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Microsoft's move to real cash hurts UK buyers, helps Canadian buyers

E

excowboy

Member
What a load of balls. I didn't sign up for the beta because I didn't want my 1700 points to be converted into £'s and get screwed over in the process. I thought I was being a little over cautious, but maybe not!

Would be interesting to hear what people points are being converted to, but those NDA's...
 
D

dejay

Banned
excowboy said:
Would be interesting to hear what people points are being converted to, but those NDA's...
Click to expand...

Without going into specifics, they previously made a public statement of converting "equal to or greater than market rates".

I'm sad to see the Allards disappear, along with the cool sales and stuff we used to get, although being easier to determine value will make it easier to shop and compare.
 
D

Delusibeta

Banned
dejay said:
Without going into specifics, they previously made a public statement of converting "equal to or greater than market rates".

I'm sad to see the Allards disappear, along with the cool sales and stuff we used to get, although being easier to determine value will make it easier to shop and compare.
Click to expand...

In the UK, it's 120MSP = £1, which is quite a bit below the new rates.
 
D

dejay

Banned
Delusibeta said:
In the UK, it's 120MSP = £1, which is quite a bit below the new rates.
Click to expand...

Are you saying that if you originally paid £1 for 120 Allards, when they're converted to local currency you're now getting less than £1 for 120MSP? Or are you talking about game prices going up?

I'm in Australia by the way.
 
B

Blackthorn

"hello?" "this is vagina"
Does anyone know the specific reasons why a point system resulted in cheaper prices? Did it allow them to avoid VAT?
 
K

Krilekk

Banned
Blackthorn said:
Does anyone know the specific reasons why a point system resulted in cheaper prices? Did it allow them to avoid VAT?
Click to expand...

No, it didn't. But they could probably spread the different currency exchange rates and thus have it overall cheaper. Previously you could profit from points by buying them cheap in other countries. There was a time when US points were ridiculously cheap for me, now it's UK points. Once those codes are gone everybody is down to local currency and it'll probably be best for me to go back to using a US account ($10 is like 7.8€ where I'd have to pay 10€ otherwise)
 
H

Hey You

Member
Oh well.

Paying exactly (or close) for the game > getting more MS points then needed and having 10-30 points with nothing to spend on.
 
S

strata8

Member
Prices for Australia:

400 MSP ($6.60) -> $4.99 [-25%]
800 MSP ($13.25) -> $9.99 [-25%]
1200 MSP ($19.80) -> $19.99 [+1%]
1600 MSP ($26.50) -> $24.99 [-5%]

Looks like the UK are the only ones really being hurt here.
 
A

amardilo

Member
I really liked the MS points. The conversion wasn't difficult and you could get point cards on discounts. Plus with the amount I bought stuff I would normally wouldn't have points left over.
 
D

Delusibeta

Banned
dejay said:
Are you saying that if you originally paid £1 for 120 Allards, when they're converted to local currency you're now getting less than £1 for 120MSP? Or are you talking about game prices going up?

I'm in Australia by the way.
Click to expand...

Game prices going up. In the UK, what used to cost 800pts now cost approximately 1100 pts.
 
C

Captain Bluey

Member
strata8 said:
Prices for Australia:

400 MSP ($6.60) -> $4.99 [-25%]
800 MSP ($13.25) -> $9.99 [-25%]
1200 MSP ($19.80) -> $19.99 [+1%]
1600 MSP ($26.50) -> $24.99 [-5%]

Looks like the UK are the only ones really being hurt here.
Click to expand...

Thats quite an improvement. Maybe the UK are subsidising Aussie prices? :)
 
K

kaizoku

I'm not as deluded as I make myself out to be
I had 1200 points left yesterday and topped up 800 for £6.99 to make 2000

Spent 1760 on Dishonored. 240 left.

I should've waited for the conversion shouldn't I then paid the rest in cash? Doh.

I noticed on xbox.com the other the option to pay via PayPal but it didnt work. Hope that comes to the console or UK because I'm not giving my card info to MS again.
 
P

Petrie

Banned
Hey You said:
Oh well.

Paying exactly (or close) for the game > getting more MS points then needed and having 10-30 points with nothing to spend on.
Click to expand...

When you can pay 1/2 price for those points, who gives a fuck about a few extra points leftover?

Gamers are dumbasses for demanding this switch.
 
A

adamsappel

Member
People didn't hate points. They hated that points were 80 for a dollar (rather than 100), and you could only buy them at $5/400 point increments (in the US, anyway).
 
L

Lima

Member
IdreamofHIME said:
I'm a bit confused, it said it took away my points and changed them into real money (just over 2 quid), but I can't seem to use that on purchases?
When I go to buy something, the money in my account is not subtracted like what happened before when you have points in your account.

...now my money is stored in a "microsoft account" in the billing options and it's greyed out, I can't access it.

Have they locked my money away? I know it's just a small amount, but I'm fucking pissed.
Click to expand...

MS doesn't use the wallet system that Nintendo and Sony use. So you have 2£ in your account and you are trying to buy a game for 7£. You just can't add another 5£ with your credit card to complete the purchase. Find something cheap, like a theme or gamer picture and see if you can spend your shit on it. If my theory is correct, it should not be greyed out.
 
L

lionkitten

Banned
Put me down in the "Will greatly miss points" camp.

I just got converted to dollars, and I already miss them. I have $40 in credit sitting there waiting for me, and I spent approximately $17.50 to get those points. (Cheap sales, Bing Rewards, etc.) Was able to buy things like a DLC season pass for up to half off.

Those days are gone. /cry
 
L

lionkitten

Banned
Hey You said:
Oh well.

Paying exactly (or close) for the game > getting more MS points then needed and having 10-30 points with nothing to spend on.
Click to expand...

10 points was 12 cents.

If you bought your card at even 10% off, that'd be 40 points out of every 400 you could "waste" and come out even. And it's not like they went away. This kind of stuff is why I can;t get super awesome deals any more. /cry

(and, by the way, why the X1 is going to launch without some of the features I wanted. I will curse you every time I swap a damn disc over the next eight or nine years.)
 
A

airborn

Member
PaulLFC said:
Why? They aren't converting from Euros to Pounds, they're converting from Microsoft Points to Pounds.
Click to expand...
The value of the Pound Sterling against the Euro has decreased over time. That's where the price difference comes from.

If you compare the new UK/European prices, you'll notice that they are based on the Euro.
 
S

Shantom

Member
airborn said:
The value of the Pound Sterling against the Euro has decreased over time. That's where the price difference comes from.

If you compare the new UK/European prices, you'll notice that they are based on the Euro.
Click to expand...

Why should they be? Why can they not be based off dollars like before? Just because mainland Europe has always been screwed doesn't mean the UK should join them.
 
M

Miles Quaritch

Member
strata8 said:
Prices for Australia:

400 MSP ($6.60) -> $4.99 [-25%]
800 MSP ($13.25) -> $9.99 [-25%]
1200 MSP ($19.80) -> $19.99 [+1%]
1600 MSP ($26.50) -> $24.99 [-5%]

Looks like the UK are the only ones really being hurt here.
Click to expand...

Oh that's bullshit man. Fuck this shit. Sort it out MS.

EvB said:
Damn that NDA , I'm scared to say what I discovered last night.
Click to expand...

PM someone the info so they can post it.
 
D

Diablohead

Member
What I don't get is why the lower priced items had such a price raise yet the difference from the old 800 to 1200 price now is only £3, same from 1200 to 1600.

400 points on game.co.uk is £3.50, rather sick that now all games at that tier cost a quid more :/

Can't blame VAT on the cost when the points I bought and transferred were VAT paid already.
 
M

Miles Quaritch

Member
Delusibeta said:
In the UK, it's 120MSP = £1, which is quite a bit below the new rates.
Click to expand...

Yep, can confirm that 120 points = £1.02. We're getting screwed hard and it seems we're the only ones.

Gowans said:
I didn't get a response from @xboxsupport.

Any news outlets ran anything on this yet?
Click to expand...

None that I've seen. People are still venting on the beta forum, MS are probably hoping it will die down as it's seemingly only affecting people in the UK and apparently they don't give two fucks about their userbase here.

Fuck 'em.
 
