Amazon pricing tactics

I've been keeping an eye on the Performax 16-32 drum sander prices for about 2 months or so. Amazon has had the lowest price, $879. On Sep 1 a promotion by WMH, the Performax parent company, offered a $100. rebate on this tool. After the rebate was announced I went to Amazon to recheck the pricing and see they have raised the price to $999. before rebate. I'm not liking that 'price increase' and will think long and hard in the future before making a purchase from them. Yeah, I know I can purchase elsewhere, but needed to vent about Amazon's tactics (antics?).

Reply to
TomL
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Last week, I was checking around for the best price on an encyclopedia style book. I had the publisher's ad in front of me, their mail order for $24.95, plus $4.95 shipping. I always try Amazon, and did this time. Their price? $50. But they offered free shipping. :)

Reply to
Charlie Self

I had a weird Amazon experience a while ago. I bought a computer from them, and was supposed to get a $150 rebate. I filled out the form, sent it in with the copy of the receipt, etc, and a few weeks later I get an email saying there was no rebate applicable to the item I bought.

It turns out, I had made a minor mistake and downloaded the wrong form. Same item, same rebate, but a different date range. A call to Amazon got an admission that I was indeed due a rebate, and they would put through an over-ride to the rebate folks (a separate company, as far as I can tell).

A few weeks later, I get a paper letter, again saying I was not eligible for the rebate. I call the number in the letter, and the person I talk to says "no rebate for you" and has no record of my first conversation. So, I try the first number that I called earlier) and was yet again told that yes, I was eligible. After telling them my tale of woe, the guy offers to blow off the normal rebate processing folks and just process a $150 credit to my Visa card. Works for me, I say.

Comes my Visa bill, and sure enough the credit is on there. I'm happy. A few weeks later, a $150 rebate check shows up in the mail! Normally, I'm a pretty ethical guy, and would never dream of scamming a vendor for a double refund, but this time I figured it was all their fault (well, mostly, anyway), so I didn't feel too guilty when I cashed the check.

Reply to
Roy Smith

You might want to verify that it was Amazon who unilaterally changed the price. I happen to like photography as a hobby and Nikon (before the current recession) would always raise their prices in March and have a March to June rebate that put the net price to the consumer back to the pre-increase price. Come June, the rebates would be gone and voila, an invisible price increase happened.

Reply to
george

Best to send the money back. Call the first number and have them pop your Visa.

1) It's wrong to take money that isn't yours. (Big Easy, anyone?) 2) "Character is what you do when no one is watching." 3) You posted in a public forum. If they go after you, you're toast.
Reply to
Australopithecus scobis

I agree. This world has enough problems without people gloating about ripping off other people. I would have returned the check.

And before you say, "Oh yeah, sure" ... I've returned checks larger than that in the past.

It's the right thing to do.

Jack

Austral> >

Reply to
mywebaccts (at) PLUGcomcast.ne

I've been watching the Jet 710115K 14" Deluxe Woodworking Bandsaw on Amazon. It was priced at $599.99

Well ... sure enough, it's $649.99 now ... WITH a (drum roll) $50 rebate!

So the "new" price is - $599.99

I think you're right. They are sneaky little devils, aren't they?

Jack

TomL wrote:

Reply to
mywebaccts (at) PLUGcomcast.ne

Hi Tom,

I follow Amazon's pricing on many woodworking items too. Curently, it's the Bessey's and whatever discount they offer.

I've had some great deals from Amazon - and some that were just ok. If I had a problem, they were always up front and honest. I don't think you can beat up on them for wanting to make a profit (pay employees, benifits, etc etc).

In this (great) capitalist system, the buyer is in total control. If the business model doesn't work, a company won't be around too long.

I don't think that there is a group of woodworking bean counters holed-up plotting to raise prices/give rebates. I really do think that these are business decisions that they are trying out. If they don't work, they go to plan B.

(capitalist pig) Lou

Bottom l> I've been keeping an eye on the Performax 16-32 drum sander prices for

Reply to
loutent

TomL wrote in news:ha1gh15t0ouvvecoreionuock7j6u102u8 @4ax.com:

Amazon

I'd like to know how their system actually works. In contrast to your experience, I spent about a month consider various jointers and was coming close to a decision to buy the Delta X5, in part to take advantage of the Delta rebate at the time. I had the jointer on my Amazon wish list and looked at it several times over about two weeks. Then, one evening when I looked at it I realized the price had dropped another $75. Amazon's price was already the lowest I could find, plus free shipping; this additional price cut made up my mind and I bought it. At the time I was certain they had some system set up to provoke me into buying the thing-- and it worked.

-kiwanda

Reply to
Kiwanda

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