Microsoft points outside of US... how much are we getting ripped off?

[Lloyd1337]

I live in Canada. I'm willing to forgive that the game was delayed a month here, was short-shipped, costed an extra $30 more than the US price, had extremely delayed RMAs at first (my first replacement pedal took forever to get here), etc.

However, I'm not willing to forgive the fact that Canadians, and in fact anyone living outside the US is getting completely shafted when it comes to Microsoft Points, which are required to download new songs for Rock Band.

Now, I know that this isn't Harmonix/EA's fault. I'm not blaming them. This is Microsoft's problem, but I'm posting it here mainly to inform people and see what other's opinions on this issue are.

So here are the facts:

To buy 1000 MSP in the US, it costs $12.50 US (+ tax).
To buy 1000 MSP in Canada, it costs $15.50 CAD (+ tax).
The current exchange rate is 1 USD = 0.99416 CAD.

So in the US:
1000/12.5 x 160 = $2 per song.

In Canada:
1000/15.50 x 160 = $2.48 per song.

We pay almost $0.50 more per song. That may not sound like a lot, but it adds up. Especially if you buy a lot of songs.

Can someone explain to me why points are more expensive here? Is there any good reason, other than the fact that M$ is greedy? Does it cost more to send the points up here through the series of tubes we call the interwebs? Maybe there are customs fees or something when the points travelling through the tubes cross the border?

Well, the truth is Microsoft hasn't adjusted the price of the points at all since the 360 was released in 2005. Back then the Canadian dollar was at around $0.85 if I recall correctly. Now it is almost on par. What gives?

And Microsoft seems intent on making it so that we can't get a fair price on the points, even if we go out of our way to do so. You can't use codes from an MSP point card purchased in the US on an account linked to a Canadian email address and credit card.

Another problem with the MSP system (although "problem" isn't the right word; this was carefully planned by Microsoft) is that points can only be bought in multiples of 500 and spent in multiples of 80, so you are always left with slightly less points than you need to buy one more song, and end up having to get another set of points. It is really hard to spend all of your MSP without having any left over.

I know the problem is even worse in Europe and other parts of the world. And I've heard of similar pricing problems on PSN as well.

I doubt Microsoft will do anything to change this unless there is significant attention brought to the issue. I'm sure if I contacted them and asked them about it I'd get a nice letter from a PR representative saying something along the lines of "You're Canadian. We don't give a **** about you, and plan to continue ripping you off because most people are too dumb to even consider the possibility that we're ripping them off. Thanks for writing and have a nice day." I don't think posting this will do anything to change the problem, either. It's been a problem for a while, but it's not like it's very easy for a bunch of pissed off Canadians to get attention when a majority of the Americans don't care about stuff that doesn't concern them.

So what do you guys think? Why do we get charged more for points? I'm sure the Americans will be completely indifferent because they're, well, American. And the Europeans will all just say something like, "At least you have the game." But to anyone who doesn't want to follow these stereotypes, comments?

[pmpboarder]

That actually does really suck, man. $.50 more per song would blow, as I've bought every single one so far. I didn't realize that problem existed. All I can say is that I feel for ya. :(

[Yazu]

I'm just going to say that Europeans pay the most ;)

1000 ms points = €12.00 , which is almost $19 in US dollars.

[Lloyd1337]

I'm just going to say that Europeans pay the most ;)

1000 ms points = €12.00 , which is almost $19 in US dollars.

Yeah. Europe has it rough.

Hmm. If the price was the same, I would definitely buy more songs. I'm guessing that Harmonix doesn't actually get any of the extra $0.50 per song I have to pay, as any money they get from DLC is probably proportional to how many points are spent on it, not how much the person spent on said points (of course, I don't really have any idea how MS pays DLC developers, or even if they get paid, but I highly doubt MS differentiates between a "Canadian" MSP and an "American" MSP), so wouldn't it be beneficial for them if the prices were equalized because we'd be able to buy more points, and thus more songs, for the same amount of money?

More DLC sales for Harmonix = more money. So c'mon, Harmonix. Write MS a letter or something and threaten to boycott them unless they fix the prices!

... ... ...

Just kidding. Or not. I don't even know any more.

[shadebug]

I'm just going to say that Europeans pay the most ;)

1000 ms points = €12.00 , which is almost $19 in US dollars.

which is why importing the game is such a beautiful way to protest. Every song I buy from the US servers as a european is a good $1 that EA and HMX will never see.

[Michura]

I and also Canadian and have the 360 and it sucks paying a little more but it's not as bad as the PS3. They pay a full dollar more per song.

[RockBandRocker]

Could the conversion factor be affecting the price? Microsoft is a U.S. based company, so, in order to get the proper residuals from foreign sales of points, they have to charge more to make up for the problems the U.S. Dollar has against foreign currency. That is the only thing that makes sense to me. It still sucks that everyone isn't paying an equal price. :p

[rylin]

...they have to charge more to make up for the problems the U.S. Dollar has against foreign currency.

Euro-peons and Canucks: Desperately trying to save the ever-failing US economy.

Of course, the only reason we're doing it is because we're hoarding physical dollars, only to capitalize on them in a few years once it's strong.

Huzzah! \o/

[RockBandRocker]

Euro-peons and Canucks: Desperately trying to save the ever-failing US economy.

Of course, the only reason we're doing it is because we're hoarding physical dollars, only to capitalize on them in a few years once it's strong.

Huzzah! \o/

I was just trying to come up with a logical answer to the original poster's question. I didn't intend to start an economics debate :p

[killer_roach]

I wonder if MS and Sony's non-US operations are subject to sales taxes or VAT, which would also explain some of the discrepancy.

And free-floating exchange rates are a self-correcting mechanism for account and trade balances. Granted, trade doesn't work as smoothly as it should between some areas so there are still some distortions (i.e. the dollar being unexplainably weak w.r.t. the Euro), but things should eventually sort themselves out.

[Flawless]

Here's the thing people always complain about the euro and pound pay 'more'.

But in that case it's relative to your lifestyle. Think about it in depth, I don't feel like explaining.

But if you think this post is bad, how about the fact the Canadian PSN has to pay 2.99 per song as opposed to 1.99 per song. And here's a hint: It has nothing to do with tax, we get taxed on that 2.99.

[Chthonic]

I'd say quite a bit, especially considering the fact that some of us can't use our credit cards to buy MS points online anymore. Thanks, Microsoft!

[capndan]

im canadian, wait till the CND > USD and buy lots of MS points prob solved imo

[capt smeegs]

When MS set the point value, the canadian dollar was very, very low. That exchange rate back when MS points were set, was right on. Now that our dollar has grown strong, and was running away to the point where the gov't stepped in and put it back to par and just above, MS isn't going to redo the eval for points. Think about it. Think about the point cards they have issued, printed, etc. It would cost them massive amounts of money and if the canadian dollar goes south again to ride 30-50% below the US currency, they have to do it all over again.

Until we have a par dollar or better for decades, MS isn't going to do anything. Why the PSN is a whole dollar above is garbage. Our dollar has never been anywhere near that low and that is just straight gouging, which in this country, is illegal.