NiteCore EA4 @fasttech $46.60

Tempting… I think I’d be in if they carried the EA4W.

Ouch… $69.95 now…

I hope someone goes ahead and makes a Nitecore EA4 clone soon. That crap about the Mfg setting the price is a bunch of BS. If a seller pays the price the Mfg is asking and the seller owns the product, they should have the right to sell it for what they want.

FastTech can you list it for $69.96 then have a coupon for BLF that will be minus the difference between the original price?

There is one on Aliexpress for around $50 after 5% off and nearly everyone else is already selling for $59 with a coupon as well.

If they try to enforce it then they are going to have to enforce it with everyone then no one can sell their products so they are only hurting them self.

Also it seems a little retarded of them to not want to move more units, unless they are expecting a flood of returns due to a whole bunch of issues with it.

If it was me dealing with them I would probably just take them off my site if they are restricting you from giving the customer your best price.

Anyway, keep up the good work and good luck with this dilemma.

Wow, Fasttech should simply make special BLF coupon for that light so we can buy it at its lowest price instead of paying $ because Nitecore wants so.
Better ask them about their legal status with JetBeam, see what they answer about stealing JetBeams trademarks and intellectual property and marketing their products as their own :D!

Exactly the s**t gunsafari went through for doing TM11 sale last time.

Why can’t you guys simply stop supporting nitecore. When the buying stop, the BS ends too. :slight_smile:

It’s called price fixing, and it’s illegal in most countries. It certainly is here. The penalties are huge.

A member on another site I am a member of got this email from FastTech:

dang it… i should have pull the trigger faster… but i already bought one last month for $60 ( during special sale):frowning:
damn you nitecore… that’s the last light i ever buy from the nitecore.
PS: your light ain’t that good… after awhile the button stuck on high mode, can’t change into other modes

well i saved myself like 50 bucks i guess not buying it (broke as of now), but hey i still support you guys fasttech, keep it up!

I’ve sent this to Dorrie (dorrie_lu@nitecore.com) for her response.

[START]

Hi Dorrie,

I understand from various forums, including NiteCore EA4 @fasttech $46.60 and Nitecore EA4 - 4x AA 860 Lumen, US $46.90 with Free Shipping @ FastTech (Page 2) - OzBargain, that you have seen fit to threaten Fasttech in relation to their pricing of the Nitecore EA4.

Specifically, you have been alleged to have made the following statement to Fasttech:

“hi, this is dorri lu from nitecore, your nitecore prices are breaking MAP by a significant amount, i truly hope you can restore the EA4 price back to MAP $74.95, or we’ll have to do sth strong. I hope you can undersatnd and fix it NOW. Thank you.”

Are you aware that the Hong Kong legislature enacted wide-ranging competition laws in June 2012, which included laws on price-fixing?

I am considering making a formal complaint to the Hong Kong Competition Commission to have your conduct investigated for breach of the new laws, however i am giving you an opportunity to respond to my concerns in the first instance.

Regards,

[END]

I’ll give her till Monday.

UPDATE

I have received the following response:

[START]

Hi, nice to receive your email.
I’m sorry that i do not know much about the HongKong wide-ranging competition laws, and i am not in any place want to do things against it.
Maybe you would know, some big companies have their own MAP policy and regulation, brand name flashlights manufacturers like Surefire, Streamligght, and we have ours too. We need to ensure that most of our sellers can have fair competition by their service. But Fasttech is just breaking MAP by a significant amount, if is just a little, i won’t send a email like that, and i got so many complaints from other authorized dealers. “Do sth strong” means we might consider won’t selling any flashlights to him if he insisting on selling the EA4 that cheap. His behavior is hurting the benefit of our other clients. so i have no choice but to send him a warning letter. And in fact, he is breaking the MAP again, by selling EA4 at $54.6.
Besides, i just send only one email to Fasttech, never send any to budgetlightforum and ozbargain, i even do not know what ozbargain is.I have to find out what happens there.
Thank you.

Best regards,
Dorri lu

SYSMAX Industry Trading Company Limited
ADD: RM 1407-08, Glorious Tower, 850 East Dongfeng Road, Guangzhou, China
PC: 510600
Tel: 0086-83862000 Fax: 0086-20-83882723
Email: dorri_lu@nitecore.com
Skype: dorrilu
Web: www.nitecore.com

[END]

My response is as follows:

[START]

Dear Dorrie,

Thank you for your response.

I am in Australia, and if you did what you have done here the penalites to your company could have been severe. It may indeed have been career-limiting for you. Precisely what the ramifications for your firm under Hong Kong law are not entirely clear, mainly as the law is new and still being ‘activated’.

While i can understand the pressure you may have been under from other retailers, the problem with essentially threatening one with restrictions to supply is it is anti-competitive. You can always ask them to, but you cross the line when you threaten or suggest supply restrictions. What may surprise you is such conduct is not always in the interests of the wholesaler (namely, you). There are historic cases in Australia of wholesalers/manufacturers seeking to maintain price control (essentially seeking to artificially elevate prices) and ultimately going out of business given pressure from competitors with substitutable products.

The reason is quite simple. The lower the retail price, the more you as the wholesaler/manufacturer sell to the retailer. While a balance must be struck, there is no shortage of other torches that compete with your product that consumers could buy - so not only do you not get the sale, but your competitors do. Your firm weakens, while your competitors get stronger. The only time it can really make sense is when there is a lack of substitutes, and that’s not the case for your firm.

It may well be unlawful what you did, albeit unknowingly. I’ve decided not to test it with a complaint, unless i see evidence of a repeat. However it is almost certainly in the interests of your firm to resist pressure from other retailers - instead perhaps ask them why they are not sufficiently competitive to match the pricing of Fasttech. Fasttech should not be penalised for managing to operate so competitively that they undercut their competitors in the retail space. Retailers like Fasttech have contributed to Hong Kong/China becoming the economic powerhouse it is today.

Regards,

[END]

I’ll leave it there.

Thank you for filing a complaint, flashpan.

Oh and welcome to BLF. You’ll have a great time.

Hey Flashpan, thanks for your efforts. It has become moot and academic as FT has has decided to ignore Nitecore’s complaint (and brought back the old, low price). However, your letter will serve as a warning to other manufacturers not to do the same. Congrats!

Welcome, flashpan!

Lets see what Nitecore answers…

Im not sure I want to support this company anymore, all the muddy deals with their separation from JetBeam, now threats to Fasttech regarding MSRP…

Currently fasttech price is the same as DX, so all they have done now is price matching…
If Nitecore boycotts fasttech for that, then they go off my list for future products I will consider to buy…

Im not sure whether Im allowed to post such links in this thread in order not to derail it too much, but heres some interesting read I found regarding Sysmax/Nitecore/JetBeam:

http://www.everydaycommentary.com/2012/08/information-regarding-jetbeam_18.html

http://www.everydaycommentary.com/2012/10/information-regarding-jetbeam-part-ii_7.html

Nitecore might as well go direct-selling like what is Thrunite doing now. Better for dealers and buyers perhaps?

New PRICECONTROL coupon code will reduce price to $46.90. More info below:

https://budgetlightforum.com/t/-/13340?page=4#comment-310276

This is direct from their web page two or three days ago. Probably won’t have a warranty from Nitecore at the $46 price, but with it coming from China it’s not gonna matter anyway. When it breaks throw it in the s—t can. :slight_smile:

Thanks to Flashpan, Woody, bcoz and all others who wrote email, posted messages and spread the word about this and got the price lowered again. :cowboy_hat_face:

I just ordered one in NW :slight_smile: