Ireland PS3 price questions still unanswered

Explosive_Cornflake

grimloch wrote:

This is a nice summation but I'd say he's being a bit conservative with the price of both games and a controller. The fact of the matter is that 600 or whatever gets you little more than a fancy paperweight.

A very fancy paperweight

I've to head off now, but if anyone is bored in work today, do they feel like compiling a price list for the 360 acrosss eurozone, and posting it with the vat rate list posted earlier. I'll doit tonight so it hasn't been done.

monument

grimloch wrote:

The fact of the matter is that 600 or whatever gets you little more than a fancy paperweight.

:rolleyes:

chump

After lengthy questioning by Games Toaster, Microsoft has maintained VAT is the reason for the extra charge on Irish consumers. “Finland and Portugal both announced ERPs the same as Ireland”, said Orla Sheridan, Home and Entertainment Division Manager of Microsoft Ireland.

However, for some unknown reason, consumers in Belgium will only be charged the general euro price, “Their messaging was €399.99 and €299.99 and that retail could determine their own pricing” Sheridan stated, even thought the country has the same rate of 21% VAT as Ireland and Portugal.

Ireland, Portugal, and Finland, all have an ERP of 309.99 and 409.99 euro for the lower and standard consoles, Finland actually has the highest VAT rate at 22%.

Although, the 10 euro difference is only a fraction of the console’s price, some consumers have taken issue with the questionably reason for the variation.

Ireland
Finland
Portugal
ERP: 309.99 and 409.99


Regular European Price, 299.99 and 399.99

US Price: 299.99 and 399.99, but taxes not included in costs
The cost in the UK has been set at GBP £219 for Core, GBP £279 Premium.


VAT rates in the EU (2003)

Country and regular VAT %'age

Belgium 21
Czech Republic 22
Denmark 25
Germany 16
Estonia 18
Greece 18
Spain 16
France 19,6
Ireland 21
Italy 20
Cyprus 15
Latvia 18
Lithuania 18
Luxembourg 15
Hungary 25
Malta 15
Netherlands 19
Austria 20
Poland -
Portugal 19
Slovenia 20
Slovak Republic 19
Finland 22
Sweden25
United Kingdom 17,5


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xbox_360
http://www.expatax.nl/vatrates
http://gamestoaster.typepad.com/games_toaster/2005/09/xbox_360_higher.html

yawnstretch

Inter-roasting.

Would digital distribution solve this problems for games (obv not consoles) or would they start taxing that too then?

projectmayhem

yawnstretch wrote:

Inter-roasting.

Would digital distribution solve this problems for games (obv not consoles) or would they start taxing that too then?

well looking at half life 2: episode 1. it comes to about €17.99 whereas in stores it's set to be between €25 and €30... so yeah, digital distribution ftw

Lord Oz

projectmayhem wrote:

well looking at half life 2: episode 1. it comes to about €17.99 whereas in stores it's set to be between €25 and €30... so yeah, digital distribution ftw

Actually the only reason steam is cheaper is because games in ireland are so expensive, with steam your paying the american price. It's nothing to do with the distribution being digital. In the US HL2 Episode 1 boxed in store costs €17 too.

Wertz

yawnstretch wrote:

Inter-roasting.

Would digital distribution solve this problems for games (obv not consoles) or would they start taxing that too then?

They already apply VAT to any software or electronic service purchased/carried out on the web from inside the EU. Any MMORPG I've subscribed to adds VAT onto the monthly fee...in that instance it basicaly means that EU gamers pay 17-22% extra on top of what US players pay (not sure about asian markets).
AFAIK a "sales service tax" of this type cannot be applied online in the US (this may have changed since I last noticed).

Of course you can try and lie your way out of paying it, but if you pay by credit card, then the system knows where the card is registered ands applies applicable VAT.

projectmayhem

Lord Oz wrote:

Actually the only reason steam is cheaper is because games in ireland are so expensive, with steam your paying the american price. It's nothing to do with the distribution being digital. In the US HL2 Episode 1 boxed in store costs €17 too.

well it'd most likely be a similar case for most games though, i'm sure.

shortys94

http://www.joystiq.com/2006/05/30/gamespot-gets-gut-punched-for-ps3-price-promise/
not a great punch,

they really seem to work hard:P