sfsuphysics
Supporting Member
Can't edit titles, should be MAP policy.
For those who don't know MAP = Minimum Advertised Price, and it basically means that all stores sell an item for the same price, but I said minimum price? Yeah everyone sells for the minimum.
Now why does this matter? Well this removes any sort of competitive barriers between stores, and in the world of online stores everyone worries about the poor LFS not being able to compete against the big bad online stores. Originally MAP was set up to deal with smaller stores vs. big box, now online vs brick and mortar seems to be similar.
What items are actually MAP(ed)?? Well usually your bigger brand name items, Ecotech, AquaIllumination, Tunze (I think), Coralvue, Kessil, etc etc... i.e. usually the more expensive items that you probably really would like to get on sale.
Why is this bad for the consumer? Lack of choices, consumers are dollar driven individuals, we like to get things for a good price, sometimes we'll even buy things because it's a good price instead of because they actually need it. The number of times I've been in a supermarket and picked up a particular item not because I needed it or wanted it, but because that's a damn good price! Well too bad, you can't have that with any products that get the MAP seal of approval, you will pay the same price regardless of where you shop.
So my "dilemma" is, do I leave my house, deal with traffic, drive 45 minutes to a LFS that hopefully has a product I want (no stores in San Francisco, and how many reefers across the country have similar issues?) or do I just click "add to card", pull out a credit card, and get free shipping and wait a few days for it to arrive never once even getting out of my pajamas, and possibly not even have to pay sales tax too? Now sure you might be able to get something cheaper if you know the store owner, and do the whole wink/nod bit, tax free purchase that we all know happens, but that's not always the case, especially if going to a store is far away ends up in infrequent visits that do not result in getting on a first name basis with the owner.
So yeah, I'm a bit cheesed off at all the vendors out there who put MAP requirements on their products, they do not benefit the consumer at all, and if there's never going to be a chance for the consumer to find it at a lower price, why wouldn't I just go with the "chinese knockoff" at a tinyl fraction of the price. I really fail to see how it benefits a manufacturer of a product, if I saw a light for $700, I'm going to to hesitate buying it, maybe going so far as to figure how much I could build something equivalent for much cheaper, however if the store is only paying $350 for that light, and they decide to sell for $450, I'm going to be a little less hesitant of thinking of other options because other options won't be economically viable for me, or a pump that costs $200 vs. $450 and maybe that $100 Chinese knockoff looks even less appealing, bottom line is the manufacturer ends up getting my money instead, and it's a win-win for all. I would have bought a nice Regal Elite skimmer and upgraded a long time ago, but no sorry not for that price.
What lit this powder keg? Thanksgiving sales. I've gotten emails from various online stores for a while, and every 10% off sale always has the fine print of "Excludes EcoTech, CoralVue, Tunze, etc etc products" ok great, so who gives a shit if I can save 10% on fish food. And Marine Depot's latest email just was the last nail in the coffin because they specifically say "Excludes brands with MAP policy" so they're not even telling you which ones, they want you to shop but then will basically not give you any discount if you buy something that actually makes 15% worth wild. "Storewide" sale indeed. So yeah I hate you too Marine Depot.
For those who don't know MAP = Minimum Advertised Price, and it basically means that all stores sell an item for the same price, but I said minimum price? Yeah everyone sells for the minimum.
Now why does this matter? Well this removes any sort of competitive barriers between stores, and in the world of online stores everyone worries about the poor LFS not being able to compete against the big bad online stores. Originally MAP was set up to deal with smaller stores vs. big box, now online vs brick and mortar seems to be similar.
What items are actually MAP(ed)?? Well usually your bigger brand name items, Ecotech, AquaIllumination, Tunze (I think), Coralvue, Kessil, etc etc... i.e. usually the more expensive items that you probably really would like to get on sale.
Why is this bad for the consumer? Lack of choices, consumers are dollar driven individuals, we like to get things for a good price, sometimes we'll even buy things because it's a good price instead of because they actually need it. The number of times I've been in a supermarket and picked up a particular item not because I needed it or wanted it, but because that's a damn good price! Well too bad, you can't have that with any products that get the MAP seal of approval, you will pay the same price regardless of where you shop.
So my "dilemma" is, do I leave my house, deal with traffic, drive 45 minutes to a LFS that hopefully has a product I want (no stores in San Francisco, and how many reefers across the country have similar issues?) or do I just click "add to card", pull out a credit card, and get free shipping and wait a few days for it to arrive never once even getting out of my pajamas, and possibly not even have to pay sales tax too? Now sure you might be able to get something cheaper if you know the store owner, and do the whole wink/nod bit, tax free purchase that we all know happens, but that's not always the case, especially if going to a store is far away ends up in infrequent visits that do not result in getting on a first name basis with the owner.
So yeah, I'm a bit cheesed off at all the vendors out there who put MAP requirements on their products, they do not benefit the consumer at all, and if there's never going to be a chance for the consumer to find it at a lower price, why wouldn't I just go with the "chinese knockoff" at a tinyl fraction of the price. I really fail to see how it benefits a manufacturer of a product, if I saw a light for $700, I'm going to to hesitate buying it, maybe going so far as to figure how much I could build something equivalent for much cheaper, however if the store is only paying $350 for that light, and they decide to sell for $450, I'm going to be a little less hesitant of thinking of other options because other options won't be economically viable for me, or a pump that costs $200 vs. $450 and maybe that $100 Chinese knockoff looks even less appealing, bottom line is the manufacturer ends up getting my money instead, and it's a win-win for all. I would have bought a nice Regal Elite skimmer and upgraded a long time ago, but no sorry not for that price.
What lit this powder keg? Thanksgiving sales. I've gotten emails from various online stores for a while, and every 10% off sale always has the fine print of "Excludes EcoTech, CoralVue, Tunze, etc etc products" ok great, so who gives a shit if I can save 10% on fish food. And Marine Depot's latest email just was the last nail in the coffin because they specifically say "Excludes brands with MAP policy" so they're not even telling you which ones, they want you to shop but then will basically not give you any discount if you buy something that actually makes 15% worth wild. "Storewide" sale indeed. So yeah I hate you too Marine Depot.