

The GTA IV bundle box art  (Source: SCEE)
Sony announces PlayStation 3 packed with Grand Theft Auto IV






Comments     Threshold


RE: Expensive!
By oab on 4/23/2008 2:06:25 PM , Rating: 2
And yet ironically, the Canadian dollar has grown to parity and our prices dropped to match the US ones.

Figure that out.

RE: Expensive!
By mmntech on 4/23/2008 6:56:33 PM , Rating: 2
Got my 60gb for $450 that way, $100 off. However, the difference was that Canadians could simply take a short drive across the border and buy it for the lower price. Canadian retailers had to cut prices or else they'd loose more business. In Europe and Australia, people don't really have that option unless you turn to eBay. I think most would be too lazy to go through the hassle.

I know that Australians have always paid a lot for electronics but those costs are obscene. The 60gb was around $699 here when it first came out when the dollar was weak. However, that included full BC and the stuff Sony has since cut out.
I'm glad I got my DualShock 3 for $20. Best Buy Canada has them on sale for that provided you buy GT5 Prologue. No way I'd pay $90 for something that shakes a little. Aussies and Europeans are definitely being ripped off by retailers, even if you take away the VAT.

RE: Expensive!
By Pipperox on 4/24/2008 11:04:09 AM , Rating: 3
It's not just about being lazy.
First, if you buy something from the US, you may have to pay VAT and import taxes plus shipping costs, which reduce the convenience of the operation.
Also, you go exposing yourself to a lot of potential troubles, like having to resort to worldwide instead of local warranty, and the chances of something being dead on arrival are higher because of the overseas shipping.
Not to mention the longer shipping time, which can be lengthened if the good is stuck at the customs etc.
And in the past there was also the problem of different TV standards (PAL vs NTSC) even if this is disappearing now thanks to HDTV.

RE: Expensive!
By MrDiSante on 4/23/2008 8:31:40 PM , Rating: 2
Simple: I live in Toronto, Canada 150km (~100 miles) from the nearest American shopping mall. Cross the border. The prices are lower as well as the taxes. Cross the border back - pay maybe 25% of the price difference as duties.

If you're buying something big - congratulations you just saved a coupla hundred bucks. Canadian retailers can't afford that, so they lower the price just enough to make the hassle not worth it.

RE: Expensive!

RE: Expensive!

