whyzerman Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 (edited) Why not install an android/iphone emulator like the one found at http://bluestacks.com/ and use the mobile app on your PC? Sure it isn't as safe as having a separate piece of hardware but I would guess it's a bit more secure then not having one at all (not to mention it's free). Edited May 5, 2012 by whyzerman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amnie Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 America just usually pays less for things. It's how it's economy works. We pay less for food. We pay less for games. blablabla... However get pay MORE for healthy food, considerably LESS for unhealthy food like McDonalds (one reason why we're so fat) and stuff like that. Economies are not simply exchange rates. no of course not, and I wouldn't mind paying a bit more for better service. hell I can still accept them saying 'well you earn more money so pay more subscription fee' (thought that's silly, they wouldn't lower the subscription fee in nigeria, would they? and it's really only very few European countries where the money earned is really more than in the USA to begin with) ... this isn't about economics, though. especially when it's .just. about sending a product. (after all technically they should give you the option to pick how you want said item to be shipped) there just is .no. justification .at all. for having them pick a fixed price in a foreign currency when you can only pay via paypal or credit card to begin with. (both automatically exchanging when I pay) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Venirious Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 (edited) no it's not. show me any online store that will automatically force a certain currency on you - and instead of just using the daily exchange rate will ... well.. make one up on the spot. I order from the US all the time. films, toys, clothing, shoes, make-up... never has this happened to me before I started playing this game. Lots of online stores redirect you to the local market site if one is available (http://www.amazon.co.uk vs amazon.com) since it keeps logistics simpler for them and usually the customer and each one uses the local currency. They're not making up an exchange rate "on the spot" they're simply charging you a price that's adjusted for the local overhead/supply/demand variances. ....Economies are not simply exchange rates... That's all I was trying to say. lol. ...this isn't about economics, though. especially when it's .just. about sending a product... It's only "just sending a product" when you're the one on the receiving end of the package. For the person/company trying to sell these products out across several countries it's ALL economics, and in some cases politics depending on the product. Edited May 5, 2012 by Venirious Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabbathesloot Posted May 5, 2012 Author Share Posted May 5, 2012 (edited) Ok does anyone know, i am based in the UK where does my authenticator come from? Where does the US ones get shipped from ? How much does the postage cost for the US, i can see the base price for the product but not the postage cost anyone ? (Edit) Just found out it costs about $2.50 for shipping and handling http://www.oldrepublic.net/threads/2345-physical-security-key.html So with this in mind why are we being overcharged for a item to the tune off £5 or $8 ??? Edited May 5, 2012 by Jabbathesloot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephenalandavie Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 heh, for this game there are mooore than enough examples for this. let's start with the CE 150€ that's roughly $230 (and shipping is .not. 80 dollar, I checked) then we have the monthly subscription cost. 13€ is ... well....$17 not much of a difference, sure, and some people in the US pay those online game taxes... but still. it adds up. then we have the authentification thingies... again, europeans are getting royally ripped off. anyone remember the deal with the offical merch a while ago? oh fancy, the shirts that cost $19 get automatically converted into Euro as soon as you put in the address to ship to (so technically even if you are let's say a soldier just stationed over here, still gettting paid in Dollar, you are screwed, because the shirt alone will already be $23 converted, not counting in shipping) and then we have the lovely European servers standing in freaking Ireland (nothing against the Irish, everybody loves you silly beans!) ... Ireland, obviously not the country known for technically advancement in Europe. the result? back in January lots of people from Mainland Europe couldn't play during certain times the day at all. my ping to the European servers is still not much better than it is to the US servers. why? well because having the Servers in Ireland is cheaper. d'oh. and the costumer support is in Spain so Bioware/EA can save some more.... LMFAO they are just doing their bit for fair trade lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amnie Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 Lots of online stores redirect you to the local market site if one is available (http://www.amazon.co.uk vs amazon.com) since it keeps logistics simpler for them and usually the customer and each one uses the local currency. They're not making up an exchange rate "on the spot" they're simply charging you a price that's adjusted for the local overhead/supply/demand variances. It's only "just sending a product" when you're the one on the receiving end of the package. For the person/company trying to sell these products out across several countries it's ALL economics, and in some cases politics depending on the product. buddy not once has Amazon FORCED me to pay in Euro when I ordered from amazon.com or amazon.uk. that THAT is what it's all about. bioware/orgin/ea is FORCING me to pay in Euro but they do NOT stick to current exchange rates, they make up a price on the spot. considering I still have to pay with my credit card that is bollocks, nothing else. you can claim they actually adjusted it all you want, fact is they did some weird background calculations figuring out 'they're gonna pay it anyway'. and god knows they are not the only ones who do that (how else would you explain that a few years ago a zipper at a fall out boy concert was 75!!!!