Online Retailer Imposes First Ever Web Browser Tax
Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2012 1:46 amIf you've ever needed a reason to make sure you're running the most recent version of your web browsing software, here's one: In what appears to be a world first, online retailer Kogan has enacted a tax upon customers who use Internet Explorer 7.
Claiming that it was tired of wasting time and resources ensuring its new website worked in the archaic browser, the consumer electronics company stated that individuals who try to purchase any goods can expect to be charged an additional 6.8% for their orders if they happen to do so using the six-year-old version of Microsoft's infamous web browser. IE7 was originally launched in 2006, and has undergone two full version upgrades since.
"The way we've been able to keep our prices so low is by using technology to make our business efficient and streamlined," reads a post on the site's blog. "One of the things stopping that is our web team having to spend a lot of time making our new website look normal on IE7. This is an extremely old browser, so from today, anyone buying from the site who uses IE7 will be lumped with a 6.8% surcharge - that's 0.1% for each month IE7 has been on the market.
"It's not only costing us a huge amount," the post continues. "It's affecting any business with an online presence, and costing the internet economy millions."
Customers can easily avoid the tax by simply installing another brower (like Firefox, Opera, or the ever popular Google Chrome) or just by updating to a more recent version of Internet Explorer.
Source: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/vi ... rowser-Tax
Uh... the source's source: http://www.kogan.com/au/blog/new-intern ... =224218820
FUCKING AMAZING. *Weeps tears of joy*
Claiming that it was tired of wasting time and resources ensuring its new website worked in the archaic browser, the consumer electronics company stated that individuals who try to purchase any goods can expect to be charged an additional 6.8% for their orders if they happen to do so using the six-year-old version of Microsoft's infamous web browser. IE7 was originally launched in 2006, and has undergone two full version upgrades since.
"The way we've been able to keep our prices so low is by using technology to make our business efficient and streamlined," reads a post on the site's blog. "One of the things stopping that is our web team having to spend a lot of time making our new website look normal on IE7. This is an extremely old browser, so from today, anyone buying from the site who uses IE7 will be lumped with a 6.8% surcharge - that's 0.1% for each month IE7 has been on the market.
"It's not only costing us a huge amount," the post continues. "It's affecting any business with an online presence, and costing the internet economy millions."
Customers can easily avoid the tax by simply installing another brower (like Firefox, Opera, or the ever popular Google Chrome) or just by updating to a more recent version of Internet Explorer.
Source: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/vi ... rowser-Tax
Uh... the source's source: http://www.kogan.com/au/blog/new-intern ... =224218820
FUCKING AMAZING. *Weeps tears of joy*
