Email to/from Nintendo of America!

[atari2600a]

I know it's off topic, but that's what the off topic threads are for!!!!!:p Check out this email I sent to Nintendo of America about a year ago, or else! ...Or else what? Exactly! :D

ORIGINAL MESSAGE:
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From: atari2600a@yahoo.com
Posted At: 18:39:29.000 10/07/2005
Posted To: Nintendo <nintendo@noa.nintendo.com>
Subject: Webform: Nintendo DS > Repair

Dear Nintendo of America
The bottom screen of my Nintendo DS has a fade-green (I think burn-in?)
at the top of the screen. It just fades from normal to a light-green
at the top. The screen still has full functionality, but its just
really annoying! I think this should be covered by my warranty, just like
dead pixels. I believe this is a hardware defect, or something.

Sincerely




Jordan Bouzeneris

PS: I got an Idea! Nintendo should partner up with Sony to create a
CD-ROM addon for the Super Nintendo! You can call it "The Playstation"!)



---------------Reply----------------
Hello and thank you for contacting Nintendo,

That is a very funny idea. Strange how no one would have ever thought
of that! I don't think that Sony has any interest in the video game
industry, though. So, it'll never happen. ;)

Okay, enough friendly sarcasm! Hey! I'm sorry to hear that your lower
screen isn't looking too good! For complete warranty repair
information, please visit the Customer Service.....

[carlsson]

And you got a support reply now?

[atari2600a]

No, I always get replies from them. Look at the "PS" on the original message & look at what the NOA employee wrote. Not that funny, but I thought I'd just share it w/ you guys...:p

[carlsson]

Yeah, but the mail was almost a year old.. By the way, DS Lite will be introduced over here next week. I don't know if it is same world-wide or if you already have them. To me it appears these days video games are almost on purpose made a bit bigger than required, so there is room for visual improvement while waiting for better internal contents. Sure, some computer manufacturers in the 80'ties repackaged their machines in newer cases too, but usually it took more than 1-1.5 year before they did that (or released a better computer rather).

[atari2600a]

We have teh Lite already (though I don't have the BL$NG to buy one). It's not the same components really, the backlights are 5X brighter & more efficient, Battery life was improved, & the top screen was customly designed for Nintendo to be as thin as it is.

[carlsson]

One toy store advertise it for 1449 SEK ($200). I do have the BL$NG if my life depended on I need to buy one, but alas it is not interesting to me.

[atari2600a]

200 US Dollars!? The US is getting it for $130! (or maybe $135) Are you sure it wasn't some bundle-pack?

[carlsson]

Dunno if this qualifies as a bundle: pencil, rechargeable battery, charger and wrist strap.

I suppose you have a sales tax of 5% or something like that. Our VAT is 25%, and perhaps there are other hidden costs or large sales bonuses. I refuse to think wages are higher over here than in the US, so you'd get "3rd world" discounts. :-P

[atari2600a]

Tax would make sense. I forget, but I think sales tax in California, United States is 3.75%, & if not that, then somewhere around there.

[tgunner]

I just got back from california, and sales tax is around 7.25%. Here in New Jersey, it is 6%, although in some lower income areas around here, it is 3%.

[bbcmicro]

VAT in uk is 17.5%, not great but better than some :)

[80sFreak]

I just got back from california, and sales tax is around 7.25%. Here in New Jersey, it is 6%, although in some lower income areas around here, it is 3%.

But I have read there is talk of increasing the NJ state tax to 7%... :(

Cheers,

80sFreak

[carlsson]

Oh, an increase by one percent!

In Sweden we have three levels of VAT (I think I've posted this before):

6% on books, concert tickets, communications (trains, bus, ferries etc)
12% on food and accommodation (hotel etc)
25% on all other goods, restaurants, services etc

Recently there was a suggestion to unify these into one percentage, and an independent evaluator came to the conclusion a common VAT of about 21% should cover the same total tax income. The outcry was enormous from the culture sector in particular, who would have to increase their ticket price by 19% to get the same net income (ditto for books) and after heavy lobbying, the suggestion about unified VAT was withdrawn for now, and awaiting if the EU makes any demands in the future on this subject.

But the DS Lite price would be $160 excluding VAT, compared to $130-135 over there including 7% sales tax. Maybe price also depends on how strong currency it is (or rather how the USD/JPY exchange rate is).