RE: Price?

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RE: Price? - 7/14/2011 3:56:36 AM

mariandavid

Posts: 297
Joined: 5/22/2008
Status: offline

Erik - you miss the point - what I was quoting was the 'pass-through' charge by another format. Your customary cost currency calculation is suddenly off - and that is what we are complaining about. The conversion charge, assuming that calculations are correct converts into a 4.75% currency conversion charge - those for elsewhere (not giving names) are about 1.25% - so someone (not you I know) is doing rather well out of this.

Not that it matters - after a token display of petulance I will buy very soon anyway, but others might be more permanently put off.

Oh - and I am unable to order in $US or us my $US account as your server blocks any attempt to transfer from Can$ when I am paying through a Canadian based credit card account.

(in reply to Toby42)

Post #: 31

RE: Price? - 7/14/2011 5:49:59 AM

Adam Parker

Posts: 1848
Joined: 4/2/2002
From: Melbourne Australia
Status: offline

Guys - this is for the Aussies too.

1. I got charged $39.99 AUD by Plimus at the Matrix Store on Day 1 (when I bought the game).

2. If you're going on holidays to the US and you want some Greenbacks, even though the current exchange rate is say, $100 AUD = $1.07 USD, you're not going to get $107 US dollars when you give your bank $100 Aussies to exchange. You're most likely going to get $103.

Why? The banks are ripping us and everyone else off with swap fees as Erik explained

The solution to the above (ie: buying Matrix Games) is as Erik says, shop at the US store and let your LOCAL bank charge you the swap fee when you get your card statement. Just like shopping at good 'ol Amazon.

Now, if Plimus is charging a swap fee at the Aussie store AND your local bank does so too when the transaction goes through, then we're getting ripped off. I'll try to keep an eye on this for you Erik and email you if so.

(in reply to mariandavid)

Post #: 32

RE: Price? - 7/14/2011 6:11:26 AM

milkweg

Posts: 546
Joined: 7/23/2007
Status: offline

I can pay in Indian Rupees even if I want?

1,901.99 INR

How about Zambia Kwacha?

197,354.00 ZMK

(in reply to Adam Parker)

Post #: 33

RE: Price? - 7/14/2011 9:13:17 AM

goodwoodrw

Posts: 2661
Joined: 2/14/2005
Status: offline

In Oz I believe its offence for the merchant to charge a conversion fee, I don't believe Pilmus should charging it either, DR didn't GG doesn't and all other Internet companies I have recently purchased products with haven't, my bank has charged me a small fee, but you would expect that. I have purchased 22 games since 2004 all but one when the Oz dollar was on the negative side of the UD buck. I always dreamed the day our dollar would be better than the USD Now the grass is greener, I'm still eating dry hay, Sorry Erik if this policy persists the tally will stay at 22. The couple of bucks isn't the issue, its the principle1
Ron Watterson

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Formerly Goodwood

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Post #: 34

RE: Price? - 7/14/2011 11:56:32 AM

IainMcNeil

Posts: 2804
Joined: 10/26/2004
From: London
Status: offline

As far as we understand you are being charged the correct amount. You are going to be charged the currency conversion fee one way or the other - it either appears as a curerncy conversion on your bank/credit card statement or it appears at this point in Plimus. It wont appear twice and where it is added should not effect the overall amount. I think its just that normally you would not even be aware of the extra charge until you received your statement so you are just getting the info up front.

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Director
Matrix Games

(in reply to goodwoodrw)

Post #: 35

RE: Price? - 7/14/2011 2:36:05 PM

mariandavid

Posts: 297
Joined: 5/22/2008
Status: offline

OK - I accept what Ian and Erik are saying. So I will buy the game using the Matrix system (ie nominated in Can$) and then work out with the aid of my bank exactly what it cost me. And it I was wrong - I will add my plaintive and rambling apologies to this set. If right will contact Erik personally to avoid any more diversions from the discussion of what is obviously a brilliant game (from the comments it seems to play like a very adult and intelligent version of Civ 5!)

(in reply to IainMcNeil)

Post #: 36

RE: Price? - 7/14/2011 7:00:45 PM

DasTactic

Posts: 1083
Joined: 10/10/2005
Status: offline

I'm also an Australian and get peeved by these sort of issues. As an experiment I tried two things:

Purchase via PayPal using US pricing (Final PayPal cost is AUD$38.27)
Purchase via PayPal using AUS pricing (Final PayPal cost is AUD$39.99) 4.5% more for the same thing.

Something still isn't right Erik.

(in reply to mariandavid)

Post #: 37

RE: Price? - 7/14/2011 8:35:52 PM

Erik Rutins

Posts: 37503
Joined: 3/28/2000
From: Vermont, USA
Status: offline

Hi guys,

Ok, I went back to the store and went over this in more detail.

