Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I was doing some emails tonight with a dealer about a certain instrument and was told that the new price increase MAY affect current outstanding back orders as well.

Has anyone else heard this?

Y'know what, I didn't think it would, but someone at my local dealer told me she "didn't know" if it would affect my 5002v58 order or not.

That's going to be between each dealer and their respective customer. RIC is a third party to such transactions.

That being said, if your dealer is going to pull that kind of deal on you, I am pretty sure I know some other dealers that won't. The market being what it is, the dealers that pull that on customers will lose customers to those dealers that do not.

And to answer your question, no I have not heard this.

If you already have a transaction for which you have put money down for a determined sales price, it would be a breach of contract for the seller to unilaterally change the price on you.

However, if you talking about a very rare or difficult item to obtain, then the seller can charge whatever they want.

For example: You have an agreement to guy a 660 for $1400 and you have put $700 down. If that specific guitar never comes in, then you get your $700 back. But maybe another "different" 660 comes in and the dealer now wants to sell this new guitar for $2500. That's what you'll have to pay unless you can find it somewhere else.

If ALL the dealers pull this trick, then all the prices will go up. However, if one tries this but another not, you know where your money will be going.

********.

All orders in house before the price increase will ship at the old prices. It'll be years before we see the effect of the increase.

Thank you Mr. Hall.

I love this place and RIC!

Excellent, thanks John.

There is no better word in the English language to stop a rumor dead in its tracks, than "********".

I know of one dealer who gave me a quote on a 340/12 that he had in stock the week before NAMM. Two days after the price increases were announced, the very same guitar was $190 more. Needless to say, I would never buy anything from this guy.

RIC may not be charing more for outstanding orders, but that doesn't stop dealers from doing so.

I thought "********" got bought out by Robinson's-May Company...

I second that Ray.

JimK

It would not be ethical for a dealer to spring the price rise on a guitar ordered at the old price on which a customer has already agreed the price and put a deposit down. If a dealer tried this the very least they should do is offer a refund on your deposit.

My guess is that many dealers will take advantage of the new prices on 'unsold' guitars (those with no deposits against the order) and maximise their profit that way. After all, if you haven't a Rickenbacker on order and you had to order one, you would have to pay the new price - so if someone has the model/colour/spec you want in stock most people would pay the current list price to get the guitar without the wait. Those guitars that are not in demand will be offered at 'disocunt to the current list price'. It's all a case of supply and demand and if you can find a dealer offering the model in the spec you want at the old price now is the time to bite.

Would it be reasonable to assume that if you checked a serial number on a Rick at a store, and found it to be produced before the end of 2006, then the dealer would not have paid the new price for that guitar?

Just a way to check.

As Mr. Hall said, there is still a much larger window of time (years?) before Rick will ship guitars where the new price was paid. So maybe end of 2007 would be a fair date for checking serial numbers.

Instruments that have been ordered specifically from dealers by customers should ethically be sold based upon the cost at the time of the order. If a deposit is involved, that moves from ethically to legally.

However, I do see that some dealers might price instruments in stock (or those coming in that they receive at the old prices) based upon their new replacement cost. If I were a dealer, I'm not sure I would do that, at least to an existing customer, but I won't go so far as to say it's wrong.

That's good to know. Thanks.