PS3 Price Confusion Continues
Just saying that you’re selling a console apparently does not mean that you are…
Earlier this week, SPOnG told you that generalist retailer Littlewoods was selling PS3 bundles at prices that we found astonishing.
We also said that we were awaiting comment from Littlewoods itself on how it could justify this. Well, finally, that response is here courtesy of Stephen Bray, Corporate Communications Manager, Littlewoods Shop Direct Group. Here’s what he told us:
So, you can order online in advance at a price that Littlewoods “anticipates” but can’t confirm. Yet it appears to be able to confirm this by stating the price online, popping the product in your shopping basket, and taking your order.
Therefore, SPOnG’s ace reporter, Adam, has sent off the following message to Paul: “The price listed online at £549 is not in line with your statement can you confirm why you are selling the PS3 at £549?”
And again, we await the response…
We also said that we were awaiting comment from Littlewoods itself on how it could justify this. Well, finally, that response is here courtesy of Stephen Bray, Corporate Communications Manager, Littlewoods Shop Direct Group. Here’s what he told us:
”Playstation 3 is expected to arrive in March 2007, and as yet, details on prices have not yet been confirmed. However, Littlewoods Shop Direct Group has confirmed its allocation and to enable customers to order Playstation 3 in advance, has listed the product on its websites and is taking advanced orders....
“The prices listed for PS3 are intended to reflect the approximate selling price that LWSDG anticipates setting, but as yet cannot be confirmed. It is expected that LWSDG will be able to confirm its actual selling prices during 2007.”
“The prices listed for PS3 are intended to reflect the approximate selling price that LWSDG anticipates setting, but as yet cannot be confirmed. It is expected that LWSDG will be able to confirm its actual selling prices during 2007.”
So, you can order online in advance at a price that Littlewoods “anticipates” but can’t confirm. Yet it appears to be able to confirm this by stating the price online, popping the product in your shopping basket, and taking your order.
Therefore, SPOnG’s ace reporter, Adam, has sent off the following message to Paul: “The price listed online at £549 is not in line with your statement can you confirm why you are selling the PS3 at £549?”
And again, we await the response…
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Comments
Joji 6 Dec 2006 12:57
1/8
I'd buy that for a dollar, but certainly not at that huge price.
tyrion 6 Dec 2006 13:09
2/8
"It's simple," replied LWDSG, "when it turns out we've overcharged hundreds of people we'll return the £85 or so, but the 3-4 months of interest will be ours."
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kid_77 6 Dec 2006 13:09
3/8
This is only a problem if they take the money off you at pre-order.
Presuamably they don't know the actual price, because Sony haven't stipulated it yet for the UK. So £549 is them basically guessing the price. As long as they don't take your money until they dispatch it to you (by which point they'll know the price, and can adjust accordingly) what's the problem?
Presuamably they don't know the actual price, because Sony haven't stipulated it yet for the UK. So £549 is them basically guessing the price. As long as they don't take your money until they dispatch it to you (by which point they'll know the price, and can adjust accordingly) what's the problem?
Jay 6 Dec 2006 13:26
4/8
Isn't Littlewoods a catalogue store and therefore inflates all it's prices? I always thought stuff from catalogues was more expensive across the board. Or maybe that was just in the 80's...
tyrion 6 Dec 2006 14:01
5/8
kid_77 wrote:
Presuamably they don't know the actual price, because Sony haven't stipulated it yet for the UK. So £549 is them basically guessing the price.
There is no way you can get from the announced 600 Euros for the PS3, add a game and get to £549
600 Euros is currently £405, even if you ignore European VAT (which is on average slightly higher than in the UK) and add the full 17.5% you get £476 ish, that's still £73 for the game! There is no way in Hell on Earth that those prices are correct.
Both the PSP and the Wii were priced at 250 Euros and £180 at launch, which is EUR->GBP+"nice figure" rounding. The 360 premium was priced at 400 Euros and £280 at launch, again EUR->GBP+rounding.
The £425 figure seems like a much more likely price for the 60 GB PS3 to me.
I'd guess that PS3 games will be 60 Euros since Resistance, Project 8 and Genji are all priced at $60 RRP on Amazon.com and most things seem to be priced at USD=EUR these days. This works out at £40.52 which should be £45, or £50 at the outside.
That makes the bundle price £470-475, which is a lot, but a fair conversion of the already stated prices, based on assumptions made by looking at previous pricing.
The question is, why would Littlewoods put £85-90 on top of what seems like a "reasonable" price for that bundle?
kmogul 6 Dec 2006 16:16
6/8
Are Littlewoods a catalogue company? If so, then you should expect to pay over the odds, thats how catalogues make their money. Just pick up a copy of Kays catalogue and check their prices... DS is £109, a Wii with Zelda is £249 (Gamestation sell that same Wii bundle for £210!)
tyrion 6 Dec 2006 18:14
7/8
kmogul wrote:
Are Littlewoods a catalogue company? If so, then you should expect to pay over the odds, thats how catalogues make their money. Just pick up a copy of Kays catalogue and check their prices... DS is £109, a Wii with Zelda is £249 (Gamestation sell that same Wii bundle for £210!)
And yet Argos, a catalogue company with highstreet presence is usually on or under the reccomended price.
Jay 7 Dec 2006 10:21
8/8
tyrion wrote:
And yet Argos, a catalogue company with highstreet presence is usually on or under the reccomended price.
Different thing altogether. Littlewoods is a catalogue co. in the more traditional sense, which generally means mail-order, sky-high prices and a target demographic of poor people buying goods they can't afford for £2 per week for the rest of their lives.