More price-gouging in NZ

[Blackbird]

There have been some lengthy threads about overseas vs local purchases but thought I’d give an up to date example of price differences for non-motorcycle stuff.

I have a Sony DSC RX100 camera which is just over a year old. Fantastic camera which has exceeded my expectations. Unfortunately, I knocked it off the bike seat a couple of weeks ago and although it was in a padded case, it returned an error message when I switched it on and couldn't use it

Rang Sony NZ but got what I assume was a call centre out of the country. They advised me to send it to the authorised service centre in Auckland. Did that and 3 days later, got a diagnostic report that the lens assembly and associated electronics needed replacement. The part alone, excluding GST was $344. More than expected but authorised them to go ahead as I wanted it back fast.

The next day, I logged onto eBay to see whether I could find what the price of the part was overseas and just about choked as it varied between US$75 and US$90, plus postage! I’m not sure I’d have had the competence or tools to do the replacement myself but was really pissed off about the price difference.

Rang the service centre back and they were very apologetic but said they were obliged to buy the part through Sony NZ. Rang Sony NZ and asked how they could justify the mark-up. Predictably, the conversation was marketing-speak but the guts of the reply was “because we can”.

I’ve said before that where an added value component or service is part of the deal, I’ll try and shop in NZ but not where it’s blatant price-gouging.

[Edbear]

Agree, it's a long time issue, but the more people who make a fuss, the more likely they will listen, especially if it get to the news media...

[pritch]

Another unhappy Sony owner. Mine stopped working and reported "access error". So I Googled that and there's screeds on it. Some people took their camera to the beach after which they got the dreaded access error. Mine hasn't been to the beach. The problem is apparently that there is grit or something stuck between the lens and its housing which prevents the lens coming out.

The usual recomendation is that you bang the camera on a table to shake the offending material out. I'm only prepared to take that so far because the lens is quite a long way down a plastic tube and I can see that ending in tears.

This camera was purchased for the first of my trips to Phillip Island and I don't see me needing anything so sophisticated again. I'll use the iPod or the phone or...
If I do buy another camera though it won't be a Sony.

[Mike.Gayner]

Agree, it's a long time issue, but the more people who make a fuss, the more likely they will listen, especially if it get to the news media...

I don't bother making a fuss any more, just quietly buy from overseas.

[Paul in NZ]

Look I hear ya... But - its never that simple.

Despite the apparent gouging you can burn $$ very fast on stuff like that. We supplied TV's and flat panels for yonks and people call up for a remote control. Look we just cant afford to hold spare remotes for every bloody screen (although there are commonalities) as the warehousing costs very quickly add up so we get them from Japan or Aussie... The freight etc lifts them into orbit price wise and the most we would add is 10% but usually just pass them on at cost... Not usually many takers...

Holding spares for every camera - yikes....

[jasonu]

I don't bother making a fuss any more, just quietly buy from overseas.

That is the New Zealand way. Say nothing and don't do back. The yanks are more likely to say summat at the time of shitty service or product which adds to the 'loud mouth yank' reputation.

[Mike.Gayner]

Look I hear ya... But - its never that simple.

Despite the apparent gouging you can burn $$ very fast on stuff like that. We supplied TV's and flat panels for yonks and people call up for a remote control. Look we just cant afford to hold spare remotes for every bloody screen (although there are commonalities) as the warehousing costs very quickly add up so we get them from Japan or Aussie... The freight etc lifts them into orbit price wise and the most we would add is 10% but usually just pass them on at cost... Not usually many takers...

Holding spares for every camera - yikes....

When you can air freight a part individually for a fraction of the cost and given the same lead time, someone is taking the piss.

[jasonu]

[QUOTE=Paul in NZ;1130826568]Look I hear ya... But - its never that simple.

so we get them from Japan or Aussie... The freight etc lifts them into orbit price wise QUOTE]

But freight cost for a remote control from Japan or Aussie to NZ shouldn't be much more than $20. Or is someone adding a 'packing and handling' fee on top of the actual freight cost?