If you view e-commerce platforms like Clickbank (which today is at a 6% conversion fee for AUD), eSellerate (which is at an 11% conversion fee for AUD) or RegNow (which today is also at 6% for AUD) you can see that our rates are standard, if not lower than many competitors.

Also, part of the reason for the fee is to take into account currency fluctuations as our exchange rate is updated on a daily basis, but there are parts of the whole financial system where there can be asynchronicities. I'm convinced that what we're charging is a pass-through from the Plimus store and that it's basically a wash for them.

I don't know why PayPal charged you less, perhaps their system is more advanced and is doing the conversions and transferring the money around instantaneously, whereas we are paid on the daily rate, but the money does not necessarily arrive and get converted instantly. As they are specifically a money transfer business, they may have some additional efficiencies in this regard.

Also, since the rates are udated on a daily basis, it's important to keep in mind that you can't compare today's rates with rates at a past date.

Regards,

- Erik

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Erik Rutins
CEO, Matrix Games LLC

For official support, please use our Help Desk: http://www.matrixgames.com/helpdesk/

Freedom is not Free.

(in reply to DasTactic)

Post #: 38

RE: Price? - 7/15/2011 12:43:01 AM

DasTactic

Posts: 1083
Joined: 10/10/2005
Status: offline

I know the rates change day by day, but the AUD has not deviated 5% in the last few months - and it certainly hasn't gone down much in that period.

Merchant accounts do tend to charge a lot more than PayPal does for handling money so I guess the best option for non-US purchasers is to select US$ in the Matrix Cart and then process the transaction via PayPal where they give you close to the correct exchange rate.

(in reply to Erik Rutins)

Post #: 39

RE: Price? - 7/15/2011 3:18:27 AM

goodwoodrw

Posts: 2661
Joined: 2/14/2005
Status: offline

Feel free to call me a bitching downunderer, just hat yo add my last $3.50 worth. Erik excepting your explanation the merchant can charge the currency conversion fee, comparing this cost with my most recent bank charge for PC game, percentage wise there is about 8% difference between the 2 purchases. My bank charged me around 2% of the total cost and Pilmus on current exchange rates wants to charge me 10%. Depending on currency fluctuations this could add $1.50 to 3.50 to every foreign transaction, nice amount cream!
Your business Erik you choose to run it the way you see fit, but in my mindset as much as I would like to buy PC I won't under the current pricing policy.
Ron

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Formerly Goodwood

(in reply to Toby42)

Post #: 40

RE: Price? - 7/15/2011 3:08:59 PM

Erik Rutins

Posts: 37503
Joined: 3/28/2000
From: Vermont, USA
Status: offline

Hi BASB,

I respect that it's a matter of principle, but you might consider if this the right place and time for that stand.

The old store did not allow us to update our exchange rates daily, which means the pricing was often much farther off, sometimes to the customer's advantage, but often not. We would update prices quarterly on the old store. Also, the old store had more expensive shipping options to Australia. The net result is that in the last year, we've significantly reduced the average cost of our games for customers in Australia, relative to customers in the US, so by telling us that you are now going to boycott us, you're effectively throwing out the baby with the bathwater.

The actual exchange fee is not under our control. Now that we're aware this is an issue, we'll push the store to reduce it, but we can't guarantee any changes. They are our e-commerce partner and a better one than Digital River, but they are not the same company as Matrix Games.

Regards,

- Erik

_____________________________

Erik Rutins
CEO, Matrix Games LLC

For official support, please use our Help Desk: http://www.matrixgames.com/helpdesk/

Freedom is not Free.

(in reply to goodwoodrw)

Post #: 41

RE: Price? - 7/16/2011 5:43:12 AM

33Vyper

Posts: 542
Joined: 10/20/2004
From: New Westminster BC
Status: offline

As the person who started the thread I want to make it very clear that I am a very happy Matrix customer. I just found the pricing odd.

That being said Erik has gone out of his way (as Matrix always does) to review and explain the discrepancies and I am satisfied with the answer provided.

I like everyone tries to make sure they get the biggest bang for their buck....and I have never once been disappointed with Matrix, and I picked up a Slitherine game a while back as well and was very happy.

I have read nothing but excellent reviews and comments so far and I will be picking this title up.

As for the pricing issue....I would make one suggestion...change your pricing to USD only...and let the customer pay in USD the we can source out the best exchange.

Thank you Erik...you can lock this thread up if you want I think you guys have more than explained how this works and I thank you!

Cheers

~John~

(in reply to Erik Rutins)

Post #: 42

RE: Price? - 7/16/2011 5:49:28 AM

parusski

Posts: 4804
Joined: 5/8/2000
From: Jackson Tn
Status: offline

WOW. I really have no idea "EXACTLY" how much I paid. I've been too busy enjoying the game.

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(in reply to 33Vyper)