Adobe US/UK price discrepancies at DVinfo.net

Simon Wyndham · December 18th, 2006, 08:26 AM

I just wrote this article for my website, but I'll post it here too as I am extremely annoyed!

This has been a bone of contention for those of us in the EU for some time now. Adobe makes it their policy to rip off everyone outside of the US.

Recently I wanted to purchase Dreamweaver 8. In US$ the price is $399, which at todays exchange rate is around 204 UK Pounds. Fantastic, and quite reasonable.

However, when I try to order from the Adobe store I am redirected automatically to the UK Adobe website, wherein I find the price to be 393 UK Pounds! Thats a price hike of almost double! But that isn't the end of the story. Lets convert that 393 UK Pounds back into Dollars shall we? The answer is $766!!

So, in real money for US customers Dreamweaver 8 costs $399, while for UK customers the price is $766!

What is even more of a disgrace is the fact that I am not even talking about a boxed piece of software. Dreamweaver can be purchased as a download. Which means that the price hike is nothing short of a total rip-off.

Almost every other company in the world allows me to pay by credit card in their local currency. Sometimes VAT has to be added, but that only amounts to 17.5%, and if you are VAT registered this can be claimed back anyway. In fact one reason I bought Sony Vegas was because not only was it half the price of its nearest competitor, but they also allowed me to purchase the software as a download in US Dollars.

Lets compare that to Adobe shall we?

Adobe Premiere costs $849 (511 UK Pounds inc VAT). Sony Vegas 7 costs $524 (327 UK Pounds inc VAT) including DVD Architect 4. However, I live in the UK. So for me Adobe Premiere costs 746 UK Pounds inc VAT. Thats an increase of 235 UK Pounds. If I was to convert the UK price back to UK Dollars (which will happen on Adobes accounts) the price of Adobe Premiere for UK customers is $1,455! Thats a price hike of $606 for Adobes accounts!

So, if you live in the UK, Sony Vegas 7 costs $638 (with VAT added), while Premiere will cost you $1,455. I'll leave it to you to decide which is the better value, and which company you would rather support.

Jacob Walker · December 18th, 2006, 09:37 AM

Simon,
Did you contact Adobe about there prices? Don't do email for somthing like this its best to talk on the phone. Adobe needs to hear that there prices are ridiciulous. Tell them that aren't just losing one customer, you but all the people that you talk to steering them away from there products because of unfair UK prices. Tell them you have a bad taste in your mouth because of their bad business, and until they do somthing to correct the situation you will continue to point people away from there products. Let them know that they may not care about losing one customer, you or anything you say but its people like you that buy there products and its people like you that won't stand for ridiciulous prices that are clearly unfair. The only thing worst than a bad product is a bad reputation.

And don't even bother with the first service agent you get, tell them you have a complaint and you want to speak to their supervisor.

best of luck,
Jacob

Simon Wyndham · December 18th, 2006, 09:48 AM

Most of the major PC magazines in the UK have written articles about this in the past, and have contacted Adobe.

Earlier this year (January) Adobe supposedly promised to make the prices equal. But they didn't.

Here are two other articles about this;
http://www.pcpro.co.uk/columns/73568...-a-ripoff.html

http://lifestyle.hexus.net/content/i...be%20rip%20off

Adobes reasoning for their prices in the EU is absolutely ridiculous given that virtually no other company feels the need to do this (or at least not to the same degree as Adobe)! If I purchase the software and download from the same servers as people in the US, or indeed anywhere, I don't see why I should have to pay such premiums for the privilege.

Ervin Farkas · December 18th, 2006, 10:48 AM

It's a shame that good products and good customer service don't go hand in hand. Adobe should at least take time to explain why is this exactly happening. I am not in a position to know exactly if this is the case, but the price difference might have to do something with Europe's general policy regarding electronics - they are usually higher by about 50%. Just as with gas, prices include a LOT of taxes that have nothing to do with the manufacturer.

Jacob is right on target, talking with them (possibly with the corporate office, not your local customer service) may help.

