I noticed this too. I bought a Manfrotto tripod for about $140 a couple months ago and now they suddenly jumped to $200. I wasn't sure if it was just a sale or if a price increase came into effect
Manfrotto has rebates started from a few days ago. I have been following an Avenger stand for a while, three months ago was $265.95+S/H, right before the rebate was $285.25+S/H, now it's $356.59 before receiving the $65 Visa debate card from Manfrotto, so yea, ironically, it's not an actual rebate.
I emailed Henry @ B&H about this, and I also mentioned this happens every time Canon has rebates, below is his response.:
This has nothing to do with B&H. Manfrotto and Canon both have MAP (min advertized price) programs which set the lowest price we can advertize and display on our site and how we can convey a lower selling price, if one is available. More recently both have instituted “unilateral price” programs setting the lowest selling (not advertized) price for certain products. For either program, enforcement is stringent and the penalties for violations draconian. The icing on the proverbial cake is when the price we pay for their products is hiked at about the same time their rebates go into effect without price protection so we have no option but to adjust our prices to avoid selling at a loss.
400d wrote: I emailed Henry @ B&H about this, and I also mentioned this happens every time Canon has rebates, below is his response.:
This has nothing to do with B&H. Manfrotto and Canon both have MAP (min advertized price) programs which set the lowest price we can advertize and display on our site and how we can convey a lower selling price, if one is available. More recently both have instituted “unilateral price” programs setting the lowest selling (not advertized) price for certain products. For either program, enforcement is stringent and the penalties for violations draconian. The icing on the proverbial cake is when the price we pay for their products is hiked at about the same time their rebates go into effect without price protection so we have no option but to adjust our prices to avoid selling at a loss....Show more →
UPDATE: I was mistaken, in part. Manfrotto has an MAP (min advertized price) program. They do not have a unilateral price program.
Euro's is down, European economy is in shambles so to speak (not doing very well at the least) and there are numerous bailouts of foreign economies - doesn't take much economic knowledge to see what's behind it. Companies need to make a profit in order to pay the overhead, the working personnel and research and development and still have a little left over. Might get worse before it gets better.