[Big Dog]

Another unhappy Sony owner. Mine stopped working and reported "access error". So I Googled that and there's screeds on it. Some people took their camera to the beach after which they got the dreaded access error. Mine hasn't been to the beach. The problem is apparently that there is grit or something stuck between the lens and its housing which prevents the lens coming out.

The usual recomendation is that you bang the camera on a table to shake the offending material out. I'm only prepared to take that so far because the lens is quite a long way down a plastic tube and I can see that ending in tears.

This camera was purchased for the first of my trips to Phillip Island and I don't see me needing anything so sophisticated again. I'll use the iPod or the phone or...
If I do buy another camera though it won't be a Sony.

Dry air. If you have a compressor with a water filter give it a few short sharp blasts. Go for about a 45 degree angle where possible.
Avoid long blasts as this may cause condensation and the benefit is in the higher pressure of the first 1/2 second.

If your lens is cloudy when done you use too much air or did not have a water trap. Put it in a warm dry place with the lens vertical.

If you sent it to a repairer that would be their first course of action.
Otherwise canned air works almost as
Well.


Stupid phone / Tapatalk, apologies in advance.

[Voltaire]

That is the New Zealand way. Say nothing and don't do back. The yanks are more likely to say summat at the time of shitty service or product which adds to the 'loud mouth yank' reputation.

The how come there are so many McDonalds, Burger Kings, KFC around

[bogan]

Somewhat related as the shop is a bit gougey. I got treated like a liar the other day when I went to exchange a workshop consumable which had obviously been pre-fucked before getting sold to me.

Spent around 3k at that shop this year, being given shit for the return of a busted 10 dollar part doesn't bode well for the rest of the year's spending with them...

[jasonu]

The how come there are so many McDonalds, Burger Kings, KFC around

I am not sure what your point is.

[Blackbird]

When you can air freight a part individually for a fraction of the cost and given the same lead time, someone is taking the piss.

Yep, international logistics these days means that you don't have to hold significant inventory. I might as well add the other step I omitted for the sake of brevity. I wrote on the Sony NZ Facebook site about their price gouging and got this reply "Hi Geoff - Thanks for reaching out to us here about your spare part enquiry. We'd like to have one of our Sony Spare Parts team work with you directly to get things back on track with your RX100 repair. Just to clarify, have you been dealing with Sony Support directly on this one? " I sent all the details to them and 2 days later, got a reply that parts were regionally priced and they couldn't be of help. Annoyed the crap out of me and I noticed that they'd used almost identical wording for someone who was complaining about a laptop.

[Big Dog]

[QUOTE=jasonu;1130826582]

Look I hear ya... But - its never that simple.

so we get them from Japan or Aussie... The freight etc lifts them into orbit price wise QUOTE]

But freight cost for a remote control from Japan or Aussie to NZ shouldn't be much more than $20. Or is someone adding a 'packing and handling' fee on top of the actual freight cost?

Each person in the chain adds their markup. Being a cannon dealer cost money, being the distributer / approved repairer costs a lot of money.
I have repaired a few cameras mostly not for a job though, my fingers are too fat, but pretty much anything younger than me is mostly units pre assembled and then jammed into a body. Almost all parts post 1990 are intended to be FRU. Full Replacement Units.
Some fancy bits also need reprogramming to accept the new part. Less so post 2000.
Almost all will require some specialist tools unless you have the hands of a surgeon and a fair amount o luck. Bits that snap into joiners that are behind another part to connect a ribbon connector are common as compact is king.
As for the specialist tools for locating these ribbons. Worse than computer tools and model specific.
Training and tools cost a lot to keep current.

All these things add up. I've taken the punt on a few fixes myself. I've done a few for friends. Mostly because of the poor factor.
Done a few at a camera shop I worked at in the 90's.

All were with the expressed: this will either fix it or fuck it completely guarantee.
So far the score is around 20 successes to 1 fail.
Nothing quite like hearing a Nikon fail to start that was starting before but not taking pictures.


Stupid phone / Tapatalk, apologies in advance.

[Voltaire]

I am not sure what your point is.

Just remembering when there were good burger bars around and now I rarely buy a burger as they are horrible, I should have complained more.