PRS-505 spotted in the UK wild - Page 4

HarryT · 03-18-2008, 03:21 PM

Sounds as though they "jumped the gun" on the official UK launch date!

TommyCooper · 03-19-2008, 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Sounds as though they "jumped the gun" on the official UK launch date!

Sounds to me that Sony can't decide what pricing structure they will use. The 'we'll make a fair profit' structure, the 'we'll get what the market will bear' structure, or the well known 'well screw as much money out of gullible European customers as we can get, before they eventually catch-on' structure.

Tommy

phurren · 03-19-2008, 02:18 PM

I've given up on waiting and have just ordered one from B&H Photos as recommended elsewhere in these forums. Hopefully by this time next week I'll be holding one in my hands!

anotherchance · 03-19-2008, 03:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wallcraft

The most interesting unknown about a US-only device-specific e-book store (e.g. Sony or Amazon) going "worldwide" is whether this is possible with one portal. If Sony needs two e-book stores, then perhaps US PRS-505's must buy from the US store and UK PRS-505's must buy from the non-US store. Both pricing and availability could be different in the two stores. The same issue could arise with non-US Kindles. If so, it really puts the device-specific e-book stores at a disadvantage relative to (say) MobiPocket format e-books.

There's been plenty of debate about these issues in relation to Big Finish's new download service of their audio productions. It's a tough nut to crack, but Nick Briggs did a good job on their first podcast.

Big Finish, for those unfamiliar, have spent the last 10 years producing original Doctor Who, Tomorrow People, Sapphire and Steel and more on audio CD, and now download. They also have a range of short-story books which include samples in PDF format, ripe for conversion to your favourite ebook device.

It would be nice if they offered their book range in ebook format, but they're only a small company, and it may not be viable for them. Once the Reader and Kindle appear legitimately in the UK, perhaps it will be something they could explore.

gDallasK · 03-24-2008, 06:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

It's not £50 more than the US price; only about £24 more. The US price does not include any sales tax; the UK price is inclusive of VAT.

I was fed up of waiting for Sony to launch in the UK so I got mine from Borders in Wilmington on a recent business trip. Delaware doesn't levy sales tax so it's a good place to shop!

HarryT · 03-25-2008, 04:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gDallasK

I was fed up of waiting for Sony to launch in the UK so I got mine from Borders in Wilmington on a recent business trip. Delaware doesn't levy sales tax so it's a good place to shop!

Yes, I've always thought it a little amiss that visitors from the US can reclaim VAT from items that they buy in the EU, but no reciprocal arrangement exists to permit the reclaiming of sales tax in the US for EU visitors.

WiM · 03-25-2008, 06:57 AM

Hi guys,

Stumbled across this forum when looking for the 505... Some great info so thanks to all contributors. Devastating to see that Play removed the pre-order and that they may have listed the release date in error...

Does anyone have even a provisional release date for the UK? I see the 18th/19th of April talked about... Would people recommend holding out and hoping the price isn't too high/release isnt too far off... Or just take the warranty risk and order from B&H as suggested.. Just checked and you can get a 505 for $299 + $40pp to UK. £170 seems pretty reasonable, but would be annoyng if sony then released at £200 in UK with 1yr warranty...

WiM

astra · 03-25-2008, 07:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WiM

Does anyone have even a provisional release date for the UK? I see the 18th/19th of April talked about... Would people recommend holding out and hoping the price isn't too high/release isnt too far off... Or just take the warranty risk and order from B&H as suggested.. Just checked and you can get a 505 for $299 + $40pp to UK. £170 seems pretty reasonable, but would be annoyng if sony then released at £200 in UK with 1yr warranty...

WiM

Well, since you have been able to hold this far, I would say you should wait a little bit longer. If they launch Sony Reader in the UK any time during April, then the waiting is worth benefits of purchasing the reader in the UK. If they fail to launch it here in April then...well it is just a matter of a few weeks, 1 month top. After that you can order it from B&H any time and the reader will be with you within 3 working days (sometimes even 2

).

NatCh · 03-25-2008, 12:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WiM

Would people recommend holding out and hoping the price isn't too high/release isnt too far off...

Welcome to MobileRead, WiM!

At this point, I think I'd recommend not holding your breath on a UK release.

I've run some indications that this is more likely to be completely unfounded rumors rather than anything concrete.

NatCh · 03-25-2008, 12:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Yes, I've always thought it a little amiss that visitors from the US can reclaim VAT from items that they buy in the EU, but no reciprocal arrangement exists to permit the reclaiming of sales tax in the US for EU visitors.

