Re: Leica Has A Dealer Problem...

[cmiller@berkshire.net (Curt Miller)]

There is another side to this coin.  As I understand it, the dealers were
all blinsided by this 'instant cash rebate' last spring.  One day, without
ANY advance notice (so I've been told), dealers received a FAX from Leica
indicating the program had begun.  The problem for dealers is that the stock
on hand had been purchased at the full 17 percent (or thereabouts) discount
from list price.  They (the dealers) were then supposed to eat the $500.
Many of them returned in stock merchandise to Leica and ordered on an
as-needed basis (with a bad taste in their mouths).

So, who has the problem.  Probably the answer is the exchange rate, rather
than the dealers.

Regards,

Curt

Richard wrote (in part):
>Dear Fellow LUGnuts,
>
>I have come to the conclusion that Leica has a problem that affects all of
>us as consumers.  It goes something like this:
>
>You decide that you want a piece of photographic equipment - like a new R
>zoom lens.  You call your local Leica dealer to check if the lens is in
>stock.  The dealer doesn't have one.  They are on a waiting list for it.
>Not wanting to wait further, you call around to other Leica dealers and
<snip>