Canon Cannot Keep Screwing It's Customers Over

[bdunbar79]

...wait, until prices drop and preferably when there are rebates available or a sale. its easy. try it.

Meh.  It's much more fun to buy a product right when it's released, then when the price drops a few months later, go to an internet forum and bitch about how bad I got ripped off.   

Apparently so.

[HurtinMinorKey]

The point is that Canon is playing pricing games, like neither they nor Nikon has ever done before, and they are pricing their products 20% higher for the first 6 months than is "normal". This means your depreciation goes from 1% per month to 5% per month.

It's called intertemporal price discrimination, and it's been around for a long time in many different durable goods markets. 

http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/3439170?uid=3739800&uid=2129&uid=2&uid=70&uid=4&uid=3739256&sid=21101491313133

[glongstaff]

As I have said before....the other issue is the pricing policy per market region (whoever it may be) and in some way Canon controls this via the sales & distribution plus control authorised dealers.

Even accounting for shipping, VAT or Sales Taxes etc......if you look at the Asia, Europe, UK, USA markets the pricing markups / concessions are ridiculous between the markets......

And before someone says it jokingly..'it's not viable to move!!'   

There needs to be some sort of level playing field, one where customer loyalty comes higher on the chain!

[neuroanatomist]

There needs to be some sort of level playing field...

Why?

Keep in mind that each geography (e.g. Canon USA or Canon Europe) operates as a separate business unit within Canon, each responsible for maintaining their own profitability.  That's why warranty policies, service policies, sales of refurbished units, and pricing differ from country to country. 

[ahab1372]

There needs to be some sort of level playing field, one where customer loyalty comes higher on the chain!

Yes! I think congress should step in, and the UN! Teach Canon some manners, and protect us gear addicts from their screwing games! No lens should cost more than $999, and prices should never go up or down! Rebates are an insult for those who bought before the rebates came into effect!

[Don Haines]

There needs to be some sort of level playing field...

Why?

Keep in mind that each geography (e.g. Canon USA or Canon Europe) operates as a separate business unit within Canon, each responsible for maintaining their own profitability.  That's why warranty policies, service policies, sales of refurbished units, and pricing differ from country to country.

and don't forget import duties, meeting local electrical standards, and different wages paid to sales staff....

[Don Haines]

and why are we not hearing the complaints from those who recently bought a 5DII, or a 60D, or a 7D at the "end of life sale". Why aren't those people demanding to pay launch prices? Life is so unfair to them

[jrh]

The point is that Canon is playing pricing games, like neither they nor Nikon has ever done before, and they are pricing their products 20% higher for the first 6 months than is "normal". This means your depreciation goes from 1% per month to 5% per month.

Wrong - depreciation is not the same as market value.  Go back to school and pay attention - you may be able to get a better job and you wont care about a $500 price reduction. 

[neuroanatomist]

Wrong - depreciation is not the same as market value.  Go back to school and pay attention - you may be able to get a better job and you wont care about a $500 price reduction. 

+1.  I just sent a piece of scientific equipment to salvage.  Price new in December, 2008 was $250K.  Net book value (what it's currently worth based on depreciation) is $110K.  Fair market value is $7K.  And you thought your dSLR lost value fast... 

Now...who should I bitch to about that?  At least I'm not the one losing $103K...   

[Zlatko]

The point is that Canon is playing pricing games...

It's called "intertemporal price discrimination" (as someone noted above) and it's smart business.  They make lovely products and should make money on them.  That money pays for a lot of people and materials and facilities, which then help them make more lovely products.  We don't tell them how to price their cameras and they don't tell us how to price our photography — that seems like a fair arrangement.  If the prices really bother someone, there are plenty of other camera makers out there ... Nikon, Sony, Pentax, Olympus, Fuji, Leica ... 

[dstppy]

Wrong - depreciation is not the same as market value.  Go back to school and pay attention - you may be able to get a better job and you wont care about a $500 price reduction. 

+1.  I just sent a piece of scientific equipment to salvage.  Price new in December, 2008 was $250K.  Net book value (what it's currently worth based on depreciation) is $110K.  Fair market value is $7K.  And you thought your dSLR lost value fast... 

Now...who should I bitch to about that?  At least I'm not the one losing $103K...   

By "Salvage" I hope you mean in a plain freight pallette c/o Grant Imahara, in California 

[Don Haines]

Wrong - depreciation is not the same as market value.  Go back to school and pay attention - you may be able to get a better job and you wont care about a $500 price reduction. 

+1.  I just sent a piece of scientific equipment to salvage.  Price new in December, 2008 was $250K.  Net book value (what it's currently worth based on depreciation) is $110K.  Fair market value is $7K.  And you thought your dSLR lost value fast... 

Now...who should I bitch to about that?  At least I'm not the one losing $103K...   

I am laughing at this post.... We just got rid of 3 spectrum analyzers.. we paid 180K each for them and now we can't give them away... and then there are the polaroid cameras for taking pictures of scopes......

[picturesbyme]

You can't give them away?

[bdunbar79]

You can't give them away?

Believe it or not, it's tough to give away old stuff.  We had two mass specs that even two local universities didn't want.

[picturesbyme]

You can't give them away?

Believe it or not, it's tough to give away old stuff.  We had two mass specs that even two local universities didn't want.

why not to list it on evilbay for $0.01+shipping? pretty sure it will be gone on the 7th day.

but back to the thread... no wait, that was enough for the day I rather go back to shoot/edit

All the best.