Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1996/10/08

[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]

To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
Subject: MFG Suggested Retail Price (was Re: New Cameras -- Street andRetail Prices)
From: Brad Reisner <BReisner@BOMC.TIMEINC.COM>
Date: Tue, 8 Oct 1996 21:51:53 +0100
References: <199610081445.KAA16394@k12-nis-2.bbn.com>

>James J Dempsey wrote:

>Leica does have a "Minimum Advertised Price" policy as part of their
>standard dealer agreement but as they say in the car ads "Dealer may
>sell for less" It's best to call and ask for a quote. If they really
>want to make the sale, they may give you a better price than what is
>advertised.

When I was in the market for my last camera (before I received my M, I used
a Contax), a call to about 10 vendors from PopPhoto had them all quoting
the same price. Living in NYC, and knowing how the electronics market works
(electronics only given as an example), I knew that there had to be some
differential in price. One dealer I asked said that some mfgs only allow
them to advertise down to a certain price, (something about fair
competition ?), and that they'd only quote that price over the phone. If
you actually GO to the camera store, you can sometimes get a different
price. He (the sales guy) said that they refuse to give other prices over
the phone for fear of a mfg masquerading as a buyer, hoping to 'trick' a
dealer into quoting below the price they allow them to sell at, and then no
longer selling direct to said dealer.
I don't know if this is true or not, but this is what I was told.



Brad


--
Brad Reisner
BOMC / Time Warner, Inc.
BReisner@bomc.timeinc.com




In reply to: Message from James J Dempsey <jjd@k12-nis-2.bbn.com> (Re: New Cameras -- Street and Retail Prices)
Message from "Roger J. Flanigan" <istr1848@fox.nstn.ca> (Re: New Cameras -- Street and Retail Prices)