International sale???

I'm not so sure - try here for one example, and it's pretty similar the world over.

Not that it much matters but there are some 'exclusive distributor' by country arrangements is some places so it seems normal to me for the one who provides the exclusive licence to also prohibit other licenced vendors from infringing upon it.

Cheers

 

webyourbusiness,
How loyal are the reseller's to me? If I asked them for my money back for a purchase, I'm sure that some would be very cooperative, and some would not. In other words, why should I give a damn what adversely effects them? Let me put it to you this way...Do I not have a duty as a customer, to myself, to buy items for the least amount of money I can? Economically speaking, just as the sellers try to maximize their sales revenue, I as a consumer try to minimize my cost. If the reseller's status as a reseller is in jeopardy, that sounds like a reseller issue not a customer issue.

You have made my point with your final sentence. "...contrary to the reseller agreements in place." I am not bound to any agreement in which I am not a party to the negotiation there of.

Tax fraud as a felony involves a lot more than what you are describing. For one, it requires willfullness and prior knowledge. I am certainly not a tax expert, nor do I know much about tax law. Obviously, one should consult their accountant and their attorney regarding this issue That being said, keep in mind that what you are describing is our laws (U.S.). Not every country follows our laws and not every country has laws that are similar. Nevertheless, I would be confident in saying that in certain situations, it may be less costly to for a customer to purchase outside their "sales region."

 

Your link referenced the cost of having to phone the region from where the purchase was made for support, as if it were either cost prohibitive or a deterrent. I could argue that with the use of email one could get around that problem. Furthermore, with the increasing prevalence of VOIP international calling rates have declined significantly weakening the premise of your argument.

 

Summary:
For those of you that either get bored with my wordiness or simply wonder why I'm exploring this issue ad nauseum, I will summarize here.

I think that the artificial sales territories are beneficial mainly for ESET, less so for the resellers, and certainly not at all for the consumers.

The agreements seem to be between ESET and the resellers, probably designed to maximize ESET's profits while allowing resellers to secure "territories" and thus secure business.

This serves to lessen competition and constricts the forces of the free market economy and results in the consumers paying a higher price than they would if the free market economic forces were allowed to play out as they should be.

ESET has a vested interest in strongly encouraging consumers to abide by their artificial borders and likely realizes that they have very little, if any, actual authority to enforce their anti-competitive profit maximization scheme.

I have nothing against ESET and have nothing to gain by pointing out what I feel is an injustice to consumers. My intention is to provoke a response from someone within ESET that can either rebut my theories and enlighten their current and potential customers, or admit that they are correct.

Either way, these postings are designed to encourage learning and the free flow if information.

 

The main point I wished to communicate was that there is very little difference in the actual cost. I'm not trying to say it is exactly the same but by design it's as close as possible without having price changes every day of the week.

You're in charge of where you wish to purchase - I don't see that it's ordinarily for somebody else to decide that on anothers behalf.

My first suggestion will always be what I percieve to be in your best interests - local purchase for local support. But that's all it is - a suggestion - since I ultimately have no way of knowing on your behalf what your best interest would actually be.

Go ahead, have fun, buy NOD32 somewhere

Cheers

 

IMHO, where there is only one producer of a particluar product or service the ESET distribution model well serves the consumer since, for example discounting potentially reduces the attractiveness to resellers. Less resellers = less local support. IP phones and voip only work while your PC / DLS link are up and isn't it better to deal with somebody you can get to know and trust?

In the event of an all out discount war (the logical frog and scorpian eventuality) there would be eventually only one reseller left or possibly none in which case there was no good purpose served in using resellers in the first place. I think it is good for consumers that ESET's reseler policies protect consumers from this.

Most resellers offer free unlimited NOD32 support to their customers which overall must amount to a tremendous consumer benefit. I am very happy that ESET are free to go ahead and focus on developing software and protecting licenced users from potential threats instead of having that in addition.

The resellers are the local support infrastructure and are there to meet the needs of the consumer. It is in each individual resellers interest to do so. Reducing the attrictiveness to resellers would only serve to reduce the local support infrastructure which has served so many so well (granted there are those who have no need or desire for this) - JMHO.

Cheers

 

From a consumer's view and in my location, I don't see why I have to make international calls to "local" reseller.
And it's more expensive to call "local" reseller than other resellers. 21 cents per minute is the difference.

To me, there's no local support. If I use email, then why can't I buy from other resellers since I can email them too.

 

LokiLoki,
I think the bottom line is that you can. As long as you can type in the language in which your purport to have purchased the software...know one will ever know the difference thanks to the anonymity provided by the Internet.

 

That's what I did. I just got pissed when people say "Go to local reseller".
Think eset should not be giving reseller "areas to sell" easily.

 

Internet anonymity is a myth was motto of my PhD. thesis

 

I'm telling you how it is. You live in the USA - the prices appear to be "better" here than any other market as far as I can tell - so it's a moot point. You should not be that worried about it anyway. However, the reseller agreements that resellers have in place with Eset is their business - ie, it's between them and Eset. The legitimacy or not of such arrangements is not something for concern of end-users - but the long and short of it is that Eset has a reseller geography restriction in place and any customer placing any reseller's status at risk is disrespectful imo.

Like I said - it's a moot point for you - you live in the country with the best price point.

I'm also not an attorney, but I do know for a fact that ignorance of a tax/law is actually no defense against prosecution - and anyone thinking they can use that as a defence is in serious trouble.

It might be - that does not alter my statements.

 

I'm not arguing the point on my behalf, but rather on behalf of those that do not live within a region, like the U.S., with the best price point.

Regarding ignorance as a defense, what you said about it seems logical and consistent with what I have found:
Tax fraud is often defined as an intentional wrongdoing on the part of a taxpayer, with the specific purpose of evading a tax known or believed to be owing. Tax fraud requires both:

· An underpayment; and

· A fraudulent intent.

I certainly am not trying to advocate for circumventing tax systems nor do I want to derail this thread, but again these are U.S. laws and may not even be applicable to the person for which I am arguing.

 

Hi
It's not a fraudulent intent, it's a point of view.
I pay tax in my country for everything I buy, no problem.
But why do I pay tax "in my country" for something that I must download from internet?
If the seller give to me a box with a cd and a manual, ok no problem with tax, but he give me only words, user and pass.
As I say, it's a point of view.

 

As answers to the original topic have already been given, there is no need to debate Eset's position or their method of distribution.

This thread will now be closed.

Blackspear.