The end of the financial year is creeping up slowly, and, in an interesting move, Microsoft has slashed pricing across their Surface range through its own Microsoft Store, going head-to-head with the retailers that stock its products.
Aside from price-matching with the likes of JB Hi-Fi (a quick comparison of the prices on JB’s site and the Microsoft Store will show this), Microsoft is offering trade-in deals that offer up to $1000 for selected devices if you buy a new device from the Microsoft Store, as well as free delivery across the country.
It would seem that Microsoft were rather careful about not undercutting the retailers that they rely upon to shift the majority of their stock. For their pricing of the Surface Pro X, they have gone one dollar over the JB Hi-Fi ‘On Sale’ price, while the Surface Book 3 will set you back two dollars extra through the Microsoft Store.
Of course, such deliberate pricing will no doubt raise the ire of these retailers.
Of course, with the free shipping, and its promise to refund the difference if the Microsoft Store discounts the price further within 60 days of your purchase, it seems the cheapest way to buy Surface is directly from the company who makes them.
It will be interesting to monitor what this does to retailers’ pricing leading up until the EOFY.
