I think this practice is VERY common for most companies, not only E-on is doing that. Other example. Check the prices for Adobe Photoshop. In Europe and compare it with the American ones. Mostly the argument is the additional efforts for international deals, the costs for localised versions etc etc. And of course for toll and taxes reasons. Regarding the tax situation, i spoke with our logisitic expert here in the office. The situation is - when i understood it correctly - that if you import any software (or music or cigarettes or whatever) to your country you have to pay toll. Full stop. Even for downloaded versions in theory it is like that. You go to your local toll office and declare it. In theory. If you buy it without VAT, then you have to pay your local VAT on top of that in your country. Plus toll maybe (my thought.) Understand me right, i don't defend this practice. I think it would be good to have it more transparent and easier to use. AND, equal advertising laws for example. Here in Germany it is not allowed to give prices without VAT when i remember it correctly. Therefore we are shocked a lot when we realise the real price after buying in foreign countries where this is different. Regarding the exchange rates i have mixed feelings. Nobody would complain if the Dollar is weak and lower than the Euro. As it was a couple of years ago. Nobody would volunteerly pay more because of that. And to change prices whenever the exchange rate changes is very difficult for companies. They would have to change their systems every day. However, of course it is not nice to pay more than expected and more than in other countries. In Germany for example there is even a business for reimporting cars. It is cheaper (for compaines) to export a German car to Italy (for example) and then reimport that to Germany again. And then sell it here. An ongoing discussion about the legality here. And an ongoing discussion why prices are so different in different countries for the same product.

One day your ship comes in - but you're at the airport.