Anyone feel like a good gouging?

[cosmicfolklore]

I've always found P&C prices lower than the rest for what I buy. I think that their customer service, Russ, and great prices have kept them successful despite pages and pages of rants in the past. Keep in mind, we are barely a percent of the market on here; however, I like to think that we are the classy percent, ha ha.
Even their stupid web design has not seemed to hurt them ::

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I'm more pissed at them for dropping most of the GH&co products from their inventory, forcing me to buy from SP this month. Am I the only one who has noticed this?

 

[daimyo]

You are only overcharged if you agree to purchase.

Otherwise, no money changes hands, no overcharging.

I still disagree, the idea that at no point is a shop overcharging unless someone buys seems off to me. One could go out of business from never selling a single item. At that point I think it would be hard to argue you weren't overcharging if the market spoke to the opposite. Whether people will still buy if you overcharge is another matter. I agree if you pay the price, there is no room to complain but I have seen this happen in other hobbies and start a landslide. It's easy to dismiss as unimportant until it starts to affect the brands you want. If they sell it all at that price it may benefit them but it does affect my perception of them at the same time. I do not wish to support those that view me with a target on my back any more than necessary.

 

[mso489]

lt's intriguing when a blend is really popular and is getting lots of praise and good reviews. There are a lot

of good blends out there, and you don't necessarily have to follow the crowd. I guess if a person wanted to

splurge on a high-priced (overpriced?) blend, and did so with their eyes wide open, that's a choice. You can

have the opposite experience and buy a relatively inexpensive blend, or get it as a gift, and be really surprised

that it is better than many that cost more. If you shop carefully, and widely, you can usually get prices on the

"good" side. But you can't go with the latest craze, because that's where the market demands the most.

 

[woodsroad]

I couldn't agree more, mso. People are like goats. They all want to stand in exactly the same place.
Back when I was a press photographer, I saw this all the time. I'd be at an event, and all of the shooters would be huddled in a ball I'd call The Rat F*ck, deathly afraid that the other guy would get a picture that they wouldn't. They'd all move around together like they were bound at the waist with a big piece of rope, getting exactly the same stupid picture. I'd back off, move 180º and get a much more interesting photo.
Now, granted Stonehaven and Penzance are unique and wonderful things. But back off a bit and look around. You'll find some real sleepers out there, maybe one you like even better than the Unobtainium brands.

 

[peckinpahhombre]

I think both perspectives can be right.
You can believe they are "gouging" while at the same time acknowledge that they have a right to do so. They are of course allowed to raise prices based on market demand, but by doing so they risk alienating customers who look askance at what they view as opportunistic behaviour and who are prepared to punish P&C for that behaviour (which, of course, customers are entitled to do). As always, there is potential reward, but also risk.

 

[daimyo]

Don't get me wrong, I'm not stating people shouldn't simply buy a comparable brand at a better price. I don't even want any BS, it just makes me sad to see a markup over 500%, that is not quality customer service. If every brand that becomes a good seller is treated likewise, that isn't good for anyone who enjoys the hobby. They can certainly do as they like but I hope they know it colors their reputation. As large as they are I'm sure it won't hurt the juggernaut but that isn't really a good thing either. When companies cease to care about customers, it's all down hill from there.
Edit: I agree Peck, although I view this a certain way I do not consider it a black and white issue.

 

[woodsroad]

Peck has the conn

 

[phil67]

It's things like this that stop me from doing business with P&C. They are overpriced when compared to SP and this example of price gouging confirms my decision.

Odd, as I always thought P&C prices to be rather good, and more often than not lower than SP!

 

[hiplainsdrifter]

I am cool with it. I won't pay that much, but it is stupid for these retailers to sell out of high demand items instantly, foregoing a better profit margin. I guess if they can move it at that price, it is fair. If no one will buy it, clearly they are charging too much. I think the markup is inconsequential from a 'moral' standpoint. Like someone said, we aren't talking about necessary goods or services here.

 

[misterlowercase]

...hey, add a $49.95 bag of Esoterica and you're pretty close to free shipping!

Win-win!

:lol:
Bullshit abounds everywhere,

and people love eating it.
Back in the early 60's Italian artist Manzoni made an authentic tin of human shit,

which was pure conceptual edgy BS,

but wealthy postmodernist collectors love to be insulted,

it makes them feel good.

