PRS-505 spotted in the UK wild - Page 3

Nate the great · 03-16-2008, 06:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by astra

We don't know what is going to be the cheapest price over here. So far only one website advertises it. When we buy the reader in the USA we pay $300 for it. Not $270, although I think $270 does not include tax that americans would have to pay?

If we buy it online, we do not have to pay the tax most of the time. Just about the only time we would have to pay a sales tax is if the buyer is in the same state as the seller.

astra · 03-16-2008, 07:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nate the great

If we buy it online, we do not have to pay the tax most of the time. Just about the only time we would have to pay a sales tax is if the buyer is in the same state as the seller.

I see. I don't know anything about it. I have never been to the USA

Thanks.

HarryT · 03-17-2008, 04:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lexicon

VAT accounts for about half of that difference, Sony will claim that the warranty and increased costs of trading in UK account for the rest - it's BS but enough buyers accept it for the excuse to work. The gouging isn't as bad as I feared (I fully expected a £250 minimum price) but let's not pretend it isn't going on.

It's not "gouging". It's a simple fact that it's more expensive to run a business in the UK than the US, so prices are generally higher. We have a completely different tax system to the US.

We gain in other ways, however. For example, the Reader only has a 90 days parts warranty in the US (or at least that was true with the 500 - don't know if the 505 is any different); in the UK, British law requires at least a 1 year warranty.

HarryT · 03-17-2008, 04:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nate the great

If we buy it online, we do not have to pay the tax most of the time. Just about the only time we would have to pay a sales tax is if the buyer is in the same state as the seller.

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that the above is true only if you believe that tax evasion is an "acceptable" crime. You are REQUIRED BY LAW in most (all?) states to pay "use tax" on items bought in other states. If you do not do so, you are committing tax fraud. I know that "use tax" is widely ignored, but nonetheless you are legally required to pay it in most states.

gwynevans · 03-17-2008, 06:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Only if you believe that tax evasion is an "acceptable" crime. You are REQUIRED BY LAW in most (all?) states to pay "use tax" on items bought in other states. If you do not do so, you are committing tax fraud.

Hmm, it seems to me that discussions about the details & implementations of US 'use tax' really belong off in their own thread, as both sides will probably be able to point to specific scenarios in which their point prevails, as the legislation differs from start to state, even before you examine the details of such things as 'delivery' & 'tangible merchandise', for example, as applied to ebooks!

Meanwhile, back with the original topic, is there any sign elsewhere as to whether this is Play.com selling US Readers or an offical UK launch?

If a Play.com-specific venture, then there's going to be unhappy customers when they try & use their UK credit-cards at the SonyStore...

Lexicon · 03-17-2008, 06:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

It's not "gouging". It's a simple fact that it's more expensive to run a business in the UK than the US, so prices are generally higher. We have a completely different tax system to the US.

We gain in other ways, however. For example, the Reader only has a 90 days parts warranty in the US (or at least that was true with the 500 - don't know if the 505 is any different); in the UK, British law requires at least a 1 year warranty.

Yes, it is more expensive running a business in the UK, and the extra warranty also has a cost associated with it. A price difference is expected, where I take issue is with the size of the difference.

Spread across tens or hundreds of thousands of units I simply don't believe the costs are more than a few percent higher per unit compared with the US. The "it costs more to trade in the UK" excuse does however provide companies with a convenient excuse to jack up the price (and profit) significantly while shifting the blame for the difference elsewhere. That is where the gouging is taking place, it's hardly breaking news that this goes on in the consumer electronics field, to believe otherwise is naive.

Regarding Play doing this without Sony's approval; I think it's unlikely. I don't believe a large retailer like Play would risk their trading relationship with Sony by indulging in grey importing. It's more likely that Sony plan to release the Reader in the UK and Play have jumped the gun by putting their listing up too early.

astra · 03-17-2008, 08:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lexicon

Regarding Play doing this without Sony's approval; I think it's unlikely. I don't believe a large retailer like Play would risk their trading relationship with Sony by indulging in grey importing. It's more likely that Sony plan to release the Reader in the UK and Play have jumped the gun by putting their listing up too early.

I agree with you

I don't think it is grey importing as well. It just sounds a bit odd. No news from Sony themselves, no other source of info. Just one website...

Nate the great · 03-17-2008, 09:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that the above is true only if you believe that tax evasion is an "acceptable" crime. You are REQUIRED BY LAW in most (all?) states to pay "use tax" on items bought in other states. If you do not do so, you are committing tax fraud. I know that "use tax" is widely ignored, but nonetheless you are legally required to pay it in most states.

Probably. But it's one of those laws that can't enforced, so I ignore it.

paula_jayne · 03-17-2008, 09:22 AM

Yeah, yippeee, hooray, at last! does this mean that I will be able to get all my bestsellers on my reader now instead of having to depend on the kindliness of US citizens buying gift cards for me

PJ

FangornUK · 03-17-2008, 09:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paula_jayne

Yeah, yippeee, hooray, at last! does this mean that I will be able to get all my bestsellers on my reader now instead of having to depend on the kindliness of US citizens buying gift cards for me

No doubt we'll have to pay twice the price for the privilege! I'll stick with the kindly US citizens for now.

I'm still not sure this is an official release anyway, Sony haven't mentioned it and Amazon aren't listing it.

Halk · 03-17-2008, 06:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paula_jayne

Yeah, yippeee, hooray, at last! does this mean that I will be able to get all my bestsellers on my reader now instead of having to depend on the kindliness of US citizens buying gift cards for me

PJ

Ouch. I've just had a thought. What if Sony have a UK currency site, and a US currency site... and there's a significant mark up on the UK prices. And no, I am not saying they will, or that I think they will, or that I've heard they are going to. I'm just saying it could be the case...

wallcraft · 03-17-2008, 06:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Halk

What if Sony have a UK currency site, and a US currency site

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.

NatCh · 03-17-2008, 07:07 PM

Does anyone remember if their Connect Music store was international or not? That might give us a clue ....

HarryT · 03-18-2008, 08:01 AM

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.

The fact of having multiple stores doesn't necessarily restrict choice. For example, Amazon have both a UK and a US store (and many others, too), but (for most products, at least) anyone is free to buy products from any Amazon store that they wish.

phurren · 03-18-2008, 02:40 PM

Bang goes the good news - play.com have changed their listing today and it now no longer states that it will be available from 4 April, instead it says the following:

Coming soon

This item is not currently available to order. Enter your email address, click the ‘Notify me’ button and we’ll let you know as soon as it becomes available to pre-order.

I guess its back to perusing ebay to try to find a bargain. Anyone know where I can get one for less than £200 ?

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03-17-2008, 09:22 AM	#39
paula_jayne Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2008 Device: sony PRS-505	Yeah, yippeee, hooray, at last! does this mean that I will be able to get all my bestsellers on my reader now instead of having to depend on the kindliness of US citizens buying gift cards for me PJ

03-17-2008, 07:07 PM	#43
NatCh Gizmologist Posts: 11,615 Karma: 929550 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Republic of Texas Embassy at Jackson, TN Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3	Does anyone remember if their Connect Music store was international or not? That might give us a clue ....

03-18-2008, 02:40 PM	#45
phurren Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2008 Device: Sony Reader 505	Bang goes the good news - play.com have changed their listing today and it now no longer states that it will be available from 4 April, instead it says the following: Coming soon This item is not currently available to order. Enter your email address, click the ‘Notify me’ button and we’ll let you know as soon as it becomes available to pre-order. I guess its back to perusing ebay to try to find a bargain. Anyone know where I can get one for less than £200 ?