The game cost 70$ on Steam due to regional pricing

[Twotricks]

I almost pressed buy button, but then I figured something is not quite right. Went to check conversion rate and figured that game costs whopping 10$ more on Steam than on GOG.

Really Steam? Its not 1-2$ due to exchange rate. I could forgive that but whole 10$ !!!!???

I just shudder to think how many busted price games I bought lately without checking conversion rate on Steam.

This is robbery. Really shameful !

Update:
Just bought the game on GOG ( although I was initially deciding to buy it trough Steam )
It cost me 59.99$ not another cent added due to any tax or nothing.
So bottom line for me it was whopping 10$ difference

[sevensided]

what region? what country? Are there various taxes your area is beholden to that are not present elsewhere? Not trying to be a Steam apologist, but they are sticklers for that sort of thing, and I do not think GoG cares as much?

[Twotricks]

Originally posted by sevensided:

what region? what country? Are there various taxes your area is beholden to that are not present elsewhere? Not trying to be a Steam apologist, but they are sticklers for that sort of thing, and I do not think GoG cares as much?

Taxes for what? The game is 60$ on GOG, 60$ on Larian site, 70$ on Steam

No other website taxes me for nothing.

Honestly this is shocking. If Steam wants to be good only for USA and parts of EU. Than perhaps they should openly announce that instead of stealing money until each user figures it out. I am appalled.

[Cirrus]

Originally posted by Twotricks:

Originally posted by sevensided:

what region? what country? Are there various taxes your area is beholden to that are not present elsewhere? Not trying to be a Steam apologist, but they are sticklers for that sort of thing, and I do not think GoG cares as much?

Taxes for what? The game is 60$ on GOG, 60$ on Larian site, 70$ on Steam

No other website taxes me for nothing.

Honestly this is shocking. If Steam wants to be good only for USA and parts of EU. Than perhaps they should openly announce that instead of stealing money until each user figures it out. I am appalled.

Of course they tax if they have to. Gog and steam both tax eu purchases for example. Tax requirement situation can depend on many things.

[Twotricks]

Originally posted by Cirrus:

Originally posted by Twotricks:

Taxes for what? The game is 60$ on GOG, 60$ on Larian site, 70$ on Steam

No other website taxes me for nothing.

Honestly this is shocking. If Steam wants to be good only for USA and parts of EU. Than perhaps they should openly announce that instead of stealing money until each user figures it out. I am appalled.

Of course they tax if they have to. Gog and steam both tax eu purchases for example. Tax requirement situation can depend on many things.

10$

How much did they tax your purchase ?

[Cirrus]

Originally posted by Twotricks:

Originally posted by Cirrus:

Of course they tax if they have to. Gog and steam both tax eu purchases for example. Tax requirement situation can depend on many things.

10$

How much did they tax your purchase ?

Around USD 12.80 was sent to my goverment. But that might not have anything to do with your situation.

[Satoru]

Originally posted by Cirrus:

Originally posted by Twotricks:

10$

How much did they tax your purchase ?

Around USD 12.80 was sent to my goverment. But that might not have anything to do with your situation.

Note that in Europe tax (VAT) is already part of the purchase price. It is not added on top of it like the USA/Canada/Japan

As such

US: $60 store page = $60 + tax (say 5%) $3 = $63 total purchase price

Europe : 50 Euros store page = 41.66 Euro (actual price) + tax (example 20% VAT) 8.34 euro = 50 Euro total purchase price

[Cirrus]

Originally posted by Satoru:

Originally posted by Cirrus:

Around USD 12.80 was sent to my goverment. But that might not have anything to do with your situation.

Note that in Europe tax (VAT) is already part of the purchase price. It is not added on top of it like the USA/Canada/Japan

As such

US: $60 store page = $60 + tax (say 5%) $3 = $63 total purchase price

Europe : 50 Euros store page = 41.66 Euro (actual price) + tax (example 20% VAT) 8.34 euro = 50 Euro total purchase price

Vat works exactly same way in usa and europe. Only difference is that do you have to mention price with vat or without vat consumer. EU says that all prices have vat in them precalculated.

[sevensided]

Steam doesn't add tax, whatever they may be in checkout- it is ostensibly included in whatever price is listed, at least in my region (US). The reason I inquired what region the op is in is because some places have particularly egregious taxes specifically for items like video games.

[Twotricks]

Originally posted by sevensided:

Steam doesn't add tax, whatever they may be in checkout- it is ostensibly included in whatever price is listed, at least in my region (US). The reason I inquired what region the op is in is because some places have particularly egregious taxes specifically for items like video games.

Honestly. All your comments. I know they all come from goodness of your hearts.
But they are really wrong and blind sighted.

As someone said, if taxes are added they are added after you press purchase button, not before. And even when they are they are not 10$ - not for USA, not for EU and these regions are very well off and have generally high taxes as well.

