Fender fined for price fixing

[Cato]

Presumably they've stopped doing now, although I haven't noticed online prices for Fenders suddenly plummeting as a result.

[Al Krow]

@ Mods - maybe worth merging this parallel thread?

 

[invertigo]

I can only imagine this change must have been implemented a while ago, one large store had 10% off everything including Fender products over Black Friday, and their prices were already the lowest online for the bass I was looking at.

[paul_c2]

Long term will this actually translate to...........less high street music shops? AIUI it was basically Fender doing the wrong thing for the right reason - to try assist the high street shops over (mainly) online retailers.

[Hellzero]

BMW is making the same with their Mini brand. Fixing higher prices all over the world. Did they get a fine ? No, I don't think so.

[paul_c2]

4 minutes ago, Hellzero said:

BMW is making the same with their Mini brand. Fixing higher prices all over the world. Did they get a fine ? No, I don't think so.

I don't know the details but I know what you mean. I am taking a guess, but maybe there is a difference between one large company (which might have subsidiaries) setting prices; and another company imposing price setting on other (smaller) companies. Specifically, are the dealerships owned by BMW; or independent?

[Guest]

Nearly all the MINI dealerships are independent companies with franchises.

[gjones]

I wonder if this has been the catalyst for a crazy Fender price war between music retailers?

Call me cynical but I think I already know the answer to that question......