€ (that's about 100 dollar)... you pay about 30€ when you order it from their official website - including shipping. lol) and please don't give me a wannabe-lecture in what you think is economics, when I'm a business administrator. I know when I get ripped off. thank you very much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amnie Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 LMFAO they are just doing their bit for fair trade lol totally. everybody knows China is big in fair trade Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabbathesloot Posted May 6, 2012 Author Share Posted May 6, 2012 (edited) Phoned customer support this morning about this, let the buck passing start.... currently been chatting with a chap from the origin site, passed again to shipping department :S no thanks on phone complaint department atm (Edit) just got off the phone now they cant seem to help me on this as they are short on staff this weekend :S haha was also told i should make a post on the forums about it :S Edited May 6, 2012 by Jabbathesloot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lokivoid Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 Hi was just looking at the Star wars / Origin sites, seen what i thought was a great deal, Authenticator for $4.00, i thought bang on, yet when i get redirected to the UK price its £8.99, hmm something seems wrong with the values here. Now i can see how postage and packaging can come into it, but im guessing they probably wont be being dispatched from the US. Also US ones would have to be posted also. What is the deal with the different prices from US to Europe ? Oh p.s. i dont have a mobile phone. protip: any generic digipass go 6 will work. it does not have to be SWTOR branded. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lokivoid Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 They make and ship them from the UK tp EU people All Digipass keys are made in china by the same manufacturer no matter what game/software its for. Last i checked china was not part of the UK so how exactly are they "made" and shipped from the UK? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephenalandavie Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 (edited) All Digipass keys are made in china by the same manufacturer no matter what game/software its for. Last i checked china was not part of the UK so how exactly are they "made" and shipped from the UK? Dont you read the papers??, China is really a secret colony of the old british empire Edited May 6, 2012 by stephenalandavie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whyzerman Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 (edited) Why not install an android/iphone emulator like the one found at http://bluestacks.com/ and use the mobile app on your PC? Sure it isn't as safe as having a separate piece of hardware but I would guess it's a bit more secure then not having one at all (not to mention it's free). For the OP, Just incase you missed it the first time. Can't really do anything for you as far as world economics go though. Edited May 6, 2012 by whyzerman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabbathesloot Posted May 6, 2012 Author Share Posted May 6, 2012 How safe would that be on the same pc though, i have thought bout it and i figure if they had my details from my pc, why /what would make that a safer way to go Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabbathesloot Posted May 6, 2012 Author Share Posted May 6, 2012 The whole thing with the authenticator for me is, i am in a position of responsibility, i know i cant have much taken, but in guild i have access , and as time goes on i want it to be safe for my guild, but not at a cost . What i dont get is UK or US does our security differ ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloodstealer Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 Except you can't simply convert the currency because different laws and economic structures make the cost of business vary between places. I'm not saying cheating doesn't happen in certain places, but more often than not it's simply more expensive to operate in some places rather than others. I pay somewhere between $3-4 american for a gallon (note the unit of measurement) of gasoline in California, how bout you guys in the UK/EU? Different product, same idea; other variables besides form of currency. Bad comparison to use im afraid.. you dont have a goverment that screws you royaly on every tank of fuel.. we dont just pay VAT we pay a huge hike up on fuel compared to our brothers from other mothers across the atlantic..... but OP... I have seen this in pretty much ev ery MMO that utilises micro transactions, external purchases etc etc... its an opportunity to profiteer without the need of a handshake... If the goods are already UK sourced then there is no reason for such a huge mark up other than greed,, if they were shipping from the US then sure a delivery charge would apply, but that is aseparate part of any transaction for very good reasons.... Think you also nudged me to re-check the sub prices, hopefully not sure if thats changed since launch.. though as this is my last month in game, I am not overly bothered anymore Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabbathesloot Posted May 6, 2012 Author Share Posted May 6, 2012 (edited) I have heard it is sent from Canada....... But the postage gets worse then :S Spoke to some Irish guy on phone earlier, he kept saying about if people are willing to pay it comes down to supply and demand, i told him well im not willing to pay hence the phone call...... I dismissed that, but i've had a drink now. Would love a droid comment that ANSWERED this.... Edited May 6, 2012 by Jabbathesloot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seifz Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 I'm not sure why topics like this one keep popping up. Quite simply, direct currency conversions never tell the full story and are generally meaningless when you're comparing the price of a product in two separate markets. Consider this. In New York City, a 20 oz. bottle of Coke costs about $2.50. Where I live, it costs $1.50. Why the difference? After all, $1 = $1, right? The currency conversion says that the cost should be the same! The difference comes from 1) differences in taxes, 2) differences