[krmathis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by abs@nilenet.com /img/forum/go_quote.gif They are to 'blame' for protecting their international network from being put out of business by people circumventing it and importing their cans themselves. This network has probably been in operation for decades and has countless small brick and mortar stores that it serves. The small brick and mortar stores will never be able to compete with large internet vendors that have no store front, salesmen, etc.. This is currently occurring with Stax as people are buying direct from Price Japan and the like. I am sure it has damaged the established network here in the US and probably has caused Stax gear to be even rarer at local dealers.

Thats just what I call evolution.
The whole community goes from earlier when the customer wanted personal service at a store, to today when the customer just look at the price tag. Which most often imply ordering from online stores.

It happens with almost every product out there, and I don't understand why Grado should go against this flow to protect their distributor network.

Quote:

You forget that the distributer is also in the loop and is marking up the Grado products as they see fit. The local dealer is not totally to blame for the price.

Well, there are local dealers (and probably distributors between Grado and the dealers) in the US as well. Which all have to cover their costs.
Still they manage to keep the Grado prices at about 1/2 of what they do in Norway.

 

[konish]

Look, you know at some point you have to just accept the fact that if you want a Grado or any other product, it costs what it costs. Comparing pricing across borders is crazy and especially about something that is just so trivial. I mean, haircuts cost a dime in India. I don't haggle about unfair pricing practices with my barber because he charges what he charges here in the US.

By saying that Grado's character is being revealed by his willingness (or unwillingness) to respond to a petition (and from the your posts, it would *have* to be in your favor) just sounds like sour grapes. So what, if he doesn't lower his prices? He's branded as some weasle 'cause he's keepin' the head-fi man down? As many have posted...don't buy. Further, I don't think his business practices are any of your (or mine, for that matter) business and yet you make it sound as though he owes you an answer.

I certainly don't want to start a flame war here, but as they say, "it is what it is." I also think your comment about not just sticking to your principals for the necessities in life, but for luxuries as well is just plain misguided. It's headphones man, not health care (which, oh by the way, is OUTRAGEOUS here in the good ol' USofA).

R/
Dustin

 

[SweetAdeline]

This is a just a random thought, don't know if it is reasonable or not, but maybe the op isn't getting a response from Grado labs because the op is encouraging and trying to start a boycott of John's company on a site that is his primary market.

(I know that sounds sarcastic, but I don't intend it to be.)

 

[mrdelayer]

It costs money to move things from the US to Canada.

Or other countries, for that matter.

Also, I'm sure our friend purchasing power parity may come into play here. (IIRC, the CAD is slightly overvalued in relation to the USD.)

 

[penguindude]

I'm going to re-post what i said before:

[size=medium]If you read my first post, you will realize that this thread was created to gather Canadians or out-of-the-US consumers who are unsatisfied with Grado's highly inflated out-of-the-country MSRP. It is NOT a thread to agree or disagree with me. Most of the comments I see here is considered thread crapping. If you want to sign the petition, simply respond in this thread, if you don't want to join the activity, STAY OUT. The number of people who are willing to join the petition will tell me whether im wrong or right. Look at it this way, when you're asked to sign a petition on the street, the petitioner isn't actually expecting you to scratch out their paper when you don't agree with them.[/size]

 

[pobrecito]

Quote:

Originally Posted by konish /img/forum/go_quote.gif Look, you know at some point you have to just accept the fact that if you want a Grado or any other product, it costs what it costs. Comparing pricing across borders is crazy and especially about something that is just so trivial. I mean, haircuts cost a dime in India. I don't haggle about unfair pricing practices with my barber because he charges what he charges here in the US. By saying that Grado's character is being revealed by his willingness (or unwillingness) to respond to a petition (and from the your posts, it would *have* to be in your favor) just sounds like sour grapes. So what, if he doesn't lower his prices? He's branded as some weasle 'cause he's keepin' the head-fi man down? As many have posted...don't buy. Further, I don't think his business practices are any of your (or mine, for that matter) business and yet you make it sound as though he owes you an answer. I certainly don't want to start a flame war here, but as they say, "it is what it is." I also think your comment about not just sticking to your principals for the necessities in life, but for luxuries as well is just plain misguided. It's headphones man, not health care (which, oh by the way, is OUTRAGEOUS here in the good ol' USofA). R/ Dustin

X2. If you think the price is too high, just vote with your dollar and don't buy. As mentioned above, it is pointless to compare cross border prices. Please refresh my memory as I can't remember when Canada became the 51st state of the union.

 

[SweetAdeline]

Quote:

Originally Posted by penguindude /img/forum/go_quote.gif As such, I am very confused about why Grado would do such a thing. Is there something that I'm missing?

I really thought this opened it for discussion. A lot of people are just speculating as to why this inflated pricing occurs, not just trying to ruin your thread. Anyway, I sympathize with foreign customers, but I'm sure there is more to it than we have considered.

Edit: I'll stop posting, sorry if this was considered thread crapping.

