Adobe worldwide price policy (or lack of it)

[MichaelMartin]

I'm sure there are many of us out there who don't feel at all "comfortable" with Adobe's policies.

This link:
http://store.adobe.com/store/product...ml?id=catCanon

in a nutshell means that if, and only if, you reside in the US or Canada and you've purchased a Canon camera that has Elements bundled with it you get the full CS for $299.

Subsequently, if you're not from the above nations - you are "privileged" with paying $1350 and get to read their anti-piracy policies at the bottom of the page.

Aside from trying to get through to Adobe on this and failing (Ever try sending these people an e-mail?), to add insult to injury I see they've persisted in their discrimi-"nation" tactics with CS2, even with the full price: $599 on the one hand and $1350 (inc. VAT) or thereabouts on the other.

This enormous price difference is in fact a blatant example of the fact that although good software such as this does entail considerable research and development costs - the end price is entirely arbitrary and a whim of the manufacturer.

Now, I wonder why there are so many illegal copies of Photoshop floating around Europe?

[ChristinaFreya]

Yep I agree with you - but it is not only Adobe - from Porsches to Canon dslrs, most if not all products are cheaper in the US...

[Frederick_Rider]

Though I live in the US I despise Adobe's Marketing methods. Knowing that they lack a fair global pricing strategy doesn't surprise me in the least. They even redefined the meaning of SERVICE and ARROGANCE for me. I recently sent a complaint to service@adobe.com and got back this reply:

Hello Frederick,

Thank you for contacting Adobe Customer Service.

To submit a request for a product feature or enhancement, use the Adobe
Products Feature Request form on Adobe's Web site at:

www.adobe.com/support/feature.html

For more information on Adobe® products or services please visit us at:
http://www.adobe.com or contact Adobe customer services at 1 (800)
833-6687. Customer Service Representatives are available 6:00am-8:00pm
PST, 7 days a week.

Best Regards,

Sarah Y.
Adobe Customer Service

Original Message Follows:
------------------------
All previous complaints went unanswered, so I do not expect any response
from your company. I think in some small way you are paying for it.

I am glad to see that you have provided owners of your suite an enhanced
discount. Good move. Too bad you didn't consider doing the same for
prior loyal customers who made an investment across the breadth of your
product line. Previously anyone with a Photoshop license got the same
treatment as soneone who purchased PS,I,ID, A, etc...I swear that I will
never again make a major investment in Adobe software. Your prior
upgrade policy was extremely poor and inconsiderate of loyal customers.

If unchecked, discontent will creep up and mysteriously enrich your
competition. In my case it already has.

[Jim_Kezman]

Their reasoning (and this goes for most software makers as well) is that you pay more for language localization and native-language support. Ok, I can grant them some slack on that, but when you could almost buying a plane ticket to NYC & spend the week-end for the difference in price between the US English version & the (insert your language here) version of Creative Suite, their economic model needs to be re-thought.

My beef is with hardware manufacturers -- an Epson 4000 with RIP can be bought in the US for $1,800. The exact same printer is 3,000 EUROS over here. Will that fit in the overhead bin of a 777...? [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[MichaelMartin]

Sickening isn't it? At least you were (un)lucky enough to even get that far.
They must be onto something with the Spanish site because none of their links to anything that smells remotely of complaint gets you anywhere.
"service" @ Adobe? Yeah, well we all know what that means when a company gets too big for its boots. Tell you what, once GIMP or similar gets to include Batch runs that's the last time Adobe gets my money that's for sure.
More fool them, the reason these forums are so important is that hopefully someday someone responsible at Adobe et al gets to see the real feedback and understands why it's commonsense to follow what another poster suggested - and that is to sell the program for $50 to 1 million customers rather than for $1350 to those few you can scare into doing so outside your area of influence.
The more products are bought for a fair price rather than passed on illegally the better publicity you get for this and the other products you offer, (word of mouth is still the best advertising, despite what the agencies will tell you - they've got a living to make) and the more you sell and so on.
Adobe's monopolistic behaviour has sprouted the fatal malady that Honest Abe warned us of:
"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power."

[MichaelMartin]

Thank you Christina, I will point this out on the Porsche forum too, so they can feel better about it.
Seriously though. This is exactly what we the customer should not accept blindly - "just 'cos it's the way things are", we'd still be in the Middle Ages with this type of attitude. There is no logical explanation why an international software program costs more than double on this side on the ocean. I challenge anyone from Adobe to explain this to me.

[ChristinaFreya]

I guess the reason is tradition. Manufacturers know that Europeans pay the higher price (for software, hardware, cars, everything) - so from their point of view there is not need to change things. If they cut prices on European products they would lose much income - if they rised the prices in the US to European level, they would have to face thousands of pretty discontent Americans -> not a good idea from a developer's/manufacturer's point of view...

Sad but true hm?!