Hiders,
I want to address a couple things here.
I see from time to time an expectation here that the "street price" of the Razor scope could/should/might fall in a few months as the scope has not "proved itself" to command its current price point, or perhaps the MAP of $1999 is a "test price" that will come down if the supply exceeds the demand.
I'm here to tell you that is NOT the case. The MAP will remain in effect at it's current levels throughout 2010. IF you are waiting for the price to come down before coming off the fence, you will be waiting a long time. The Razor is a very expensive and well-made product that is worth the money. It's price is not related to supply, it is what it is. It will not change for dealers for at least the next 13 months, and I have it in writing. Of course, Vortex can elect to have a promotional or rebate program anytime at their discretion, but that comes from them and it is something you can't count on.
The above post is simply for your FYI, made with the most current and factual information I have at my disposal.
Now, on to something else.
It has come to my attention, from a source I deem reliable, that a competing dealer here is working very hard to send information to the manufacturer of the Razor, that attempts to expose possible violations of MAP policy by Liberty Optics, and possibly other dealers, up to and including
<span style="font-style: italic">"sending screen snapshots of PM message strings, complete with the name of the dealer, with the (gasp!) offered price that is below MAP."</span>
This is problematic on many levels....may I?
First of all, I've only quoted prices to the members here as a way of conducting business. We exist to provide you with the best product at the best price and the use of the PM system is intended for personal communication to facilitate the potential for conducting business. I never really thought that PM quotes I provided were being funneled to other dealers to be paraded around to manufacturers. Has the Hide really come to this? How sad.
I want to make clear to all members here we have <span style="text-decoration: underline">never, ever,</span> conducted any activity with the sole purpose of setting up a competing dealer under false pretenses in order to glean prices and gain a competitive advantage. Our focus has solely been on providing the customer with the best service we can and I could care less about what other dealers are doing!! We can't control it and it has nothing to do with us. I don't have time for anything else.
We are what we are. Our history and growth has been documented online from the very beginning, for all the world to see. We are a small, family operated business that sets sales and operating goals and strives to meet them...while always putting the customer first, always, <span style="font-style: italic">even if it costs us a sale.</span>
We don't try to pretend what we are not. We don't have a commercial brick and mortar storefront but I do have a shop here and we receive visitors on a monthly basis for personalized service or hands on evaluation of items in stock, (yes we DO stock lots of items, as much as we can afford). We have been 100% transparent about being primarily an "E-business" with access to the owner (that's me) via email, PM and phone. All we do is sell optics for a living, this is not a hobby or little side venture or a spin-off from a huge commercial empire. No sales = no income, period.
On the upside, you always know who we are and exactly who you are dealing with, and have since our existence. What you <span style="text-decoration: underline">won't</span> get with us is clever little photo-shopped pics of inflated inventory or public statements that are ambiguous or misleading that are not consistent with reality or made in an effort to make us look bigger or badder than we are. We have no such baggage, thank God.
I mean, seriously, the above actions are some of the most pathetic I've ever heard of. Whomever is responsible, <span style="font-style: italic">since you have nothing better to do</span>, I ask that you act like you got a pair, <span style="font-style: italic">comprende</span>? I'm a GROWN MAN. I know the business world is brutal, competitive, and "dog eat dog", but let's act like alpha male dogs, not <span style="font-style: italic">bitches</span>.
Zeiss has it right, they do not accept any information from Zeiss dealers about potential MAP violations of other dealers. In other words, <span style="font-style: italic">shut up, put up, and go about your business</span>, and let US handle violations of our policies. Sounds like a "grown up" way to handle things, doesn't it? Perhaps other manufacturers will follow suit. Instead of giving the squeaky wheel the grease, just get rid of the squeaky wheel. Then perhaps some of us will rediscover our "Y" chromosome...
Regrettably, in response to this ridiculous behavior, and until such behavior is discouraged here or prohibited by the manufacturer, we will not provide any PM quotes here for any Vortex product, nor will we provide them in an email until further notice.
We value your business and being a Vortex dealer, but unfortunately we have no other choice right now.
Thanks,
Scott Berish
LIBERTY Optics
I want to address a couple things here.
