consumer reports price listings

[avmaster]

Mike, washington DC
as a electronics retailer i have to adhere to MAP ( minimal advertised price ) agreements with the majority of the manufacturers i deal with. The March issue of Consumer Reports listed some extremely low prices on plasma TVs, in some cases the price was at and/or below cost! While i have no problem with the info published about consumer electronics ( although some of it is incorrect ) it does become a major issue when consumers ask me to price-match thoses listed by the publication. I do maintain a price-matching policy and I have matched some of the prices listed by CR at my lost for the sake of maintaining customer relations. When i asked CR where they got these prices i was told " from advertised prices across the country and industry insiders". I am seriously considering a lose of revenue suit against CR and wanted to know if I have legal grounds to do so

[I AM ALWAYS LIABLE]

Originally Posted by avmaster

Mike, washington DC
as a electronics retailer i have to adhere to MAP ( minimal advertised price ) agreements with the majority of the manufacturers i deal with. The March issue of Consumer Reports listed some extremely low prices on plasma TVs, in some cases the price was at and/or below cost! While i have no problem with the info published about consumer electronics ( although some of it is incorrect ) it does become a major issue when consumers ask me to price-match thoses listed by the publication. I do maintain a price-matching policy and I have matched some of the prices listed by CR at my lost for the sake of maintaining customer relations. When i asked CR where they got these prices i was told " from advertised prices across the country and industry insiders". I am seriously considering a lose of revenue suit against CR and wanted to know if I have legal grounds to do so

My response:

Yeah, right. You want to go up against Consumer's Union . . . you and what army? You have no cause of action anyway.

IAAL

[avmaster]

OK, but would it be unreasonable for me to seek some kind of legal order for CR only to list MAP pricing??????

[I AM ALWAYS LIABLE]

Originally Posted by avmaster

OK, but would it be unreasonable for me to seek some kind of legal order for CR only to list MAP pricing??????

My response:

You're not going to spend the money unless you're looking to go bankrupt. CU has every right to say and write whatever they want. It doesn't have to be correct or accurate. It just has to be their opinion, and they have case law on their side in this respect.

Your choice is to discontinue your price guarantee.

IAAL

[matti422]

Have you considered changing your "price match" guarantee to include only locally advertised prices? I know I have sometimes been denied price matching to internet pricing because of restrictions such as this.

It's possible (just a theory), that the MAP is not the same for an OEM across the nation. CR would most likely not take this into consideration. I think your best business bet is to limit your own losses by a change to your price matching guarantee.