The 5DIII isn\'t selling very well at the 3500 price point. To move product, Canon is cutting shady backroom deals with certain high volume dealers. I\'ve seen dealers selling the cameras as low as $800 below small dealer cost. They are being sold on ebay because selling the cameras below MAP would be a violation of their dealership agreement with Canon.
When contacted by customers, some of the stores claim that it is some sort of special ebay backed promotion, but that doesn\'t make any sense. why would Ebay voluntarily take an $800 hit on each camera sold? This is being offered as an excuse because these select dealers aren\'t allowed to say that Canon cut them a backroom deal that none of the other dealers were privileged to receive.
In any case, it shows tremendous weakness in canon right now. They can\'t admit they priced the 5DIII too high because the early adopters will feel thrown under the bus --- but they are sitting on a mountain of cameras that need to sell. Instead, they are throwing their small dealers under the bus by going behind their back with these backroom deals.
And you make these assertions as though they are facts based on what reliable source?
I work at a camera store. I know dealer cost on canon products, and when you see a few select dealers selling USA warranty goods for $800 less than cost through channels not policed by MAP --- there are very few other conclusions that make sense. Canon is cutting deals with select dealers to blow out inventory.
Oct 25, 2012 at 09:55 PM
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