A tin was sold for €124,000 at Sotheby's on May 23, 2007; in October 2008 tin 083 was offered for sale at Sotheby's with an estimate of £50-70,000. It sold for £97,250. The cans were originally to be valued according to their equivalent weight in gold — $37 each in 1961 — with the price fluctuating according to the market.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artist%27s_Shit

 

[philobeddoe]

Price gouging? What happened to all the Fox News watching, Ayn Rand reading free market capitalists? A commodity costs exactly what the market will bear, no?

 

[daimyo]

Price gouging? What happened to all the Fox News watching, Ayn Rand reading free market capitalists? A commodity costs exactly what the market will bear, no?

I'm not one. I view the behavior of merchants that want my business from a personal standpoint, not that of an econ professor or political pundit. One thing economists are terrible at is understanding the connection between the service/price relation you give and people's view of your business. Merchants and customers are supposed to have a symbiotic relationship, something that has been forgotten by far too many businesses. They can do whatever they wish but don't expect me not to notice and act accordingly. It's not about morals, it's about mutual respect and a desire to give good service. Why support the business that is clearly trying to fleece me when other options exist?

 

[troutface]

Price gouging aside, P&C lost me as a customer when a recent shipment came without enough packing material, the tins rattling around, banging against each other. A few weeks later a 2 oz. bag of Trout Stream that was backordered came in a huge box that was so overstuffed with air bags they could barely tape it shut. Huh? Maybe they could take some of that money they're making on the BS and use it to train their shipping department. And I almost forgot, why can't they take a photo of every pipe, like SP does? Rant over.

 

[phil67]

And I almost forgot, why can't they take a photo of every pipe, like SP does?

I'll grant you that. I'm in no way shape or form trying to bash any wholesaler, and I do a good percentage of my business with P&C. However, it does indeed get me a tad pissed off at times when P&C in their eagerness to grab sales places some pipe(s) up for sale before they even bother to properly upload the images of them! I had this very issue when they had a sale for the Stanwell brushed black pipes a few months ago and most of the images of the pipes were not available. Hey... there are some minor irritations with any given online wholesaler as they are bound to happen and when all is said and done it's really no big thing. Hell, I'm just happy that I have so many choices to shop and get good prices on tobacco and pipes via the Internet and I count my blessings!
As for the idea of price gouging; if you don't like the price move on. After all, a wholesaler has the right to charge anything they wish. I have no idea whatsoever what is going on with the price being charged for this particular blend, nor do I care as it could be attributed to numerous factors which have already been covered here. Bottom line... I'm a relatively contented old fart and I'm not about to get the Hershey squirts over something that really doesn't mean squat in the whole grand scheme of things. After all, as someone so aptly pointed out; it is not a necessary good and therefore there is no price gouging. :wink:

 

[woodsroad]

". I laugh every time the small tax/small government/small mind crowd get shrill about reducing costs for whatever their peeve of the week is--yet are the first on the phone bitching about unfilled potholes and not enough cops..."

You must not laugh much.

 

[torque]

I wouldn't expect the price to drop back down any time soon. When the price of Esoterica bags jumped to $50 this same kind of thread popped up on pretty much every pipe forum out there. All the other etailers soon followed suit with the price hike and, yep you guessed it, they still are at $50 a bag. I would suspect that this is the new price for that blend and it isn't going back down (could be wrong). Let's over-hype another Germain blend and see if we can get that one up to $35 a tin just for giggles.

 

[beefeater33]

http://www.hilandscigars.com/bulk-pipe-tobacco/english-blends/balkan-sobranie-pipe-tobacco.html

I posted this a while back-- Many said the price was too high for that blend, I dunno, seems better than $35 a tin to me?
Original thread: http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/balkan-sobranie-in-stock-here

 

[olewaylon]

Guys, this must be those saving we were told to look forward to when P&C merged with cigars International. The stronger buying power has allowed them to lower the prices on several tobaccos, like this fine example. This is clearly a steal!
Haha, in all seriousness good for them. Some sucker will be happy to drop his pants and take this offer.

 

[bulletsnbriars]

Lot of good points being made left and right here.
If you don't want to pay it, don't. Someone out there values Balkan Sobranie at that price and they will buy it, let businesses charge what they may. If its unreasonable, you wont have to complain long.
Most of my baccy comes from P&C. Theyre good folk and charge reasonably- I understand the owner is amoung our ranks here. Watch words like gouging- have some respect.
.02 from the resident 18 year old, so take it with a helping of salt.