I don't see the point in buying this product. Apple are beginning to rip UK consumers off and should be investigated for price fixing and unfair charging by the trading standards and/or the EU.
They expect us to pay £1200 for a MacBook Air, only marginally less than a MacBook Pro, yet they sell it for $1800 in the USA? £1200 does not equal $1800. £1200 is nearly $2400!
And then the drive, given the above, if it's $99 you can be sure it will be £79 instead of £45. For £45 you can buy various alternatives, including the LG GSA-50 which is the same size or smaller, and does exactly the same job.
The MacBook Air, and all related products are exactly that - nothing but hot air. Avoid like the plague if you value your finances.
They could well be doing just that, Elliot. However all the years of British genius that we have recently lent you should by far have made up for that by now.
Well you've got VAT which tacks 18% onto the price, and then there is apple's additional costs for getting the computer approved for sale in europe. In the US we still have to pay sales tax, so what seems like 1800 is actually $1950 at the register.
After a little google calculating £1200 * .82(subtracting 18% VAT) = £984 in $ = $1927.26 a $127.26 premium for your import, perfectly comparable to Japanese Tech imports to the US so I am lost to why you have your panties in such a wad.
There are alot of factors involved when it come to setting prices in different countries, However on the price fixing issue, they should be investigated. I don't know about the US and other countries but in the UK everywhere a Apple product is sold, the prices are always the same.
How can it be consider price fixing when you could just buy a PC? Apple sets its prices where it thinks the UK market will buy them, period. Don't like the price? Don't buy it.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Gabriel Wolfe @ Jan 15th 2008 2:17PM
I don't see the point in buying this product. Apple are beginning to rip UK consumers off and should be investigated for price fixing and unfair charging by the trading standards and/or the EU.
They expect us to pay £1200 for a MacBook Air, only marginally less than a MacBook Pro, yet they sell it for $1800 in the USA? £1200 does not equal $1800. £1200 is nearly $2400!
And then the drive, given the above, if it's $99 you can be sure it will be £79 instead of £45. For £45 you can buy various alternatives, including the LG GSA-50 which is the same size or smaller, and does exactly the same job.
The MacBook Air, and all related products are exactly that - nothing but hot air. Avoid like the plague if you value your finances.
Elliott @ Jan 15th 2008 2:26PM
That sucks bro, maybe since Apple is a US based company they're taxing you guys in the UK to help make up for the pain they suffered until 1776.
Matt @ Jan 15th 2008 2:31PM
Why you gotta bring up that old shit.
Raheem @ Jan 15th 2008 2:31PM
They could well be doing just that, Elliot. However all the years of British genius that we have recently lent you should by far have made up for that by now.
WhinyMate @ Jan 15th 2008 2:35PM
Actually, they don't "expect" you to do jack shit, except whine-and you seem to be doing a fair job of that all by yourself :p
AlexP @ Jan 15th 2008 2:39PM
Shut up already.
AlexP @ Jan 15th 2008 2:41PM
How about I get a regular external optical drive that will cost me 50 bucks less instead?
I know this one's a slot loader and it's "sexy", but what the hell, it's an external drive - for a few bucks more I could get a game console!
max andrews @ Jan 15th 2008 3:07PM
Well you've got VAT which tacks 18% onto the price, and then there is apple's additional costs for getting the computer approved for sale in europe. In the US we still have to pay sales tax, so what seems like 1800 is actually $1950 at the register.
Benjamin @ Jan 15th 2008 5:06PM
After a little google calculating £1200 * .82(subtracting 18% VAT) = £984 in $ = $1927.26 a $127.26 premium for your import, perfectly comparable to Japanese Tech imports to the US so I am lost to why you have your panties in such a wad.
adrian @ Jan 15th 2008 5:33PM
There are alot of factors involved when it come to setting prices in different countries, However on the price fixing issue, they should be investigated. I don't know about the US and other countries but in the UK everywhere a Apple product is sold, the prices are always the same.
George @ Jan 16th 2008 12:29AM
How can it be consider price fixing when you could just buy a PC? Apple sets its prices where it thinks the UK market will buy them, period. Don't like the price? Don't buy it.