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Re: BBC Watchdog Scaremongering

Cross-posted to 2 groups.

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"Johnny B Good" <johnny-b-good@invalid.ntlworld.com> wrote in message 
news:S2n9A.722975$kM7.697074@fx44.am4...
> On Thu, 29 Dec 2016 12:38:33 +0000, Mark Carver wrote:
>> On 29/12/2016 12:15, Adrian Caspersz wrote:
>>> Number of programs watched this season: 5 Number of shoes needed to be
>>> retrieved from behind TV: 5
>>
>> It's an awful programme, I gave up with it yonks ago
>
> I gave up on it during the mid eighties when they did a piece on Sony's
> practice of "Grey Import" marketing that allowed Dixons to grossly
> inflate their retail prices such that even with a "60% sale price
> reduction", their competitors  could still undercut them using so called
> "Grey Imports" on a camcorder that was quite obviously designed to work
> worldwide.
>
> There were several reasons why I swiftly realised that this programme
> was a monstrous waste of the airwaves. Firstly, they hadn't recognised
> that they were actually exposing Sony for the bunch of shits that they
> are for even creating the "Grey Import Market" situation in the first
> place and secondly for totally missing the bleeding obvious story about
> Dixons' gross profiteering and fraudulent pricing practice that allowed
> them to still make grossly inflated profits even after offering a 60%
> sale discount on the goods they were selling. And, to rub salt into the
> wound so to speak, even going so far as to recommend Dixons against the
> more honest traders simply because it would save warranty issues with
> Sony arising due to the "Greyness" of their purchase.
>
> So, instead of the headline being about Sony and its partner in crime,
> Dixons, ripping off the British consumer with advice that if there
> *really* was no alternative to that Sony camcorder, the consumer would
> have no choice but to pay through the nose if they didn't want to be left
> high and dry with regard to Sony servicing their warranty obligations
> despite the fact that the initial first year's warranty at least lay with
> the shop the camcorder had been purchased from in any case (this was well
> post SOGA).
>
> When that particular programme was aired, my ghast had been well and
> truly flabbered and I realised then and there that it was simply just
> another "entertainment programme" to fill a half hour or so slot in the
> schedules on the cheap. Since it failed to offer any worthwhile or
> effective consumer advice it failed to meet not only its intended purpose
> but also its effectiveness as entertainment. IOW, there was simply no
> point in its existence.

No manufacturer is obliged to sell its goods at the lowest possible price.  They are 
free to charge what the market will bear, and richer countries like the UK can 
usually afford to pay more and will.

Grey imports are those bought in cheaper markets that are imported into the UK for 
sale here.  If they are sourced from outside the EU, even if import duties are paid 
on them on entering the UK, they still cannot be freely sold here because of trade 
mark infringement issues.  The trade mark owner, eg 'Sony', is the only one entitled 
to put the trademarked goods on the market first in the EU, not a parallel importer. 
That is established law and is a consequence of the EU being a free trade area that 
excludes those not in it.  It is a protectionist measure.  Without it, such goods 
would never be sold in poorer countries at all.

So, while it is understandable that you would have liked to buy the camcorder at 
rock-bottom price, the whole economic structure of the EU would have had to be 
abandoned and a global free trade area put in its place.

Somehow, I don't think it was in Anne Robinson's power to do that, and I think your 
ire towards Watchdog is somewhat misdirected.

Besides, you weren't forced to buy the legitimate product.  If you did, you chose to 
do so at the price it was offered, and you can hardly complain.

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Thread

BBC Watchdog Scaremongering Adrian Caspersz <email@here.invalid> - 2016-12-29 12:15 +0000
  Re: BBC Watchdog Scaremongering Mark Carver <mark.carver@invalid.invalid> - 2016-12-29 12:38 +0000
    Re: BBC Watchdog Scaremongering Martin <me@address.invalid> - 2016-12-29 14:20 +0100
      Re: BBC Watchdog Scaremongering "tim..." <tims_new_home@yahoo.com> - 2016-12-29 19:48 +0000
    Re: BBC Watchdog Scaremongering "tim..." <tims_new_home@yahoo.com> - 2016-12-29 19:46 +0000
    Re: BBC Watchdog Scaremongering Johnny B Good <johnny-b-good@invalid.ntlworld.com> - 2016-12-30 06:22 +0000
      Re: BBC Watchdog Scaremongering "Norman Wells" <hex@unseen.ac.am> - 2016-12-30 10:10 +0000
  Re: BBC Watchdog Scaremongering David Wade <dave.g4ugm@gmail.com> - 2016-12-29 12:56 +0000

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