Ned Bunnell responded:
Quote: [...] And while I mentioned we are considering bringing back rebates to help with this transition, you need to know we also are looking at other ways to improve customer satisfaction such as lens warranties. I can't possibly share everything we are working on but the notion driven by the forums that we're not looking at this Growth in America strategy from every angle is just not an accurate picture.
First of all, there was no "transition". This was a decree and the prices went up overnight.
Second,when he says that " we also are looking at other ways to improve customer satisfaction such as lens warranties" , what he is
REALLY saying is,
"If lens sales do not decrease substantially, we are not going to do anything. If they do, we will then we will look at 'other ways to improve customer satisfaction such as lens warranties'."
Read between the lines here. Pentax is going to try and hold their users hostage and see how things shake out. This policy has nothing to do with growing the brand. It is about seeing what the market will bear, and how much more money the company can make
WITHOUT adding any more value to an existing product.