NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #16/NN_1992_16.iso/spool/comp/sys/mac/misc/14066

Internet Message Format | 1992-07-30 | 1.6 KB

Path: sparky!uunet!mcsun!uknet!network-analysis-ltd.co.uk!sw
From: [e-mail] (Sak Wathanasin)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.misc
Subject: Re: Top Ten Software Rip-offs, 1992-07-27
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Date: 30 Jul 92 10:02:24 GMT
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Organization: Network Analysis Ltd
Lines: 26
X-Mailer: uAccess - Macintosh Release: 1.5v4


In article <[e-mail]> (comp.sys.mac.misc,comp.sys.mac.apps), [e-mail] (mathew) writes:

> Since I'm a sporting chap, I use the tourist exchange rates -- the rates you
> or I would get if we walked into a bank and asked to change some currency.
> Rates are obtained from BBC teletext on the day I post the article.  Also, to
> be scrupulously fair, all prices are quoted without tax.

Since you are so sporting, you should also add excise duty and shipping
costs (from USA-UK), since these are included in the UK retailer's
price. You will find that the "%-age rip-off" comes down several points.
Moreover, your calculation of exchange rates doesn't take into account the fact
that the UK distributor is selling you items from stock which was
bought at a different exchange rate. This is almost always the case since
in order to get decent discounts, the distributor has to buy in bulk.

This is not to say that there isn't a rip-off, but I'm not sure why you are
singling out software: books, CDs &c all have a similar mark-up.


Sak Wathanasin
Network Analysis Limited
178 Wainbody Ave South, Coventry CV3 6BX, UK

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