Price increases and fixing among aftermarket performance parts resellers
As an avid motorhead, I am constantly pricing, buying and testing performance parts from aftermarket resellers - many online using Ebay. I have noticed a few obvious examples of price fixing among these resellers - most recently and most notibly those reselling Superchips products. Here is an example:
Searching Ebay on the keywords 'Superchips propane' returns results from six different resellers with exactly the same product - all selling at exactly the same price. None are being sold at auction, where the product could potentially be sold for under list price. My guess is that all have been instructed by Superchips that they can sell on Ebay, but only at list price, and NEVER at auction, only under 'fixed price' listings - otherwise someone would undoubtedly break rank and lower their price, offer auctions, or accept online offers from potential buyers in search of new customers.
Try searching on 'Superchips Flashpaq Duramax' and you'll see $399 is all the rage...another mandated minimum, it would appear. A similar search on 'Edge Duramax' returns a variety of prices and fixed price auctions, some with 'Make an Offer' enabled for brand new product, by comparison.
Whether price fixing by Superchips and/or their resellers is at play, and whether its illegal or not, is up to lawyers to interpret. However, this consumer's observation has led me to look elsewhere for products marketed with less obvious control over price.
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