🚀 go-pugleaf

Sean Smith (wildfire@albany.net) wrote something that went a little like:
) In message <4ee46f$bca@csugrad.cs.vt.edu> - dstevans@csugrad.cs.vt.edu (Daniel 
) J. Stevans) writes:
) :>
) :>Adam L (gt7096a@acmey.gatech.edu) wrote:
) :>: : Have you called for prices? I called Dirt Cheap Dives for their Fujitsu
) :>: : 1 gig hard drive for $199.00 amd the salesman said that the price went up to 
) :>: : $229.00 because the the price list is generated 4 months in advance.
) :>: : A classic case of being misled. The same wemt for Midwest Micro. I got a
) :>: : flyer in the mail advertising a Maxtor 1 gig drive for 209.00, I called
) :>: : the NEXT DAY and guess what, $229.00. Remember, prices are subject to change
) :>: : after they deliberately advertise a lower price.
) :>
) :>: There are a few companies advertising in Compute Shopper that consistantly
) :>: do this.  Off the top of my head, I can't remember if Dirt Cheap was one
) :>: of them or not... but there are lots of decent companies in there, too.  
) :>
) :>	Now this is something that should be mentioned to the Better 
) :>Business Bureau.
) :>
) :>								Dan

) 	They are supposed to honor the WRITTEN price in a catalogue, unless there is 
) a specific disclaimer written also that says that prices are subject to 
) change and that the person should check in advance as they may fluctuate.

The problem, of course, being that every ad in the Shopper has just such a
disclaimer.  However, they are doing a shoddy job by generating the price list
4 months in advance, because the lead time for the Shopper is only 60 days, and
then the magazine is actually distributed about 15 days b/f the month on the
cover.

I've heard the same thing about price inflation from Dirt Cheap Drives (incidentally
my friend that got that line just got the same drive from a different company at
virtually the same price).  The same thing happened to memory last summer when the
US dollar dropped vs. the Yen.  Incidentally, though, I was still able to find
a cheaper price then the first few I called, because when they upped their price,
they *really* upped their prices.  Far more than the change in currency prices.

I'd say it's policy with *some* of these companies to use *any* excuse to up
their prices -- especially when they call their competitors and find out they
did, meaning the consumer is less likely to find the same product cheaper --
same idea as price fixing at your local gas station, and nothing you can do
about it.

... except refuse to buy from someone at a higher-than-published price, like
I do.  I'd rather pay a little more (not too much, though :), and buy from
another company that hasn't raised their prices.

Incidentally, though, prices for 1 to 1.2 Gb EIDE drives have gone up since
4 months ago -- I think manufacturers have simply reduced their inventories
and levelled out their prices until the 1.6 and 2.0 Gb EIDEs hit the market
this month and last.


Mike Leiter