Anyone ever notice most of the products on Amazon have their price and
also a regular "list" price. Then they tell you how much you are
saving off of list. Where the heck do they get these prices?
For example, the Delta 22-580 planer they have for $349. List price
$788? Who has ever payed this? How about the DeWalt DW735 planer for
$499. List price $860? I don't think so. My favorite, the Hitachi M12V
router. Amazon has it for $159, which is waaaay below the list price
of $541! Wow a 70% savings, they are practically giving it away! I
know they just make this up, but what's the point of doing this in the
internet age? Who's fooled by it? Maybe the same ones who are waiting
for their lump sum from the Nigerian prince?

Manufacturer' Suggested Retail Price.

MSRP is a fiction designed to allow "discounts." It's the cousin of those
prices your doctor charges for a treatment group on the "this is not a bill"
statements sent you by your medical insurer. Since you went to a
participating provider anyway, the only thing they're good for is the tax
man. They're reported as "write-offs" anyway.

"Rob" wrote in message
om...
Anyone ever notice most of the products on Amazon have their price and
also a regular "list" price. Then they tell you how much you are
saving off of list. Where the heck do they get these prices?
For example, the Delta 22-580 planer they have for $349. List price
$788? Who has ever payed this? How about the DeWalt DW735 planer for
$499. List price $860? I don't think so. My favorite, the Hitachi M12V
router. Amazon has it for $159, which is waaaay below the list price
of $541! Wow a 70% savings, they are practically giving it away! I
know they just make this up, but what's the point of doing this in the
internet age? Who's fooled by it? Maybe the same ones who are waiting
for their lump sum from the Nigerian prince?

On 29 Nov 2004 04:54:25 -0800, (Rob) wrote:

Anyone ever notice most of the products on Amazon have their price and
also a regular "list" price. Then they tell you how much you are
saving off of list. Where the heck do they get these prices?
For example, the Delta 22-580 planer they have for $349. List price
$788? Who has ever payed this? How about the DeWalt DW735 planer for
$499. List price $860? I don't think so. My favorite, the Hitachi M12V
router. Amazon has it for $159, which is waaaay below the list price
of $541! Wow a 70% savings, they are practically giving it away! I
know they just make this up, but what's the point of doing this in the
internet age? Who's fooled by it? Maybe the same ones who are waiting
for their lump sum from the Nigerian prince?


For a while I thought that these "list" prices did emanate from
the manufacturers themselves and were intentionally exaggerated
to let retailers claim large discounts. But there has to be more to
it than that, since most retailers charge the identical price for
these items.

List price is generally the highest. It is a price that the manufacturer
will general throw out there as to what the product might be worth to the
public.

We all buy Gasoline at List price. ;~)


Retail Price is the price that the manufacturer suggest the retailer sell
the product at. If there is competition the retail price is generally a
starting point to reduce the price from.


Wholesale price is a quantity discounted price to a reseller from a
distributor.

You are right, the "list" should usually equate to the MSRP, but in
Amazon's case, I think they are making up a price even higher than
that. I don't think Delta would put out an MSRP of 800 bucks for a
portable planer. I could be wrong though...

"George" george@least wrote in message ...
Manufacturer' Suggested Retail Price.

MSRP is a fiction designed to allow "discounts." It's the cousin of those
prices your doctor charges for a treatment group on the "this is not a bill"
statements sent you by your medical insurer. Since you went to a
participating provider anyway, the only thing they're good for is the tax
man. They're reported as "write-offs" anyway.

"Rob" wrote in message
om...
Anyone ever notice most of the products on Amazon have their price and
also a regular "list" price. Then they tell you how much you are
saving off of list. Where the heck do they get these prices?
For example, the Delta 22-580 planer they have for $349. List price
$788? Who has ever payed this? How about the DeWalt DW735 planer for
$499. List price $860? I don't think so. My favorite, the Hitachi M12V
router. Amazon has it for $159, which is waaaay below the list price
of $541! Wow a 70% savings, they are practically giving it away! I
know they just make this up, but what's the point of doing this in the
internet age? Who's fooled by it? Maybe the same ones who are waiting
for their lump sum from the Nigerian prince?

Rob wrote:
You are right, the "list" should usually equate to the MSRP, but in
Amazon's case, I think they are making up a price even higher than
that. I don't think Delta would put out an MSRP of 800 bucks for a
portable planer. I could be wrong though...

For what it's worth, Amazon says they don't just make it up:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...5-1403050#list

"Except where noted otherwise, the List Price displayed for products on
our website represents the full retail price listed on the product
itself, suggested by the manufacturer or supplier, or estimated in
accordance with standard industry practice. The List Price is a
comparative price estimate and may or may not represent the prevailing
price in every area on any particular day."

-BAT

No, List is higher than Retail. Having worked at a whole sale level for
years and years, the price sheets from the manufacturers had price sheets
that normally started at Cost and went through Wholesale, Trade, Retail and
List.
,

"Rob" wrote in message
m...
You are right, the "list" should usually equate to the MSRP, but in
Amazon's case, I think they are making up a price even higher than
that. I don't think Delta would put out an MSRP of 800 bucks for a
portable planer. I could be wrong though...