New Xbox 360 Priced at £150 in the UK
Still more expensive than in the U.S., of course.
Though most of Microsoft's E3 keynote revolved around the upcoming Xbox One console, the company tossed diehard Xbox 360 fans a bone with the unveiling of a brand new Xbox 360. Dubbed the Xbox 360 E, Microsoft informed us that the console would be available right away and would be priced at $199.99. But what about gamers in the UK? How much would the console cost in Britain?
Microsoft didn't talk international pricing at E3 at all. Fortunately, with the console already shipping, it was only a matter of time before such information became available. GAME currently has the console listed on its website with a £149 price tag and free shipping. The release date is listed as TBD, but Crave reports that GAME actually sold 10 units for £100 at its pop-up stoe in London's Shoreditch. Not only that, but it seems the retailer was more than happy to sell the console to £149 once the special price units ran out it does appear to actually be for sale online (as opposed to up for pre-order).
The Xbox 360 was given a makeover to better fit in with the look and feel of the Xbox One. The changes to the outside of the console are cosmetic, but there are only minor differences under the hood. According to an iFixit tear down, the console has one less USB port but the case is easier to remove than on the older models.

What do you mean you don't pay taxes separately? You have a horrible income tax in addition to the value added tax you are speaking of.
I'm not quite sure what you are trying to say. Are you trying to say the VAT has to be included in the listed price?
The US has no VAT and some states don't have any sales tax at all, but the reason everything is more expensive over there isn't just because you have high taxes. I was just reading a story on this site talking about how apple is being forced to offer a two year wwarranty for countries in the EU. Absurd regulations that stifle the free market also drastically impact your prices.
I don't know how you can stand such a large government over there. It's bad enough in the US, but no where near what you guys must suffer.
in the states its 199 plus %7 taxes
same in my country, its taxes included the price on the counter thats how much you pay out the door
What do you mean you don't pay taxes separately? You have a horrible income tax in addition to the value added tax you are speaking of.
I'm not quite sure what you are trying to say. Are you trying to say the VAT has to be included in the listed price?
The US has no VAT and some states don't have any sales tax at all, but the reason everything is more expensive over there isn't just because you have high taxes. I was just reading a story on this site talking about how apple is being forced to offer a two year wwarranty for countries in the EU. Absurd regulations that stifle the free market also drastically impact your prices.
I don't know how you can stand such a large government over there. It's bad enough in the US, but no where near what you guys must suffer.
Erm how exactly does making a company have to stand by its rather expensive products for at least 2-3 years in terms of them continuing to function a bad thing and stifling the free market?
I would rather pay a fraction more from my expensive toy knowing its covered for 2-3 years automatically without having to then pay on top for warranty or Apple Care.
Products should last for more than 12 months, especially those that cost in the realms of several hundred to thousands of £/$.
If a mandatory warranty makes a company take extra care in the production of its goods then I'm all for it. Otherwise its just more landfill. Who wants crap that just lasts 12 months?
How on earth it is that some people feel 'consumer rights' are a bad thing I really don't know. Too much corporate agenda kool-aid I suppose.
in the states its 199 plus %7 taxes
same in my country, its taxes included the price on the counter thats how much you pay out the door
Just to clarify, the taxes added on to the price listed isn't a U.S. tax, it's a state and local tax, and it varies. I'm not sure how low it goes these days, I would say 7% is pretty low. Here near Dallas, TX it's 8.25%. I've seen it over 12% at a resort town in Colorado - and that was 20+ years ago, no telling what it is now! So, yeah, state and local taxes alone can amount to something close to VAT in some areas of the U.S.
Of course you can often avoid state and local taxes by buying through a company that is located in another state (like through the internet). States have no jurisdiction over interstate business, so can't charge tax unless the item you buy is form a business with a presence in your state. Shipping costs might make that pointless, though, just like a country that isn't part of the EU buying from a country that is - we don't pay the VAT, so get an item at 15% less that it is listed for, but we still have to pay shipping and any import taxes that apply.
What do you mean you don't pay taxes separately? You have a horrible income tax in addition to the value added tax you are speaking of.
I'm not quite sure what you are trying to say. Are you trying to say the VAT has to be included in the listed price?
The US has no VAT and some states don't have any sales tax at all, but the reason everything is more expensive over there isn't just because you have high taxes. I was just reading a story on this site talking about how apple is being forced to offer a two year wwarranty for countries in the EU. Absurd regulations that stifle the free market also drastically impact your prices.
I don't know how you can stand such a large government over there. It's bad enough in the US, but no where near what you guys must suffer.
Erm how exactly does making a company have to stand by its rather expensive products for at least 2-3 years in terms of them continuing to function a bad thing and stifling the free market?
I would rather pay a fraction more from my expensive toy knowing its covered for 2-3 years automatically without having to then pay on top for warranty or Apple Care.