I see from time to time an expectation here that the "street price" of the Razor scope could/should/might fall in a few months as the scope has not "proved itself" to command its current price point, or perhaps the MAP of $1999 is a "test price" that will come down if the supply exceeds the demand.
I'm here to tell you that is NOT the case. The MAP will remain in effect at it's current levels throughout 2010. IF you are waiting for the price to come down before coming off the fence, you will be waiting a long time. The Razor is a very expensive and well-made product that is worth the money. It's price is not related to supply, it is what it is. It will not change for dealers for at least the next 13 months, and I have it in writing. Of course, Vortex can elect to have a promotional or rebate program anytime at their discretion, but that comes from them and it is something you can't count on.
The above post is simply for your FYI, made with the most current and factual information I have at my disposal.
Now, on to something else.
It has come to my attention, from a source I deem reliable, that a competing dealer here is working very hard to send information to the manufacturer of the Razor, that attempts to expose possible violations of MAP policy by Liberty Optics, and possibly other dealers, up to and including
<span style="font-style: italic">"sending screen snapshots of PM message strings, complete with the name of the dealer, with the (gasp!) offered price that is below MAP."</span>
This is problematic on many levels....may I?
First of all, I've only quoted prices to the members here as a way of conducting business. We exist to provide you with the best product at the best price and the use of the PM system is intended for personal communication to facilitate the potential for conducting business. I never really thought that PM quotes I provided were being funneled to other dealers to be paraded around to manufacturers. Has the Hide really come to this? How sad.
I want to make clear to all members here we have <span style="text-decoration: underline">never, ever,</span> conducted any activity with the sole purpose of setting up a competing dealer under false pretenses in order to glean prices and gain a competitive advantage. Our focus has solely been on providing the customer with the best service we can and I could care less about what other dealers are doing!! We can't control it and it has nothing to do with us. I don't have time for anything else.
We are what we are. Our history and growth has been documented online from the very beginning, for all the world to see. We are a small, family operated business that sets sales and operating goals and strives to meet them...while always putting the customer first, always, <span style="font-style: italic">even if it costs us a sale.</span>
We don't try to pretend what we are not. We don't have a commercial brick and mortar storefront but I do have a shop here and we receive visitors on a monthly basis for personalized service or hands on evaluation of items in stock, (yes we DO stock lots of items, as much as we can afford). We have been 100% transparent about being primarily an "E-business" with access to the owner (that's me) via email, PM and phone. All we do is sell optics for a living, this is not a hobby or little side venture or a spin-off from a huge commercial empire. No sales = no income, period.
On the upside, you always know who we are and exactly who you are dealing with, and have since our existence. What you <span style="text-decoration: underline">won't</span> get with us is clever little photo-shopped pics of inflated inventory or public statements that are ambiguous or misleading that are not consistent with reality or made in an effort to make us look bigger or badder than we are. We have no such baggage, thank God.
I mean, seriously, the above actions are some of the most pathetic I've ever heard of. Whomever is responsible, <span style="font-style: italic">since you have nothing better to do</span>, I ask that you act like you got a pair, <span style="font-style: italic">comprende</span>? I'm a GROWN MAN. I know the business world is brutal, competitive, and "dog eat dog", but let's act like alpha male dogs, not <span style="font-style: italic">bitches</span>.
Zeiss has it right, they do not accept any information from Zeiss dealers about potential MAP violations of other dealers. In other words, <span style="font-style: italic">shut up, put up, and go about your business</span>, and let US handle violations of our policies. Sounds like a "grown up" way to handle things, doesn't it? Perhaps other manufacturers will follow suit. Instead of giving the squeaky wheel the grease, just get rid of the squeaky wheel. Then perhaps some of us will rediscover our "Y" chromosome...
Regrettably, in response to this ridiculous behavior, and until such behavior is discouraged here or prohibited by the manufacturer, we will not provide any PM quotes here for any Vortex product, nor will we provide them in an email until further notice.
We value your business and being a Vortex dealer, but unfortunately we have no other choice right now.
Thanks,
Scott Berish
LIBERTY Optics
