The Aqualung Discussion [ Moved ]

[cerich]

Wasn't it though.

If AL lifted their internet sales restriction and eased off on the minimum price thing PE was talking about in the original thread. LDSs could practically eliminate the gray market.
Novel idea...what? have AL authorized dealers be the best deal around? sound like a good idea to me.

Plus reduce to a trickle the amount of gear getting to the gray market EASILY!

 

[djanni]

Unfortunately, because this is a private forum, the content IS controlled. It is controlled by the owner and his appointed moderators. That's just a fact of life.

Get used to it.

Gary: Thank you for stating the obvious.

 

[djanni]

I think he was referring to the original discussion rather than making it into another one. Maybe that's just me. As a member of SB I am just pointing that out.

There was a bit of humor intended in my reply to you. I didn't think we were really of subject but maybe so.

 

[jwdiverdude]

Plus reduce to a trickle the amount of gear getting to the gray market EASILY!

Exactly.

Kind of ironic: one would think that one would become an authorized dealer to gain the support and protection of the company they were joining with to promote mutual prosperity but in this case there is a lack of support resulting in protection afforded to non-authorized dealers, that create hurdles for those who are authorized to acheive maximum success, but is not impacting the prosperity of the supplier.

It just boggles the mind that AL exercises so much effort to limit their authorized dealers. Makes you think that they are in bed with the gray marketeers.

 

[nyprrthd]

I just spent a while on the phone with someone at the FTC. They will look into the price control policies, and suggested that I also speak with my state attorney general.

One voice most likely won't get any results, but if the FTC started to get many calls, especially from folks who actually feel they were harmed by AL's policies, maybe the changes we've been discussing would be expedited. I told the FTC that I was not directly affected, but that I simply felt these policies are wrong for the consumer, and stifle competition. 1-877-FTC-HELP (382-4357) Be prepared to negotiate through the phone system before you get to a live person. I think that I was able to make my concerns much more clear than I would have been able to using the internet form.

OK, I've "put my money where my mouth is" so-to-speak; now it's up to the rest of you to do the same.

 

[jwdiverdude]

<TABLE style="WIDTH: 492px; HEIGHT: 140px"><TBODY><TR class=gray><TD>Straight from the website http://gethuman.com/us/
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</TD><TD><TABLE><TBODY><TR class=gray><TD>US Federal Trade Commission</TD><TD>877&#8209;382&#8209;4357</TD><TD>Press 4 5 0 at each prompt.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

http://gethuman.com/rate.cgi?id=1979&url=www.ftc.gov
</TD><TD></TD><TD><TABLE><TBODY><TR class=gray><TD></TD><TD></TD><TD></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

 

[redacted]

Exactly.

Kind of ironic:
It just boggles the mind that AL exercises so much effort to limit their authorized dealers. Makes you think that they are in bed with the gray marketeers.

This concept overlooks the fact that some, perhaps many, LDSs want and seek out the manufacturers who have minimum pricing policies to protect their profit margins. And this artificial inflation of SP and AL products' prices also helps to hold prices higher for the other manufactures that compete with them.

Shops that want to circumvent these policies can do so easily and a little more covertly than Phil did. But it does cut into their profit margin.

 

[jwdiverdude]

This concept overlooks the fact that some, perhaps many, LDSs want and seek out the manufacturers who have minimum pricing policies to protect their profit margins. And this artificial inflation of SP and AL products' prices also helps to hold prices higher for the other manufactures that compete with them.

Yes but then a gray marketer comes along and violates that minimum price standard. why? becuase they don't have to adhere to any standard. they are unauthorized dealers. which in turn
1. devalues the worth of the item as perceived by the consumer.
2. established the gray marketer in a price range where the Authorized deals can not go, without repercussion as in our currently being discussed AL situation.

Gray marketer wins. they are selling their stock.
Manuafacture wins. Their product is being moved
Consumer wins. I'll say they win in their mind becuase they got the best price and in this market all the stuff from the Wiki-Gray market is pretty much null and void here expect the part about warranty coverage. We established yesterday that at least the most well-known gray marketer is getting the lion share of their product from with in the U.S.

LDS loses. Sales go elsewhere becuase they can't compete in price or they compete in price, which takes away the benefits derived from minimum retail price for profit margin protection, and then if caught they face ramifications from the manufacture as demonstrated by the plight that started this thread and the thread that shall now be nameless.

 

[cerich]

Yes but then a gray marketer comes along and violates that minimum price standard.
which in turn
1. devalues the worth of the item as perceived by the consumer.
2. established the gray marketer in a price range where the Authorized deals can not go, without repercussion as in our currently being discussed AL situation.

Gray marketer wins. they are selling their stock.
Manuafacture wins. Their product is being moved
Consumer wins. I'll say they win in their mind becuase they got the best price and in this market all the stuff from the Wiki-Gray market is pretty much null and void here expect the part about warranty coverage. We established yesterday that at least the most well-known gray marketer is getting the lion share of their product from with in the U.S.

LDS loses. Sales go elsewhere becuase they can't compete in price or they compete in price, which takes away the benefits derived from minimum retail price, and then if caught they face ramifications from the manufacture as demonstrated by the plight that started this thread and the thread that shall now be nameless.

Consumer Loses- they get no warranty, they often pay more for normal service, they get treated badly by an understandably upset LDS owner.

LDS get branded as a rip off when they have no say in the matter.

We all lose because an upset LDS and upset consumers don't do an awful lot to promote growth. Heck the environment loses because most divers become vocal proponents of environmental protection!

 

[jwdiverdude]

Consumer Loses- they get no warranty, they often pay more for normal service, they get treated badly by an understandably upset LDS owner.

LDS get branded as a rip off when they have no say in the matter.

We all lose because an upset LDS and upset consumers don't do an awful lot to promote growth. Heck the environment loses because most divers become vocal proponents of environmental protection!

Agree: I didn't list the warranty as an loss issue for the consumer because in other threads the Gray market faithful always say "warranty schmorranty"

Wasn't worth going down that rabbit hole. Although when I was helping fix regs these gray market supporters always tried to argue their way into warranty coverage...It never worked but it was fun watching them try.