Meade Petition

Dear all,

(please kill file/delete this if you aren't interested)

I've set up an on-line petition to try to get Meade to justify their EU
prices (which are vastly inflated compared to the US).

If you want to then please sign up at

http://gopetition.com/online/6474.html

If you don't want to then please ignore this message.

Regards,
John Tanner
http://physics.open.ac.uk/~jdtanner

"John D. Tanner" wrote in message
...
Dear all,

(please kill file/delete this if you aren't interested)

I've set up an on-line petition to try to get Meade to justify their EU
prices (which are vastly inflated compared to the US).

If you want to then please sign up at

http://gopetition.com/online/6474.html

If you don't want to then please ignore this message.

Regards,
John Tanner
http://physics.open.ac.uk/~jdtanner

I'm signed up. Mind you, it's not just Meade that do this - I think a lot of
the UK delaers are also responsible for the high prices. If you take a look
at TelescopeHouse's pricing, pretty much everything they sell from US
companies is almost a dollars to pounds direct conversion.

I've pretty much given up buying bits in the UK - it's just cheaper to
import stuff directly from the USA. Even with import duties and VAT it
always ends up significantly cheaper. Mind you, I wouldn't buy an OTA or
other high value item that wasy....

adm wrote:
"John D. Tanner" wrote in message
...

Dear all,

(please kill file/delete this if you aren't interested)

I've set up an on-line petition to try to get Meade to justify their EU
prices (which are vastly inflated compared to the US).

If you want to then please sign up at

http://gopetition.com/online/6474.html

If you don't want to then please ignore this message.

Regards,
John Tanner
http://physics.open.ac.uk/~jdtanner


I'm signed up. Mind you, it's not just Meade that do this - I think a lot of
the UK delaers are also responsible for the high prices. If you take a look
at TelescopeHouse's pricing, pretty much everything they sell from US
companies is almost a dollars to pounds direct conversion.

I've pretty much given up buying bits in the UK - it's just cheaper to
import stuff directly from the USA. Even with import duties and VAT it
always ends up significantly cheaper. Mind you, I wouldn't buy an OTA or
other high value item that wasy....


I'm sure it is the dealers as well, but Meade should at least provide
RRPs for their products. That said, I contacted BC&F (UK Meade
distributor) and they said that they didn't have an RRP list and that I
should contact the dealers directly. I don't know about you guys but I
find that very hard to believe.

As for shipping a whole 'scope from the US, I'm sure that if you brought
enough over, the shipping and excess charges (VAT etc) would be a
fraction of the EUR5000 difference in price for an LX200GPS. In fact,
even if you shipped one over you would still be quids in! The problem
comes when something goes wrong and Meade won't honour their guaranty :-(

Cheers,
John Tanner
http://physics.open.ac.uk/~jdtanner

I'm sure it is the dealers as well, but Meade should at least provide RRPs
for their products. That said, I contacted BC&F (UK Meade distributor) and
they said that they didn't have an RRP list and that I should contact the
dealers directly. I don't know about you guys but I find that very hard to
believe.

As for shipping a whole 'scope from the US, I'm sure that if you brought
enough over, the shipping and excess charges (VAT etc) would be a fraction
of the EUR5000 difference in price for an LX200GPS. In fact, even if you
shipped one over you would still be quids in! The problem comes when
something goes wrong and Meade won't honour their guaranty :-(

Cheers,
John Tanner
http://physics.open.ac.uk/~jdtanner


If you are going to ship a Meade telescope from the US you will have to go
and do it yourself or find someone to do it for you as the dealers aren't
allowed to. I was told this by a dealer recently who had just had someone in
from the UK who was doing exactly that.

"John D. Tanner" wrote in message
...
Dear all,

(please kill file/delete this if you aren't interested)

I've set up an on-line petition to try to get Meade to justify their EU
prices (which are vastly inflated compared to the US).

