Originally Posted by
Maelochs
In any case ... the issue here is what? Shimano wants to sell products for as high a price as the market will bear? And wants to limit people making end-runs around its pricing structure by using overseas sales?
It's the limiting of consumer choice or limiting information to make an informed choice that is at issue. If a consumer "makes an end run" around the pricing structure, it's because the arbritrary market boundry is drawn wrong.
I can pretty much guarantee what any of us would do if any of us owned small businesses and were losing profits because our stuff was being sold like that. it is really easy to demonize others, particularly a big corporation, but if I were watching my bottom line shrink because people were stretching the rules I would take action for sure.
None of us own small businesses that has this problem. Small business is by definition the opposite of a global mega-corp. If we were small business owners, we would meet market demand at market prices.
I really don't understand all the outrage. If you think the parts are overpriced, don't buy them. if you think the prices are high but really want the parts, pay the price.
The "outrage" is that the only way to know if a part is overpriced is to compare prices. That information is unavailable. Furthermore, they are still turning a profit in the cheaper market, we can then infer all monies collected beyond the exchange rate is gratituitous profit at the expense of an uninformed marginalized disempowered consumer that was knowingly taken advantage of. Eu-Us is the same as far as globalization is concerned. First world, both equally distant from manufacture. The equivalent market carving Shimano is doing is similar to selling to California at 1 high price, & Montana at a 40% discount. Then getting mad Californians are buying Montana sourced parts.
Shimano has allowed people in the U.S. to buy overseas and save a Lot of money for a long time now. But at no time did they "owe" that option to the U.S. customer base.
Now they are changing policies to protect their income stream. Basically, we got a big break ... and now we act as though we "earned" or"deserved" a big price break?
Nobody said Americans deserve a price break. We deserve a functioning free market capitalistic economy. Corporate domination to stifle competition; to contain and maintain, uninformed, boxed, consumers subservience is not consistant with this principal.
Pretty sure that isn't edging into the intellectual realm of "Rocket Science." Pretty sure it is too simple a concept to even be mentioned in Econ 101.
It is. The problem is the arbitrary boundarys drawn to carve up a single market for profit maximization. It's the same as the drug cartels defining which gang gets what territory. Doing so eliminates intra-gang rivalries so the cartel operates at highest profit across markets & lowest cost in any given market. It's the same as US telecoms intentionally staying out of eachothers areas to keep telecom/cable prices inflated. You can not prove the consumer was harmed by the absence of choice because the companies "choose" not to compete. Infrastructure cost keeps the little guy from even getting started. This prevents free market competition and ensures higher consumer cost.
While we're at it, I don't know anyone with a complete SRAM or Campy group set in any of my riding groups. I wonder if it has to do with the artificially inflated prices from the same game Shimano now seems to be playing.
I just can't believe people are ok with being bent over a barrel. It's just not right.