Switch-Pro 8 switch panel group buy!

Because they have more than a single "Re-seller" and part of selling them is showing they can make X due to MSRP. What you propose is not invalid it's just you don't want your entire distro network in a price battle.

It is also why a good chunk of GB's in here get killed because some idiot will try and price match with another re-seller and get everyone in trouble.

 

I agree with the second part of your statement here about group buys getting killed out,I'd be the first one to crack some douchebag upside his head for screwing us over (figure of speech )
However I disagree with the first part of your statement "you don't want your entire distro network in a price battle." So what? Let the retailers battle it out, free market is a beautiful thing, I as a consumer will not pay $500 for a SP unit,425..450 maby , you want to move 10 units or 100 units. Perfect example this last group by that went South I was okay with price however it got screwed over some douchebag ratted us out but my point is I decided to go the bussman route instead of SP because of price and I'm sure I'm not the only one that did that just think
As far as a distribution Network goes no problems there,there are so many Avenues and routes you can take,hundreds of them
Just my opinion

 

There is a reason why MSRP has survived so long and when every cent you have is related to your re-sale business you want this. You have rent, payroll, utility bills, insurance, etc to pay. You need some margin (Difference between your cost and Price you sell for) built into price to cover these things. Usually any business will give volume discount but these "big" sales are rare and they rely on the one off sales at MSRP otherwise.

Don't have to agree with it, I am just answering your question on the why

 

I think there's also some value to the manufacturer with respect to marketing with a strict price: a relatively expensive product, never going on discount, has a certain appeal to the market. I think this comes into the pricing thought process of certain types of manufacturers. And maybe they are just fine with selling X units at $Y (as long as they stay profitable), instead of X+Z units at $Y*D% and potentially diminishing the appeal and cache of their product. My guess is maybe Switch-Pro doesn't want to let "Grand Dude Offroad" have a piece of the control in dictating their market reputation.

 

I agree with your statement for a Rolex, but c’mon this is for a switch-pro

 

I don't think it's all that impossible or unrealistic for small companies like Switch-Pro to want to control their brand, including having control over price. They don't have to be Rolex to want to manage their brand. (aside: I think they might be the Rolex of this particular niche market... who else would be on the same level as them? Not a trick... I'm geniunely curious as an uneducated consumer).

In addition, group buys can and have harmed companies: Prinsu's reputation took a big hit after their last group buy that "they" are still dealing with. "They" being in parentheses because I think it's possible that the overload from that group buy was the impetus for the owner to start thinking about selling... and even the new owners have to deal and compete with that purchased reputation. There's real long term risk to trying to increase sales via discounts to large groups purchasing all at once. Maybe Prinsu and Switch-Pro are not in the same sphere of manufacturing capacity... but my intuition is that they are not that far off.

Edited to add: I'd be the first to join a SP group buy. But I'm also budgeting and saving for a full-priced one because it really seems like the perfect product for my needs (and probably more important, my modification skill level).

 

I commend them for having strict pricing. Obviously their product is of great design and in strong demand.

It seems they (SP’s) have been on the defense lately. How a company handles uncomfortable situations shows their true colors. As much as I’d love to get their product, I’d like to see how they respond to their hate about their knock-offs first.

 

yes stay profitable @ 100 units msrp (keep a image?) or 500 units at discount $$$ my interest in SP was completely out of fact- function of unit

 

Can you share a link or tale to what this refers to? I don't know what this means.

 

What happened to Prinsu's reputation ?

 

It was on some GB for a knock-off. Can’t find the link at the moment, but this posting on IG shows how upset they were from all the rants in that thread.

https://instagram.com/p/BafF802hbVN/

 

Long story: Read the prinsu BS thread in their vendor forum. Clear your calendar for the rest of the day (ha).

Short story: They did a group buy, a full allotment of signups, and the owner got way behind orders. Things started snowballing as orders continued to come in. Delivery dates were blown up, people were getting pissed. TW even locked their account here until it got explained what was going on. The owner sold to CBI, and now CBI is trying to keep up with orders and try to stem the flood of "I guess nothing has changed... " comments about delivery times.

Aside: I think I might have been one of the last few people to order a Prinsu from the original owner.... right as all this stuff was going down. My timing is impeccable (and ironically, based on holding out for a the hope of a group buy). But I lucked out and had no issues except a missing piece which wasn't integral to the rack working, and which did get delivered eventually. I couldn't be happier with the rack.

 

and that is why there needs to be limits in a group buy #units, QC issue
Also good to know I was looking to buy 1 from prinsu thanks for the heads up thanks

 

I bought my cabrac post CBI takeover and it came promptly without issue. Oh and I paid full price too. Lol

 

I looked on there sight could not find cab rack!

 

Can you blame them? You put time, effort and money into something, get a good name out there, have a great product and someone comes in and rips it off, trying to undercut you. THEN those people who went the cheap way out are trying to come to you for support and are even badmouthing your good company on the internet? I don't need that kind of drama.

 

for future reference how do we know if they are knockoffs ?

 

I'm just going by what I see on Amazon and Ebay. They look almost exactly the same, most Ive seen are different sized though.