Posting Prices Publicly

Mike

Audioshark
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Joined
Apr 2, 2013
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Sarasota, FL
The thread about the new MSB pricing and the removal from the website got me thinking, what is everyone’s opinion on posting high end audio pricing online? Should it be available easily online or do you understand the manufacturers argument that they can’t post pricing online here in the U.S. as it causes a riff in other parts of the world where it’s not a simple $1 USD = $1 X in another country?

As a dealer, 80% of my calls are “what’s the price of....”. Yes, it’s an opportunity to engage with a new customer, but 99% of the time that call doesn’t go anywhere, chalking most calls ending up with “Champaign tastes on a beer budget.” I will digress with one of my funniest stories. So myself and two other founders of the Florida Audio Expo were in my truck on the way to lunch one Friday when I received a call. I put the call, originating from Louisiana on hands free. I answered the call and the voice said in a deep southern drawl, “I’m looking at this (said very slowly) V-P-I AVENGER Reference turntable. How much is that?” And before I could get in a word, I heard what was presumably the gentleman’s wife in the background yelling “tell him we want the good one!! Tell him we want the good one!!” I told the gentleman, the VPI Avenger Reference starts at $20,000, including tone arm, but without a cartridge.” The man responded with a loud, “woooooooo boy, $20,000 for a record player?” I said “Yes sir.” He said, “$20,000 just to play some old records?” I said, “sir, unless those records are in good condition, I would not suggest playing dirty old records on it.” After a long pause he says in a high pitched version of that southern drawl, “well, what kind of records would I play?” I said proudly, “new ones!” I of course stated to the man that if this was too expensive, we could discuss something more reasonable like the VPI Player or Scout. But let’s just say, he wasn’t looking to spend more than $200, let alone $2000 or $20,000. By the way, this was before VPI started to allow pricing to be posted online. Now they do, and oddly, we don’t get these calls anymore! (Thank you VPI).

Just yesterday I had a man call who wanted to know the price of the Gryphon Mojo S speakers. He had proudly told me “one day I will be coming into some money and I’ve always dreamed of a Hi-Fi system.” Of course it would be best if he waited until that day, but he obviously was mentally spending it well before he had it. When I told him they retailed for $30,000, his reaction was (swallowing deeply) “wow, they’re right, this high end audio stuff is expensive.” The sale went no where as he was thinking $2000 is what they would cost.

Suffice it to say, these calls are all too common and as a dealer, when prices are public (thank you Shunyata, AudioQuest, Aurender, Lumin, VPI, etc.), the customer who comes to us already knows the price and is ready to talk about options, different choices for their room, etc.

But I can also understand the manufacturers perspective as they have to deal with the customer in the UK who says, “$21,600 USD in Pounds is $16,150, so why do they retail for $25,000 pounds?” There is obviously a lot more involved in terms of shipping, duties, a distributor to handle all these things, etc. The same could be said when we look at the price of Accuphase in Japan. Everyone screams bloody murder without knowing that Accuphase purposely sets their domestic prices super low, but the rest of the world has much higher expenses. Ditto for many other brands, including Avantgarde. There are a few brands - like Gryphon - which can manage to have all worldwide prices about the same. So therein lies the rub (and confusion). That’s just the way some manufacturers choose to do things while others have a different approach. They have to manage that end of the business as best they see fit.

Personally, I’m all for posting prices publicly. I can’t imagine needing to buy a new vehicle (especially with all the options) and having to call the dealer to get pricing. I know one thing, I would probably be eyeing the Porsche with a Ford budget in mind. :)
 
I think most consumers are smart enough to accept that transportation, duties, and taxes can result in different prices in different parts of the world. Minor differences are to be expected. What upsets people most is regional distributors who opportunistically set prices that are way out of line with the rest of the world, e.g. Accuphase in the US.

This is a problem the manufacturers have created (or allowed) and the manufacturers should have to live with the consequences. The dealers shouldn't have to spend time simply reading numbers from a spreadsheet to a curious caller.

I'm all in favor of just posting the prices and saving the dealer network a lot of wasted time. Luxury car brands like M-B, Porsche, and Lexus post prices online and it doesn't seem to have negatively affected that industry.
 
When I see new audio equipment I might like the first thing I do is look for the price. It is a nuisance when manufacturers do not post prices but they are not "super secret". Most reviews and many show reports (online and print) include prices. So why not just put them on the website and be less circumspect?
 
When I see new audio equipment I might like the first thing I do is look for the price. It is a nuisance when manufacturers do not post prices but they are not "super secret". Most reviews and many show reports (online and print) include prices. So why not just put them on the website and be less circumspect?

Another issue that I have noticed is that many times the prices quoted in reviews are incorrect, especially the best of this best ratings.
 
I have been for posting prices for a long time. It makes it better for someone in the initial stages of researching and narrowing down items. I cannot even imagine what it is like now for dealers and the number of calls just to price check. Especially now when going to the local stereo store is no longer an option (most places don't even have a local store). I remember back in the day sometimes customers would even get PO'd when they heard some of the prices. I imagine it is a ton worse now.
 
So, most manufacturers have a pdf price list with MSRP. Why not make them available to download by region? I have always hated how the manufacturers act like the pricing of their products is classified. It annoyed me 13+ years ago when I sold hifi and still does today. I also hate the expression, if you have to ask you can't afford it. That's total bs the majority of people have a budget regardless of wealth.
 
Manufacturers should post prices, period. It is very annoying to have to call a dealer for pricing when the manufacturer has a website that can communicate that. How does not publishing the prices benefit the customer or dealer?

