Gun advertisements with no prices (e.g. "On Sale")

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leadcounsel

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As far as advertising goes, does anyone else find it annoying that gun advertisements often don't list the price, but instead print "On Sale" or "Discount Price" or something similarly worthless...?

I just find that to be a gimmic... I understand they want me to call and inquire, or they don't want me to use their ad to get a better price elsewhere... but why even bother printing "On sale..."? First, it rarely is. And secondly, I'm not going to call to get a price...

What say you?
 
Certain manufacturers do not permit retailers to disclose pricing in advertisements.
 
This often bothers me too. I was looking at a CDNN ad last week and several entries said "Price too low to advertise!" or "Price too low to print!"

Seriously? What kind of sense does that make? If it was such a good deal, wouldn't it be smarter to print the price to bring in more business? So people could actually see 'how low' the price actually is? If anything, those 'tag lines' push me away from their products rather than pumping me up for a phone call.
 
In a similar fashion, I've seen in recent years that a lot of places like Amazon.com, BestBuy.com, etc will make you click a link that says "see price in cart." You have to add something to your cart to see the price.

I think this must come down to a new (maybe??) contractual clause with manufacturers. Basically, if a price is lower than an agreed upon minimum price, they can't openly list that low price as a sale price. They make you call them or add it to your cart to see what the price is.

I've also seen POR (Price On Request) a lot in advertisements, especially in CDNN catalogs.

I've often found these prices to be lower, but then shipping sometimes negates it - or it is in fact a great deal.

I think this whole thing probably just ends up turning people off instead of really being interested. It becomes a hassle to have to add things to your cart online, look at your cart, then delete them if you don't like the price. Likewise, people are less inclined to call and find out a price - they'll just find someone else's listed price.
 
If the price of an item is likely to fluctuate during the intended print lifetime of the catalog you're looking at, it wouldn't be a good idea to print the price.

It would be more annoying if they did print a price, and you called them to order an item only to find out that the price had gone up in the interim.
 
Which is a CRAZY way to do business
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Not really, having price protection and limits on advertising content helps to eliminate back alley shops from de-valueing their products. Many top tier manufacturers have some sort of price protection and it works well.
 
You have to add something to your cart to see the price.
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Top Gun Supply uses this method for a few of their products....I believe some Sig rifles but I'm too lazy to look. Apparently they are not 'allowed' to list or advertise at a certain price, but it's OK to reveal the actual price in the cart, for whatever reason
 
Justin said:
If the price of an item is likely to fluctuate during the intended print lifetime of the catalog you're looking at, it wouldn't be a good idea to print the price.

It would be more annoying if they did print a price, and you called them to order an item only to find out that the price had gone up in the interim.
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Agreed.
A local gun store prints adds in the paper, and they use these words sometimes. Their prices go up and down by the hour, it seems :p
 
Certain manufacturers do not permit retailers to disclose pricing in advertisements
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Or, at the least, they won't allow any price printed in the ad that is below MSRP. Browning guns in flyers for years had the old "P.O.R.", Price On Request, so you called to find out.

As mentioned, premium product makers often price protect their stuff
 
There is a policy that is usually involved with business to business called the Minimum Advertised Price Policy. Retailers can still sell an item for whatever they want but can not advertise the price lower than the established number. This is why sites will only say "on sale" or add to cart to see price.

This gives retailers some comfort in knowing that someone else isn't going to drastically undercut them and take business away and keeps things competitive. It doesn't lead to any form of inflation or keep prices artificially high... it just keeps things stable.
 
Regardless of the reasons, I refuse to call or emaIl anyone to get a price.
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Bingo - I just move on...

I browse for casual deals... I don't have time to call and ask for the price of 200 items... Or maybe wevshould just call and tie up an employee for an hour...
 
ZCORR Jay said:
There is a policy that is usually involved with business to business called the Minimum Advertised Price Policy. Retailers can still sell an item for whatever they want but can not advertise the price lower than the established number. This is why sites will only say "on sale" or add to cart to see price.

