@studiocatherine Not in the slightest! Our printers just require a little extra time.
After the launch of Adobe CS6 earlier this week, we noticed quite a bit of discussion on social media and here on our website, around the higher prices of the Adobe products in Australia, compared to the rest of the world.
So we sent Adobe a few of your comments from Twitter and Facebook:
“Adobe Creative Cloud – 782.019 USD of a yearly subscription in Australia VS 599.88 USD in the US.. hmm why? it’s a digital download!”
“When are we in Australia going to get a fair price? It is ridiculous that we are paying double what our American friends pay..”
“Hahahahaaa Fireworks CS6 is US$299 and AU$502.00 inc GST* HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA.”
And here is what an Adobe spokesperson had to say:
“Our pricing methodology takes into consideration the costs of doing business in different regions and customer research that assesses the value of the product in the local market. Conditions vary between markets and it’s difficult to make a straight comparison between countries.
Adobe has been listening to feedback from the Australian market through various channels including conversation on social media forums; and customer and media feedback. In launching Creative Cloud, we have worked hard to reduce the price difference between the US and other markets. With the introduction of Creative Cloud Membership and reduction of subscription pricing, Adobe creative products have become significantly more affordable to our customers. For example, annual subscribers paid A$199/month for a subscription to Master Collection CS5.5, and now pay only A$62.99/month for CCM. That’s a reduction of 68%. CCM includes access to all of the products in Master Collection, plus more. In other words, Adobe is delivering more value at a much lower price.”
Thumbnail background image by Erathic Eric.
What a fantastic non-answer.
I hear this crap of an answer (avoiding one) on voice messages..like a parrot – firm controlling and no comment…in other words Oz is the place we will make our money..the laid back country who will pay whatever we ask!
Yes we love Adobe but not your way of doing a fair business-
from fair dinkum Aussie
I like to think I’m fluent in marketing, but I’ll be buggered if I can find a valid reason in all of that.
I think it boils down to: “Hey look, you’re paying less than you used to, okay? Quit your whining.”
What a complete load of cod’s wallop! Do they honestly expect me to believe that for a single second?
“Our pricing methodology takes into consideration the costs of doing business in different regions and customer research that assesses the value of the product in the local market. Conditions vary between markets and it’s difficult to make a straight comparison between countries.”
Really?
So the cost of selling me a digital download or subscription, or whatever, is MORE in Australia based on your cost of business in Australia? Rubbish! I would buy this argument if there was significant competition in the local market but considering this is a one horse race, this statement is pure fiction, especially in today’s delivery environment.
To me I see it simply that in the US they want to keep prices lower to deter anyone from trying to launch a competing product, while everywhere else, they know it won’t happen, so can take us all for a ride and we just have to suck it up.
I for one am more than happy Apple has heralded the death of Flash. I hope to see other such this happen to give Adobe the kicking it rightly deserves.
…and this is why I now use Pixelmator instead of Photoshop. Adobe, along with all other publishing/distribution houses are stuck on their same old geographic boundaries. That doesn’t translate to the Internet and our mental model of how things should be fairly priced.
I’m looking forward to the smaller companies innovating around these big players.
Load of BS. And I suppose it’s 10 dollars to buy the master collection in the Phillipines then? And don’t get me started on how much it costs in Antartica!
Thank’s for listening to the people of Australia.
Now listen when we tell you we are sick of being ripped off.
Prices should be the same, or cheaper due to Aussie Dollar.
Years ago, for those that remember there was a thing called Quark. Amongst other substantial differences between InDesign and Quark. One significant factor for the downfall of Quark was in fact, they got greedy. Just saying.
Haha, unglossed answer …Because we can.
“Suckers gonna pay”
For another response from Adobe on their Australian/non-US pricing ‘model’, see my blog post here: http://cybertext.wordpress.com/2012/03/22/adobe-explains-why-their-pricing-is-different-in-various-countries/
It’s complete and utter BS and marketing spin designed to do your head in!
The cost of doing business in Australia must be higher since they have almost zero presence here. Obviously maintaining offices and staff in countries such as the USA is more expensive than having nothing?
Do what I do, buy it from the USA, its not that hard.
Can you use the Adobe from USA here in Australia and it works?
Oh, I see… It’s “what we think we can get away with” pricing. Nice one.
I love how they answer the question by trying to sell more product.
