MAP is good. It will give money to R&D and some pocket money for the middle people, or at least command SOME decent profit. Imagine if those factory workers only profit .00001 cent per flashlight they sell cuz Joe Smuck here doesn’t wanna spend that 5 bucks for UCL lens or 2 bucks on that fancy holster and gets it from inside sources.
So instead of being patriotic to FLF and go shopping at FLF.com he goes to KPF.com and buys them all at discount price, usually at 1/2 off with KPF coupons on top of it. So basically a free flashlight except they pay for PHAT shipping. Then there’s this company called slowtech who sells them at near 0 profits and thus monopolizing every flashaholics addiction, leaving 0 traffic on other retailer’s websites.
If the MAP is too high we can all wait for another flashlight. Just like we did for TN31, m@glites & surefires.
I am pro buyer with the realistic price alias no highly over margin like currently happen in the branded light.
so if MAP legally allow each party in the supply chain grabs significantly high profit then I am favor for MAP removal specifically for flashlight.
Wb selling many products about same price with FT, 10% disc. vs 5% disc.
If FT selling near 0 profit, Wb subsidized or simply we don’t know actual selling price to reseller? I don’t believe FT selling for near 0 profit, at least for some products of e-cigarette (still good for retail price).
Strange, why I rarely see someone pointing on Wb for their price.
I can’t speak or read Mandarin, so I’m not sure either. Using google translate, I think this website is interesting to get some figure about price (many other products on bottom page): Taobao seller
Well I both like and dislike MAP I like it, because it saved me a lot money in the last weeks LOL
Otherwise I dont like it, because I would like to buy some nice flashlights But for MAP they are to expensive and I wont buy them. Point.
I think Fasttech and Co. still is a small source for buying flashlights… Most people here wont buy in china and pay for products in germany. The LED Lenser P7 e.g. is ranked no 1 at german amazon with over 300 reviews for over 55USD. So I dont think that if fasttech sells under MAP it has a big impact for the companies… But they have more sales and maybe more profit.
Almost all the major flashlight manufacturers have some form of MAP pricing. Sometimes its enforced, sometimes it is not. Sometimes its difficult or impossible to enforce due to “rogue suppliers” buying from other dealers then selling it for whatever price they want, and disregarding MAP.
MAP is there for multiple reasons.
1) To protect a dealers margin
2) To prevent larger dealers from having an unfair pricing advantage, leading to lower retail pricing (where smaller dealers can not compete).
3) By protecting a dealers margin, it also protects the manufacturer. If I make $15 selling a light, that’s not bad, I might continue selling that light. If that margin is crushed down to $2-3, I will either stop selling, or demand that the manufacturer decreases their prices, so I can increase my margin.
4) Having MAP pricing with a decent margin for dealers, allows us to offer service we otherwise wouldn’t be able to offer. For example, If I made $2-3 selling a light, do you think I’d cough up money to pay for someones return shipping and fix / replace the light for them? If so, everytime a problem happens, I’d be in the red. With MAP and that buffer, I can afford to provide excellent service to my customers, and absorb those expenses when they arise.
When your trustfire flashlight you bought from Hong Kong breaks, how to you go about getting it fixed or replaced? The HK dealer probably is not going to pay your return shipping for the product, as they made $2-3 selling it to you. So you are stuck with a broken light. The manufacturer sold the product at such a thin margin, they will also want nothing to do with you.
Having MAP pricing doesn’t mean that you can’t get a good deal, it just means we can’t directly advertise the deal. Sometimes newsletters and facebook pages etc, will have some nice coupons etc.
