

Microsoft, Apple being asked to explain higher music & game prices in Australia - Suraj-Sun
http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/it-giants-in-price-probe-20120428-1xs16.html

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Vitaly
well, should Europe demand same prices as US too? the price for many things in
Europe is the same as in US numerically, just in a difference currency ;) EUR
instead of USD.

Companies charges whatever they feel like they can get away with. Its called
free market.

You want them to lower the price - stop buying.

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onetwothreefour
I think you're missing the point, and yes, you should be demanding lower
pricing if that's really the case.

Parallel importation of a whole variety of goods is actually illegal in
Australia, so it's not really a "free market" (there's no such thing anywhere,
by the way -- every country in the world has protectionist policies in play)
as retailers can't buy the same product from anywhere.

And as for "stop buying" -- people already are. Everyone in AU buys video
games, DVDs/Bluray, books, etc from the UK because they're so much cheaper and
they get free shipping. Retailers are losing a lot of money to sites based
overseas because of this.

These same retailers are trying to persuade the government to levy further
taxes on items bought overseas for personal use at the border so they can
protect their ridiculous pricing here.

TL:DR; the situation is a lot more complicated than "free market" and "stop
buying". Parliamentary inquiry into the matter is warranted.