This gives retailers some comfort in knowing that someone else isn't going to drastically undercut them and take business away and keeps things competitive. It doesn't lead to any form of inflation or keep prices artificially high... it just keeps things stable.
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It also helps prevent customers from wasting a businesses time. I know that sounds weird, but it is true. People that call for the price are usually knowledgable about the item and serious about buying it anyway. So, they call and get the price. They don't go out and waste another place's time fondling the gun and then run back to make the call. So, the person not getting the sale doesn't lose time informing customers about a product another person is going to sell them.

It keeps the playing field even in many ways.
 
Everyone can choose to do what they want to do with their money.

As for me, I refuse to do business with a person who won't put a price tag on his merchandise.

As for the manufacturers that practice so-called "fair trade" I refuse to buy their products. And I let them know that by e-mail.
 
It probably just helps to prevent intense competition which can often reduce prices more quickly... somewhat. It isn't too difficult to add products to carts, and several shopping tools like Google Products can often read the in-cart price and display it among listed prices to allow for easier comparisons.

It's just a way for manufacturers to artificially preserve their profits by hampering open competition a bit. The internet is helping to break that down, though.
 
Paul,

I must respectfully disagree somewhat. It's not the manufacturer protecting his own profit as much as protecting the " factory authorized distributors" from competing against one another. :mad:

That's one of the reasons that I won't buy products that are only sold by factory "authorized distrbutors." :mad:
 
They cant list prices that are less than what the manufactures have authorized them to use. If they do and get caught the manufacture will not sell to them. And if they are authorized dealers they could use all the perks that come with that like using warranty info and intellectual property.
 
Regardless of the reasons, I refuse to call or emaIl anyone to get a price.
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Seems like a good way to miss out on some good deals

That's one of the reasons that I won't buy products that are only sold by factory "authorized distrbutors.
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Guess you don't buy new cars then either? - they are only sold by "Factory Authorized Distributors"

Makers and Jobbers want to have the minimum number of folks to deal with - it makes the cost go down on their end as "FAD" folks have to buy a minimum number of pieces to get an order delivered and they generally have to carry most, if not all, of the maker's product line. Kimber Master Dealer is an example. Your odds of them also helping you with any needed factory service is greater as well.
 
Basically, if a price is lower than an agreed upon minimum price, they can't openly list that low price as a sale price. They make you call them or add it to your cart to see what the price is.
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Bingo!

The manufacturers are protecting the profit margins of their distributors/retailers. If they didn't budsgunshop or some other high volume dealer would offer Glock 17's online for $450.00 and everyone in the market for a glock would take the add to their tiny LGS and offer $450.00, the LGS would have to take it or at least $450 + cheapest local transfer fee. If the LGS's profit margins get squeezed too much he will stop selling Glock 17's and the next time some newb walks in to buy a gun because their house got robbed the LGS will not have a Glock 17 to sell him, and Glock loses out. The newb is not going to care too much if the cost is $450 or $550, since they are not an intelligent consumer and don't know about budsgunshop and other high volume dealers which you might be able to talk into $450 deal. If only high volume dealers sold glocks, it would only be a matter of time before glock distribution was concentrated in too few hands and they high volume dealers would start to demand lower prices from Glock.

Guess you don't buy new cars then either? - they are only sold by "Factory Authorized Distributors"
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There is no better way to buy a new car than on the phone. Once you figure out what you want you can call every dealer within a half days drive and see what price they can offer. If they don't tell you, you leave your number and hang up. It sure beats waiting in the showroom of your local car dealer for hours while the sales rep. talks to the manager.
 
Certain manufacturers do not permit retailers to disclose pricing in advertisements
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This is the case if Beretta or Benelli shotguns go on sale. Why do retailers carry them because people want them. Why do people want Benellis......I dont know.
 
Correction.

I won't buy from a "factory authorized dealer" unless it's the only option. Sometimes, like new cars, you don't have a choice. :mad::mad:

I guess I'm a believer that the system that brings the most benefit to the most people is Capitalism. :)

And Capitalism is about competition, competition, and even more competition. Protectionism is not Capitalism. :fire::fire:
 
That is not the definintion of protectionism. Protectionism is a government tariff or duty on imported goods. I also agree with you, protectionism is short sighted, but it can co-exist with capitalism.
 
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