Why the Canada hate?

[aleader]

I just went to go and buy the Sealion expansion for $9.99 USD and noticed when I get to the purchase screen it has converted the price to $14.99 CDN? I've never seen a 50 cent dollar, so why the gouge job? The CDN dollar right now is at 78 cents US. If I were to buy it on Steam, it's $10.99 CDN, and that's the regular price. Same thing with Battle Academy 2. $24.99 USD turns into $34.99 CDN! That's nuts! BA2 AND Kursk on Steam will cost me a total of $32 CDN, not $64 CDN here! I noticed the same gouging even when the CDN dollar was worth more than the USD for almost two years. What gives? Do you not have a bank that knows how to convert foreign currency?

Can I change the currency type at the top to USD and get the actual exchange rate or is it going to charge me the listed $14.99 when I get my credit card statement?

[hs1611]

I would also like to know why Sealion costs 10,99 €. Ins't the Euro still worth more than the dollar?

It's not only Canadians that fell cheated...

[zakblood]

this is a straight copy paste from Matrix forum, but also does apply here regarding costs, tax, steam etc

The store always does as direct a currency conversion as possible - keep in mind that we can't get the same rate as a bank doing a conversion and you'll get to the right ballpark.

As far as Steam goes, I double-checked today and it seems that we simply have no control over how they convert the prices for other countries and they make some very bizarre choices. Our own conversion is set to be as fair as possible, unfortunately theirs is not.

Unfortunately, in addition to this incorrect conversion, Steam also takes a significant cut. If you are fortunate enough to have money not be an object, purchasing directly through our store is a much bigger help for our devs and ourselves.

http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=3975430

also there is more information on the subject there as well as replies, you can add your's here if you like, as they will be seen and relied to all the same, hope that helps, if not reply, thanks

[aleader]

I read all of that, thanks. It still doesn't explain the reason the CDN dollar is only valued here at 50 cents US. I recall a 65 cent dollar back in the 90's, but it's NEVER been 50 cents. As of right now the CDN $ is at 75 cents US. At $9.99 USD straight conversion it's $12.49 CDN, not $14.99. Even with the usual 2-4% fee the bank charges, it's still under $13. The CDN dollar was at or above the US dollar for almost a 5 year period coinciding with the US economy collapse after 2008. I purchased games on the Battlefront site during this time and ended up paying at or slightly above par. This means a game I ordered off their site for $55 US cost me $55 CDN or less. That's the simple way that currency conversion is supposed to work. I travel a few times a year to my bro-in-law's in Seattle and when I take cash out it's at the current exchange rate plus the 2-4% fee.

It's a great game and since I bought PZCorps from this site it makes no sense to buy expansions on Steam, so I bought the Sealion expansion here. I know it's only a $2.50 difference and I'm not short of cash or anything, but it's the principal. To me it seems like either I'm being gouged by the developer, or they are being gouged (fees) by whomever is converting the prices. I guess for new games on this site I'll have to wait for the next US collapse...which isn't that far off judging by the continuing complete lack of regulation in the US banking sector

[Argelas]

Minor nitpick: With a conversion of 1 CAD = 0.75 USD, 9.99 USD equal 13.33 CAD, which is a little closer to 14.99 than the 12.49 you calculated. Still a difference of 1.66 CAD or 12.5% more than the US customer would pay. But it is really not that much if you consider the small total amount. Maybe the exchange cost is a percentage but with a fixed minimum which might not matter for larger sums.

By the way, it shows 9.99 € for me, which seems pretty ok.

[aleader]

Minor nitpick: With a conversion of 1 CAD = 0.75 USD, 9.99 USD equal 13.33 CAD, which is a little closer to 14.99 than the 12.49 you calculated. Still a difference of 1.66 CAD or 12.5% more than the US customer would pay. But it is really not that much if you consider the small total amount. Maybe the exchange cost is a percentage but with a fixed minimum which might not matter for larger sums.

By the way, it shows 9.99 € for me, which seems pretty ok.

The way to convert is $9.99 x 1.25 = $12.49 + the 4%. That's a cash rate. You're doing a nominal rate. Taken from Bank of Canada: On 2 December 2015, 9.99 U.S. dollar(s) = 12.81 Canadian Dollar(s), at an exchange rate of 1.3360 (using cash rate of 4%). As I said, not a huge deal on $10, but it does start to get significant the bigger the amount. And if you're paying 10 UK, that's $14.31 USD, so you should only be paying 6.43 UK. I guess if you're ok with that...

[Argelas]

Well initially the only thing I wanted to point out is that a (nominal) rate of 1 CAD = 0.75 USD converts to 1 USD = 1.33 CAD and not 1 USD = 1.25 CAD which you seemed to use in your calculations.

I went to the Bank of Canada website and used their converter. You pay in CAD and Slitherine gets USD, so I converted 14.99 CAD to USD using the cash rate and it gave me this:

On 4 December 2015, 14.99 Canadian Dollar(s) = 10.77 U.S. dollar(s), at an exchange rate of 0.7482 (using cash rate of 4%).

So if you calculate by what Slitherine gets, it is only 7.7% more than the US customer pays. Going with that calculator and the rate from today you'd have to pay 13.91 CAD to get 9.99 USD for it.

[aleader]

We can argue the semantics of what rate should be used all day. When I buy something with my credit card off all the other sites that I pay USD, it's the cash rate plus 3% on my card. My point is why do they get more? I don't pay more anywhere else. I'd be even more upset if I was paying more when my dollar is worth more than the USD (like the pound now). Why? what's the explanation for it? When you go to Wal Mart (or wherever) and they overcharge you do you just say, 'oh well, that's ok'? Unlikely.

[aleader]

For future reference to those not in the US, I picked USD when I paid instead of CDN and was charged $13.69 CDN on my card (the nominal rate), not the $14.99 you WILL pay if you choose CDN. I think this is a deceptive practice and Slitherine should inform people making purchases, or just eliminate the drop-down to pick your currency and just price it in USD. For reference I checked my last purchase on the same card from Battlefront and was charged the cash rate + 3%, so obviously the provider that Slitherine is using is charging more for the service.

[proline]

I was hoping this thread was about how the Canadians in the game can't buy equipment that they definitely had access to in real life such as spitfires and Lancaster bombers.

[Argelas]

Good to see that you found a way to get a fair price. It is strange if there are two ways to buy the game with different prices. If one is objectively always better than the other there should be only one. And otherwise there should be at least a hint that one should compare both options.

As for the planes, you'll probably have to modify the equipment file yourself to fix that historic inaccuracy.