Simon Wyndham · December 18th, 2006, 11:08 AM

It has nothing to do with EU levees or taxes. Nothing whatsoever. There is no import duty in the UK for example for software. If I purchase online from Adobe for the download of a product there is NO reason why there should be an increase in cost. If you read my article, and the other articles that I linked to, you will see that Adobe has no good reason at all for the price differences. You will also see how I can purchase from Sony Media Software with no problems.

There is nothing in the EU that forces prices up. Only Adobe themselves. Again, in those articles there are quotes from Adobe as to the reasons why they have these price differences. And they make no sense whatsoever other than to line the pockets of Adobe. What Adobe say is that because exchange rates change, they do not want to be bothered to keep up (pretty much their words not mine). Despite the fact that I can purchase in US Dollars from every other company and the exchange rate is worked out at the time of the transaction automatically by the credit card company. And in general the Pound to Dollar

If Adobe was telling the truth, then if the exchange rate changed to be the opposite of what it is now, then the UK version will be cheaper. Can you honestly see them doing that? The European prices of Adobe software have always been artificially high, even when the Pound and Dollar were closer together.

Chris Hurd · December 18th, 2006, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Simon Wyndham

I just wrote this article for my website.

Please provide the link. Thanks in advance,

Frank Granovski · December 18th, 2006, 05:18 PM

Re: "Adobe makes it their policy to rip off everyone outside of the US."

Adobe does just what other companies do. This is nothing new for us poor Canadians. From the big brand name computers to software and video cameras. Thank goodness for B&H and downloadable software, eh?

Simon Wyndham · December 18th, 2006, 05:32 PM

Thats the problem Frank. Downloadable software should solve the problem, but Adobe force people to buy from their regional Adobe Online store. So for the same download you end up paying a 200% price hike!

Other software vendors don't do this. Avid does to a certain degree, but they have improved and the difference is not that great any more.

Apple are pretty bad with Quicktime, and they should be lambasted as well. But Adobe really take the ultimate first prize for peeing people off with their pricing.

One reason they can get away with it is because there isn't really any alternative to programs like Dreamweaver. Well, there are, but they are nowhere near the same capability.

Certainly if you live outside of the US I can see no reason to purchase their software.

Whats their pricing like for Canada? Its probably the Commonwealth thing. ;-)

Frank Granovski · December 18th, 2006, 06:01 PM

I wonder if using a US proxy might be one way around it, or getting someone from the US to download it for you. I often use proxies to view US sites such as Kodak. Kodak USA locks you out if your IP address isn't from the US.

Simon Wyndham · December 18th, 2006, 06:13 PM

Already thought of that. But Adobe is like Fort Knox! Everything is fine until I get to the credit card payment, and at that point I have to put in my address to match up with my credit card. Which is of course in the UK :-(

Frank Granovski · December 18th, 2006, 06:14 PM

Do you have 1 friend with a C.C. in the United States of America? :-)

Greg Quinn · December 18th, 2006, 11:15 PM

Utterly disgusting; as a Brit who's emigrated stateside, I've found that the pricing difference is notably stunning. The argument usually given for UK computer and software prices being higher was that it cost more to maintain a presence in Europe, but it's difficult to push that argument here given the distribution paradigm.

Frank Granovski · December 18th, 2006, 11:19 PM

Europe's population is higher than America's. There's no excuse.

Chris Hurd · December 19th, 2006, 07:16 AM

Hi folks, it's time to direct any further discussion of this issue over to Simon's own web site.

Click here for the link to his article.

Simon maintains his own message board, and I'd like to strongly encourage any interested parties to please post your replies directly to his forum. That link is http://www.simonwyndham.co.uk/phpBB2/

