Re: [Leica] Map

[John Coan <jcoan@alumni.duke.edu>]

I've noticed an interesting accommodation to MAP requirements in the ecommerce
realm.  You go to a store's web site, and see the MAP listed for the item with a
little notation to click the button adding the item to your shopping cart for
the real price.  Because you now supposedly intend to purchase it, they can give
out the real selling price.  Of course, most folks doing this are simply just
getting a realistic quote and don't follow through with a sale.  It gets sort of
silly.

I still would be interested in the court ruling making the MAP concept
unlawful.  Anybody have a reference they can post to the list?

When shopping for an M6 recently I was surprised that even the actual selling
price is remarkably consistent from dealer to dealer.  Even the biggies like B&H
and Cameraworld sell the camera for exactly the same price.  I finally found a
legit Leica dealer who sold me an M6 for about 10 percent off of everyone else's
price, and this with the passport warranty.  No run around, no high shipping
charges, they had it in stock, shipped right away, and were great to do business
with.  So, these folks *are* out there.... they just are not easy to find.

Since the MAP was the actual selling price in the above example for almost all
the stores I contacted,  it stands to reason that with MAP eliminated some real
competition might develop and we purchasers might stand to benefit.  As was
mentioned before, though, the little dealer might face increasing margin
erosions from competitive pressures and no longer be able to sell at a profit
large enough to stay in business.  This is unfortunate for them, and us
too.

John

Duane Birkey wrote:

> MAP is Minimum Advertised Price..
>
> One way around the MAP requirement in advertising that you often see is to
> put a call for price comment with the ad.