“Ergohuman Prices: What’s the Deal?”
New customers often ask, “What is with MAP pricing?” Repeat customers ask, “Did Eurotech raise their prices?” The answer is yes! On September 1st, 2007 Minimum Advertised Pricing (MAP) was implemented by Eurotech / Raynor. This is a policy that must be followed by all authorized dealers selling the Ergohuman chairs online. This MAP pricing applies only to dealers that sell online and only affects the Ergohuman chairs, not the entire Eurotech line. The required prices are: Leather High Back - $599, Mesh High Back - $579, Leather Mid Back - $569, Mesh Mid Back - $549. If a dealer is advertising any of these models for a lower price, Eurotech has the right to pull their line and refuse shipping. The policy DOES NOT say that the dealer must sell the chairs for these prices. It just means these are the prices that must be advertised online or not shown at all. Phone orders, on-site coupons and best offers are allowed and widely accepted methods that reduce the unit price.
My belief is that Raynor implemented this policy in an attempt to eliminate the price wars going on between online dealers. The internet is a great fact-finding resource and researching the Ergohuman is no different. Many online dealers were drastically slashing their prices in order to stay competitive and generate sales. This type of price drop on a regular basis hurt the traditional “brick and mortar” stores which are the backbone of the office furniture industry. The new pricing policy helps keep “brick and mortar” stores competitive with the internet companies. It also makes it very easy for buyers to distinguish between authorized dealers and non-dealers. If the prices are not advertised as mentioned above, simply put, the seller isn’t an authorized dealer and/or your order is in jeopardy of ever being shipped.
In order to find a good price, do a simple Google search for the term “Raynor Ergohuman”. You will find numerous pages with authorized dealers ranging from traditional websites to shopping sites like Bizrate.com, Shopping.com, Shopzilla.com and even eBay.com! Look for websites that say something like “see price in cart” or “call for current prices” or “MAP pricing, call for discount.” Call them. Ask for current pricing. You will often be able to receive a savings of $25 to $100 when you place the order over the phone. Another option is to make an eBay authorized ergohuman dealer a best offer (not all sellers accept this method). Typically, buyers are given up to three offers per auction, allowing everyone the opportunity to submit legitimate offers.