S

sangreal

Member
Tumo said:
If I'm reading it correctly the conversion seems to go against Microsoft's faq on what's meant to happen (which is linked to in the conversion process as a place for more information).

http://xbox.com/pointsfaq



In the UK it has not been converted to "marketplace value" as what you cannot buy an 800 point game with the currency they convert your 800 points to.
Click to expand...

You're reading it wrong. Marketplace value of points are .0125 USD per point. That is being converted to your local currency based on the current exchange rate. They aren't saying they will do the conversion based on purchasing power. The point they are making in that FAQ is that it does not matter how much you paid for the points, the value is fixed at that rate.

anastazius said:
Polygon have posted an article on it:

http://www.polygon.com/2013/7/10/45...points-real-money-changeover-uk-higher-prices
Click to expand...

Polygon is reading this wrong too. "Marketplace value may not always be equivalent to retail price." has nothing to do with the problem people have with the new content prices. This statement is about the retail price of points which varies wildly, versus what the points are valued at (.0125 USD). It's about the price of points, not content
 
D

Diablohead

Member
It's not really the conversion which is bad it's also the inflated cost of games and app's which used to cost 400 or 800 points, 400 point codes have been on sale for years at about £3.50 however now directly buying a '400 points' title on the live marketplace costs you £1 more at £4.49, double that for old 800 msp value titles.

the UK is just getting boned hard from this, I really have no feelings for buying new xbla titles now because of it.
 
G

Gowans

Member
http://www.polygon.com/2013/7/10/4510446/xbox-live-microsoft-points-real-money-changeover-uk-higher-prices

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/418403/xbox-360-beta-update-raises-eu-game-prices/

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-07-10-new-real-money-xbox-dash-raises-game-prices

http://www.xbox360achievements.org/news/news-15482-Report--Switch-From-Microsoft-Points-to-Local-Currency-Increases-the-Price-of-Xbox-Live-Content.html

http://www.reddit.com/r/Games/comments/1hybfi/change_from_microsoft_points_to_real_currency/
Click to expand...

Great, I'm glad they've asked MS for comment, nowt from xbox support.

Some of the scenarios happening for UK users shouldn't happen at all
 
G

Gowans

Member
My twitter was on private.

Retweeted and got a slapped wrist, the funny think is I can't even join the discussion forum.

SOitjq4.png


EDIT: looks like they fixed my access, I can get in now ;)

http://forums.xbox.com/xbox_forums/beta-2013/f/3981/t/1470707.aspx
 
K

krae_man

Member
Lurkee said:
And it's weird that no one is complaining about the fact that our converted points now have an expiry date of one year from now. Does no one care? I'm pissed my points will now expire. Giving me an extra dollar or two in the conversion doesn't mean anything to me. That's some anti-consumer bullshit right there. I'd love to see if Quebec will let this happen, seeing as points are paid for, and they have strong consumer protection laws.
Click to expand...

It will be interesting to see what will happen to the points in jurisdictions where gift cards having maintenance fees or expiry dates is illegal.
 
I

IdreamofHIME

Member
Im not buying anything until it's all made clear what's going on, I just don't understand how or why they've hiked things so bad.
I have a feeling Mattrick did this on his last day.
 
K

krae_man

Member
IdreamofHIME said:
Im not buying anything until it's all made clear what's going on, I just don't understand how or why they've hiked things so bad.
I have a feeling Mattrick did this on his last day.
Click to expand...

This thread does make it pretty clear.

Point values have remained steady regardless of changes in currency value. The move to real money balanced everything out. Countries that were getting the better end of the stick lose the gravy train. Countries that were getting screwed won't be taking it up the backside anymore.
 
K

Killthee

helped a brotha out on multiple separate occasions!
Old?

Jeffrey Grub said:
Microsoft fixing ‘incorrect game pricing’ for the Xbox Live beta

“We are aware that select regions experienced some incorrect game title pricing in the Xbox Live beta,” a Microsoft spokesperson told GamesBeat. “This was an unintended error that we are in the process of fixing. We’ll be reimbursing impacted beta participants for the difference in what was paid and what the price will be after the update is available to all members.”
Click to expand...
 
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