why are groupbuy prices not madatory?
 

I see so many that just post MSRP then no GB price. Makes price comparison slower than it should be.

most vendors do that to avoid getting in trouble with MAP

Pardon my ignorance but what is MAP?

Minimum Advertised Price

Then what good is it with such big loophole? Many forums enforce visible price policy.

i really dont know. but most GB is below MAP

so most vendors wont post the price.

me, when i do group buys i always post real price :)

Welcome to the world of business.

Sellers always try to exploit loopholes.

Manufacturers always try to control their market with price.

If all else being equal, two items selling at difference price will yield the lower priced item to have higher sales.

Having a MAP policy allows them to sell products at an intended "MSRP" price, and prevents the brand from being diluted over time.

The issue here isn't with listed pricing on group buys, it's with how the manufacturer's sales policy directly influences how product is sold. If they provide "volume savings" when a vendor orders in larger quantities, this indirectly encourages group buys (and the tippy-toe around MAP)

-alex

I don't see any issue with this. There is an advertised price, and my PMing you can get a better price.

Its not different than looking at buying something used. They list a price, you contact them, settle on something a bit lower and go from there.

If you wanna compare pricing just write up one PM, address it to all the vendors (you can do 5 recipients at a time) and just hit send.

By the way, the problem you're experiencing is the same as if you were to go to a website and you run across a SKU that is listed as "Add to cart to see price"

Websites do that to avoid MAP violations, since it is technically only a MAP violation if it is a price that can be clearly seen with no action taken (see: billboards, media advertisements, etc)

The process of adding to cart isn't available on forums (obviously), so the next best thing is for the vendor to post "PM for pricing".

Again, this is a problem of a MAP that is not clearly defined, and the loophole is to post on forums soliciting PMs for a price quote.

-alex

Thank you all for the clarification. My misunderstanding was that FT86 is is also enforcing an MAP besides manufacturers. That is not the case.

In an ideal world, the car industry would sell products and have policies set up like most of the other industries, especially with regards to monthly/quarterly/volume purchases.

But given the popularity of using forums to find "deals", and the willingness of individuals to front money to put together "group buys", the likelihood of this happening is slim.

This site could adhere to MAP policies as stated by manufacturers, but the inherent system of posting vs PM still goes around MAP policy, and in the end it's up to the manufacturer to enforce the standard, not the forum.

-alex

this thread might help about the MAP pricing

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10068

because racecar!