[pct-l] Guide Book Gouging

Fri Jan 12 10:42:10 CST 2007

I would sure hate to be the Girl Scout that knocks on HIS door pushing a box 
of Thin Mints for $3.50. I can imagine the tongue lashing that would occur.

"Why, you profiteering little pixie...I can get a box of chocolate covered 
mint cookies at Walmart for half of what you are charging."
"Now get out of here before I call the cops ...but could you hand me that 
garden hose before you go ?? I've just found out that there is a  Little 
League team in the neighborhood selling candy bars for two bucks apiece.."
**SLAM***

Redwood
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bill Batchelor" <billbatch at cox.net>
To: <pct-l at backcountry.net>
Sent: Friday, January 12, 2007 7:13 AM
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Guide Book Gouging

> Scott,
>
> I think you pushed some hot buttons with the word Gouging.  It implies 
> that
> you have an insight into the "motive" of the PCTA organization.  Many 
> people
> take that personally because they know a lot of the people in that group 
> and
> know the good work they do.  As such, they are using their experience of
> working with the organization and actually knowing some of these people to
> proclaim that your conclusion is incorrect.
>
> Is the price higher, yes.  Is it higher than if you walked into REI, no. 
> Is
> it higher than if you walked into Crown Books, no (Crown books is out of
> business due to Amazons very aggressive pricing), is the book higher than 
> if
> you walked into Barnes and Noble, a little.
>
> There are many reasons for this.  The first is that the PCTA.ORG indeed
> wants to make a few dollars more than standard operating costs to put
> towards the trails.  This is their purpose in life.  Now I know what you 
> are
> thinking "A FEW DOLLARS" - of the roughly $9 difference in cost for the
> books, the trail work only accounts for a portion of it.  The rest is
> business model.
>
> Amazon can received shipments without paying inbound freight (for the 
> right
> # of unites per year the publisher will usually eat that).  Due due to the
> volume they have automated many parts of the fulfillment process.  With
> automation they do not have to manually package up the outbound, no one
> reenters the shipping information to print the labels, etc.  Due to volume
> they pay pennies for their boxing.  They buy the product at less per unit.
> Their business model is built on making very low margins and huge volumes
> (that is HUGE volumes).  Huge volumes allow you to squeeze margins and 
> still
> pay all expenses.  Without the volume, all of those advantages go away.
>
> I work in wholesale distribution, I can tell you with certainty that all 
> the
> factors make a big difference in operating cost and margin targets.
>
> So, the end result is that Amazon is cheaper than other outlets.  Though
> this difference in price in NO WAY reflects that the motives of the higher
> priced are to gouge.  And in this point, people take offense.
>
> As for myself, I have paid for membership to the PCTA.  I did not do it 
> for
> the sticker.  During the course of a day, I do not find myself proactively
> thinking about financially supporting groups such as this.  I suspect I am
> just an average guy in this regard. The days go by and I don't get around 
> to
> making donations.  So, when it comes time for me to buy something I take
> advantage of that moment to think of what organizations I want to support.
> In this way, my regular course of life gives me little moments to
> contribute.  I find this more financially palatable (and funner) than
> writing out contribution checks.  I do check for price differences even 
> then
> and decide if the difference in price is a fair and reasonable 
> contribution.
> In this case, the $27 over three books I thought was a nice thing to do.
> Somewhere in the $1,000 in stuff I have bought for hiking is a $100 that
> perhaps I could have saved if I shopped elsewhere.  That is money that 
> went
> to people I want to support; PCTA, Henry Shires, Lynn Weldon, Ray Jardine,
> etc.  It never once crossed my mind that I was being gouged.
>
> So, there is my opinion.  Collectively we walk on.
>
> Bill B
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net [mailto:pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net]
> On Behalf Of stillroaming
> Sent: Thursday, January 11, 2007 9:07 PM
> To: pct-l at backcountry.net
> Subject: [pct-l] Guide Book Gouging
>
> And that's precisely why there is a price on the cover. Otherwise, it 
> could
> possibly cost much more...still you'd sit there and tell me they're doing 
> me
> a favor.
>
> Brick, I've slandered no one. Get a grip. Charging $30 more, in my 
> opinion,
> is gouging. I've expressed my opinion in an acceptable manner. You and
> others are not happy with it. So what. Deal with it.
>
> Scott Parks
>
>> Is the PCTA they charging more than the list price printed on the
> book? No. they are not
>
> If they were doing that, then perhaps one could argue they are gouging, 
> but
> they are not.
>
> There is nothing wrong with buying at a discount, but someone slandering a
> worthy organization by accusing them of price gouging, simply for charging
> list price, paints less than a rosy picture of the accuser.
> ------------------------------------
> Trails : http://Postholer.Com
> Journals : http://Postholer.Com/journal
>
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