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[link] Reasonable price for the Mac mini in the EU


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To: Apple, 1 Infinite Loop, Cupertino, CA 95014, USA

We'd like to make an appeal to Apple on the pricing of the new Mac mini in the European Union. Basing on the last long-term rate of exchange of US Dollars to EUR (et vice versa) -- which is 1.3293 on the spot market, so let's say 1.32 -- both announced prices of the Mac mini in Europe, 489.- EUR and 589.- EUR, respectively, are much too high.

Sign the Petition

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In the US, VAT (known as Sales Tax) is added after the purchase, that is, its not in the original $499 price. In Europe, the price includes the tax which is somewhat higher than the ones in US, depending on the place you live in.

So, in the UK as far as I know, VAT is 17.5% and in France its something like 19.5%. That is included in the price of the Mac mini. So knowing this, the difference now becomes somewhere from 3-5% US - Europe.

I calculated my local sales tax which is almost 9%, and added it up to the Mac mini 1.25 GHz. So I get 499 + 44.91 = 543.91.

The real price in my state is $543.91 not $499.

Now, lets exclude the VAT using France as an example. As far as I know VAT is 19.5% in France, which makes it 499 - 19.5% = 401.695 euros.

401.695 euros = 523.930 USD.

Difference between $499 in the US and 523.930 in EU = $24.93, which is, in my opinion, not that big of a difference at all.

If I'm wrong, please correct me.

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I don't mean to rain on your parade, but they won't lower the pricing....sorry. There is a reason for the price difference. Hell, anyone would sign a petiton to lower the cost of a good! Think about it, do you really think this is going to work? ;)

Just use the student discount, it is available to you as well as other countries.

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I'm afraid you are wrong.

You've taken the tax off one figure, and added it on to another. If you had quoted both figures with tax, you would have:

$543 and £339 - with tax on both of them

That's a difference of 14% - Quite a big jump

Yes, I have made a mistake. Thanks for correcting me. Don't know what I was smoking when I wrote that.. lol.

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