If they are concerned about inquiries concerning price discrepancies between countries, post a conspicuous message on their websites to address that issue. I have zero sympathy for manufacturers when it comes to this issue.
 
When we go to Porsche, BMW site we can see the price. Same goes for million dollar real estate. High end audio is making big deal about posting MSRP on their website. Sooner or later people going to find out the real price and then will make decision to buy it or not. The whole idea of customers calling dealers and it will turn it into sales is so old. Posting price on website will save a lot headache for both dealers and customers.
 
Anyone who has sold used audio equipment has experienced a little of what a dealer has to deal with multiple times a day. My recent experience is about a pair of KEF LS50s I am selling locally (craigslist). I get an email asking about their condition. I verify they are perfect like the posted advertisement. I never heard back from that person. No price discussion. No why are you selling. No follow up. Makes no sense to me.
 
Anyone who has sold used audio equipment has experienced a little of what a dealer has to deal with multiple times a day. My recent experience is about a pair of KEF LS50s I am selling locally (craigslist). I get an email asking about their condition. I verify they are perfect like the posted advertisement. I never heard back from that person. No price discussion. No why are you selling. No follow up. Makes no sense to me.

I could start another thread on this topic!


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Anyone who has sold used audio equipment has experienced a little of what a dealer has to deal with multiple times a day. My recent experience is about a pair of KEF LS50s I am selling locally (craigslist). I get an email asking about their condition. I verify they are perfect like the posted advertisement. I never heard back from that person. No price discussion. No why are you selling. No follow up. Makes no sense to me.

welcome to sales! Ive been at it most of life. Its annoying when they don't reply but as a seller its incumbent upon the offeror to pursue the buyer. your next email should qualify them by asking if this is what they are looking for to flush out time-wasters. I moved three audio pieces last month just from follow up emails I sent 'tire kickers' turns out they were still interested but got busy. once i had their attention we agreed on terms and they got sold.
 
Dealers don’t want prices posted because then they can’t crank up the price over MSRP. Cartridges are the bulk of this problem from what I see. How can Japanese made cartridges be $X in Europe and then $X + THOUSANDS in the USA? Especially when we all know the Europe import taxes are far more than the USA. Same goes for certain Japanese electronics and no I’m not talking about Accuphase.
 
So, most manufacturers have a pdf price list with MSRP. Why not make them available to download by region? I have always hated how the manufacturers act like the pricing of their products is classified. It annoyed me 13+ years ago when I sold hifi and still does today. I also hate the expression, if you have to ask you can't afford it. That's total bs the majority of people have a budget regardless of wealth.

Some luxury goods websites will post a link to a PDF retail price sheet. It classier than posting list prices in product descriptions and gives the consumer a complete price list at a glance. One company i shop with will send the retail price link to those that subscribe to their website for announcements. its discrete and gets to their core customer all the same.
 
Dealers don’t want prices posted because then they can’t crank up the price over MSRP. Cartridges are the bulk of this problem from what I see. How can Japanese made cartridges be $X in Europe and then $X + THOUSANDS in the USA? Especially when we all know the Europe import taxes are far more than the USA. Same goes for certain Japanese electronics and no I’m not talking about Accuphase.

Are you serious? That’s total BS. Dealers WANT prices posted online. Maybe your local dealer does that, but no one I know does.


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Are you serious? That’s total BS. Dealers WANT prices posted online. Maybe your local dealer does that, but no one I know does.
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I don’t use any local dealers. I buy everything online. Example, I bought a Japanese cartridge from a European dealer for $2200 USD. That is the MSRP there. In the US I see a dealer selling it for 38% more than the price I bought it at. There is one US dealer selling a very high end Japanese cartridge for $8k OVER the rest of world MSRP. He even got angry at everyone for calling him out on it!
 
I don’t use any local dealers. I buy everything online. Example, I bought a Japanese cartridge from a European dealer for $2200 USD. That is the MSRP there. In the US I see a dealer selling it for 38% more than the price I bought it at. There is one US dealer selling a very high end Japanese cartridge for $8k OVER the rest of world MSRP. He even got angry at everyone for calling him out on it!

That’s very different. You are talking about the same product being sold in different countries. The local importer can set the price, so just because it’s 38% cheaper in Europe doesn’t mean anything. The US importer has import expenses, advertising costs, overhead and also, has to price it allow for currency fluctuations, otherwise we will have what we had with Chord here under their previous distributor: seemingly weekly price changes due to currency fluctuations.


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That’s very different. You are talking about the same product being sold in different countries. The local importer can set the price, so just because it’s 38% cheaper in Europe doesn’t mean anything. The US importer has import expenses, advertising costs, overhead and also, has to price it allow for currency fluctuations, otherwise we will have what we had with Chord here under their previous distributor: seemingly weekly price changes due to currency fluctuations.
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That excuse doesn’t fly. A European dealer has the same costs for a cartridge made in Japan, except more actually.
 
Also, can’t tell you how many dealers I’ve emailed asking for pricing and they won’t put it in email. They say you have to call for pricing. Why? Because they don’t want written record of what they’re telling you. It’s all a game.
 
Also, can’t tell you how many dealers I’ve emailed asking for pricing and they won’t put it in email. They say you have to call for pricing. Why? Because they don’t want written record of what they’re telling you. It’s all a game.

Maybe the dealer(s) didn’t want to waste their time sending you a price sheet if they suspect you are a tire kicker and want to talk to you on the phone first to determine if you are a real potential customer.
 
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