It's the manufacturers who somehow think they have the right to enforce "Minimum Advertised Price" (MAP).
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Musicians Friend
- Thread starter bassundergrace
- Start date
It's the manufacturers who somehow think they have the right to enforce "Minimum Advertised Price" (MAP).
Got great deals with MF over the phone. I used to score nice items in their scratch and dent section back in the day.
As far as pricing goes, correct me if I am wrong but Manufacturers can only suggest and not impose retail prices. A retailer is free to price an item the way they want, depending on the margin they want to work with.
As far as pricing goes, correct me if I am wrong but Manufacturers can only suggest and not impose retail prices. A retailer is free to price an item the way they want, depending on the margin they want to work with.
I don't believe they can tell the retailer what to sell it for, but they can tell them what the minimum they can advertise it for. Saves stores cutting each other throats, keeps them on an even playing field.
In the end, what they are actually going to sell it for once they have an interested customer is up to them.
In the end, what they are actually going to sell it for once they have an interested customer is up to them.
MF told me that certain manufacturers do not allow discounts
Greg from Rocket Music has posted that Lull only allows a certain % discount
Greg from Rocket Music has posted that Lull only allows a certain % discount
- Oct 7, 2000
- 18,619
- 38,941
- Disclosures
- Endorsing artist: Musicman basses
While this is true, ya gotta be careful about that. I stood on my head, sang, yodeled, and did 3 backward naked dances in front of a mirror while on the phone with MF and couldn't get them to discount my ipad. Maybe a different approach might have worked, but I'm pretty sure there ain't no way apple is offering any discounts, and there are a very select few other companies. The "careful" part, is that they have a list of exclusions from their coupons and sales listed, and EVERYTHING is on that list. If you try to apply a lot of codes online they won't work and you have to call. A salesperson might say that item is not discounted, but unless it's something very specific and it seems they might be telling the truth, it's always best to try first with another sales rep. Or try zzounds as they discount their prices pretty easily too. And I didn't really do the dances naked.
Any manufacturer can put whatever they want in their reseller or distributor contracts. If a business wants to be a reseller or distributor of a product, they can decide whether they are willing to accept the terms of the reseller or distributor contract. And they can also decide if they want to abide by it after they've signed it.
So, if Fender or Apple or whoever wants to specify that a product cannot be sold for less than MSRP, they can absolutely specify that in the contract that BestBuy or Rocket Music or whoever has to sign in order to become an "authorized reseller". Then, if BB or RM does sign on as a reseller, they can decide after that whether to actually stick to MSRP or not. If they don't, then, one, you can argue that they are being unethical, and, two, it is obvious that they are in breach of their reseller contract and, if Fender or Apple or whoever finds out, they can pursue whatever remedies are specified in the reseller contract. And that could be anything from simple termination of the contract to punitive damages.
As a manufacturer (of software) myself, I can totally understand why a manufacturer would put into their reseller contract a clause that specifies a Minimum Advertised Price. If Rocket Music starts advertising basses at $10 over dealer cost, then all of a sudden there's a ton of pressure on Best Buy, Guitar Center and every other retailer of that bass to sell them at the same price. At which point, some or all of them will decide that they can no longer make money selling those basses and so they'll stop carrying them. Which is bad for the manufacturer.
Besides that, it's to Best Buy or Guitar Center's benefit to advertise them at a higher price than they'll actually sell them for because, as has already been noted, some people will just go online and buy stuff at the listed price. And the cool cats who call and get a discount because they are "in the know" will often also be the same cool cats that talk about the great deal they got from MF or whoever and, thus, influence others who may not be so "in the know" to buy from MF, and those people end up buying at the listed price because Cool Cat said that MF gives good deals so whatever the listed price is must be a good deal.
So, if Fender or Apple or whoever wants to specify that a product cannot be sold for less than MSRP, they can absolutely specify that in the contract that BestBuy or Rocket Music or whoever has to sign in order to become an "authorized reseller". Then, if BB or RM does sign on as a reseller, they can decide after that whether to actually stick to MSRP or not. If they don't, then, one, you can argue that they are being unethical, and, two, it is obvious that they are in breach of their reseller contract and, if Fender or Apple or whoever finds out, they can pursue whatever remedies are specified in the reseller contract. And that could be anything from simple termination of the contract to punitive damages.
As a manufacturer (of software) myself, I can totally understand why a manufacturer would put into their reseller contract a clause that specifies a Minimum Advertised Price. If Rocket Music starts advertising basses at $10 over dealer cost, then all of a sudden there's a ton of pressure on Best Buy, Guitar Center and every other retailer of that bass to sell them at the same price. At which point, some or all of them will decide that they can no longer make money selling those basses and so they'll stop carrying them. Which is bad for the manufacturer.
Besides that, it's to Best Buy or Guitar Center's benefit to advertise them at a higher price than they'll actually sell them for because, as has already been noted, some people will just go online and buy stuff at the listed price. And the cool cats who call and get a discount because they are "in the know" will often also be the same cool cats that talk about the great deal they got from MF or whoever and, thus, influence others who may not be so "in the know" to buy from MF, and those people end up buying at the listed price because Cool Cat said that MF gives good deals so whatever the listed price is must be a good deal.
I'm saying "right" because if you were really crunching this through anti-anti-competitive laws you will probably see that they think this and do it because they still can.
Used the gearhead email to order a rumble combo. Took a day but the quote was better than the labor day discount.
To reiterate what many have said before, it's all about the individual you deal with. I am pleased as punch with the price, plus you get a free gift- a $40 Fender Custom Shop Performance Series Instrument Cable Black Tweed 18.6 Foot. For the week, I love Musician's Friend!!!
A heck of a discount and a cable I can probably turn around for 20 at the very leSt. Not bad at all
Well I sat around and watched a good deal vanish recently from Slamazon. Contacted the Gearheads at MF and Austin hooked it up for me. Very happy with The MF crew as they have come through time and time again. Cheers!
The gearheads email does seem to have a longer lag time between replies than the forums email did, but the discounts are still quite nice if you don't mind waiting.
The second stupid deal of the day this evening is the TC Electronic BH500 for $299. This may be the 3rd time I've seen them drop the price that low for that head.
I took advantage of the gift certificate the other day. They extended it to 9/15 but now it's gone.
The SDotD right now is still the TC BH500 for $299 though... wish I needed another amp head.
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/stupid?icid=206243
The SDotD right now is still the TC BH500 for $299 though... wish I needed another amp head.
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/stupid?icid=206243
