Vistaovercharge - epetition reply
8 May 2007
We received a petition asking:
"We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to bring pressure on Microsoft to stop them overcharging the UK for its Vista Operating System."
Details of petition:
"There is a huge difference in the price that people in the US and the UK are paying for Windows Vista the new Microsoft Operating System. As an example of this, in the UK a full copy of Vista Ultimate would cost you £350, in the US it would cost you £195. The US version of Vista is exactly the same as the UK version. There is no difference. Therefore I can see no reason for there to be such a huge difference in prices between the UK and the US other than Microsofts belief that the UK customers will pay more than their US counterparts. I ask people to sign this petition in the hope that the Prime Minister will bring pressure to bear on Microsoft over their pricing as it is my belief they are simply overcharging the people of the UK and therefore are ripping us off."
Read the Government's response here
Apart from a limited number of exceptions, no price controls operate in the UK and no restrictions are placed on the prices which business may charge consumers. Retailers are free to set their own prices, but they are required to display them in an unambiguous, easily identifiable and clearly legible way in order to enable consumers to compare prices in different outlets and so obtain the best value for money. The Government takes the view that its role is to facilitate competition by promoting open and competitive markets, rather than to control directly the price setting behaviour of the firms within the market. But regulation may be necessary where competition is not working effectively or is not fully developed.
Under the UK competition law it is the responsibility of the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) to investigate allegations of anti-competitive behaviour and possible abuses of market power. The OFT can act if the pricing levels are the result of anti-competitive behaviour. All details should be forwarded to the OFT at: Fleetbank House, 2-6 Salisbury Square, London EC4Y 8JX.
