[LaurenOE]

B&H Rocks da Houze!!!!

[stormtech]

I wanted the DA* 55mm adn the 50-135mm and had two bids on ebay for $725 and $485 and was the highest bidder until the last second. I've been trying to get these lenses but nobody in LA carries new pentax lenses even if they "claim" to be dealers... (they also claim to be "superstores" which is obviously a lie since they don't stock Pentax! lol) Anyway Craigslist and ebay prices were only about $100 cheaper than what I got the new lens from b& h by calling. I called Adorama too and the retail had gone up to $1525 (w rebate) for the 50-135 so I wonder if it's just a matter of time before deals like what I got will be gone !!?? Anyway big thanks to Adam, this forum, B&H, and Pentax! Look forward to posting my images here soon... Shooting a fashion show downtown LA this Friday!

Any pentax users in Los Angeles, or international fashion photographers, please feel free to contact me for networking, etc....!

Kind of funny - east coast/west coast thing.....Last Saturday when the rebate first kicked in, I went shopping for the DA*55 only to find the huge price increase attached to the rebate. This was of coarse before Adam got this thread started.

I found my DA*55 for the pre-MAP price less the rebate and it was shipped from Los Angeles - now you guys in LA are getting yours shipped from New York!

Mine was obviously a one time deal however as Samy's hardly carries anything in the Pentax line, but they did have one DA*55 that is now mine!

[LaurenOE]

Ya got to hit when the iron/fire is hot.

[Docrwm]

Congratulations to those who have taken advantage of this wonderful service from B&H. If my lens fund was not on serious life-support after 2 recent purchases.....but I am still getting acquainted with my new DA15, which is terrific.

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Last edited by Docrwm; 09-13-2012 at 01:33 AM.

[sqjaw]

Great new But I is broke :

[LeDave]

I let my sister know about this, hopefully she can get me the DA* 16-50 f2.8 for my birthday coming up in half a month.

[fantasysage]

I let my sister know about this, hopefully she can get me the DA* 16-50 f2.8 for my birthday coming up in half a month.

That is a damn kingly gift.

[stormtech]

If my lens fund were not serious on life-support after 2 recent purchases.....

Sounds very familiar for some reason......(3 for me).......but I get to wondering as someone stated above - how long is B&H going to be able to keep doing this for us?

[LeDave]

I hope B&HPhoto doesn't get in trouble for this =(

[goldenarrow]

Pentax is trying to act like an old monopoly (think Bell Telephone). LOL!!!! Forced monopoly makes money go underground or just goes away completely, to the competitors. Why in the world would anyone buy at high prices when you can pay similarly for Nikon or Canon and get more choice and more support from friends, camera shops, third party vendors, etc.?? I really really wonder if the new guy at Pentax is behind this. Sounds like just the thing a "consultant" would schmooze upper management with to grease his own path to running the show (and that is what looks to have just happened today). In the meantime, loyal Pentax consumers get shafted.

BOYCOTT Pentax until MAP is gone? Perhaps we need to start voting with our feet? At least there might be a way to get better pricing for now. But how long can that last and will this ever end without some sort of dramatic showdown???

[Ray Pulley]

If you want to secure low prices on Pentax lenses in the US and don't live in NYC, call Adorama at 800-815-0664 / 646-758-8887 or B&H at 877-849-6359 / 212-502-6343 rather than ordering online. You'll be able to get lenses at pre-MAP prices, with the instant rebates in effect on top of that.

For example, the Pentax 16-50mm is $804.95 on the phone rather than $1421.95 online.

Apparently, the Pentax pricing restrictions are for online sales only. I've confirmed this personally with B&H, and they've also told me that they are working to stop this madness, as it's virtually halting online lens sales.

I think many have mis-interpreted what MAP means. MAP is normally "Minimum Advertised Price" where the manufacturers set the lowest price that can be "advertised". What you pay when you walk in or call cannot be so easily controlled. The idea is that if no one can advetise a price lower than your local dealer, then they will not be able to take your business from the local dealer just based upon net searching for the lowest price.

This is why you often see the "add the item to your cart to see the price" sort of games.

It remains to be seen if this will cause dealers (the few that are left anywhere) to pick up the Pentax line. I think not personally, but I could be wrong.

The bicycle industry plays this game to perfection. Just try and buy discounted Shimano parts online in the U.S. The only dealers selling online display the Shimano authorized online dealer logo. Shimano will take the product away from anyone who dares to sell online without authorization, much less at a discount.

The good news is that the ship has sailed on trying to limit the impact of online retail buying, and those who do not get on the online bandwagon and figure out how to use internet sales to increase business will not be around longer than it takes a good competitor to do so.

Frankly, if I were Ricoh, I would stop trying to prop up the old brick and mortar model and try to be better than the competition at supplying the Pentax products via online sales. They are never going to beat Nikon and Canon in the traditional retail arena anway, and the traditional B&M choices are growing smaller every year to boot.

Think of the Amazon model versus Best Buy, for example. Buy it online at a competitive price and deliver it fast and with free shipping (of course, we all know there really isno free shipping, but people like that anyway). More often than not, the B&M guys get screwed anyway as people handle the product in the store and then go home and buy it online wherever they can get it cheaper.

Ray

[EdwardConde]

I just did an online chat with a rep w/ B&H and they quoted me the website price for the DA* 55. I asked if he had heard of pre-map pricing and he said he didn't know what that was. Is there someone in particular we need to ask for at B&H photo for this? I asked him if there was a price difference from ordering online vs. calling and he said no.

Thanks

[LaurenOE]

I just did an online chat with a rep w/ B&H and they quoted me the website price for the DA* 55. I asked if he had heard of pre-map pricing and he said he didn't know what that was. Is there someone in particular we need to ask for at B&H photo for this? I asked him if there was a price difference from ordering online vs. calling and he said no.

Thanks

On-line chat is not the same as calling on the phone. I spoke to a person with my voice, not my fingers.

[aleksanderpolo]

Just called them on the price of FA limited (so you don't need to), same price online or by phone. So I guess it only apply to the lens with recent price hike then?

[Michaelina2]

Guess I don't understand the motivation behind this tip... If an order is placed over the phone, PForums (Adam, et al) don't get their back scratched by the merchant. Right?

Anyway, being true to my Scots heritage...

When I was in the hunt for a lens, or similar, I'd do a standard pricing due diligence via internet search. If I found it's price generally within my comfort zone, I'd call my preferred dealer and ask for his/her pricing and availability. When that was known, if the asking price remained within my target range (frequently, it was less than the on-line price), I'd place the order. If not, I'd offer (say) 10-15% less. Many times my offer was accepted and the deal was done. If not, I'd politely thank them and move on to another dealer. In the very rare event, I was not successful, I'd end up placing the order on-line, or pass.

Also, I found better success calling during the last week of the month before the end of a quarter (March, June, Sept, Dec). During this time, the dealer's sales team managers are more apt to shave a small amount off the price as they worked to meet their sales quotas.

...my 2 cents... M