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Price increase question

Posted: Sat Jul 06, 2019 7:11 pm
by godfreydaniel
When Collings recently raised their prices, dealers also raised prices for new guitars they already had in stock. It looks to me that all the dealers whose websites I check did this. Is this up to the dealers, or does Collings require dealers to do this?

Re: Price increase question

Posted: Sat Jul 06, 2019 7:22 pm
by law
dunno...but I know every dealer I've ever talked to say Collings is one of their MOST stringent pricing vendors......

Re: Price increase question

Posted: Sat Jul 06, 2019 7:28 pm
by Peanut73
Collings performs audits of dealer websites and requires that they comply with pricing policies.

Re: Price increase question

Posted: Sun Jul 07, 2019 2:03 am
by fstrat76
I just ran into this very recently. It seems they are increasing prices on stock purchased at old costs. I know some other dealers who do this with other brands as well. You should be able to negotiate from this though.

Re: Price increase question

Posted: Sun Jul 07, 2019 4:05 am
by pto
the plan was indeed for dealers to no longer be able to give the 10% discount, even on old stock. joe caruso's email that was shared on this forum previously did indicate that the then-current prices on in-stock instruments would only be in effect til the June 1 date (i think it was). it was a "last chance" type statement in his email.

Re: Price increase question

Posted: Sun Jul 07, 2019 7:28 pm
by elambo
Are they allowed to discount older guitars, after a year or so, or at some point? I can't imagine that a 3-year-old D2H still on the shelves *must* be sold for the same price as a fresher specimen.

Re: Price increase question

Posted: Sun Jul 07, 2019 8:46 pm
by godfreydaniel
A few months before the price increase, I bought an 01 that had sat at the dealer’s for almost five years. I got a very good price on it, but it was sold as new old stock, minus the warranty (it was in perfect condition, no shop wear). Since it’s a Collings, I’m not too concerned about not having the warranty, but I do take issue with this idea. I can’t imagine a new car or large appliance being sold for a deep discount but without a warranty.

Re: Price increase question

Posted: Sun Jul 07, 2019 8:46 pm
by northernbreed
elambo wrote: Sun Jul 07, 2019 7:28 pm Are they allowed to discount older guitars, after a year or so, or at some point? I can't imagine that a 3-year-old D2H still on the shelves *must* be sold for the same price as a fresher specimen.
Nope - that’s their new (dumb) rule. I talked to a dealer who had an 8 year-old NOS D model for sale, and the price was now exactly the same as current models. He said I could call on the phone and they’d discount it, but it had to be listed at current prices.

Re: Price increase question

Posted: Sun Jul 07, 2019 10:07 pm
by godfreydaniel
I know of one Collings guitar still being offered online as NOS with a good discount minus the warranty.

Re: Price increase question

Posted: Mon Jul 08, 2019 2:57 am
by northernbreed
godfreydaniel wrote: Sun Jul 07, 2019 10:07 pm I know of one Collings guitar still being offered online as NOS with a good discount minus the warranty.
Possibly because the dealer isn’t carrying Collings anymore, so they’re not bound by these new pricing rules. I got my CJ like that.