The same laptops, gadgets and cell phones cost Australians hundreds of dollars more as compared to the Americans. With the appreciation of the Australian dollar, people expect that prices in Australia should be similar to the prices that Americans pay or at least be around the same bracket.
People of Australia are getting to pay few of the toughest markups on different softwares, with SMH saying that Australia pays a markup of 60-80% more, though they are now offered online for download and in fact are being downloaded on the web.
Labor MP and Chifley’s member, Ed Husic has raised the issue of Aussies paying a lot more than Americans in the parliament many times. He recently raised the issue at a speech that took place on Tuesday, where he said that people of Australia are being ripped off.
To quote examples, Ed Husic used top-end editing software’s, with people of Australia spending as many as $12,000 more than what the Americans are paying for the exact same software.
Husic also cited an Information Technology retailer who laid claim regarding big companies such as HP and Canon refusing to give an answer to the concerns of price discrimination. The retailer said that these big companies intimate the retailers in Australia, scaring them to speak out in front of anyone and if they do, they will have to start dealing with the consequences of a cut off in distribution or being penalized.
The Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer, David Bradbury assured that the Productivity Commission is looking into the matter and has started investigating the problem.
Aussies have also themselves realized this issue since a long time and have filed complaints but did not meet any success. The Australian dollar values more than the American dollar and despite this, Aussies getting charged more for tech related stuff clearly means one thing, like Ed Husic pointed out; a supreme case of being ripped-off.
