Re: Re: Australian Prices
alanhyatt said:
I would like to see that receipt for $177.00 US to your door! In Germany, it sells for about 189.00 Euro before Tax and freight. We ship our goods to our UK warehouse, so we pay to get it to the UK, just like we do to the USA, and then the distributors pay to get it to them.
Well my friend, I'm not too sure if your German's up to scratch but you may get quite a shock when you call the guys from
www.digitalaudioservice.de - you can check it out for yourself.
I think you have taken this and blown it out of proportion a bit. There are either good distributors, or bad ones. Not everyone of them want to screw people, but they do want to make money, and are entitled to.
The key here is to get them to understand this issue so those there can start seeing better pricing parity when compared to the US and Europe. We as a manufacturer are trying to help and support our customers over there to get the proper pricing.
Like everything else, we will get it done, or be forced to make changes to get it done, but no matter what, there are costs involved in getting the goods to them. 
Look mate, no offence to you on a personal level, but professionally speaking, this is another typical response from someone who spends their waking hours trying to sell a product. If you'd care to read my post again, you'll see that I clearly stated I was referring to Australian dealers, not dealers from the US or Europe. I've had close to 30 years experience in the market. How many long years have you personally spent as a pro-audio consumer living in Australia? Any? None? Then I hardly think you're qualified to pass judgement on the situation there, as it is. Unfortunately, you obviously have no idea how bad it really is.
As far your statement "the key is to get them to understand the issue...etc, etc" goes, that's just new-age marketing crap for "our hands are basically tied, the Aussie dealers can literally sell products for the price the choose because the market is so small and that's a fact that won't be changing for the next 100 years or so." The only "key issue" that truly concerns them is their profit. If you try and pressure the dealers too much, they'll drop your products, like Mercenary did with Neumann. They'd much prefer to sell RODE mics anyway because the profit margin is greater. I have no qualms about dealers making a fair profit as they're entitled to. I have a problem with their lack of professionalism in not seeking the best alternative for their customers. I have the same disappointment with many manufacturers.
I totally understand that as a manufacturer, there are costs involved in getting the product from the drawing board all the way to the store shelves. This I fully accept. However, if you were honestly "trying to help our customers over there to get the proper pricing" then why aren't you shipping direct from manufacturer to Oz? Why are Australian dealers getting an Asian made mic from the States? Shipping a product that's manufactured on Australia's doorstep to the other side of the world, just so the dealers can order it to be shipped all the way back again, is just plain useless. I do not believe you to be so niaive as to think that the extra cost isn't passed onto the consumer in the end. This is hardly what I'd consider to be helping your Aussie customers pay a fair price.
This is just one small example. The $7000 mark-up on the studio console was another. These situations will continue so long as the majority of manufacturers take the attitude of "but the market's so small there, so....who gives a f*ck, right?!?"
Considering all of the above, NO, I do not think I have "taken this and blown it out of proportion a bit". What's going on here is wrong. Put yourself in the shoes of an Aussie buyer of the C1 for example, and ask yourself, how would you feel?
Buttslammed...
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