 

[Audiofiler]

Quote:

Originally Posted by penguindude /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm going to re-post what i said before: [size=medium]If you read my first post, you will realize that this thread was created to gather Canadians or out-of-the-US consumers who are unsatisfied with Grado's highly inflated out-of-the-country MSRP. It is NOT a thread to agree or disagree with me. Most of the comments I see here is considered thread crapping. If you want to sign the petition, simply respond in this thread, if you don't want to join the activity, STAY OUT. The number of people who are willing to join the petition will tell me whether im wrong or right. Look at it this way, when you're asked to sign a petition on the street, the petitioner isn't actually expecting you to scratch out their paper when you don't agree with them.[/size]

Listen birdguy..no need to repost your jargon and in caps AND in a larger font. If folk mean to read your posts they do so through the thread, you needn't be redundant and police this thread as you see fit. This is a board and information based forum which implies and thrives from feedback and like minds sharing information through posts... Of course if you draft a thread of this nature you must expect the points of view in the way of comments. In reading your initial post, again, this is not a net new idea, and your brass tone and lack of understanding VS your blunt courage to have this out on the web is your choice..

From your multicolored "look at me" sig to your misleading opening post, which clearly opens this thread up to the public to comment on, (and could help shed light upon this object in discussion), am not sure of your motives..
Quote:

Originally Posted by penguindude /img/forum/go_quote.gif As such, I am very confused about why Grado would do such a thing. Is there something that I'm missing? .

Well you seem to refute global economics and the principles of S&D in the new world and mean to draft your own policies internationally...perhaps consider visiting the numerous threads with details and valued information pertaining directly to your thread's question...( and this you drafted an online petition on HeadFi, and do not care if there is information that could better serve your quest or help answer your query altogether, by all means -- have at it boss! )

This redundant and misguided (bullied) thread is as deep in content as the OP's member name..and with this I digress from this thread..

 

[Febs]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Audiofiler /img/forum/go_quote.gif Listen birdguy..no need to repost your jargon and in caps AND in a larger font. If folk mean to read your posts they do so through the thread, you needn't be redundant and police this thread as you see fit. This is a board and information based forum which implies and thrives from feedback and like minds sharing information through posts... Of course if you draft a thread of this nature you must expect the points of view in the way of comments.

Not to mention that if he really wanted to limit discussion, it probably would have been better to mention that some time before post 96.

 

[hYdrociTy]

how about making a public poll? one with only one choice

1.Yes

and it would just record the names of those voted. That would be much simpler.

 

[rockbottom]

I WILL sign the petition as I do feel it is overpriced, but I'm just saying Grado labs are not the one at fault. All I want to do is put things in perspective:

I believe John is a decent and honest man and what he says in his interview is very likely the truth. John is not out to make huge profits, if he was, he would've expanded the company much bigger and aggressively advertised his product. I have also asked the local audio shops here, and they are not the ones jacking up the price. The distributors ARE the ones who are raising prices like crazy...IE. IN CANADA, AUDIO GROUP CANADA!!! From what I understand from the local retailer (Distinctive Audio, for those of you here in Ottawa), for the Grado line, they often have to pay more than the US MSRP to the distributor, so the cost of course gets passed on to customers. I believe what he says is the whole truth, the shop-owner is a very solid guy and he makes his profit from high-end 2 channel systems and for him the profit margin on these headphones are MINIMAL!

I sign this petition not because I believe Grado is an evil company who wants to suck their foreign customers dry, but because I believe John is a righteous man and would be able to pressure distributors into lowering their prices.

 

[Mark_420]

i find it odd that for a company that wants to stay small, presumably to insure the quality of their products i received my sr60's (for about $100 US i paid in Canada) with defects on the casing holding the drivers to the headbands. I agree with the OP, prices need to be dropped, stop gouging Canadians and the rest of the world.

 

[3x331m]

Quote:

Originally Posted by penguindude /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm calling a petition from Head-fi members to ask John Grado to consider lowering the out-of-US MSRP for Grado products. I, for one, am puzzled to see the inflated pricing of Grado headphones in retail shops across Canada. I feel that we are being discriminated against just because we live north of the border. I also do not see the reason for the MSRP inflation, because: A. Due to the North American Free Trade Agreement, made-in-USA products are not subject to duties B. Import taxes are already carried onto the customers who pay the sales tax when buying the end-products in stores As such, I am very confused about why Grado would do such a thing. Is there something that I'm missing? If you are a Canadian and are unhappy or confused about the inflated Manufacture Suggested Retail Pricing on Grado products, please respond to this thread.

For the record.

Why don't you think Win-Win in this case ?

Instead of bragging about unjustified pricing and asking for boycott, why don't you think about convincing Grado Labs to start an online retail portal to sell their cans directly to customers outside of US ?

 

[Zoide]

We know that:

1) Grado can force US dealers to advertise at the MSRP he chooses

2) Foreign distributors jack up the price obscenely, with no extra profit to Grado.

Now, a big assumption is that Grado could very well force the foreign distributors to follow a reasonable MSRP. I honestly don't know if he has this ability, since it could be that laws in other countries prevent the price fixing that he enforces in the US, etc.

But if we grant that assumption, we should re-examine the belief that only the distributors are to blame. In theory, Grado could take measures to reign in the obscenely profiteering distributors.

 

[Zoide]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 3x331m /img/forum/go_quote.gif Instead of bragging about unjustified pricing and asking for boycott, why don't you think about convincing Grado Labs to start an online retail portal to sell their cans directly to customers outside of US ?

That would be a great thing, and many of us have been calling for just that. But then we get the usual response that brick and mortar stores would suffer, that distributors would go broke, and that Grado would have to work too much because now he would have to take care of everything himself.

I think a more realistic solution would be to keep the distributor framework (which I despise, but would be willing to put up with) but enforce a price ceiling, just like Grado enforces a price floor in the US.