I'm guessing that Minelab controls the selling price on their detectors because...

[jbow]

Everyone I can find selling the X-terra is selling it for 594.15 all the online dealers and even ebay...594.15

I wish they would let the marketplace do it's work. I love capitalism...

Julien

 

[Beachcomber]

Unfortunately most detector manufacturers are guilty of price fixing. It's illegal but no one wants to rock the boat. Tesoro started it years ago and several others have jumped on the bandwagon. It's good for the dealers and bad for the consumer. Unfortunately Metal Detecting has such a small market share that the authorities aren't doing anything about it. I guess we just have to live with it.

HH

Beachcomber

 

[steve herschbach]

Hi,

Minelab, like many manufacturers, does try to defend boththe worth of their product and their dealer network by setting discount levels on the units. But what is left open are the freebies that get included, which in effect removes any true price fixing. It ends up being about who throws in the most free stuff, ala Kellyco. The question ends up being whether the stuff thrown in is really worth what it is being quoted as in dollar value. If I but a set of headphones for $10 and tell you it is a set worth $50 it does make it look like a great deal, but the reality is it is still a cheap set of headphones. And if the stuff included is stuff you really do not even need, is it really worth anything?

It all comes down to the same story, competition, and so the dealers (like me) have to try and put the best deal they can afford together to fight for the business.

It realistically only applies to the Internet. When you are dealing with a dealer face to faace just hammer out the best deal you can get, without the manufacturer looking over the shoulder of the dealer.

To defend the dealers the idea is to try and make sure you still end up having deealers out there. Otherwise it would all devolve into one outfit in a farm field in Kansas with a huge warehouse selling all detectors mailorder. I for one do like to go to a local dealer for stuff and see it in person before buying and so usually buy locally when I can.

Steve Herschbach

 

[jbow]

I am in metro Atlanta and the only local dealer I can find for Minelab in Hobbytown and they are really high priced so i'm doing all my business online ( what is your company?). I'm not so sure that this is illegal price fixing. I think illegal price fixing is when several or all manufacturers of a given product or service get together to fix high prices. I think that a single manufacturer or service provider can legally require their retailers to sell at a fixed price. I see it in the music business ala Mesa Boogie amplifiers. They have a MSRP and that is what the dealers have to sell for. Also, I am in the exterminating business and the best termits chemical, Termidor, is sold at a fixed price set by the manufacturer. All the other products I can negotiatiate a better price on but mot Termidor. So, like I said, I think it become's illegal when an industry get's together to inflate prices but not in the case of one company setting a minimum price.

Julien

 

[plugger]

n/t

 

[John(Tx)]

when they charge so much money for a gallon of gas that their 3 month profits are right at 10 billion dollars.....Now that is a rip off....