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Smarthome Memorial Day Sale


Techman

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Posted

Man! Custom Keypad buttons have doubled in price since I first bought them. And then $11 shipping and handling for a small envelope that can't weigh 2oz!  Its sneaking up on the cost of the switch itself.

Posted

Unfortunately the custom KPL buttons are still ridiculously over priced.

 

Doesn't matter they were excluded from the 20% sale anyways. I've mentioned this about 999999999 times before the pricing of some of these items are simply retarded.

 

At the more sane yet still expensive price of $19.XX it was in reach of many customers who needed them. At $49.99 price point you're simply gouging the customer and showing your ignorance on market value.

 

Its the same with the KPL pricing they have this fictitious grayed out price of $99.XX which they have never been. In their so called sale price of $79.XX as the offer to the stupid.

 

This is business, and in business your there to make money that's how it works in the free market. You can ask for what ever you want and price it what ever you want.

 

If there is a buyer and sees value in your product it sells.

 

The above is the most basic premise of the open market. The problem I have with Smarthome's pricing strategy is that its based on the stupid. Its like how many folks price things at $1.99 for the longest time where as companies like Walmart advertise their wares with sevens.

 

This sort of mental play on the stupid appears to work on the general public over all. But, when its poorly executed like it is with Smarthome it simply reflects the company has no freaking idea about advertising or price strategy.

 

I walk around the mall all the time and you will see the same stupid signs which were up 18 months ago. Hey look at me we have a sale everything in the store is discounted *Up to XX percent*

 

Really???

 

Up to XX percent . . .

 

The reality is 99% of the items that even meet that XX% are just junk items they insist upon carrying. The bottom line is every business needs to make money to stay a float. But, lets be honest and practical about how you sell and advertise your wares. Keep the pricing reasonable and logical where it compares favorably to other items in the market.

 

Keeping in mind not in the same vain as the other stupid . . .

 

How is that you say??

 

Well, because there will always be one stupid company who starts a trend and all the sheeple will follow. This translates to the market being saturated with the same stupid pricing, products, and lack luster competition and feature sets one has come to expect in a competitive market place.

 

Apple has been the king & queen of stupid in this last 10 years. They have been able to perpetuate its not required to replace any component in a laptop. The ensuing stupidity has spread clear across the market place where you're hard pressed to find a thin and light laptop that can be configured.

 

At some point people really need to wake up and smell the coffee. They need to vote with their wallet and stop rewarding the companies that insist upon such product pricing and ill conceived adverts.

Posted

Just have to wait for the sale on the custom buttons, I've never paid  more than $14 somethign for mine.  My beef is the silk screen wears off reasonably fast, so buttons that you use a lot get hard to read.

I should find a little self adhesive plastic cover like scrapbooking or laminating to put over them.

Posted

www.aartech.ca

 

is usually cheaper than the SH 20% off, everyday, with the current CAN/USD exchange. on most Insteon products. I haven't bought other brands yet.

 

For the four items I am after, the aartech site is approx $188, vs the smarthome at $168.00, if I had to pay sales tax it would be close or if more what I was after was on sale in Canada it could drop slightly below.

Posted

www.aartech.ca

 

is usually cheaper than the SH 20% off, everyday, with the current CAN/USD exchange. on most Insteon products. I haven't bought other brands yet.

 

They charge $25 flat rate to ship to the States (no free shipping) so that pretty much wipes out the exchange rate advantage and then some, but their prices are a bit lower than Smarthome.

Posted

They charge $25 flat rate to ship to the States (no free shipping) so that pretty much wipes out the exchange rate advantage and then some, but their prices are a bit lower than Smarthome.

 

Well, its not as bad as Smarthomes insane price of $32.XX to send anything including a envelope!

Posted

For the four items I am after, the aartech site is approx $188, vs the smarthome at $168.00, if I had to pay sales tax it would be close or if more what I was after was on sale in Canada it could drop slightly below.

Was that considering the exchange on the currency and if you are in the States there would be no sales tax?

 

I am not sure what their shipping rates are with "free shipping over $200" to the US.

Posted

Was that considering the exchange on the currency and if you are in the States there would be no sales tax?

 

I am not sure what their shipping rates are with "free shipping over $200" to the US.

I don't think they ship free to the States even if you spend over 200., Not sure if they collect a sales tax. The current exchange rate is about 1.22 CN for a US dollar.

Posted

I don't think they ship free to the States even if you spend over 200., Not sure if they collect a sales tax. The current exchange rate is about 1.22 CN for a US dollar.

That's is correct for orders under $399.

 

6 pc Motion Sensors = 210 + $25 shipping to Florida (not free) = $235 CAN or after PayPal exchange rate about  $194 USD

or  $32.36 USD each. I don't know what your tax grab is for border crossings, if any for small packages.

 

SH came to about $28.xx in 4 pc quantities with the 20% deal. On those SH wins for US customers and then the returns and warranty gets awkward too.

 

I guess the shipping is always going to be the border guard preventing cross-border shopping.

Posted

I got an email this morning.

They added free shipping on orders over $99

Yup.  Two things I've learned about Smarthome over the years:

1) Always wait for the sale

2) Always wait for the LAST DAY of the sale

Posted

Yup.  Two things I've learned about Smarthome over the years:

1) Always wait for the sale

2) Always wait for the LAST DAY of the sale

 

Doesn't apply to shipments to Canada! It never ceases to amaze me an American company will ship tens of thousands of miles even clear across the ocean for free, or at a reduced price via USPS etc. Yet some town across the 49th parallel who is less than 200 miles away (border town) will get either we don't ship to Canada to the famous.

