Supreme Court okays price fixing! Article link...

**lukesmama** · 07-04-2007, 03:21 PM

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news0...ce_fixing.html

FYI.

I am interested to see if this affects loss leaders and such...hope not!

**baxjul** · 07-04-2007, 05:21 PM

That is just lovely!

**brainyblonde** · 07-04-2007, 05:48 PM

Ah, but it doesn't mean the consumer will buy. What will they do with the glut of goods that don't sell at the price set by the manufacturer?

**peanut** · 07-04-2007, 07:19 PM

Great!(not) Wonder how long that will take to affect Canada.

**auntie2many** · 07-04-2007, 08:24 PM

Didn't that news just make my day! sigh...

auntie

**FrugalMomof3** · 07-04-2007, 08:29 PM

Not good for us, but not good for vendors either, if we dont buy, they lose out on the money.

**rebecca** · 07-05-2007, 04:25 AM

I saw this when I was on vacation in the USA paper. Just made me upset that the Supreme Court has to put their nose into consumer pricing!

**YankeeMom** · 07-05-2007, 09:05 AM

I wonder what this will do not only to every day purchases of food and other consumer goods....but what about Black Friday?

I'm also wondering if this could be a good thing. Places like Walmart can no longer undercut everyone, they will have to focus on customer service and other ways to 'outdo' their competitors.

**NickiB** · 07-05-2007, 10:32 AM

I find it interesting that this has happened. When Vendor A purches a tv from a manufactor they purchase it for a set price. They then try to sell it for a 20% profit as the suggested retail price says. It doesn't sell cause vendor B has it set at 15%. So Vendor A lowers the price to compete with Vendor B and sells the tv. I don't see how this scenario affects the manufactor. The manufactors deal is paid and closed when the vendor purchased the item. It really takes any control the vendor has and it creates a gives the manufacteur HUGE power which I don't think is right. And us consumer, frankly just get screwed. The article says it will affect loss leaders etc.... Should be interesting.

**jamie79** · 07-05-2007, 10:39 AM

I guess we will have to see what happens. Should be interesting.

**ewokgirl** · 07-05-2007, 02:23 PM

I was thinking along the same lines as Nicki. The manufacturer sells the product at a certain price. They get their money, so why do they care what the vendor sells it for? Assuming I remember to do so, I'll research this further when I have more time. I'm really curious to know who was the purse designer and why he or she took this whole mess to court.

Should be very interesting to see how this plays out. My fear is that manufacturers will start setting higher retail prices to boost their own profits. Then again, not having ever been in the retail business, I don't know if that means that vendors will refuse to buy if the price is jacked up. But this all sounds potentially quite harmful to the consumer.

Maybe this will help America stem its consumeristic love affair with stuff.

**pinetree** · 07-05-2007, 03:05 PM

Wow, so glad you posted this.

We have been pricing a Honda generator for the 5th wheel. We thought it was really weird that the RV place sold it for $4200. Ok they are usually higher than most places. So up the road we go, well we went to 3 more places, plus checking them out online at different places,, they are all $4200. Not a penny higher , not a penny lower.. So this is already happening.
This is not good. I know before we could have gotton it for around $3000. Now am checking out Craigs list for a used..

**jlaporte** · 07-05-2007, 03:48 PM

what else is new? there pockets get big and ours keep getting smaller!like buying stuff isnt a sticker shock already!
what does the supriem court have to do with this anyway? why not take it to the people who have to look for sales and such. they dont they have more than enouph money that they just dont care about us little people.
i think they are all just too old to be making these choices for us.

**Katybird** · 07-05-2007, 04:09 PM

It is ironic that the people making this law do not have to worry about shopping for loss leaders, their salaries afford them them luxury of making laws that in no way affect their lives. It really stinks that they have the life long appointment to the bench, they know that the consumers can not vote them off the bench so they are in the position of ultimate power, hmmm, I wonder if that kind of power is really what our founding fathers had in mind for this country ?

**lukesmama** · 07-05-2007, 04:13 PM

Originally Posted by Katybird

I wonder if that kind of power is really what our founding fathers had in mind for this country ?

Absolutely not.

But don't get me started on politics.

I agree that it's ironic the ones making this judgment regarding prices for consumers couldn't care less how much things cost.