Not that I'm not interested but isn't this all about market forces, ie we're
prepared to pay it so they're prepared to charge accordingly. Surely this
highlights the difference between cost and value based sales.

With the recent 'demise' of Celestron's local ownership, Meade will be
looking at all possible means to protect themselves and ensure that they're
not left open to a foreign buyout; by maximising revenue in relevant
markets.

You're right to react: It isn't nice feeling as if we're being ripped off
with discriminatory pricing and restrictive trade practise but Meade, like
the car manufacturers, levi jeans et-al are only going to continue charging
what we're prepared to pay. I suppose so long as people like myself continue
to purchase their products nothing will change. I suspect you'd be wanting a
boycott rather than a petition? or perhaps a local entreprenuer to setup a
grey import business?

Regards


Chris

dylan wrote:
I'm sure it is the dealers as well, but Meade should at least provide RRPs
for their products. That said, I contacted BC&F (UK Meade distributor) and
they said that they didn't have an RRP list and that I should contact the
dealers directly. I don't know about you guys but I find that very hard to
believe.

As for shipping a whole 'scope from the US, I'm sure that if you brought
enough over, the shipping and excess charges (VAT etc) would be a fraction
of the EUR5000 difference in price for an LX200GPS. In fact, even if you
shipped one over you would still be quids in! The problem comes when
something goes wrong and Meade won't honour their guaranty :-(

Cheers,
John Tanner
http://physics.open.ac.uk/~jdtanner



If you are going to ship a Meade telescope from the US you will have to go
and do it yourself or find someone to do it for you as the dealers aren't
allowed to. I was told this by a dealer recently who had just had someone in
from the UK who was doing exactly that.


I was thinking of getting a friend of mine to buy it over there and then
ship it to me. It would be better if you could do it in bulk though as
the shipping costs come down by quite a lot. Somebody suggested a place
that gives you a US postal address, from which they ship the goods on to
you via UPS or DHL.

Of course it would be a lot easier if I could just go down to my local
shops and get a 'scope for a reasonable price!

Cheers,
John
http://physics.open.ac.uk/~jdtanner

Chris Taylor wrote:
"John D. Tanner" wrote in message
...

Dear all,

(please kill file/delete this if you aren't interested)

I've set up an on-line petition to try to get Meade to justify their EU
prices (which are vastly inflated compared to the US).


Not that I'm not interested but isn't this all about market forces, ie we're
prepared to pay it so they're prepared to charge accordingly. Surely this
highlights the difference between cost and value based sales.

With the recent 'demise' of Celestron's local ownership, Meade will be
looking at all possible means to protect themselves and ensure that they're
not left open to a foreign buyout; by maximising revenue in relevant
markets.

You're right to react: It isn't nice feeling as if we're being ripped off
with discriminatory pricing and restrictive trade practise but Meade, like
the car manufacturers, levi jeans et-al are only going to continue charging
what we're prepared to pay. I suppose so long as people like myself continue
to purchase their products nothing will change. I suspect you'd be wanting a
boycott rather than a petition? or perhaps a local entreprenuer to setup a
grey import business?

Regards


Chris


Well I won't be forking out for a full priced Meade simply because I now
know that they are overpriced (compared to the US). I agree with
everything you say, but I honestly believe that you will never change
the world by keeping silent. Perhaps this is just an exercise in
futility, but at least I feel like I'm trying to do something! :-)

By raising the awareness of the disparity in prices, I feel like I might
be triggering a small boycott. High value Meade goods aren't sold in
large quantities. Meade will feel the loss of a few dozen sales of the
LX200 in the UK/EU, and this might trigger somebody to sit up and take
notice.

You can but live in hope...

Cheers,
John
http://physics.open.ac.uk/~jdtanner

"John D. Tanner" wrote in message
...
adm wrote:
"John D. Tanner" wrote in message
...

Dear all,

(please kill file/delete this if you aren't interested)

I've set up an on-line petition to try to get Meade to justify their EU
prices (which are vastly inflated compared to the US).

