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Sony pricing in the US
Posted: Mon May 17, 2010 10:24 pm
by UrsaMajor
Having noticed the very extended and sometimes heated discussion on DPReview about the Sony SURE program, I am quite interested - but not sufficiently so to motivate me to venture into the swamp of the DPReview Sony Alpha forum - to see that the Sony Style stores are currently selling many Alpha "accessories" at 20 percent off of the official price to which Sony holds the other dealers. For example, based upon the e-mail that I received from Sony, I could purchase a HVL-58AM flash for 20 percent off of $449, or $90 less than the Adorama or B&H price.
I cannot help thinking that this would weaken Sony's position if someone were to take them to court for price-fixing. One can argue both sides of the merits of the SURE program, but when a manufacturer dictates the prices to a dealer and then sells below those prices in its own retail stores, the SURE program certainly looks hypocritical and phony to me.
With best wishes,
- Tom -
Re: Sony pricing in the US
Posted: Tue May 18, 2010 1:49 am
by David Kilpatrick
Yet, for the European NEX launch, Sony has released information and first stock only to independent dealers and has not done so through Sony Centres.
David
Re: Sony pricing in the US
Posted: Tue May 18, 2010 2:19 am
by pakodominguez
UrsaMajor wrote:- to see that the Sony Style stores are currently selling many Alpha "accessories" at 20 percent off of the official price to which Sony holds the other dealers. For example, based upon the e-mail that I received from Sony, I could purchase a HVL-58AM flash for 20 percent off of $449, or $90 less than the Adorama or B&H price.
Hello Tom
I think you miscalculating the discount: unless you have a coupon code, the 449 tag already reflects the discount. And it is the same price Adorama have (
http://www.adorama.com/Als/ProductPage/ISOHVLF58.html)
SURE still rules but distributors find different ways to discount, like including filters, extra batteries or giving gift cards is you purchase a package -go to the "rebate center" at Adorama and you will find how it "really" works
http://www.adorama.com/Als/SearchSite/A ... q&Count=10
What distributors can not do is advertise a price lower than the one Sony tell them -but at the counter they do whatever they wanna do (not at Adorama, their margins ain't that big).
Regards
Re: Sony pricing in the US
Posted: Tue May 18, 2010 2:57 am
by UrsaMajor
pakodominguez wrote:UrsaMajor wrote:- to see that the Sony Style stores are currently selling many Alpha "accessories" at 20 percent off of the official price to which Sony holds the other dealers. For example, based upon the e-mail that I received from Sony, I could purchase a HVL-58AM flash for 20 percent off of $449, or $90 less than the Adorama or B&H price.
I think you miscalculating the discount: unless you have a coupon code, the 449 tag already reflects the discount. And it is the same price Adorama have (
http://www.adorama.com/Als/ProductPage/ISOHVLF58.html)
A coupon code is what they sent me. They gave me the code for an online order, and said to take a copy of the e-mail in to the Sony Style store if I bought from there instead of from the web.
With best wishes,
- Tom -
Re: Sony pricing in the US
Posted: Tue May 18, 2010 3:35 am
by pakodominguez
UrsaMajor wrote:pakodominguez wrote:UrsaMajor wrote:- to see that the Sony Style stores are currently selling many Alpha "accessories" at 20 percent off of the official price to which Sony holds the other dealers. For example, based upon the e-mail that I received from Sony, I could purchase a HVL-58AM flash for 20 percent off of $449, or $90 less than the Adorama or B&H price.
I think you miscalculating the discount: unless you have a coupon code, the 449 tag already reflects the discount. And it is the same price Adorama have (
http://www.adorama.com/Als/ProductPage/ISOHVLF58.html)
A coupon code is what they sent me. They gave me the code for an online order, and said to take a copy of the e-mail in to the Sony Style store if I bought from there instead of from the web.
With best wishes,
- Tom -
ah!
the coupon code that you get when you buy or register a Sony product, right? it is a one time thing that I never used because the most of the times, you can find the accessories withing the promotion less expensive in other places :-/ I got one when I bought the A850 and I was thinking about redeem it on a 58AM, but flashes (or lenses) weren't included...
Re: Sony pricing in the US
Posted: Tue May 18, 2010 6:25 am
by UrsaMajor
pakodominguez wrote:the coupon code that you get when you buy or register a Sony product, right? it is a one time thing that I never used because the most of the times, you can find the accessories withing the promotion less expensive in other places :-/ I got one when I bought the A850 and I was thinking about redeem it on a 58AM, but flashes (or lenses) weren't included...
Nope - no special coupon as a result of registering a camera.
It is just one of a series of e-mail advertisements from Sony that I have received since I registered my A700 in March of last year. Most of the ads have not really been of interest, but this one caught my eye - especially after the long-winded discussion on DPReview about the Sony SURE program. The example I gave above of a price of $360 for a HVL-58AM flash was much better than I had seen anywhere else for that flash.
FWIW, the actual wording in the e-mail for making an online purchase was:
"Online: enter the code SPRING10GREATPICS in the eCoupons box on the checkout page at SonyStyle.com"
With best wishes,
- Tom -
Re: Sony pricing in the US
Posted: Tue May 18, 2010 1:19 pm
by pakodominguez
UrsaMajor wrote:
FWIW, the actual wording in the e-mail for making an online purchase was:
"Online: enter the code SPRING10GREATPICS in the eCoupons box on the checkout page at SonyStyle.com"
With best wishes,
- Tom -
Wow!
when it expires?
do you think it will work on NEX cameras and accessories?
Re: Sony pricing in the US
Posted: Wed May 19, 2010 1:23 am
by UrsaMajor
pakodominguez wrote:UrsaMajor wrote:
FWIW, the actual wording in the e-mail for making an online purchase was:
"Online: enter the code SPRING10GREATPICS in the eCoupons box on the checkout page at SonyStyle.com"
Wow!
when it expires?
do you think it will work on NEX cameras and accessories?
The expiration date is given as 24 May.
If the wording is taken literally, the coupon would not work on any NEX items. It says "Good on selected Alpha DSLR accessories", which would exclude the NEX. In addition, the e-mail provided a click link that took me to a page of Alpha DSLR accessories - vertical grips, cases, flashes, lens hoods, etc. At no time did I see any NEX hardware on the screen.
However, there is always a chance that the coding for the coupon validity does not match the advertising pages for the hardware. Start placing an order for a NEX and accessories and see if the system will take the coupon.
After all, the Sony marketing people call the NEX an Alpha camera, perhaps they consider it a DSLR also. 
If the system does not take the coupon, do not complete the order.
With best wishes,
- Tom -