Nautilus lifeline - promotional deal - first 4 orders $259..this price won't last!!

[flots am]

I'm sure Nautilus wants to establish a value to their product, they must have a minimum price they want their dealers to sell their product at. The OP wasn't meeting that number I'm sure. Real businesses are in the business of making a profit, they have a reason to, just whoring out somebodies product for whatever jollies probably doesn't appeal to Nautilus.

Whoring SCUBA products is a time-tested business model and actually works quite nicely.

It doesn't really matter though, since if there's a demand, they'll have a competitor and "minimum prices" will be irrelevant.

flots.

 

[Mike]

You know something Mike...you post a lot....and you post a lot of crap. Your assesment of the situation is not only WAY off base but it's insulting and shows you have absolutely no freaking clue what you're talking about.

Actually, now that I see the other post, you violated their minimum pricing didn't you? Was my 'crap' correct?

(I apologize for posting in this thread, it was meant to be in the other one, sorry about that.)

 

[vcblklion]

Actually, now that I see the other post, you violated their minimum pricing didn't you? Was my 'crap' correct?


(I apologize for posting in this thread, it was meant to be in the other one, sorry about that.)

No. Your crap wasn't correct. Violated because a) missed the MAP in email and b) it was my understanding that the product was ALREADY being discounted by other dealers. Regardless, your comment about whoring the product from the basement in underwear is not only incorrect but . Asinine. Additionally. The MAP wasn't the main issue. It was the fact that I was working independently and did not have a building to work out of. Maybe you should pay more attention to the facts and less attention to PILING ON.

 

[ktomlinson]

I've read their website and the email you received from them and cant figure out how they knew that you violated the MAP and didn't have a store front? When I have applied for dealer status for other products I have always had to fill out a dealer application. Did you have to do that? As far as entering into a dealer agreement, if you didn't have to apply, and the only correspondence you had with them was the email you showed us, it doesn't appear that there was any agreement for you to violate.

 

[vcblklion]

I've read their website and the email you received from them and cant figure out how they knew that you violated the MAP and didn't have a store front? When I have applied for dealer status for other products I have always had to fill out a dealer application. Did you have to do that? As far as entering into a dealer agreement, if you didn't have to apply, and the only correspondence you had with them was the email you showed us, it doesn't appear that there was any agreement for you to violate.

I didn't sign any agreement. I sent them an email requesting information on becoming a dealer and recieved the email I shared here. It seemed pretty simple to me and as a matter of fact my initial advertisements were priced at MAP. I figured people from here would be more receptive to the product. After a period of absolutely NO response I became aware that the Lifeline was already being discounted here by another dealer. Maybe some of you know who it is. I don't care to divulge. It's none of my business. But when I became aware of that I decided to try a small promotional run in order to get my foot in the door. The issue of MAP came up just before I tried to fill the orders I received. Nautilus monitors this board and I eventually got a message about it. When I called in to try to fill my orders, I was then questioned about having a brick and mortar establishment and that was the reason stated for not being able to work with me.

I argued that I had already worked deals based on the email I received and what would be the harm in filling my order? After all nautilus wasn't out any money because they were going to get what they asked for a dealer rate. This way I don't look silly, they make there sales at dealer rate and all is well. They wouldn't capitulate.

 

[Mike]

No. Your crap wasn't correct. Violated because a) missed the MAP in email and b) it was my understanding that the product was ALREADY being discounted by other dealers. Regardless, your comment about whoring the product from the basement in underwear is not only incorrect but . Asinine. Additionally. The MAP wasn't the main issue. It was the fact that I was working independently and did not have a building to work out of. Maybe you should pay more attention to the facts and less attention to PILING ON.

Sounds like you gave up too soon, I know how you might have qualified as a dealer.

 

[Nautilus Mike]

Hi everyone. Mike here from the Lifeline with several points.

First thing is that I wish everyone the best. Our goal is straightforward - we are doing our darndest to get lifelines into the hands of as many divers as possible. That's it. nothing more. I don't want to upset anyone. I don't want anyone to be angry with us. I just hope that everyone will buy lifelines.

Second thing is that I have chosen to continue the same path of 100% support to our dealers and dive stores that we have followed for the last 20 years of running dive charters. I'm happy to open up any brick and mortar retail store as a dealer and sell units at wholesale pricing. If someone does not have a retail store, we still want them to buy Lifelines but not at wholesale pricing and not as a dealer.

Third thing is MAP = MSRP. Sorry but we have chosen not to sell units to any dealer who violates MAP. We became aware of these particular units being offered at less than MAP yesterday and I was in the process of drafting a polite request to please stop doing that when we realized that they weren't being offered for sale by an authorized dealer.

Last thing is that not all the pieces to this have been posted online. Sure, anyone can apply to be a dealer at which time we send out an email asking them to confirm that they are a dive store. That was done in this case. Our policy is to politely and respectfully decline a dealership request if the applicant is not brick and mortar. We followed process in this case as we always do and have the letter on file.

My appeal to everyone is that mistakes were made in this case. Lifelines were offered at promotional pricing which is something that we don't condone. And a very nice and sincere diver jumped on to selling Lifelines with great enthusiasm when he hadn't been opened up as a dealer. I tried to mitigate that by offering him a Lifeline at keyman pricing. I regret any embarrassment or anger felt by anyone and wish everyone safe diving. Hopefully with a Lifeline!!

 

[vcblklion]

Sounds like you gave up too soon, I know how you might have qualified as a dealer.

Me too. I could have told them that my non-profit company deals with educating scuba divers and diver safety instead of what my Articles do state and used my home as my storefront. I decided to be honest with him and try starting our relationship based on the truth. Didnt work out too well....

 

[ktomlinson]

Rereading the email it sounds like the rep was a bit quick to make a sale and must have skipped a few steps in their process. The company chose to back their rules (even though you say you were never sent the rules) instead of backing up what their representative wrote to you (that by placing an order you would be placed on the dealer map, which any reasonable person would read as you will become a dealer). If I had filled out the dealer form online and then received the email that you received I would be under the impression that I could start taking orders. Mike from lifeline says we don't know some of the story...if you are telling us the entire story then I'd say they did make you an offer and then pulled it out from under you after reading your posts on here. The right thing to do would have been backing up their representatives offer but telling you that moving forward you would need to be brick and mortar and also have to follow MAP rules.

 

[vcblklion]

Rereading the email it sounds like the rep was a bit quick to make a sale and must have skipped a few steps in their process. The company chose to back their rules (even though you say you were never sent the rules) instead of backing up what their representative wrote to you (that by placing an order you would be placed on the dealer map, which any reasonable person would read as you will become a dealer). If I had filled out the dealer form online and then received the email that you received I would be under the impression that I could start taking orders. Mike from lifeline says we don't know some of the story...if you are telling us the entire story then I'd say they did make you an offer and then pulled it out from under you after reading your posts on here. The right thing to do would have been backing up their representatives offer but telling you that moving forward you would need to be brick and mortar and also have to follow MAP rules.

I never recieved any email or correspondence about being a brick and morter establishment....if I HAD....I probably would never have started this thread.....I wouldn't have bothered taking orders. Seems to me the requirement for being brick and morter is an important piece of information that should have been in the very FIRST correspondence I recieved....it wasn't