Ever since the iPad was first announced, it has carried with it the tag-line “A Magical and Revolutionary Device, and an Unbelievable Price.” – and this slogan didn’t exactly help the initial reception of the product by the international market, with customers citing products on Apple Online US cost far less in price, than those in the UK and internationally, claiming when the device hits overseas later this month, its price will be far from ‘Unbelievable’ as advertised.
On Friday of last week, Apple announced international availability for the iPad, stating the device would be available in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK May 28th. Alongside the announcement, the UK got first word of official pricing and the majority people didn’t take to it lightly, with the device starting at £429 for the base Wi-Fi 16GB model.
Today though, @MacRumors is reporting Jobs has come clean about exchange rates on these products, via two e-mails sent from his personal address to two would-be international customers. In them, he briefly weighs in on both the iPad, international pricing and tax systems around the world.
The first was a response to a customer in the UK to which Jobs replied:
Please educate yourself. UK prices must by law include VAT, which is around 18%. US prices do not include tax.
As noted by the site however, users in Germany found the device would cost them a significant amount more than the UK and other countries, even taking into account the difference in taxes.
To which Jobs replied:
Blame your government. Germany just added a new copyright levy for computers.
If the two brief e-mails above are to tell us anything about Apple’s business plan and product pricing, its that it is clear Apple isn’t willing to take any of the blame for their products looking significantly more expensive than their US counterparts – and if you don’t like it, well … you can go cry to your government.
[via @MacRumors]
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