Too expensive

[dsrtao]

When a company that does a thriving business on the web has a product line that they will not sell you via web-based ordering, that product line is too expensive.

Corollary: when none of their competitors will display prices either, the technology is too expensive.

Comments

[robertdfeinman.livejournal.com]

Hidden pricing is usually a sign of collusion among vendors. Not only don't they want to compete with each other on price, but they want to keep the customer in the dark so that they have is called an "asymmetrical information" advantage.

The classic example is the used car salesman who knows what's wrong with the car, but you don't.

The way to deal with this is more work, but it is to issue an RFP or similar and ask for written quotes. If they won't do that it is more than price that they are trying to hide.

Yes, the internet will do away with much of this collusion - eventually.