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Price Increase
Is Canon Breaking the law? Americans would be picketing right now...
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Maybe if everyone held off for a month on buying Canon, Canon Canada might feel the financial message.
Canon recently announced the end of the month release of a new camera model, the Canon EOS 5D Mark II kit (with EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens) to be pre-sold (pre-ordered) at $3649 through licensed distributers. Many Canadian citizens ordered the camera, including myself, with a required deposit to secure delivery of that camera on the release date for that price.
Yesterday, Canon officially renegged on their agreement, citing market ecomony and exchange issues. They announced they would increase the prices $300 (roughly ten percent on the camera alone) to $3949.
Not only did they advertise the deal, but they also allowed their authrozied sales reps to take deposits.
I feel they have broken laws in the areas of false advertising, contractual obligation, they also incorporated a sort of bait and switch technique, incited interest and committment and then after the sale was deposited, demanded an extra unagreed upon amount.
I think there is a large class action here for anyone who pre-ordered.
I do wedding photography, I book years in advance, I do not find it wise to call clients up a few weeks prior to their wedding and tell them that their deposited contract with me is no longer valid at my sole discretion without their agreement.....and I think if I did my clients would flip and bad reputation would ensue.
The authorzed resellers are not the culprits here, as far as I know....it was Canon who promised the sub $3k Full Frame Camera for media buzz...again problem - they allowed authorized reseller to take deposits.
So canon is responsible for supplying these cameras and Vistek or Henry's should not be held accountable, except that they are not defending their clients (if their is a possibility).
Yesterday I spoke to an executive in Canon Canada who returned my call, he explained among other things that "Canon Stands on it's past reputation..." and is not as concerned with Canadian's input in the design process, that their is no reason for a Canadian version of the explorer's of light, first because the level is not their, then correcting himself saying it was a duplication....." Overall I got the impression that Canadian's Don't really count to Canon world wide....
With that against Canadians and the prejudice that we are nice compliant peaceful individuals, it is not wonder that Canon could announce sticking it to Canadians.
Let's see, their notification included "This is unfortunate and something that Canon couldn’t have predicted."
My Argument - they did predict it, and they took deposits on it...Sales Orders are better than word of mouth contracts...
Canon should honour their marketing hype and not take the 12th hour bailout on the price they promised to deliver.
THe letter I received:
"Dear Valued Vistek Customer,
XXXX Ltd. has received official notification from Canon Canada that the pricing on the
5D MkII will be increasing prior to any cameras being shipped in Canada due to the increase
in the Canadian exchange rate. This is unfortunate and something that Canon couldn’t have predicted.
The new prices are:
Canon EOS 5D Mark II body only Was $2799. It has been increased to $3099.
Canon EOS 5D Mark II kit (with EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens) Was $3649. Now $3949.
As your imaging supplier, we have the unfortunate task of notifying you that the Canon prices
on your XXXX sales order dated prior to Nov. 5, 2008 are no longer valid.
We very sincerely apologise for this increase. It is driven by the economy and in response to
our supplier’s increase.
Please contact me if you have any questions. Your revised sales order is attached.
Best regards, ...."
My reply
"That is very unfortunate for Canon, but not for me, as far as I can tell legally, the prices on my deposited order are still valid. If they could not have predicted it, then they shouldn’t have predicted it - but they did, and they agreed to allow authorized resellers to take deposits.
I wish to still buy my 5D mk II with 24-105 L series lens for the agreed upon price that Canon authorized it’s own authorized dealers to advertise. This order is already deposited, and thus an agreement has begun.
I refuse Canon’s request to opt out of this contract (supplying the authorized retailer with product at the advertised price) at this time: the contractual obligation and steps to terminating a contract are well explained on the Consumer and Corporate Affairs website for Canada – so even American driven price increases could have received their due diligence prior to commencing.
I will contact Canon today, and depending on their response, I will file complaints with 3 agencies and hand the summary to a few legal teams to evaluate the potential claim. I would like to also fund the publication of a website outlining this event and Canon’s position.
It would appear that if 500 bodies sold in Canada for $300 more, that would only be $150,000.00…and while to many that much money is not a lot, the principle that as consumers we should not accept profit as an excuse to break laws."
PS when are they gonna put actual dedicated buttons back on the pro flash to efficiently control the Master - Slave function - what loonacy....multiple lighting set-ups on different channels, couples wedding dance, hit none dedicated button and hold for a few seconds sometimes twice to make it work -
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