Happy Christmas from Sony - Club CDFreaks

LastStand · 15-11-2005

End to online bargains as Sony forces prices higher
Sources The Times Link 1 Link 2

Quote:

MILLIONS of internet shoppers face a “rip-off” Christmas after a decision by leading electronics companies to force up online prices for DVD players, hi-fis and similar products to high street levels.

Manufacturers, including Sony, are charging shopping websites wholesale prices between 10 and 15 per cent higher than their prices to high street stores, the trade group that represents online sellers says.

The rises mean that e-retailers will find it difficult to carry on undercutting prices in the high street. Manufacturers prefer traditional retail outlets because it allows them to “showcase” their goods.

Sony denies penalising internet shopping sites, arguing that it is rewarding stores that can demonstrate its products.

Internet traders will meet today to decide whether to “name and shame” the companies involved, which include the leading household names in home entertainment goods.

The Office of Fair Trading and the European Commission have already been asked to look into the pricing policies of Sony, the Japanese giant.

The Times has learnt that the practice of charging different prices to internet retailers and high street stockists — known as dual pricing — was started by Sony and has been followed by other manufacturers.

The managing director of one website said that the electronics firms were too big for many of the independent website traders to argue with.

He said: “If you are seen to be a troublemaker it can have a detrimental effect on supplies. If they want to, they can just put you out of business.

“We are struggling to stay in business and some companies have already gone to the wall.”

Sales of electronic goods on the internet have risen to 20 per cent of the total market over the past five years and total online shopping is expected to amount to £5 billion, or 9 per cent of all retail sales, this Christmas.

But the big retail names still have the largest share of the market and are understood to have exerted pressure on the manufacturers to offer them a better deal at a time of falling high street sales. Sony and the other manufacturers also have an interest in protecting the exclusive outlets that carry their brand names. There are around 100 Sony Centres in the UK which are independently owned but sell only Sony products.

James Roper, of the Independent Media in Retail Group (IMRG), the e-retailers industry body, predicted that the electronics firms would face a backlash from millions of internet shoppers.

“For the major brand which has instigated this policy, this appears to be an extremely risky step which will upset a lot of consumers,” said Mr Roper.
“I think they will get themselves into a horrible mess. We have researched this issue across 24 countries in Europe and there is no evidence of it happening anywhere else. Rip-off Britain is being treated to yet another world first.

“This is a serious abuse by a global brand of both its position and consumers’ rights, and must be stopped immediately.”

Sony said its policy was not aimed at pushing up prices but at offering incentives to retailers that trained staff to demonstrate to shoppers the functions of complicated products.

Bill Vestey, the company’s UK spokesman, said: “Sony offers a common basic selling price to all resellers. This price is then affected by different types of discounts.

“Sony has a discount scheme that provides discounts for resellers that invest in building the brand and marketing our products in a way that provides the consumer with confidence in the Sony products’ quality features and support. “For example, these discounts incentivise resellers that have staff that can demonstrate our products, have dedicated Sony sales areas and concentrate on our most cutting-edge, innovative products.

“This type of incentive for services provided by resellers is lawful under EU and UK law.” A spokeswoman for the National Consumer Council said: “Internet-only retailers may be capitalising on the fact that consumers believe that goods are cheaper on the internet.

“What this move shows is that consumers will have to be very alert and shop around before they buy.”

An industry insider said: “Price comparisons are hard to draw now because a lot of internet retailers are simply delisisting these products rather than pass on the price increase to the customer. They’re having to do that because the electronics companies are charging them up to 15 per cent more than they’re charging the competition on the High Street.”

The Royal National Institute for the Blind said that the move would hit blind and partially sighted people who found the high street a difficult environment.

A spokesman for the OFT confirmed that a complaint about dual pricing had been received and was being considered. But he said that a formal investigation had not yet begun.

*Airhead* · 15-11-2005

Sony is doing its best to anger people, where have their PR departement gone? Do they have a new CEO? Do he/they come from Mars (as we all know, there is a portal to hell on Mars)

First, rootkits, then, denial of rootkits, and a whole lot of rootkit-related stuff. Then they take back their promised SWG-refund, and now this. All in the space of weeks. Good job on destroying your brand Sony.

*Airhead* · 15-11-2005

Found a nice quote

Quote:

Originally Posted by DmncAtrny

I will write on a huge cement block "BY ACCEPTING THIS BRICK THROUGH YOUR WINDOW, YOU ACCEPT IT AS IS AND AGREE TO MY DISCLAIMER OF ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS WELL AS DISCLAIMERS OF ALL LIABILITY, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL, THAT MAY ARISE FROM THE INSTALLATION OF THIS BRICK INTO YOUR BUILDING."
And then hurl it through the window of a Sony office and run like hell

LastStand · 15-11-2005

lol

For me that says it all, who writes these EULA and who in there right would use goods that have no warranties.

*madmax* · 16-11-2005

If it is sony then i for one have decided to make a stand by not buying any more of there products.
I know one voice wont make much difference but its time someone made a stand ..
As far as i am concerened they can stick there drm\rootkits and there products where the sun dont shine..

15-11-2005	#2 (permalink)
Airhead Letiled Modelatol Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: La Suède Posts: 6,939	Re: Happy Christmas from Sony Sony is doing its best to anger people, where have their PR departement gone? Do they have a new CEO? Do he/they come from Mars (as we all know, there is a portal to hell on Mars) First, rootkits, then, denial of rootkits, and a whole lot of rootkit-related stuff. Then they take back their promised SWG-refund, and now this. All in the space of weeks. Good job on destroying your brand Sony. __________________ This line is currently vacant. Or Is It??? You want fast answers? Use our search. <-- Or else! If you have not already, read our rules! <-- Or else again! bcn_246: "Wales are shitty animals to, all they do is swim around and make funny noises that people cant hear." You really should join us on IRC! IrcNet, #cdfreaks-int \| Or go here Fear my massive avatar history log! Not updated! "But do they keep increasing in size like mine?" - kwkard

15-11-2005	#4 (permalink)
LastStand CD Freaks Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Belfast Posts: 249	Re: Happy Christmas from Sony lol For me that says it all, who writes these EULA and who in there right would use goods that have no warranties. __________________ Ten Most Harmful Books of the 19th and 20th Centuries 1. The Communist Manifesto 2. Mein Kampf (My Struggle) 3. Quotations from Chairman Mao 4. The Kinsey Report 5. Democracy and Education 6. Das Kapital 7. The Feminine Mystique 8. The Course of Positive Philosophy 9. Beyond Good and Evil (The Nazis loved Nietzsche) 10. General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money

16-11-2005	#5 (permalink)
madmax CDFreaks Resident Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Scotland Posts: 1,474	Re: Happy Christmas from Sony If it is sony then i for one have decided to make a stand by not buying any more of there products. I know one voice wont make much difference but its time someone made a stand .. As far as i am concerened they can stick there drm\rootkits and there products where the sun dont shine.. __________________ PS2 DVD BACKUPS WITH ALCOHOL 120% PS2 DVD BACKUPS WITH DVD DECRYPTOR Fear can hold you prisoner-- Hope can set you free

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