in the cost of living, 3) differences in competition, and 4) differences in supply and demand. The short of it is that Coca Cola determined the price that would maximize their profits for each market and that's what they sell their soda for. The authenticator is no different. You can't look up the exchange rate for GBP<-->USD and cry foul because the prices don't match up exactly. EA determined that they could maximize their profits by selling authenticators for 8 GBP and so they're selling authenticators for 8 GBP. If UK citizens weren't wiling to pay that price, then their internal calculations would have produced a lower price and they would have sold them for that price instead. Get it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Venirious Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 (edited) Bad comparison to use im afraid.. you dont have a goverment that screws you royaly on every tank of fuel.. So in my comment about how other variables besides the shape of your currency play a role, you state it's a bad comparison because your government plays a role. /facepalm. Well, at least Seifz gets it.... Edited May 7, 2012 by Venirious Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigbozo Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 Yep, and it's probably much cheaper to ship to the UK and EU from China than it is to the US as well. China can just chuck them on a ship and send them down the busiest shipping lane in the world to south England for dirt cheap. But they probably have to fly them to the US :/ It's nothing but a rip-off tbh. Um, ever look at a globe? For a ship to sail from China to Europe, they have to go across the Pacific Ocean to South America to the Panama Canal, then sail across the Atalantic Ocean to Europe. Sure they could sail around the horn of Africa, but it's much safer the other way. To sail for China to the US, just go across the Pacific to LA, and be done. And yes, they would sail to the US rather than fly. @OP, the only reason for the higher cost I can think of would be shipping (the $4 we pay is only for S&H), but I wouldn't think it would be that much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whyzerman Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 How safe would that be on the same pc though, i have thought bout it and i figure if they had my details from my pc, why /what would make that a safer way to go Well, think about this. They would need the following to get into your account if you had an authenticator on your PC: 1.) They would need remote or physical access to your PC. (Same with a phone). 2.) They would need your login details for your SWTOR account. The chances that they can pull off 1 are pretty minimal unless you are a complete idiot and neglect updates to your system or you live with people who would sell your account. The chances that they can pull off 2 are minimal unless you make it a habit to share your information or use the same login information on multiple sites. The chance that they pull off both? Minimal. Its as safe as you can be without using a mobile authenticator. If you are paranoid about having them on the same PC, you can throw it on a laptop or another PC if you have one. I took this from the WinBMA (the unofficial version of the PC version of the Blizzard Mobile Authenticator) site - but the same applies: However, this does not mean that using a Windows-based authenticator is completely useless. An authenticator protects you on multiple levels: It almost completely neutralizes and prevents brute-force attacks. It protects you against data mining from other account compromises (a strong, unique password for each of your accounts also does that, never use the same password twice). It protects you against common phishing attacks (however, an attacker could request 2 authenticator codes and unregister your current authenticator) It protects you against generic keyloggers and malware (generic meaning not written specifically to steal your SWTOR account info) I'm not ensuring that you will NEVER be hacked, it is just safer then just a password in my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephenalandavie Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 (edited) Bad comparison to use im afraid.. you dont have a goverment that screws you royaly on every tank of fuel.. we dont just pay VAT we pay a huge hike up on fuel compared to our brothers from other mothers across the atlantic..... but OP... I have seen this in pretty much ev ery MMO that utilises micro transactions, external purchases etc etc... its an opportunity to profiteer without the need of a handshake... If the goods are already UK sourced then there is no reason for such a huge mark up other than greed,, if they were shipping from the US then sure a delivery charge would apply, but that is aseparate part of any transaction for very good reasons.... Think you also nudged me to re-check the sub prices, hopefully not sure if thats changed since launch.. though as this is my last month in game, I am not overly bothered anymore Brothers from others mothers? lol I have never had an issue with an american most are great people, BUT the united kingdom is just one big joke to them. always has been and always will be. I think 9% roughly is of english origin, Edited May 7, 2012 by stephenalandavie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZORG Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 It does seem silly, but there is also VAT in the UK as well if you're forgetting, but it still doesn't seem enough to justify the huge price hike, especially when the currency exchange is something like $1.60 to the £1.00. We should be paying the equivalent to $4.00 and we are not. I feel like I just spoke gibberish. Just gone to a currenty converter and this is what I get: 4.00 USD = 2.47693 GBP 1 USD = 0.619233 GBP 1 GBP = 1.61490 USD So yeah, we're being cheated by about £5.50. Yeah so since the GBP is worth more you should pay less Pounds for it should only be like 2.5GBP for yall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephenalandavie Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 Yeah so since the GBP is worth more you should pay less Pounds for it should only be like 2.5GBP for yall. £2.50 plus delivery Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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