Products should last for more than 12 months, especially those that cost in the realms of several hundred to thousands of £/$.
If a mandatory warranty makes a company take extra care in the production of its goods then I'm all for it. Otherwise its just more landfill. Who wants crap that just lasts 12 months?
How on earth it is that some people feel 'consumer rights' are a bad thing I really don't know. Too much corporate agenda kool-aid I suppose.
Taking choice away from the consumer is never good.
In the US you can buy an extended warranty if you want one. The people who don't want to pay for that longer warranty aren't forced to. Companies aren't in business to provide jobs or provide a service to the community. They are in business to make money. Every time the government forces a business to do something, the consumer pays for it.
Maybe if the government always made the right decisions, maybe government intervention would be a good thing. But they're not. They are a bunch of bungling idiots with no understanding of business or the products they are regulating. They can't do anything right.
The free market's survival of the fittest might anger the consumer from time to time, but it ultimately gives the consumer the largest voice. They can vote with their pocketbook. It's the ultimate form of democracy.
Taking choice away from the consumer is never good.
In the US you can buy an extended warranty if you want one. The people who don't want to pay for that longer warranty aren't forced to. Companies aren't in business to provide jobs or provide a service to the community. They are in business to make money. Every time the government forces a business to do something, the consumer pays for it.
Maybe if the government always made the right decisions, maybe government intervention would be a good thing. But they're not. They are a bunch of bungling idiots with no understanding of business or the products they are regulating. They can't do anything right.
The free market's survival of the fittest might anger the consumer from time to time, but it ultimately gives the consumer the largest voice. They can vote with their pocketbook. It's the ultimate form of democracy.
If the guarantee for a product to function for a defined period is removed, doesn't that make purchasing extended warranties mandatory for the consumer?
Retailers already reap a large percentage of profits from selling their extended warranties than the actual goods themselves. Manufacturers can lower build quality and quality assurance without falling foul of the law since there is no expectation for it to work at all. It becomes more beneficial for them to design points of failure that can be described as user's fault to squirm their way out of an expensive warranty contract. Now I have no confidence that the product I am purchasing will still function on day 2.
Warranty is protection for the consumer, we expect the product to be functional for a reasonable time and replaced if faulty. The government enforces consumer rights protection for the consumer. You have the choice to extend your piece of mind to 2, 3, 5 or even 10 years because the confidence that the product will function for at least the first 365 days in your possession is there. Like you said, businesses are there to make money from us, that's why we need these laws to outline fair expectations and responsibilities for both sides.
Taking choice away from the consumer is never good.
In the US you can buy an extended warranty if you want one. The people who don't want to pay for that longer warranty aren't forced to. Companies aren't in business to provide jobs or provide a service to the community. They are in business to make money. Every time the government forces a business to do something, the consumer pays for it.
Maybe if the government always made the right decisions, maybe government intervention would be a good thing. But they're not. They are a bunch of bungling idiots with no understanding of business or the products they are regulating. They can't do anything right.
The free market's survival of the fittest might anger the consumer from time to time, but it ultimately gives the consumer the largest voice. They can vote with their pocketbook. It's the ultimate form of democracy.
If the guarantee for a product to function for a defined period is removed, doesn't that make purchasing extended warranties mandatory for the consumer?
Retailers already reap a large percentage of profits from selling their extended warranties than the actual goods themselves. Manufacturers can lower build quality and quality assurance without falling foul of the law since there is no expectation for it to work at all. It becomes more beneficial for them to design points of failure that can be described as user's fault to squirm their way out of an expensive warranty contract. Now I have no confidence that the product I am purchasing will still function on day 2.
Warranty is protection for the consumer, we expect the product to be functional for a reasonable time and replaced if faulty. The government enforces consumer rights protection for the consumer. You have the choice to extend your piece of mind to 2, 3, 5 or even 10 years because the confidence that the product will function for at least the first 365 days in your possession is there. Like you said, businesses are there to make money from us, that's why we need these laws to outline fair expectations and responsibilities for both sides.
What you arr advocating is reason why products cost so much more in the EU and why their economy is failing.
Government intervention is what has turned the US from the strongest manufacturing nation in the world, into the biggest importer in history.
The law in the EU states that if a product fails because of a fault that was present at the point of sale then that product must be repaired/replaced/refunded by the retailer.
It means that: if you broke it, no replacement, if it's due to normal wear and tear, no replacement, if it's faulty due to an inherent manufacturing fault, the retailer (not the manufacturer) is liable for the cost of a repair/replacement/refund (any of those 3 options, at the retailers discretion).
Please explain how this is absurd, because to me it seems very reasonable.
What seems absurd to me is if I bought a $1000 dollar TV, it breaks after 13 months due to an inherent fault and that's my bad, my money ost through no fault of my own.