Why do Oz users get ripped off all the time.

Question

Hi Can anyone explain why it costs $AUD16.99 an album or $AUD1.69 per song to buy music through the Itunes store in Australia when it costs $US9.99 to buy the same album ( or $US0.99) per song if you buy in the US. The current exchange rate is at around 95c in the $ so the price should be no more than about a $1.10 so Apple or somebody is making on average about 33% extra for every song sold in Australia. This is discriminatory and patently unfair. It doesn't cost Apple any more to service Australian clients than American and this price difference is unjustifiable on the evidence before me.

Answer 1

Which is precisely what I am doing. i will find a way to purchase direct from the US or UK. But I would still be keen to see some justification for the rip off apart from the "cause we can" mentality. Still doesn't make it right for Apple or the record companies if it is them that are setting the prices. Typical isn't it . The whole music industry's (ie the labels) approach to digital music right from the start - firstly fight it tooth and nail until such time as it is obvious you can't win so then change the rules and try and control it even more than ever before (DRM and sundry associated issues ) and again when even that is shown as a complete waste of time and effort introduce a pricing model that favours particular markets. And people wonder why people share music ?
And even the fact that your statement regarding different negotiated market access for different markets is a joke in itself. Why is a US consumer any more entitled to a cheaper price for music than someone in Brazil, Australia, Asia etc. Sure their market is bigger but with online music it is a global market with no respect to borders. So that argument would also be fallacious. Lets face it they do it cause they are getting away with it and they don't really give a toss about the consumer.
So you are suggesting that the costs of supplying an Australian consumer is 33% more than the cost for a US customer . Basically this works out that every third album you buy should be free or would be free if the prices were comparable.