights to sell it to Australian customers (at an increased price for the same stupid product) and makes keeping track of who has what quite annoying (and don't get me started on the ebook formats). :mad: