My blog the other day "Is It Mine" got me to thinking about this topic for today's blog. The hidden way we are charged the same amount for a product that should be cheaper due to manufacturing costs, shipping and exporting fees that the big businesses no longer have to factor into their costs.
I'm a gamer, I have been my whole life. The way it used to be was, if you wanted a video game, you had to go to the store and buy it. Now, thanks to huge storage capacities in the form of portable hard drives and USB sticks, you can simply download the game without the need to leave the comfort of your home.
When you did purchase a game from a store, it came with a plastic shrink wrap over a hard cover that protected what was inside, the cover had colorful artwork on the front and a description of the type of game on the back. Inside the case you used to get a manual with the controls and how to play the game and sometimes a map or some sort of ad showing you other games by the same developer. There was a cost to manufacture all these items, along with distribution fees, handling, export and so on.
Now when you download a game onto a hard drive, all those costs have been bypassed but we pay the same premium price for the product, plus we also miss out on the manual that was included in the purchase, there is usually a way to download the manual, but you have to find it, and print it yourself if you want to have something on hand.
These companies are saving millions of dollars by having a digital download of their product, but they still charge us the same price as if we have purchased a physical copy, the price should be a lot cheaper when you buy digital.
Gaming isn't the only area where this is happening, think about all the music you download, the videos, the laptop and computer programs, online books, even the bills you pay. These companies are saving billions by eliminating the paper copy of anything while still charging you the same price as if you were.
Sneaky underhanded way to stick it to the consumer. It's sad to say but there will always be...More Scams.
Scott Goerz
