Leica S2 prices - 10% cheaper outside US!

[narikin]

anyone else notice that the S2 prices are now $3000 cheaper in Europe? that's a serious saving. Leica seemed to lock the US prices at a 1.5 euro to dollar, when now its 1.35, so you can but that S2 body + lens for $24,500 in the EC, with shipping to USA, instead of $27,500.

they need to do something about this, maybe a special 'kit' offer?

Alpa have their prices pegged in Sfr, the $ price rises or falls with the price of that, end of story. maybe Leica should do same in Euros?


ps - I originally posted this on LL forums, but it got drowned out by all the wildly OT postings. am really giving up on that forum - it needs moderation. sad.

 

[Guy Mancuso]

I agree it would be nice to do what Alpa does go by the going rate that day. I do think though it creates issues for dealers as they buy at a certain rate one day than that price moves on them. But I do agree leica needs to address this in some form. 3k is not chump change. Possible do a rebate kind of deal might be nice for US buyers. Not sure how that would all work but there must be a way to make this adjustment.

 

[LJL]

A possible solution that no dealer would ever want to see implemented is for folks to buy directly from Leica. So the price gets set the day they decide to make a purchase. End of the inventory/ordering issue for dealers. Just have demo models on hand and direct order from Leica for purchase and immediate delivery. Doubt we will ever see something like this, but it seems to be a possible solution for a niche player like Leica. Main drawback is not being able to walk out of a shop with camera/lens in hand the day you buy, but as it is now, most folks still have to pre-order and get it sent or picked up days/weeks later anyway. Just a thought to get past all the arbitrage moves and inventory problems.

LJ

 

[narikin]

a rebate is a good idea.
yes $3000 is worth having, its most of the way to another lens.

in this day and age you can just call / email Europe with a credit card #, and have a tax free S2 on its way to you via FedEx that day, and be $3000 better off.

 

[Lars]

You guys get the lowest prices on most goods most of the time. It's a European product so it's not surprising if the price is higher overseas, is it?

 

[narikin]

I sympathise, but its simply because USA is the biggest single language market in the world. The economies of scale, in other words.

If there was a different language and laws for Delaware, and New York and California and Texas and FL and KY and MN, etc, etc, with each requiring their own HQ, their own support team, offices, call centers, instruction books, sales team, etc... then the price in the USA would be higher. As it is, for such a huge market, the economies of scale are not passed along so much to the consumer. I suspect that for 1,000 units sold in the US compared to 1,000 units across different EC countries, manufacturers make more in the US despite the lower retail price, as their costs are centralised and a lot lower.

Leica just guessed currency movements wrong, thats all.

 

[Lars]

OK sure, that's obvious... what I was trying to say was "Stop whining".

 

[narikin]

guess you're right.
I'm only whining because I want one in the US for the EU price!

 

[carstenw]

A common lament... in reverse.

The number of products which are cheap in the States but expensive in Europe is legion. The most recent example which comes to my mind is the Apple TV: $229 in the US, €269 in Germany. There are also European products which are cheaper in the States than in Europe, and every time I see it I am frustrated. The fact is that Europeans will pay more for the same product than Americans. It saddens me that companies take advantage of this, but they do. All the time.

On the rare occasion that I see it go the other way, it makes me happy.

 

[Mark Gowin]

a rebate is a good idea.
yes $3000 is worth having, its most of the way to another lens...

I would love to get a $3000 rebate or credit toward another lens. However, I am not holding my breath.

Leica does (has) adjust prices in the US to offset large currency swings, but they don't do it often. Over the last two or three years the US prices have generally gone up to compensate for the weak dollar, but perhaps that will change if the exchange rate stabilizes for a while.

 

[narikin]

$24,300 now in Europe. As the dollar strengthens, it gets better and better...