It obvious – Adobe charges Australians more because the download has to travel further over teh InterWebs in order to get all the way to Oz
I don’t get it? Yarrrr…
Bollocks to that Adobe…
This reply just cost me 2 Australian dollars. I could have replied for free in the US!
Is it a similar pricing strategy that Apple use for iTunes? Whatever they can get away with.
and this is why we use the pirate bay…
I am looking forward to the time when Adobe is knocked off their perch and replaced by a younger company who cares about great design and great (integrated) interfaces.
…And thank you Desktop and good point Flyn RE Quark (April 26, 2012 at 4:12 pm)
As ‘moonhead’ said in reply to a similar bit of Adobe fluff back in 2010 “Is it [the price disparity] because the software is delivered into store on the back of magical unicorns?” It may as well be. Because Adobe had no decent pricing explanation back then, and they still obviously don’t.
Clearly Adobe is milking its monopoly and we can look forward to more of the same until competition rears its head. Bring it on!
ahhh torrents, how I love thee.
When I start to see some equality in worldwide pricing for the same product then I will purchase. until then….hmmm.. well…
The key phrase here is “customer research that assesses the value of the product in the local market” = subjective.
My business is struggling. I simply cannot afford to buy the full creative suite even though I’d love to have it.
Stop pricing yourself out of the market, Adobe. If another comparable product came along, I’d go with that, simply because you are a bunch of arrogant tossers.
“Because we bought Macromedia so you have no alternative”
“Ch-ching, ch-ching”… that’s all I hear.
I agree that Adobe product pricing is a rip off in Australia. The Federal poloticians know about it and do nothing but postulate eg 30 Apr 2012. Adobe have a tight grip on the parts of the anotomy that matter….knowing that there is not much alternative for CS5 or CS6 once you have set up your work flow for Photoshop’s earlier versions!
This sounds a little like the old issue with the record companies and illegal downloads and file sharing sites like napster etc., does adobe wonder why people are downloading pirated software of their products? Reduce the bloody price and we’ll buy your damn software! I’m a student, I can’t afford to upgrade to 6. I bought cs4 a few years back, student version cost me nearly $400, now my college uses 5 but won’t upgrade to 6 until 2013. Makes my life hell working on different versions, saving up, saving down etc. surely upgrades shouldn’t cost as much each time as you’re only adding and improving the product, not doing a complete redesign! Make us want to buy your products…not leaving us with no alternative but to download pirated software! As&$;les!
Start making some noise to them about it then.
Get your friends to make some noise about it.
Spam their facebook, twitter, google plus.
This is what I posted on my facebook earlier:
Adobe CS5.5 cost $1000 more in Australia than USA.
If you are not in Australia, but outside USA, I bet they are ripping you off too.
We all need to start making some noise at Adobe, before they do this again with CS6.
Get on Twitter, Facebook, Google plus and say something about it. Get others to do the same.
https://www.facebook.com/Adobe
Twitter @Adobe_aus @Adobe_Care @adobe
Lets get everyone talking about this…
I need to upgrade from cs4 master to cs6 master, and discovered the upgrade was 300 more here than in america over a digital download FFS! Then noticed the full priced product was 2000aud more here than in the US! Well stuff you adobe, your loss, im not upgrading, nor buying more seats until the price is the SAME! Robbing bastards!
I have posted on several of adobe websites and forums asking for a please explain about the pricing etc and this download only business model and all the comments are still waiting to be approved yet they have approved post after them . Each post was nicely written with no foul language or abusive . Seem adobe don’t like bad publicity . The product is great but there management and customer service is shocking if they treat the rest of the world like idiots and charge stupid inflated prices for no extra service . I have had friends who were authorised sellers of adobe products in Australia and now refuse to stock or sell it due to adobes management and pricing structure .
I chatted to Adobe support and sales about this some months ago, and received a very similar reply to the one given above… so it’s on their list of scripted responses, that is for sure. I told them I would not be upgrading to CS6 for this reason, and I won’t. I suspect the only message Adobe will respond to is a plummeting sales graph in Australia, so it’s really our choice… Keep paying artificially inflated prices like the bunch of yokels they obviously take us for, or save your money for something of value. (My way of justifying a new iPhone.)
And they wonder why people download pirated versions. Adobe fail.
There is no cost of doing business in Australia required except paying the GST.