Thanks to all who participated,

December 18th, 2006, 08:26 AM	#1
Simon Wyndham Trustee Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Malvern UK Posts: 1,931	Adobe US/UK price discrepancies I just wrote this article for my website, but I'll post it here too as I am extremely annoyed! This has been a bone of contention for those of us in the EU for some time now. Adobe makes it their policy to rip off everyone outside of the US. Recently I wanted to purchase Dreamweaver 8. In US$ the price is $399, which at todays exchange rate is around 204 UK Pounds. Fantastic, and quite reasonable. However, when I try to order from the Adobe store I am redirected automatically to the UK Adobe website, wherein I find the price to be 393 UK Pounds! Thats a price hike of almost double! But that isn't the end of the story. Lets convert that 393 UK Pounds back into Dollars shall we? The answer is $766!! So, in real money for US customers Dreamweaver 8 costs $399, while for UK customers the price is $766! What is even more of a disgrace is the fact that I am not even talking about a boxed piece of software. Dreamweaver can be purchased as a download. Which means that the price hike is nothing short of a total rip-off. Almost every other company in the world allows me to pay by credit card in their local currency. Sometimes VAT has to be added, but that only amounts to 17.5%, and if you are VAT registered this can be claimed back anyway. In fact one reason I bought Sony Vegas was because not only was it half the price of its nearest competitor, but they also allowed me to purchase the software as a download in US Dollars. Lets compare that to Adobe shall we? Adobe Premiere costs $849 (511 UK Pounds inc VAT). Sony Vegas 7 costs $524 (327 UK Pounds inc VAT) including DVD Architect 4. However, I live in the UK. So for me Adobe Premiere costs 746 UK Pounds inc VAT. Thats an increase of 235 UK Pounds. If I was to convert the UK price back to UK Dollars (which will happen on Adobes accounts) the price of Adobe Premiere for UK customers is $1,455! Thats a price hike of $606 for Adobes accounts! So, if you live in the UK, Sony Vegas 7 costs $638 (with VAT added), while Premiere will cost you $1,455. I'll leave it to you to decide which is the better value, and which company you would rather support.

December 18th, 2006, 10:48 AM	#4
Ervin Farkas Inner Circle Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Atlanta/USA Posts: 2,515	It's a shame that good products and good customer service don't go hand in hand. Adobe should at least take time to explain why is this exactly happening. I am not in a position to know exactly if this is the case, but the price difference might have to do something with Europe's general policy regarding electronics - they are usually higher by about 50%. Just as with gas, prices include a LOT of taxes that have nothing to do with the manufacturer. Jacob is right on target, talking with them (possibly with the corporate office, not your local customer service) may help. __________________ Ervin Farkas www.AtlantaLegalVideo.com

December 19th, 2006, 07:16 AM	#14
Chris Hurd Obstreperous Rex Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: San Marcos, TX Posts: 27,368 Images: 513	Hi folks, it's time to direct any further discussion of this issue over to Simon's own web site. Click here for the link to his article. Simon maintains his own message board, and I'd like to strongly encourage any interested parties to please post your replies directly to his forum. That link is http://www.simonwyndham.co.uk/phpBB2/ Thanks to all who participated, __________________ CH Search DV Info Net \| 20 years of DVi \| ...Tuesday is Soylent Green Day!

December 18th, 2006, 09:37 AM	#2
Jacob Walker Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Enumclaw, WA Posts: 69	Simon, Did you contact Adobe about there prices? Don't do email for somthing like this its best to talk on the phone. Adobe needs to hear that there prices are ridiciulous. Tell them that aren't just losing one customer, you but all the people that you talk to steering them away from there products because of unfair UK prices. Tell them you have a bad taste in your mouth because of their bad business, and until they do somthing to correct the situation you will continue to point people away from there products. Let them know that they may not care about losing one customer, you or anything you say but its people like you that buy there products and its people like you that won't stand for ridiciulous prices that are clearly unfair. The only thing worst than a bad product is a bad reputation. And don't even bother with the first service agent you get, tell them you have a complaint and you want to speak to their supervisor. best of luck, Jacob

December 18th, 2006, 09:48 AM	#3
Simon Wyndham Trustee Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Malvern UK Posts: 1,931	Most of the major PC magazines in the UK have written articles about this in the past, and have contacted Adobe. Earlier this year (January) Adobe supposedly promised to make the prices equal. But they didn't. Here are two other articles about this; http://www.pcpro.co.uk/columns/73568...-a-ripoff.html http://lifestyle.hexus.net/content/i...be%20rip%20off Adobes reasoning for their prices in the EU is absolutely ridiculous given that virtually no other company feels the need to do this (or at least not to the same degree as Adobe)! If I purchase the software and download from the same servers as people in the US, or indeed anywhere, I don't see why I should have to pay such premiums for the privilege.

