2 Dec 2014

FT-991 from MLS - would you believe the PRICE??

Thanks to Steve G1KQH, I see that Martin Lynch is advertising the new FT-991 from Yaesu at an incredibly high price of £1299.95.  When first shown, a price of £999 was talked about and I thought that was high. £1299.95 is surely a joke MLS?
http://www.hamradio.co.uk/sysimages/origimages/FT991-1_pr5621_1.jpg
The image above resides on the MLS website and NOT on this blog. The image and link will be removed if a problem.

Maybe MLS is trying to pay the rent on their new premises or they want to look generous when discounting? Sorry, but you have just LOST one potential customer who is NOT prepared to be ripped off. A fairer price would be £799. When I bought my FT817ND from them earlier in the year I was impressed with them. Sorry, but this is exploitation.Why rip us off? What margins are you getting,especially with the excellent exchange rates to the Yen? Come on, we are NOT all stupid! It looks a nice radio at the right price.

See http://www.hamradio.co.uk/amateur-radio-main-equipment-base-station-radio-yaesu-base-station-radio/yaesu/yaesu-ft-991-hf-50mhz-vhf-uhf-base-station-transceiver-pd-5621.php.

The latest exchange rate was 186.373 Yen to £1 which is WAY better than 2 years ago when it was about 130 Yen to £1.   Dealers - PLEASE NOTE!!!!! Don't rip us off!!! Your customers ARE aware of the greatly improved exchange rates.Funny how prices don't seem to follow.

8 comments:

G1KQH said...

I thought they were having a little pre Xmas joke!

Whats goes up must come down! Look at the price of oil now!

73 G1KQH

Roger G3XBM said...

I hope MLS read blogs. This price is WAY too high, especially with the recent Pound to Yen exchange rates. Things in Yen should be about 25% less than last year.

Anonymous said...

The UK price includes VAT, removing VAT and converting to $ at 1.56 rate gives $1689.90. If you look up Universal (US) their price is $1699.95, HRO are on $ 1669.95. Where is the Beef? The ML&S price looks good to me.

US prices often don't include the local sales tax which can vary when you cross the street, around 10-5% depending on the state and county. ( Go to the USA twice a year on business)

Have never had an issue with ML&S, always been very fair.

The oil price ain't got anything to do with it either, that's the effects of US fracking, oil in the US is VERY cheap, gas is at an all time low because of gross oversupply. They are having a boom. The Yen rate has very little to do with Ja international trade, it is the dollar that is the currency of international trade in most commodities.

Alan G8LCO

Roger G3XBM said...

No Alan, it is called "marketing". On BOTH sides of the pond there will be some new adopters who will pay this HIGH price. But NOT me. I may later when the price has fallen to a realistic figure. The FT817 started at £799 but fell (at one time) to £399.

Roger G3XBM said...

Actually I think the FT817 reached a magazine price of just £349 at one point.

Roger G3XBM said...

By the way, my dealings with MLS have been good too in the past. Why do I think (cynically) of "Black Friday"?

Anonymous said...

The suggested price on Yaesu's Japanese site is 175,000 yen, which is about Ł937. Comes closer to what first was thought, Ł999.

Roger G3XBM said...

And I presume "suggested price" is the full undiscounted price. Sorry, but the MLS price is a rip-off price: make very good profits from the early adopters, then drop the price when these dry up. Good, old fashioned, marketing ploy. Who's betting the price will fall in the spring. Guess who can wait?