If you want to then please sign up at

http://gopetition.com/online/6474.html

If you don't want to then please ignore this message.

Regards,
John Tanner
http://physics.open.ac.uk/~jdtanner


I'm signed up. Mind you, it's not just Meade that do this - I think a lot
of the UK delaers are also responsible for the high prices. If you take a
look at TelescopeHouse's pricing, pretty much everything they sell from
US companies is almost a dollars to pounds direct conversion.

I've pretty much given up buying bits in the UK - it's just cheaper to
import stuff directly from the USA. Even with import duties and VAT it
always ends up significantly cheaper. Mind you, I wouldn't buy an OTA or
other high value item that wasy....
I'm sure it is the dealers as well, but Meade should at least provide RRPs
for their products.
That said, I contacted BC&F (UK Meade distributor) and they said that they
didn't have an RRP list and that I should contact the dealers directly. I
don't know about you guys but I find that very hard to believe.

Smells of bull**** to me. Of course, maybe Meade do only publish a US RRP
price list and leave it up to their distributors and dealers to gouge the
general public as they see fit.

I was looking at buying a guideport interface from
www.shoestringastronomy.com earlier today. It's $30 in the US, or ?60 from
their EU dealer ! That's almost 3x the price, and the shipping from Italy to
the Uk is the same as from the USA.....I know where I'm placing my order...

As for shipping a whole 'scope from the US, I'm sure that if you brought
enough over, the shipping and excess charges (VAT etc) would be a fraction
of the EUR5000 difference in price for an LX200GPS. In fact, even if you
shipped one over you would still be quids in! The problem comes when
something goes wrong and Meade won't honour their guaranty :-(

That's the rub - it would be much cheaper until you get that "infant
mortality" on your new scope and then you have pay BC&F to fix it....

Hmmmm.....anyone want to split the cost of a 40' container full of the new
RCX400s ? ;-)


Cheers,
John Tanner
http://physics.open.ac.uk/~jdtanner

snip


Hmmmm.....anyone want to split the cost of a 40' container full of the new
RCX400s ? ;-)


Sure, 90:10 on the profit in my favour and we've got a deal ;-)
John

John D. Tanner wrote:
Chris Taylor wrote:

"John D. Tanner" wrote in message
...

Dear all,

(please kill file/delete this if you aren't interested)

I've set up an on-line petition to try to get Meade to justify their
EU prices (which are vastly inflated compared to the US).



Not that I'm not interested but isn't this all about market forces, ie
we're prepared to pay it so they're prepared to charge accordingly.
Surely this highlights the difference between cost and value based sales.

With the recent 'demise' of Celestron's local ownership, Meade will be
looking at all possible means to protect themselves and ensure that
they're not left open to a foreign buyout; by maximising revenue in
relevant markets.

You're right to react: It isn't nice feeling as if we're being ripped
off with discriminatory pricing and restrictive trade practise but
Meade, like the car manufacturers, levi jeans et-al are only going to
continue charging what we're prepared to pay. I suppose so long as
people like myself continue to purchase their products nothing will
change. I suspect you'd be wanting a boycott rather than a petition?
or perhaps a local entreprenuer to setup a grey import business?

Regards


Chris

Well I won't be forking out for a full priced Meade simply because I now
know that they are overpriced (compared to the US). I agree with
everything you say, but I honestly believe that you will never change
the world by keeping silent. Perhaps this is just an exercise in
futility, but at least I feel like I'm trying to do something! :-)

By raising the awareness of the disparity in prices, I feel like I might
be triggering a small boycott. High value Meade goods aren't sold in
large quantities. Meade will feel the loss of a few dozen sales of the
LX200 in the UK/EU, and this might trigger somebody to sit up and take
notice.

You can but live in hope...

Cheers,
John
http://physics.open.ac.uk/~jdtanner


Too true, I want a DSI Pro, but not at the UK mugs price... So I won't
be buying from the UK.


Joules