apple news/media reports
01/18/2005, 6:55am, EST
Tuesday, January 18th
European Mac fans call Mac Mini pricing unfair
Apple's pricing for its "most affordable" Mac--the Mac Mini--has drawn a storm of protest from European shoppers, who are petitioning Apple to rethink its EU pricing, according to CNET News.com. Users have started an online petition asking Apple to reduce the European pricing, which may be inflated due to the strong Euro (compared to the US dollar) and because of the included VAT (valued added tax), which is required by European Law (and not mentioned in the report). "We'd like to make an appeal to Apple on the pricing of the new Mac Mini in the European Union. Basing on the last long-term rate of exchange of U.S. dollars to euros (and vice versa)--which is 1.3293 on the spot market, so let's say 1.32--both announced prices of the Mac mini in Europe, 489 euros and 589 euros, respectively, are much too high."
The petition also notes that German users are also being charged an extra 50 euros for the lower spec Mac Mini and 60 euros for the higher spec machine: "The petition's writers also claim the higher EU pricing is counterproductive for Apple's business strategy and would serve to discourage potential PC to Mac switchers."
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Austrians on the other side to have to shell out another 10 euros...
We pay higher prices for European goods.
Anyway, I think this is just ridiculous. 489 euros is a very acceptable price. iBooks are under 1000 euros now as well. Of course Apple will sell their products cheaper in their home market, even more so if it's bigger (comparing the installed base).
I for one sure can live it.
And for those in the UK who wonder why the US Apple store's prices don't include sales tax, it's because here in the US, every state, county, and city can decided how much sales tax to tack onto purchases. So it would be impossible to show prices with tax. And if you think it's unfair that we have lower sales tax, check out how much income tax we have to pay before we even start spending out money!