Why are apps from the UK store more expensive than the US store by 40%

Hi


I have just brough a new playbook; but before buying I read several of the blackberry playbook articles and looked to see what aps were available and their cost, these were priced in dollars. However, now when I try to download them when I log in the prices are in UK pounds; and increase in price by approximately 40%. This seems totally unreasonable, I am happy to purchase in dollars from the american store; how can this be done?
Or is there another way of purchasing the apps at a reasonable price?

You know, here in, er, continental Europe, the very same $ become full euros... so for RIM 1$ = 1 � = 1 €, voil�...

Well I would say its for the same reason accessories are between 50% and 150% more expensive in the UK than the US - because it is yet another company that sees us a golden goose. Another example of "rip-off Britain"

JUST JUMPING IN HERE , TO MAKE AN INFORMED opinion we need to compare apples with apples. So for arguments sake take an app which is available on phone and pb ie. Gps maps using Google maps
$nz 1.25 so from you other members what is the us,euro.sterling, prices. As far as I can see appworld is converting to local currency which suggests the $1.25 nz I would pay for this app is pretty close conversion to $.99 us.

Socialism. Everything is more expensive there.

One total normal explanation...Europe is much further from Canada than the states...;)

This is an issue with RIM. Has been for years. They don't exchange currencies very well.

Google allows developers to set rates by Country.. However RIM doesn't allow us to do that. They just let you select a Tier for the price. And I have never understood the reasoning for the same. An app that costs $2.99 in US will cost 3 GBP (around 4.8 USD) in UK, 111 INR (around 2 USD) in India and so on.. Even within Europe, not all countries are treated equally. For example folks in Belgium only pay 2.25 Euros while folks in Germany pay 2.49 Euros for the same app...

Probably someone at RIM who decided on this tiered rate structure could chip in... As a developer, I would like to have the flexibility to choose my own rates for each country...

Perhaps some small part if the differences are dye to local taxes, but the larger differences are unfair. It's not just RIM though. Here in Canada we often pay significantly more for books than the US does even though our dollar is worth more.

I'm pretty sure its for ease so the pricing structures don't get too confusing... to be honest I don't mind paying the little extra for apps which just cost a couple of pounds... but it does start to grind a little when you reach apps that cost �5 or �10

Originally Posted by jamesharmeling

Socialism. Everything is more expensive there.

Well done. Now give the computer back to mummy.

What do apple and Google do?
I know itunes charges us in Australia more for music than those in the US. But apps seem to be on par.

I think it's more laziness or a sign that RIM doesn't take the non American market seriously than a blatant cash grab.

Originally Posted by Banco

Well done. Now give the computer back to mummy.

Yeah I nearly had coffee come out my nostrils when I read that. Thought I was on a different forum for a minute.

Originally Posted by StampyBeaverbrook

What do apple and Google do?
I know itunes charges us in Australia more for music than those in the US. But apps seem to be on par.

I think it's more laziness or a sign that RIM doesn't take the non American market seriously than a blatant cash grab.

Its a classic example of where doing absolutely nothing pays extra dividends.

What I wonder is if the app developers get the extra 40%? I bet they dont.

The only thing you can do is use a proxy. There is some instructions on here you can search for. And complain to rim.

And I bet they don't pay much tax in the UK either...........

Originally Posted by daglesj

And I bet they don't pay much tax in the UK either...........

Got to be profitable first...

Originally Posted by pa_smith

I have just brough a new playbook; but before buying I read several of the blackberry playbook articles and looked to see what aps were available and their cost, these were priced in dollars. However, now when I try to download them when I log in the prices are in UK pounds; and increase in price by approximately 40%. This seems totally unreasonable, I am happy to purchase in dollars from the american store; how can this be done?
Or is there another way of purchasing the apps at a reasonable price?

Half of that difference is for VAT sales tax which is 20% in the UK --- which is included in the listed price. Other European countries have 15% VAT which is also included in the listed price.

Questions about selling apps in the AppWorld - BlackBerry Support Community Forums

Originally Posted by gonzo uk

The only thing you can do is use a proxy. There is some instructions on here you can search for. And complain to rim.

Tried once (for an app that wasn't available in my country), didn't work.
Is there really someone here at Crackberry that did implement a proxy successfully?
H.

Originally Posted by Herve5

You know, here in, er, continental Europe, the very same $ become full euros... so for RIM 1$ = 1 � = 1 €, voil�...

This is not correct, in continental Europe we pay 0,75 Euro for a 1 Dollar app. Only the UK you have to pay 1 Pound for a 1 Dollar app.

Originally Posted by backfire101

This is not correct, in continental Europe we pay 0,75 Euro for a 1 Dollar app. Only the UK you have to pay 1 Pound for a 1 Dollar app.

but how do you know the american price ?

question should be - does RIM pay its UK tax bill, unlike Starbucks! lol! Sorry, couldn't resist chiming in! (and I am in the UK!)

Originally Posted by bay1902

question should be - does RIM pay its UK tax bill, unlike Starbucks! lol! Sorry, couldn't resist chiming in! (and I am in the UK!)

Same reply as before - that it has to be profitable before there is a tax bill.

Is no one figuring that it could be high British import taxes? They aren't just going to "eat" those...

Via my PlayBook and Tapatalk

Originally Posted by gkl

Is no one figuring that it could be high British import taxes? They aren't just going to "eat" those...

Via my PlayBook and Tapatalk

No. The British are free trade fanatics. The only time there are high import duties are when they are EU-wide external tariffs. Not sure they can be applied to electronic transfers anyway.