LR 2.0 is out!

[francois]

…
 I now find myself looking at purchasing a download of Lightroom
2 at a premium of some thirty percent over your price to US customers.
Surely that makes me doubly a fool.…

Only 30% more than in the US? Here in Switzerland, I paid 60% more (no tax, english version, download).
 

[NikosR]

I won't defend the price, but the question is not how many Swedes use the English version, as how many Swedes CAN'T use the English version. It might be cheaper or more convenient for many or even most to use English, but for those who don't speak English, not having the translation would mean being shut out.

I wonder how much of the extra costs of German, Swedish, etc., versions comes from the specific costs of translating, with that amount applied to expected sales in that specific area?

Also, for Europeans -- the tradition here in the US is to quote prices without sales tax, which is something like VAT. I think the reason for that is that each separate state, and many individual municipalities, levy their own sales tax, so on items that carry pre-printed UPC codes and prices, it would be difficult to show the total before it's calculated at the cash register. For US products, you simply must understand that anything purchased from a store will have something between 4% and 9% added as sales tax. Sales tax does not apply to most things bought through the internet if it is shipped to a state different from the one the store is in...in most case.

Americans going to Europe for the first time often think the prices are terrible, but at least there's no sales tax. 8-)

JC
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The problem is that pricing outside the US is too high after deducting VAT (in countries that it is applicable).

Additionally it is funny to find out that even prices within Europe tend to vary (again after deducting VAT).

Cost of doing business in Europe is higher than in the States and that could be an excuse for a slight surcharge on European customers but pls. tell me why I being based in Greece (where Adobe do not exist, they are just represented by a third party company of dubious fame) should ask me to buy the english language version (there's no Greek) of a program downloaded from a server not based in Greece for about 50% dearer (VAT deducted) than someone in the US.

I am being asked to pay 1 euro to the dollar (VAT excluded) and additionally I'm being charged 21% VAT while VAT rate here in Greece is only 19% !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



I must be one of the very few people here in Greece who have actually ever PAID for an Adobe program. Professionals and small businesses included....

[Stuarte]

As a hobby / enthusiast buyer of LR 1.0, I'm pleased with the product and I don't necessarily think the UK upgrade price is excessive.  What does put me off upgrading right now is the global pricing mess.  It just looks ill-considered and shambolic.  It annoys me.

Until someone convinces me otherwise, Adobe's pricing policy is not just badly thought-through, it's also brand-damaging.  Adobe generates goodwill and involvement by getting testers involved in the beta, then annoys whole countries of users by having transparent price disparities for pretty much the same product - and a product that can easily be pirated.  dumb, dumb, dumb.