Fx5 Minimum Advertised Price

[jdryden]

My experience dealing with MAP has been through the motorcycle industry. I'm the parts manager and former ebay store operator so had to do a little research. The MAP is stating that a product cannot be advertised as being for sale below the manufacturers stated price. They do not dictate what it is actually sold for. Example, we carry certain products that we cannot ADVERTISE below certain prices. However I have spoken to the manufacter of those products, and they have told us that it doesn't matter what we SELL them for, as long as they are ADVERTISED at the MAP or MSRP. I have spoken to several different manufacturers on this. The idea is to make it fair to other retailers. If everyone is required to post the same price, no one is getting a special break. Once the manufacturer sells it, they don't generally care if the dealer makes or loses money on it.

 

[sg1]

for $180 ill take the fx5 every time.

And you'll get an inferior cheaper built filter too. Eheim makes much a better quality filter weather you think so or not. Ya get what ya pay for.

 

[Mr Pleco]

My experience dealing with MAP has been through the motorcycle industry. I'm the parts manager and former ebay store operator so had to do a little research. The MAP is stating that a product cannot be advertised as being for sale below the manufacturers stated price. They do not dictate what it is actually sold for. Example, we carry certain products that we cannot ADVERTISE below certain prices. However I have spoken to the manufacter of those products, and they have told us that it doesn't matter what we SELL them for, as long as they are ADVERTISED at the MAP or MSRP. I have spoken to several different manufacturers on this. The idea is to make it fair to other retailers. If everyone is required to post the same price, no one is getting a special break. Once the manufacturer sells it, they don't generally care if the dealer makes or loses money on it.

So in this case how can Hagen control dealers sell price, espicially through ebay where MAP or MRSP is usally not listed as "buy now"?


the other case is an ipod. Walmart's price is the same as every other retailer?? I'm curious

 

[jdryden]

I have never heard of any company controlling what price a product is sold at. Once the business purchases the product, the manufacturer doesn't care what its sold as, they have their money. They do care if you are advertising their product below their set price b/c this can affect other companies that are carrying the product. Most companies that I dealt with all had specific ebay policies as far as the buy it now or ebay store prices. As far as the iPods, it could be that companies are not given a price break from their supplier regardless of purchase quantity, so they charge full retail to maximize on their profit. Like I said, I'm coming from the powersports industry, not the fish or electronics industry, but they are all retail business.

 

[IITUFFTOBEATII]

And you'll get an inferior cheaper built filter too. Eheim makes much a better quality filter weather you think so or not. Ya get what ya pay for.

I wont argue with you about your opinion because I neither agree nor disagree. I doubt you would feel the same way if you had done the math and understood the economics behind the time value of money. The benefit of having the so called inferior product for what I paid for it out weighs the benefits of paying more $$ for the superior product. ***

Its all irrelevant with regards to the topic of the thread so please take the eheim vs fluval arguement to another thread where it will be heard

***Not that it matters to me what you think of my choice, but I did not keep the filter: I traded it at retail value for HO T5 lighting

 

[IITUFFTOBEATII]

I have never heard of any company controlling what price a product is sold at.

My understanding is that this is exactly what they are doing by refusing to allow retailers who advertise or sell the product for less than the MAP by not allowing the retailers to carry their products.

I dont have enough ambition to call or write a letter; but I do refuse to pay that amount of money for the FX5. If I buy another I will buy it from members here as long as they are selling them at a price that I consider reasonable

 

[sg1]

I wont argue with you about your opinion because I neither agree nor disagree. I doubt you would feel the same way if you had done the math and understood the economics behind the time value of money. The benefit of having the so called inferior product for what I paid for it out weighs the benefits of paying more $$ for the superior product. ***

Its all irrelevant with regards to the topic of the thread so please take the eheim vs fluval arguement to another thread where it will be heard

***Not that it matters to me what you think of my choice, but I did not keep the filter: I traded it at retail value for HO T5 lighting

Sorry, didnt mean to sound antagonistic, Ive got a story though!
I had an old 46 gallon tank and had an eheim cannister on it for years with no problems. About 2 years ago I bought a 125G tank and needed a bigger filter. I liked the FX5's numbers, bought one, it took a crap on me, sent it back, got a brand new one which also just died, just like that, 2 FX'5's in under 6 months. Said screw fluval, paid a little more, got an Eheim professional II, its easier to clean, has a self primer thats a godsend that the FX5 didnt have, its built much sturdier, and I havent a single problem with it in a year and a half. I posted up a poll on this very website and found that a hell of a lot of people have had trouble with fluval stuff. Thus I will never but another fluval product. I understand the value of money but Id rather pay a little more for something of superior construction thats gonna last years and years longer.

 

[IITUFFTOBEATII]

sg1,

I dont blame you for your opinion after your experience. When I was searching on ebay for another deal on an fx5 I found a eheim that I bid on and won Im not a die hard one way or another, I dont want to pay $$$$ for anything that I dont think is worth it. I was just put off by the response that I got about what I was hearing about hagen so wanted to see if anyone here had any insight/thoughts

 

[sg1]

sg1,

I dont blame you for your opinion after your experience. When I was searching on ebay for another deal on an fx5 I found a eheim that I bid on and won Im not a die hard one way or another, I dont want to pay $$$$ for anything that I dont think is worth it. I was just put off by the response that I got about what I was hearing about hagen so wanted to see if anyone here had any insight/thoughts

Yeah well I do think its pretty crapy what Hagen is doing, really why they care what vendors sell their stuff for is beyond me, they make the same amount of money per filter weather vendors and retailers are giving em away for free or selling them for a grand each.

 

[jdryden]

I just got off of the phone with Hagens internal reps at the corporate level. The advertised price DOES NOT restrict the price the item is sold at. It is ONLY THE ADVERTISED PRICE that it restricts. Thsi is to provide a even playing ground amongst dealers. Just thougth everyone might want to know. I wanted to get to the bottom of it b/c me and my wife are considering opening a reptile store in the future.