Nvidia's 8800GT pricing treats Europeans as second-class citizens
Is it $199-249 or $259-399?
WHILE THE PERFORMANCE OF Nvidia's Geforce 8800GT is excellent, it is hard to chew on the fact that once again, Europeans are treated as second class citizens.
Nvidia touted a 250 dollar range for the 512MB card and $199 for 256MB one. As usual, the MSRP is the most problematic thing at launch. It is very hard to find a product that actually respects MSRP (Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price). As we know, when there is a limited number of cards, e-tailers and retailers attempt to scrounge every extra dime.
We have checked the prices on popular price engines such as Froogle, Geizhals.at, Pricewatch.com and popular e-tailers such as NewEgg, OcUK, Alternate and others.
In the US and A, the price ranges between 260 and 300 USD, with some overclocked boards costing less than stock-clocked product from competing manufacturers. The same thing happens in Europe, but with a different pricing bracket.
In most cases, EU residentshave to shell out between 244 and 275 EUR, which translated into the ever-falling American dollar, results in a price range between 351 and 395 USD - quite close to the 400 dollar range that some reviewers mention.
The US prices are bumped by local tax, which adds between 15 and 30 USD on the final price, but that is still way off the prices Euroland has to shell out.
We haven't seen many 256MB cards out there, and 1GB ones are coming in December, "When Nvidia adds support in the driver" (as a partner told us). This 1GB version will probably go for the same price you have to shell out for a 512MB one today.
With both Nvidia and AMD giving razor-thin margins to their partners, it is actually understandable move by AIBs and e-tailers, but, as a consumer, you have to separate the boards worth paying extra for from the ones that are just your sticker-slappers.
If you find an overclocked board such as Zotac AMP! Edition, XFX XXX or Sparkle's Calibre one for 279, it is worth taking the plunge.
Nevertheless, it might pay up to wait for Crysis, since we heard of possible bundle deals between Crytek and AIBs. So, you might get Crysis and 8800GT for today's 8800GT asking price.
The only question that remains is what will happen with Radeon 3850 and 3870s. Will those parts be good performing parts that run circles around the 2900XT or will ATI ride the DX10.1 checkbox to clear the performance problems of DX10.1 apps? µ
Comments
Rip-off Britain
I was all set to buy an 8800 GT until I saw the prices, total rip off. I'll probably try and import one instead.8800GT pricing in ££££
Standard 8800GT 512MB£155 inc VAT (tax @ 17.5%), that works out to be $320 USD
EVGA 8800GT 512MB SuperClocked 650/1900MHz
£183 inc VAT, that works out to be $380
Doesnt seem that bad to me.
Andy
:( No stock at those prices though.
This is what you get...
NVidia is probably just stocking the funds away so they can pay off the EU later when they get sued for stomping the competition and being a monopoly.No kidding?
As typical for Inq maybe to complain specifically about Nvidia, but the pricing is a common problem in Europe. I don't know if it's because they think Europeans are stupid or what but the prices are always ridiculously higher than in US and that's just unacceptable.So there's no other option than to pay a higher price and cry or buy from US and hope that your stuff won't get broken. If it does get broken, you'll be dealing with nice warranty hassle.
Actually it's only 280 dollars in Europe
The article calculates wrong. Prices in Europe includes sales tax and in the US it does not. So :Lowest price for a 8800gt here is 235 euro's. 'Get the 19% tax out of that, and you are left with 198 euro.
Convert that to dollars and it's about 280 dollars. So not half as bad as the article makes you believe.
8800GT prices in USA
You said in your article that the price for the 8800GT ranges between 260 and 300 USD. But, yesterday, Fry's Electronics had the 8800GT 512mb on sale for $230. And, if there isn't a Frys in your state, it's $6 shipping, and no tax on Frys.com. A bit cheaper than your quoted prices.Thats OK?
- 1 Cheeseburger costs 99Dollar-cents in the USA-> costs 3 Dollars in Switzerland
-> 1 Tshirt in China costs nothing
-> costs 30 Dollars in Switzerland
This is marked.
A sales man in switzerland has his insures, social security, a minim salar plus plus plus.
So if you sell a cheap product here, you have to pay theese things, regardless how cheap it is.
So you can't expect same prices in different countrys.
I'm willing to pay the price, because i know, if the sales man will be kicked from the company, he isn't futureless situtation. I know my money will spent to our social networks and will help all of us. (If it is Switzerland or the EU).
Can you say this from T-Shirts from China? Where 12 year old kids have produced this tshirt under horrible conditions?
Or from america? (Where they grab the people with no perspective and put them to the military, because there is no other good possible future).
