Posting Prices Publicly

vortrex said:
Ok, I guess I don’t understand how Music Direct can post the prices and it doesn’t cheapen the brand but if Suncoast does it cheapens the brand.
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MD does not have any of the top VPI Reference tables listed - such as the Titan or Vanquish. Also, their dealer agreement allows them to list and sell up to the Avenger Reference online. Again, as I’ve tried to explain, different agreements for different retail models. Also, they also have much different targets and sales objectives.

Although we would love to see all prices listed, we must respect the wishes and agreements of the manufacturer, even if it is a bit confusing.


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Good thread and excellent to see SC a recognised dealer endorsing Pricing with products visible--even if hamstrung by supplier codes/etc on some products -but kudos there anyway.

The fact that the online juggernaut is reeling its mighty head against the B+M setup is now serious fact of the changing times in Hi Fi retail hopefully both can survive!

Irritating fact appearing in Audiogon Postings lately I notice--"Contact for Price"--:mad:!!

Bruce
 
As a consumer - I wish that prices were easily available on line.

I think the BS line of different countries charge different MSRP is bunk. Every type of product has this variation. When it is a big difference - people buy on-line in another country. No service but you take the risk if it's cheap enough.
 
The consumer in any category at any price point wants and deserves price transparency. Refusal to post MSRP may engender the feeling that the manufacturer or retailer may perhaps be trying to hide something and may be interested in entering into different pricing arrangements with different consumers. Posting price will generate more good will between the retailer and client and ultimately increase the likelihood of a sale.
 
Bruce said:
Good thread and excellent to see SC a recognised dealer endorsing Pricing with products visible--even if hamstrung by supplier codes/etc on some products -but kudos there anyway.

The fact that the online juggernaut is reeling its mighty head against the B+M setup is now serious fact of the changing times in Hi Fi retail hopefully both can survive!

Irritating fact appearing in Audiogon Postings lately I notice--"Contact for Price"--:mad:!!

Bruce
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Contact for pricing (only available to dealers) has been a saving grace! As a dealer, we have to be able to sell used gear which we take on trade (which we also sell new). Contact for price eliminates the concern of the manufacturer PUBLICLY selling a used piece for a much lower price. For example, let’s say I take a Chord DAVE on trade, it’s used ok, but we couldn’t have previously listed it for $7k without upsetting the distributor. Yes, we all know that new and used are different, but the consumer looks at that $7k and thinks “ah ha! That’s the new MSRP!! I should be able to get a new one for that, right?” Wrong. Do you know how many times I get a call and they say “but why won’t you sell me a new Chord DAVE for $7k? I saw one used for that price.” Well, that was used and who knows in what condition and what warranty?


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I would seriously question the intelligence and genuine intent to buy of a purchaser who asserts the price of a brand new piece of equipment should be the same as a used one.
 
RDSChicago said:
I would seriously question the intelligence and genuine intent to buy of a purchaser who asserts the price of a brand new piece of equipment should be the same as a used one.
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Oh man, it happens all the time. Chalk it up to the audiogon crowd. Imagine if we used the same logic for cars? LOL.


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I see zero downside to posting prices online and would love for that to be the norm. Some dealers are wonderful to deal with (Mike) but others not so much and having prices online sets some guardrails for these others! Unfortunately as some of the local markets shrink it seems like some of the smaller local dealers focus on profit margin rather than creating a customer for life.

George
 
Not having local prices can actually harm the manufacturer, as then people go googling and see overseas pricing and say WTF. They might do that regardless, however the retail price advertised in local country will give the consumer a starting point.
 
FWIW, I am in favor of posting prices online, and I know manufacturers can do a lot to control overseas pricing as well, but most don't. I see no reasonable excuse as to why they would want to keep pricing secret in the age of the internet, and moreover, like FM Acoustics and some others, they may simply keep the pricing the same all around if they chose to. At the end of the day, it will save a lot of dealers a lot of headache, and we can always find prices anywhere around the world; not to mention magazines publish the local prices. Seems silly to hide behind one's little finger.
 
Simple solution, list the prices in each country you sell in, or allow each country rep to post the price for that country. If you have to waste your time as well as someone like Mike's time just to find out something is out of your league, well it's a dis-service to the consumer and the seller.

The only reason I can think of that makes sense is that most people don't pay List Price, and the sales people can sell the same item to 10 people all at different prices.

I would prefer to not have to dig through multiple reviews and pages or make a call just to know the price.
 
What kind of message do you send to the consumer when your prices are not being disclosed? That is maybe the question that should be asked. Since some dealers and manufacturer's seem to believe that keeping prices undisclosed is a method of 'exclusivity'...perhaps that is a working business platform for them?? Doesn't work for me.
 
I emailed the Accuphase canadian distributor a couple of years ago for a price and he would’t tell me and said to contact a dealer… His whole reply was longer than just typing the damn price! I believe that distributor had 2 B&M stores as well (which closed since then). I didn’t bother since I thought If It is that complicated getting something as simple as a price from the horse’s mouth, I can only imagine the rest… Not a good first impression at all. I mean, I wasn’t asking for KFC secret recipe for gawd sake!

Accuphase changed distributor in Canada this year and yet the same shenanigans applies still. Because of the American distributor, Canadian dealers and ecommerce cannot post prices online. It is somewhat insulting for canadians TBH and the new distributor should tell AXISS to f*** off!

Bottom line, it doesn’t reflects well at all on Accuphase and I personally probably never will buy Accuphase because of all the monkey business. Too many choices out there to bother with all that crap! Luxman and Esoteric should rejoice. Luxman sure did the right thing by becoming their own distributor in north america.

It’s 2020 with the internet and a global view of the world at your fingertips 24/7, that type of mindset is very old and outdated… In this day and age of instagram your every thoughts and feelings, people with exclusive goods sure wants you to know how much they pay for their toys…

Maybe It’s just me, but If I have to Google for 10 minutes to get a price, i move along to other brands… That’s the entitled western way of doing things after all and I am not even american!!!

:D
 
Pearce Harrison said:
Question...how is one supposed to do this "due diligence" if the MSRP's are NOT being disclosed??
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Exactly... this is the point, people trying to do their due diligence prior to calling a dealer and wasting their time to ask what the price is instead of already having an idea prior to calling.
 
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