Looking for new AV software lead me to Symantec’s website (obviously) but what I found when I got there was a little upsetting and slightly disturbing.

First we have Symantec USA.

Go here and look at the price. $39.99

Symantec also have a nifty script that lets you look that the price in other currencies, when converted to GBP we see this:

Seems reasonable right? I thought so too, so I went to buy it.

But I am not allowed to buy it apparently. I live in The UK so I MUST buy from the UK store.
OK, I know it will cost me around £20GB so lets visit Symantec UK and see how much the same product costs in the UK:

Somethings wrong there? £39.99GB???

According to the current exchange rate (at the time of writing) £39.99GB is the equivilent of $75.94US that is almost double the US price.

Same product - same 1 year subscription.
The pic on the box is slightly different though. Same shirt, same laptop - different guy.

Is the guy on the box Brad Pitt or another world famous actor that needed paying a few million £ and thus justifies a double price tag? I don’t think so.

So Mr Symantec UK - how do you justify this daylight robbery?
I’m sure plenty of people would like to know.

Update:
Some serious trolling here :)
Where are you in this league table of being screwed?

All prices below are for Norton antivirus 2007 with a 1 year subscription to updates.

• Denmark price: 749,00DKK = $127.80US
• Sweden price: 649 SEK = $89.60US
• Ireland price: 59.99 euros = $76.30US
• UK price: £39.99 = $75.94US
• Netherlands price: 54.99 euros = $69.94US
• France price: 49.99 euros = $63.58
• Italy price: 49.99 euros = $63.58
• Spain price: 44.99 euros = $57.22
• German Price: 39.99 euros = $50.86US
• Swiss and Austria Price: 39.99 euros = $50.86US
• Portugal Price: 39.99 euros = $50.86US
• Canada price: Can$44.99 = $40.16US
• Mexico price: MXN441.11 = $40.95US
• USA price: $39.99US - base price
• Czech republic price: 29.99 euros = $38.15US
• Poland price: 29.99 euros = $38.15US
• Hungary price: 29.99 euros = $38.15US

One question that instantly occours to me is that the German/Swiss/Austrian version has had to be completely translated and therfore cost more money that the UK version which is essentially no different to the USA version - so why is it $20 cheaper?

Surely this holds true of any translated version. Why is the German version so cheap compared to other Euro nations like France and Italy?

I find it very odd that things have to be done this way in the 21st century just to line a few peoples pockets with more money.
Now someone needs to start a campaign to boycott companies with price structuring like this, I’ll sign up!