KVR Audio

festeringheap · Post by **festeringheap** » Sun Oct 15, 2017 9:07 pm

So, I was considering buying Session Strings ($99 US dollars)

Being from Canada, the website has thoughtfully converted the 99 US dollars to the Canadian Dollar.

My price?

$160.34

(and that's not including the 24 months of download protection [$11.32] or the backup CD/DVD [$20.24]which was also thoughtfully added to the order - which I declined in the cart).

Considering that the current exchange rate is just under 25%, charging over 60% is a bit over the top.

I thought Apple was bad with their 40% (ie Logic $199 US // $279CAD) mark-up - but this one takes the cake.

Aloysius · Post by **Aloysius** » Sun Oct 15, 2017 9:13 pm

Could you purchase from Native Instruments for a better value?

tehlord · Post by **tehlord** » Mon Oct 16, 2017 8:50 am

Canadian sales tax?

Aloysius · Post by **Aloysius** » Mon Oct 16, 2017 8:58 am

Later on I Googled ... convert x-amount USD to CAD ... and the result was more or less what e-Instruments Cart system was quoting. You may have to put this down to simple economics.

stardustmedia · Post by **stardustmedia** » Mon Oct 16, 2017 12:24 pm

Aloysius wrote:Later on I Googled ... convert x-amount USD to CAD ... and the result was more or less what e-Instruments Cart system was quoting. You may have to put this down to simple economics.

I get 123 CAD for 99 USD
https://www.google.ch/search?q=99+USD+i ... e&ie=UTF-8

Plus 3-5% for exchange profits makes max. 130 CAD.
Don't know VAT in Canada exactly but this page (http://www.insatax.com/news/june-2016-v ... nge-canada) says it can be between 5 - 15%, so nowhere near 160 CAD

sjm · Post by **sjm** » Mon Oct 16, 2017 12:45 pm

stardustmedia wrote:
Aloysius wrote:Later on I Googled ... convert x-amount USD to CAD ... and the result was more or less what e-Instruments Cart system was quoting. You may have to put this down to simple economics.
I get 123 CAD for 99 USD
https://www.google.ch/search?q=99+USD+i ... e&ie=UTF-8

Plus 3-5% for exchange profits makes max. 130 CAD.
Don't know VAT in Canada exactly but this page (http://www.insatax.com/news/june-2016-v ... nge-canada) says it can be between 5 - 15%, so nowhere near 160 CAD

Don't know what VAT in Canada is either, but if it's 15%, add another ~20 CAD and you are at 150. Many online payment processors use extortionate exchange rates that are well above the going rate elsewhere, so add a few more %, and you'll be at ~160.

The company I work for sells software via an online payment processor. Our software costs ~EUR 150. If you choose to pay in USD, you will end up paying $ 15 more than if you order directly from us, simply due to the extortionate exchange rate being used.

stardustmedia · Post by **stardustmedia** » Mon Oct 16, 2017 12:50 pm

Yup, it's exactly that. Milking the customer for exchange rates, especially easy when the customer doesn't have a choice. I hate it.

Aloysius · Post by **Aloysius** » Mon Oct 16, 2017 1:06 pm

stardustmedia wrote:
Aloysius wrote:Later on I Googled ... convert x-amount USD to CAD ... and the result was more or less what e-Instruments Cart system was quoting. You may have to put this down to simple economics.
I get 123 CAD for 99 USD
https://www.google.ch/search?q=99+USD+i ... e&ie=UTF-8

Plus 3-5% for exchange profits makes max. 130 CAD.
Don't know VAT in Canada exactly but this page (http://www.insatax.com/news/june-2016-v ... nge-canada) says it can be between 5 - 15%, so nowhere near 160 CAD

Pity you didn't check the e-instruments cart system at the same time. I got more or less the same answer (conversion) with their cart and with another unrelated conversion site. I doubt that e-instruments is trying to rip off Canadian Customers only.

stardustmedia · Post by **stardustmedia** » Mon Oct 16, 2017 1:36 pm

I think I paid directly at NI. Not sure though. And yes, I'd be surprised if they just rip off Canadians

Aloysius · Post by **Aloysius** » Mon Oct 16, 2017 1:38 pm

festeringheap · Post by **festeringheap** » Mon Oct 16, 2017 3:27 pm

stardustmedia wrote:
Aloysius wrote:Later on I Googled ... convert x-amount USD to CAD ... and the result was more or less what e-Instruments Cart system was quoting. You may have to put this down to simple economics.
I get 123 CAD for 99 USD
https://www.google.ch/search?q=99+USD+i ... e&ie=UTF-8

Plus 3-5% for exchange profits makes max. 130 CAD.
Don't know VAT in Canada exactly but this page (http://www.insatax.com/news/june-2016-v ... nge-canada) says it can be between 5 - 15%, so nowhere near 160 CAD

No sales tax or VAT yet for online software, so yes, the current exchange rate plus the obligatory few points for exchange profits, and you're nowhere near the 160+ quoted. That's a nice markup.

sjm · Post by **sjm** » Mon Oct 16, 2017 3:51 pm

festeringheap wrote: No sales tax or VAT yet for online software...

That's not what it says here.

jacqueslacouth · Post by **jacqueslacouth** » Mon Oct 16, 2017 4:20 pm

If you live in Australia, it often feels like some of these money exchangers believe our dollar to be backed by peanuts, fact is, a few of the really cool developers who use the likes of Digital River have been sympathetic to the point as to calculate a realistic exchange and pay them direct through Paypal.

On a side point, I'd love to know how all these small operations actually keep up with registering/paying VAT, GST etc to all the different countries who are so determined to get their slice of every pie that internet based traders make. I find it absolutely disgusting and something akin to the Sheriff of Nottingham. Taxation by the ruling class has barely moved on since the days of feudal lords sitting in their castles bleeding the peasants dry of wheat to feed their families.

benheman · Post by **benheman** » Wed Oct 31, 2018 8:39 pm

Haven't we been taxed enough ALREADY!!!

stardustmedia · Post by **stardustmedia** » Thu Nov 01, 2018 11:46 am

benheman wrote: ↑Wed Oct 31, 2018 8:39 pm Haven't we been taxed enough ALREADY!!!

No, not as long as the rich pay less taxes, we have to pay more

Money Exchange Rates at e-Instruments