Hi Tom, auditioned it on at one of the Bay Area Piano-Organ Store Chain dealers whose name starts with the letter 'C'. Email me privately and I'll give you the name (if you haven't already guessed) as well as the specific store. The sales guy gave me the typical sleazy sales line: List Price is $6,500 but that he would offer it to me at a once in a lifetime SPECIAL deal of $3,500. I then told the guy I knew that the dealer cost is (closer to $2,000), and then he just shot back with 'hey, I need to make some kind of a profit'. Sounded more like highway robbery to me.

Anyway, I'm really surprised Technics-Panasonic USA doesn't implement MAP pricing (manufacter advertised prices) on Technics arranger keyboard's. This would certainly help prevent dealer's from artificially inflating prices, and would give uninformed consumers at least some reasonable idea of what they SHOULD be paying, and a fairer starting point of which to negotiate a FAIR deal from. I mean HOW MUCH profit should be considered fair and reasonable for a dealer. What upset me more was the fact that the dealer knew less about the keyboard than I, and that it was ME who had to show HIM how to operate it. Geez!

I'm wondering what others of you think constitutes a FAIR dealer 'mark up' price for an arranger keyboard which costs them $2,100 (dealer cost). Do you guys think the above dealer's price was within reason? Am I perhaps missing something?

Feedback appreciated.

Scott