No no no, i will pay the price, to help all people live in fine conditions.
Just my 2 Cents
Nobody
Some comments from "US and A"
First, assuming this was unintentional, it's "US *of* A." Disregard this if I'm missing something.Second, most of us will never pay any taxes on this or any other internet purchases. The government does not assess taxes on internet purchases, unless the ship-to is in the same state, in which case most people will order from another source. In other words, if the card is $250 we pay$250.
Last, I feel for those in the EU. Even before the dollar spiraled like an aborted missile launch you always paid considerably more for an identical item. I know people who flew here from the UK, had a vacation, made a large purchase(s), and flew home with their new item all for the same price it would have cost them locally -- or less.
Change dollar for Euro
Looking at the press releases from nvidia ( they have simply swapped the $ for a € ie$199 - $259 to €199 - €259
Yet again we get the raw deal for being on the other side of the pond.
As usual
Isn´t it becoming the industry standard to rip off the "rich" Europeans?It is for everything Ipods, consoles, PC hardware everything...
Everything I want to buy is exchanged with an 1:1 course 249 Dollars = 249 Euros at best ... maybe even more Euros than Dollars as likely seen by the Playstation 3.
I mean if I would be rich I wouldn´t care but even in Europe the most people don´t have all the money to buy all this expensive stuff...
Cheers
Prices
I just checked on Amazon.com.An eVGA e-GeForce 8800 GT Superclocked Edition 512MB (650/1900Mhz) is $269.99. That's around £132.
I can't see how they can justify a 38% mark up just because it's sold in the UK.
So evidentially we do live in rip off Britain and will continue to do so until we refuse to buy deliberately over-priced good (where the increased cost doesn't equal reasonable shipping rates & UK taxes).
I bought my PS3 from the US and saved a fortune and will get my 8800GT the same way (Sorry UK retailers but you only have yourselves to blame).
USA screw europeans...
Hi,It's starting to become normal, USA companies rippinmg off Europeans.
It happens all the time.
M$, nVidia the lot....they do it on purpose!
The Euro and GB-Pound are so much higher in value, but still we are screwed!
Exchange rates
Are your wages normalized to the American dollar? No. What makes you think your commodity prices will be too?Like someone above said, commodities in China cost 100x what they do here in the US, do you see the country up in arms about that?
If the tables were turned and the USD was worth $2 EUR, you would still see the same $250 range price in the US. Maybe I could get paid to write Inq articles complaining about Europe prices then.
I'll check back if that ever happens.
EU will sue
they force US companys to pay more via lawsuites since euland so uninnovative they must sue to pay forstupid windmills and bribing the russian armada from invading them. local taxes are 0 in most placeshere in Poland...
the cheapest 8800gt in Poland? $350 (US)... and the prices go all the way up to $550. I wanted to buy one for 800PLN (it's ~$300) but it's impossible to get ;( and I wonder whether schould i buy it now or wait till prices will (will they?:/) go down.I'm afraid that prices, cos of shortage of 8800gt, wont go down soon... F****n' europe...
Norway vs USA
People seem to missunderstand some.The yearly salary of an average norwegian:
300 000 NOK (That is 50000 dollars)
The yearly salary of an US citizen (estimate):
25 000 - 30 000 dollars (150 000+ NOK)
We norwegians are rich bastards, therefor we deserve the high price.
(Its a reason Polish workers come here)
how 2 order
can anyone tell me how to import from USA to Europe? Amazon.com won't ship electronics i.e. PC equipment to Europe.Standard EU stuff
I no longer buy anything of value from the UK - I just have it imported, pay the tax and shipping and I'm sorted.Never mind that the likes of NVidia et al are encouraging me to spend lots of money on environmentally-damaging air transportation. Never mind that this sort of discrimination is just encouraging me to eschew local trade and support.
When the price is this blatant, it's really difficult not to take a knife and stick it in the planet. Even with import taxes and duty (assuming there is even anyone there to declare to - which, more often than not, there isn't), buying from the US is a no-brainer.
Consider this: Just recently, I bought $16k of camera equipment in the US. Any idea what it would have cost in the UK? Yup, about $30k (£15k). That's a mark-up of $13k, never mind some £200 on some pixel-pusher for a PC. So, I saved myself a *packet* - and paid for a nice holiday into the bargain. I can't see any good reason why I should have paid double, and when push comes to shove, I'll do it again - I'll fly an otherwise unnecessary long-haul trip because I refuse to pay double.
Oliver.
Europe S*cks
You want Socialism, pay for it!! Don’t go whining that things cost less in America than in Europe. You voted yourself all those give always, now pay for them. If you don’t like it, invent your own card... Oh that’s right, you only work 36 hours a week with 60 days vacation, guess there’s not much time for inventing!!Talk about the spiraling dollar all you want, I can still buy more in my country for the dollar than you can in yours for the Euro.
As for the Idiot talking about those Americans joining the military… We do it because we love it, and we’re better at it than anyone else. When has a dictator ever changed his policy because France or the UN threatened military action??? But if the US does many dictators think twice because they know what their up against. (And our whole force is made up of volunteers; unlink many UN and Euro forces!)
There are differences...
The difference in price also comes from different warranty-legislation. EU has very strict warranty laws, so companies have to spend more money for "consumer protection". Also big retailers in the US of A usually buy larger volumes from the suppliers, so they get better discounts.It's not all just black and white...
Andy's right - it's all in VAT
The reason why those cards are more expensive in Europe is the value added tax. Factor that in, and you get something close to the same price as what the it would be in the US.And yes; americans tend to buy theirs online to avoid paying sales tax on this stuff, but according to the tax code, they are _supposed_ to pay use tax on these items.
Europeans that try to import this stuff to avoid VAT might get hit with the VAT anyway in the customs (plus pay whatever customs tax might be).
Not just in europe
Its not just in europe its the same thing in asia, the price for this vga card is 380$.Insane Cost compared to the us
Parallel import restrictions
What keeps prices up in Europe is the fact that you have laws against parallel imports. This allows the manufacturers to enter into exclusive agreements with suppliers, shutting out competition from alternative suppliers.Here in New Zealand we got rid of parallel-import restrictions a long time ago. I think it's made a lot of difference to both prices and variety of products.
Hard to say
Of course we pay taxes, upto 20%, but the euro is worth 40% more than the dollar so it seems we DO pay extra a lot.Now as to the reason someone has to do some specific investigating journalism, for instance several electronic products are deliberately taxed extra because they aren't made in the EU, in the hope to coax the foreign companies to start factories over here, this happens with many products, often with specific requirements before they are taxed extra, like digital cameras can't have a function to make movies of a too large a format, or a monitor can't have a DVI port, or a MP3 player can't have a FM radio.
Those are all instances where brussels robbed its citizens to force the koreans etc. to set up a minimum wage assembly plant in poland and such, paying people next to nothing.
It all comes down to the EU consumers paying 500 million so 100 people in some former eastblock country get a job that pays nothing, where we could just give all these people a million each so they don't have to work and we'd still have a positive balance..
Israel pricing
The price here in Israel is around 1,500 ILS, which translates into $377.So yeah, overpricing isn't all that fun here as well.
Why it sucks to live in EU...
Ok I would somewhat understand if all those cards would be made in USA and then brought to EU but we have our own videocard manufacturers too, why can't they sell their cards for the same price as in USA? Besides the parts are made in China or some other cheap labor country so I really really doubt that EU manufacturers pay more for those than US manufacturers. I thought about replacing my old 6600GT finally with 8800GT but I ain't gonna pay 380$ for a 250$ card. Some might say:" why don't you order it then from USA?" But when you order to EU you have to pay local taxes and the import tax so finally when you get it, it will cost as much as it would have cost when you had bought it locally :SQQ imo
Here in New Zealand, the cheapest GT512 is $447 NZD, which is $341 USD, and the most expensive is $583.38 NZD, which is $448.27 USD.Tbh, its a LOT less expensive than I think most of NZ were thinking.. we always get shafted with getting crap more expensive than US. Heck, I ordered my LBBLE 0516 GPAW Venice cpu from America, and it was still cheaper with the shipping put on!
Imo, QQ more. EU isnt the only ones who get more expensive stuff :P
Switzerland Price range
Switzerland price range for 8800GT 512mb is not that far off to what has been announced:298CHF to 374CHF all taxes included, from the major IT retailers around Switzerland.
which translates to USD as: 256.7 to 322.3 USD.
It's true that food is usually much more expensive than other countries, but that does not apply to IT Hardware and Multimedia appliances, which usually can be found at cheaper prices than in the EU.
The Swiss price comparison is www.toppreise.ch
Harumph...
If you think getting (slightly) gouged over price is bad, just ask all the 8800GTS 320MB/640MB owners, myself incuded, who paid $300-450 USD for a card only to be obsolete only months later. We're the real second class here, buddy. Way to go nV. FU.Must buy
Seems simple , just dont buy it. I havent heard of Nvidia holding a gun to anyones head and forcing the purchase. Maybe thats why they call them Nvidiots ?