Hotmail Subscription Fees: Why Do Different Countries Pay Different Prices?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the differing subscription fees for Hotmail services in various countries, specifically comparing the Netherlands and the United States. Participants explore potential reasons for the price discrepancies, including user demographics and market strategies.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant notes the significant difference in subscription fees, highlighting that the cost in the Netherlands is nearly double that in the United States.
  • Another participant suggests that the lower number of users in the Netherlands might lead Microsoft to charge higher fees.
  • A different participant argues that despite population differences, Hotmail being a global company should mean that pricing is not dependent on country.
  • One participant corrects the population figure for the United States, providing a more accurate number.
  • Another participant expresses a desire to find an economic rationale for the pricing differences without upsetting Microsoft supporters.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the reasons behind the price differences, with multiple competing views presented regarding market strategies and user demographics.

Contextual Notes

Participants express uncertainty about the economic factors influencing pricing, and there are assumptions about user populations and market behavior that remain unexamined.

Monique
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I just bought extra storage space for my hotmail account, and I came to the shocking, or rather amazing discovery that different countries have to pay different fees, where in the Netherlands we almost have to pay double for the same service compared to the States!

In the Netherlands: 31.99 Euros for a one year subscription
In the United States: 19.95 dollars for the same thing.

Currency exchange:
1 dollar = 0.8865 euros

So instead of 31.99 euros it should be 17.65 euros when all is fair. Why this gross discrepancy?
 
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maybe there are fewer users in Netherlands, so MS charge you extra...
 
Well duh, how many people are there in the states? 1.6 billion or something? (have no clue) in the Netherlands there are 16 million.. but Hotmail is a global company, it shouldn't matter on the country how much they charge? Internet has no boundaries.
 
correction US population: 280,562,489 according to the CIA :)
 
well I tried to find an economical reason and not to upset all the MS fans out there...
 

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