I am writing from a very poor country ( i value privacy though, if you have to ask - and you dont ) , that does not use Euro or USD ( not Russia either ) , that barely knows what computers are let alone has some mystical taxes that are somehow proactively added by Steam before it calculates purchase.

But hey, just do a short google search and you will find that poor regions like South America, Africa, Middle East, India are all affected by this borderline robbery.

But in any case. Glad I realized it and glad there is GOG.

Shame for what Steam is doing though.

[Cirrus]

Originally posted by Twotricks:

Originally posted by sevensided:

Steam doesn't add tax, whatever they may be in checkout- it is ostensibly included in whatever price is listed, at least in my region (US). The reason I inquired what region the op is in is because some places have particularly egregious taxes specifically for items like video games.

Honestly. All your comments. I know they all come from goodness of your hearts.
But they are really wrong and blind sighted.

As someone said, if taxes are added they are added after you press purchase button, not before. And even when they are they are not 10$ - not for USA, not for EU and these regions are very well off and have generally high taxes as well.

I am writing from a very poor country ( i value privacy though, if you have to ask - and you dont ) , that does not use Euro or USD ( not Russia either ) , that barely knows what computers are let alone has some mystical taxes that are somehow proactively added by Steam before it calculates purchase.

But hey, just do a short google search and you will find that poor regions like South America, Africa, Middle East, India are all affected by this borderline robbery.

But in any case. Glad I realized it and glad there is GOG.

Shame for what Steam is doing though.

Then again you are 100% wrong in your tax "knowledge". Tax for this game in Europe for me was 12.80USD. taxes are high here. But this is exactly the reason steam and gog have regional pricing in use. They make less profit selling in europe than in USA. High goverment taxes leaves less profit for then.

And as for poor countries they use regional pricing for that too. To allow really really low prices because of low income. Turkey and Argentina for example. This game costs something like USD12,80 in Turkey and USD 10 in Argentina.

Too bad it does not apply your country in this case.

Anyways this dicussion was about to try to find maybe the reason why there is price difference with steam and gog in your country. It could have been that steam pays taxes and gog does not. It was just a suggestion which then escalated to many trails.

You of course get your games where it suits best for you.

[Twotricks]

Originally posted by Cirrus:

Then again you are 100% wrong in your tax "knowledge". Tax for this game in Europe for me was 12.80USD. taxes are high here. But this is exactly the reason steam and gog have regional pricing in use. They make less profit selling in europe than in USA. High goverment taxes leaves less profit for then.
.

I guess you still did not get to the point where I explain that this 10$ dollars is before "purchase" button was pressed and taxes are added ( which could easily make it 20$ above 60$ )

And yes. I am going to vote with my wallet. I am sure you would too if you were in my shoes.

[Cirrus]

Originally posted by Twotricks:

Originally posted by Cirrus:

Then again you are 100% wrong in your tax "knowledge". Tax for this game in Europe for me was 12.80USD. taxes are high here. But this is exactly the reason steam and gog have regional pricing in use. They make less profit selling in europe than in USA. High goverment taxes leaves less profit for then.
.

I guess you still did not get to the point where I explain that this 10$ dollars is before "purchase" button was pressed and taxes are added ( which could easily make it 20$ above 60$ )

And yes. I am going to vote with my wallet. I am sure you would too if you were in my shoes.

My 12,80 USD is also there before I press purchase button. It is the law here. No price of any kind can be shown to consumer without automatic tax calculation ever. They are never added after any button here. Your law again can be different. Point being it works differently in different places.

And sure. I have purchased games all over world. Sometimes tax free etc to get them cheaper.

[Twotricks]

Originally posted by Cirrus:

Originally posted by Twotricks:

I guess you still did not get to the point where I explain that this 10$ dollars is before "purchase" button was pressed and taxes are added ( which could easily make it 20$ above 60$ )

And yes. I am going to vote with my wallet. I am sure you would too if you were in my shoes.

My 12,80 USD is also there before I press purchase button. It is the law here. No price of any kind can be shown to consumer without automatic tax calculation ever. They are never added after any button here. Your law again can be different. Point being it works differently in different places.

And sure. I have purchased games all over world. Sometimes tax free etc to get them cheaper.

Sorry but I dont belive you

[dulany67]

Steam's regional pricing is a suggestion. Prices are set by publishers or devs. So you are blaming the wrong company unless Larian is using the suggested regional price.

[Gaius]

Originally posted by Twotricks:

Originally posted by Cirrus:

My 12,80 USD is also there before I press purchase button. It is the law here. No price of any kind can be shown to consumer without automatic tax calculation ever. They are never added after any button here. Your law again can be different. Point being it works differently in different places.

And sure. I have purchased games all over world. Sometimes tax free etc to get them cheaper.

Sorry but I dont belive you

Then educate yourself. Taxes are not secret.

Yeah, that really sucks when publishers decide to not use regional prices and make games really expensive compared to local economies. I'm very upset with Blizzard and Bethesda for this kind of stuff. But lashing out on strangers trying to explain you how it works when you ASKED the reason doesn't fix anything.