December 18th, 2006, 11:08 AM	#5
Simon Wyndham Trustee Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Malvern UK Posts: 1,931	It has nothing to do with EU levees or taxes. Nothing whatsoever. There is no import duty in the UK for example for software. If I purchase online from Adobe for the download of a product there is NO reason why there should be an increase in cost. If you read my article, and the other articles that I linked to, you will see that Adobe has no good reason at all for the price differences. You will also see how I can purchase from Sony Media Software with no problems. There is nothing in the EU that forces prices up. Only Adobe themselves. Again, in those articles there are quotes from Adobe as to the reasons why they have these price differences. And they make no sense whatsoever other than to line the pockets of Adobe. What Adobe say is that because exchange rates change, they do not want to be bothered to keep up (pretty much their words not mine). Despite the fact that I can purchase in US Dollars from every other company and the exchange rate is worked out at the time of the transaction automatically by the credit card company. And in general the Pound to Dollar If Adobe was telling the truth, then if the exchange rate changed to be the opposite of what it is now, then the UK version will be cheaper. Can you honestly see them doing that? The European prices of Adobe software have always been artificially high, even when the Pound and Dollar were closer together.

December 18th, 2006, 05:18 PM	#7
Frank Granovski Outer Circle Join Date: May 2002 Location: Hope, BC Posts: 7,524	Re: "Adobe makes it their policy to rip off everyone outside of the US." Adobe does just what other companies do. This is nothing new for us poor Canadians. From the big brand name computers to software and video cameras. Thank goodness for B&H and downloadable software, eh?

December 18th, 2006, 05:32 PM	#8
Simon Wyndham Trustee Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Malvern UK Posts: 1,931	Thats the problem Frank. Downloadable software should solve the problem, but Adobe force people to buy from their regional Adobe Online store. So for the same download you end up paying a 200% price hike! Other software vendors don't do this. Avid does to a certain degree, but they have improved and the difference is not that great any more. Apple are pretty bad with Quicktime, and they should be lambasted as well. But Adobe really take the ultimate first prize for peeing people off with their pricing. One reason they can get away with it is because there isn't really any alternative to programs like Dreamweaver. Well, there are, but they are nowhere near the same capability. Certainly if you live outside of the US I can see no reason to purchase their software. Whats their pricing like for Canada? Its probably the Commonwealth thing. ;-)

December 18th, 2006, 06:01 PM	#9
Frank Granovski Outer Circle Join Date: May 2002 Location: Hope, BC Posts: 7,524	I wonder if using a US proxy might be one way around it, or getting someone from the US to download it for you. I often use proxies to view US sites such as Kodak. Kodak USA locks you out if your IP address isn't from the US.

December 18th, 2006, 06:13 PM	#10
Simon Wyndham Trustee Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Malvern UK Posts: 1,931	Already thought of that. But Adobe is like Fort Knox! Everything is fine until I get to the credit card payment, and at that point I have to put in my address to match up with my credit card. Which is of course in the UK :-(

December 18th, 2006, 06:14 PM	#11
Frank Granovski Outer Circle Join Date: May 2002 Location: Hope, BC Posts: 7,524	Do you have 1 friend with a C.C. in the United States of America? :-)

December 18th, 2006, 11:15 PM	#12
Greg Quinn Major Player Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: San Diego, California Posts: 505	Utterly disgusting; as a Brit who's emigrated stateside, I've found that the pricing difference is notably stunning. The argument usually given for UK computer and software prices being higher was that it cost more to maintain a presence in Europe, but it's difficult to push that argument here given the distribution paradigm.

December 18th, 2006, 11:19 PM	#13
Frank Granovski Outer Circle Join Date: May 2002 Location: Hope, BC Posts: 7,524	Europe's population is higher than America's. There's no excuse.