 

Bend over and get ready for some extreme shipping prices!

Posted

Doesn't apply to shipments to Canada! It never ceases to amaze me an American company will ship tens of thousands of miles even clear across the ocean for free, or at a reduced price via USPS etc. Yet some town across the 49th parallel who is less than 200 miles away (border town) will get either we don't ship to Canada to the famous.

 

Bend over and get ready for some extreme shipping prices!

Well, you know it's because you get all that free health care. We are all so jealous of our northern neighbors.

 

Part of the problem is Customs. It's cheaper and easier for me to ship to Vietnam than it is Canada.

 

I wish I had a good answer for you.

 

Gary

Posted

Well, you know it's because you get all that free health care. We are all so jealous of our northern neighbors.

 

Part of the problem is Customs. It's cheaper and easier for me to ship to Vietnam than it is Canada.

 

I wish I had a good answer for you.

 

Gary

Free Health care? Americans have been brainwashed by some politicians and whiners on that one. We pay for Dental, Drugs, Chiro, Physio (Physical Therapy), Shrinks, and almost every health care if not in a hospital. Our unions have to fight to get benefits and those are on the way out. They just cost too much as the pharma-giants and docs  get rich Insurance gets some of that under control but then they all just move out or invent more vaccines to sell you that prevent scrapes and bruises.

 

 Customs has nothing to do on either side. There is no duties anymore between US and Canucksville. "Duty Free" is a registered trademark.

 

Where the shipping companies get freaked out is collecting sales taxes. If they drop ship it the customer forgets about the taxes and they have to chase them. If they charge the taxes at the door they charge a bond fee that is usually about $35 to collect a $1.23 taxes. This does not affect the shipping end's costs but the shippers still get excited and want exorbitant rates. 

 

It's really the unknown that makes the suppliers charge so much. The ones that want to ship to Canada get tax licenses and charge it at POS. The packages come like from next door then.

Posted

The issue I see is duty. Canadians want foreign countries to collect duty for the Canadian Government.

 

Most businesses don't like their own government let alone a foreign government. It's not my job to collect money for any government other than the local government in which I do business.

 

So getting a business in the U.S. to collect taxes for Canada is not going to happen for 98%. Most won't even ship out of their state, so shipping to a foreign country will get you laughed at.

 

I don't know how it is in Canada, but in the U.S. we are fed up with being over taxed and seeing our tax money wasted. So the word Tax will get you on the bad side faster than talking bad about our Mother.

 

That's just the way it is.

 

Sorry and best regards,

Gary

Posted

Doesn't matter they were excluded from the 20% sale anyways. I've mentioned this about 999999999 times before the pricing of some of these items are simply retarded.

 

At the more sane yet still expensive price of $19.XX it was in reach of many customers who needed them. At $49.99 price point you're simply gouging the customer and showing your ignorance on market value.

 

 

 

 

Teken, just got this response back from Smarthome.

 

 

  Regarding the custom keys, they were priced at $19.95 due to an ongoing promotion. That promotion has since ended and they are currently back to their original price of     $49.95. At this time I am unaware of plans to bring back a similar promotion.

 

 

Guest Digger
Posted

That's an insane price. Glad I don't need to buy any.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Posted

Teken, just got this response back from Smarthome.

 

 

Regarding the custom keys, they were priced at $19.95 due to an ongoing promotion. That promotion has since ended and they are currently back to their original price of $49.95. At this time I am unaware of plans to bring back a similar promotion.

Well thanks for asking but their reply doesn't mean a whole lot to the folks who understand the product is simply over priced.

 

These silly pricing strategies have persisted for years. So their canned reply is just insulting to a persons intelligence.

 

 

Ideals are peaceful - History is violent

Posted

I don't know if sales are down for Smarthome or they have excess Insteon Inventory.

Today's email added a 20% off coupon for June. If the order this month had any Insteon modules in it. As the 20% sale this month was for most anything on their site.

Posted

Wow, I think that's a new play in the Smarthome playbook.  Time to pull the trigger on my wishlist items... 8)

Posted

Free Health care? Americans have been brainwashed by some politicians and whiners on that one. We pay for Dental, Drugs, Chiro, Physio (Physical Therapy), Shrinks, and almost every health care if not in a hospital. Our unions have to fight to get benefits and those are on the way out. They just cost too much as the pharma-giants and docs  get rich Insurance gets some of that under control but then they all just move out or invent more vaccines to sell you that prevent scrapes and bruises.

 

 

I love the ignorance about health care in other countries from US citizens that don't have a clue (US citizen here). I lived in Germany for 4 years and their health care isn't the free socialized system many US politicians would try to have their constituents believe it is. 

 

But back on topic, I would buy a whole lot more Insteon products if their prices weren't so insane. I personally prefer the built-in switches/outlets vs. the plugin modules. Maybe I'll need to create an Amazon wish list and give it to my friends for gift suggestions :)  

Posted

I love the ignorance about health care in other countries from US citizens that don't have a clue (US citizen here). I lived in Germany for 4 years and their health care isn't the free socialized system many US politicians would try to have their constituents believe it is.

 

But back on topic, I would buy a whole lot more Insteon products if their prices weren't so insane. I personally prefer the built-in switches/outlets vs. the plugin modules. Maybe I'll need to create an Amazon wish list and give it to my friends for gift suggestions :)

Don't you know, Canadians get free health care and don't pay income tax. What a country.

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