Well when I got a underdriven HD2010 from FastTech I told them about it. They told me I could send it back. I ask them if they would help me on the return shipping when they get it and they did and gave me a full refund. They also made it known publicly on their website that the HD2010 were on the weak side at like 1.8 amps I believe it was. They alerted their supplier. But it’s all about buying from a company that you can trust. FastTech will take care of you if you need warranty service. And most of the time you won’t. So the money you can save up front to me is what is important, not the thought that I’m gonna buy from this such and such dealer and pay more now but if I ever need service on this light I got the red carpet treatment. Heck I got over 110 flashlights and very few ever needed worked on. But I did buy some from Chinese sellers off of ebay that sold me some weak driven lights. I complained about it and got another one on top of the one I had. Now they kept me as a customer. But they also know now not send me a weak driven light. But knowing who to buy from is the key to knowing your in good hands. FastTech is one of the best at pleasing their customers and not lying to them like other overseas companies.
What happens when the light breaks 6 months later? A lot of products these kinds of dealers sell they are not authorized dealers for, so there is no manufacturers warranty.
It there is no profit in a product, pretty soon the only person that will sell you that product is some shonk on ebay who doesn’t give a damn about warranty, CS or you in general.
Dealers need to make a fair profit to be able to have good CS, staff to ship on time and cash to invest in new products.
I’m not talking ripp off profits but enough to make it wortwhile.
Many of you complain about shipping time from China, believe me if there’s no profit, China is the only place you’ll be buying from, no one here will be able keep there doors open without making a profit.
Product Warranty (faulty / defective over normal use)
Unless otherwise noted on the product page, product warranty is 6 months counted from the date of shipment.
•Within 3 months from shipment:
Upon returning, defective items are replaced and shipped back to customers for free. Return shipping reimbursement is USD 40 or 50% of the item’s price, whichever is lower.
•Within 6 months from shipment:
Upon returning, defective items are replaced and shipped back to customers for free. Return shipping reimbursement is unavailable.
•Afterwards:
Customers may still send defective items back to FastTech. FastTech passes those items back to their manufactures and helps coordinating the repair. Customers are responsible for shipping charges both ways.
Depending on the problem, fees may be assessed by the manufacturers. FastTech will contact customers before committing the repairs.
MAP protects smaller sellers it’s as simple as that and if that is what a manufacturer decided to do that is their business. If it doesn’t work out for them then they will change or go out of business.
If you don’t like it buy from another manufacturer and stop complaining about it.
I don’t see anybody crying about anything. That’s why the guy started this thread. I see both sides. And I do see why others got so dang mad when someone complains to their brand supplier and ruins prices for all of us at FastTech. What was’nt a big issue became one to a lot of folks here who likes to buy flashlights at the best prices they can. Now if you or anybody else has a problem understanding that then that’s your problem and not for us that are deal seekers to worry about. I think most would agree they would rather brag about how cheap they got a light for than on trying to brag about overpaying for one.
Whatever you say, call it complaining if that makes you feel better. If you want to support Fast Tech then buy from them. I do all the time. In fact I have averaged two orders a week from them. That doesn’t mean for one second that I won’t buy any light at any time because the manufacturer has rules that Fast Tech chose to break. Did somebody force them to break the rules?
You are damn right, Brad. Why bother with this MAP thing if manufacturer/wholesaler will at the same time allow a retailer to get around the MAP by giving out coupon codes? (thereby giving the retailer the same amount of money received) Isn’t it the height of contradiction?
Here goes somebody running their mouth and not knowing the facts of what the truth was. I suggest you email FastTech and get the facts before you start sharpening your axe for the slaughter.
Who is running their mouth? If Fast Tech broke no rules then why did they have the problem? Explain it to me? Seriously your attitude stinks. I have ran more than one successful business and I am now retired from doing just that. I know that a good manufacturer protects it’s dealers when it can. If that bothers you then you have a “problem” as you like to say.
Crelant was the one that screwed the stuff up. FastTech shoved those Crelant flashlights up Crelants asses. I would of put brand new 18650 batteries in them and turned them on as well. :bigsmile:
Again Crelant started all this crap due to a complaint here. And I don’t need to go into the specifics . You got a brain you can figure it out.
I like it, because it saved me a lot money in the last weeks 
But for MAP they are to expensive and I wont buy them. Point.