It's probably because it's kind of complicated over here. The sales taxes are charged/collected by the individual states, there isn't a national one, so there's no central place to even attempt such a recovery. Also our sales taxes tend to be rather lower than your VATs.

If we ever go to a consumption tax rather than the income tax we have now (oh, 'tis fondly to be wished!), then I'd expect y'all to get the same recovery access that we do now. I'd think it would need to be a built-in requirement, actually.

HarryT · 03-25-2008, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NatCh

It's probably because it's kind of complicated over here. The sales taxes are charged/collected by the individual states, there isn't a national one, so there's no central place to even attempt such a recovery.

You honestly think that it would be more complicated than the process of reclaiming taxes from a loose political union of 25 countries, each of which has its own entirely separate legal system, with almost as many languages as countries?

Somehow, the EU, with all that, allows you to reclaim the tax from things bought in any number of different countries (each with a different VAT rate!) at any point of exit from the EU that you choose to go through. I'm sure that the US could manage it if it really wanted to - don't you?

NatCh · 03-25-2008, 01:24 PM

But didn't each of the EU countries already have that set up before they united? If so, it was just a continuation of what they were already doing.

Yeah, the States could probably set something like that up, but we have a bit more opposition to bureaucracy over here. No really, we do! Stop laughing!

HarryT · 03-25-2008, 01:28 PM

No, I do take your point Nat. And you're right in saying that reclaiming 5% (or whatever) sales tax is rather less significant than reclaiming VAT of between (I think) 16% and 25% in the different countries of the EU.

Xenophon · 03-25-2008, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

No, I do take your point Nat. And you're right in saying that reclaiming 5% (or whatever) sales tax is rather less significant than reclaiming VAT of between (I think) 16% and 25% in the different countries of the EU.

Sales taxes that I am aware of range between 0% (nothing!) and 9% or so. And don't forget that this may well include county-level add-ons, so that there are significantly more than 50 different taxing districts. Somewhere between 50 (the states) and five-thousand or so (all counties in all states).

Also, each taxing district has a different idea of what is taxable. Pennsylvania, for example, exempts non-prepared foods and all clothing. Utah (used to) tax alcohol at a different sales tax rate than other purchases -- although I have no idea whether or not they still do. Note: this not the same as their "sin taxes" on alcohol. They really had a different %age sales tax too!

It could indeed all be sorted out, but the distinctions are messy enough that no one has been motivated to do so.

Xenophon

halljames · 03-25-2008, 04:22 PM

Well, although the excitement of a UK release got me going for a while, they delays made me end up ordering one from bandhphoto.com

My second sony reader, I should never have sold the first one on ebay, cos I am missing it now

03-25-2008, 06:57 AM	#52
WiM Junior Member Posts: 1 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2008 Device: None... Yet!	B&H Orders Hi guys, Stumbled across this forum when looking for the 505... Some great info so thanks to all contributors. Devastating to see that Play removed the pre-order and that they may have listed the release date in error... Does anyone have even a provisional release date for the UK? I see the 18th/19th of April talked about... Would people recommend holding out and hoping the price isn't too high/release isnt too far off... Or just take the warranty risk and order from B&H as suggested.. Just checked and you can get a 505 for $299 + $40pp to UK. £170 seems pretty reasonable, but would be annoyng if sony then released at £200 in UK with 1yr warranty... WiM

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03-18-2008, 03:21 PM	#46
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Sounds as though they "jumped the gun" on the official UK launch date!

03-19-2008, 02:18 PM	#48
phurren Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2008 Device: Sony Reader 505	I've given up on waiting and have just ordered one from B&H Photos as recommended elsewhere in these forums. Hopefully by this time next week I'll be holding one in my hands!

03-25-2008, 01:24 PM	#57
NatCh Gizmologist Posts: 11,615 Karma: 929550 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Republic of Texas Embassy at Jackson, TN Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3	But didn't each of the EU countries already have that set up before they united? If so, it was just a continuation of what they were already doing. Yeah, the States could probably set something like that up, but we have a bit more opposition to bureaucracy over here. No really, we do! Stop laughing!

03-25-2008, 01:28 PM	#58
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	No, I do take your point Nat. And you're right in saying that reclaiming 5% (or whatever) sales tax is rather less significant than reclaiming VAT of between (I think) 16% and 25% in the different countries of the EU.

03-25-2008, 04:22 PM	#60
halljames Zealot Posts: 116 Karma: 463 Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Newcastle, UK Device: Apple iPad	Well, although the excitement of a UK release got me going for a while, they delays made me end up ordering one from bandhphoto.com My second sony reader, I should never have sold the first one on ebay, cos I am missing it now

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