Today, Saturday being a storm day and my work all caught up I had wife Jann drive us over to the Technics dealer about 20 miles across San Jose. They were having a big sale and advertising up to 70 % discount. With tongue in cheek, I went directly to the store manager that I have known for a long time and made them a reasonable offer for a KN7000. He got out his manual and advised me their list price was over 5000.00 USD and their sale price for this sale was over 4000.00 USD. He offered me the bare keyboard for 3468.00, because I had bought from them before and he would not have to pay a salesman commission. This is the professional musicians discount price. I smiled and went to the other end of the store and visited with the factory rep, who wishes to be nameless here, for about an hour. He really wanted me to buy the KN7 so he said he would go talk to the owner who was there and take my offer to him. It was interesting to note that my wife Jann was already talking to the owner when the Technics rep approached.
My offer was refused by the store owner as he advised that he was just as stubborn as Bebop is. So no cigar this time. Maybe another day. The factory rep did give me a lot of answers that I am not to comment on here and he gave me a 8 mg SD card with 80 K7 Styles on it for if and when I do buy it. So........... we managed to kill of a stormy day and have a pleasant visit with a factory rep that has been with Technics as long as I have, since the first PR90 I bought from them. He knows everyone I know and is aware of our forum here.
I am open to a deal if anyone is open to making a bonifide offer. Email me only.
Best to all
Bebop

Oh that cost of living is so high in California.. plus..I always thought it never rains in Cailfornia? Or is that just a song .. I believe it goes like this...OH.. IT NEVER RAINS IN CALIFORNIA..ONLY IN ARIZONA...AND THE COST OF LIVING IS SO HIGH IN CALIFORNIA, NOT THAT WAY IN PENNSYLVANIA.
(I don't think those are the correct words are they ? ) Anyway stick to your guns...$3468 is too high..even for California.
SeeYa,
Larry Hawk

Hi Bill,

It makes me angry that Americans are being ripped off either by their dealers, by Technics, or both. The KN7000 is available here in the UK for £1500 ($2400) and if you talk hard enough to a dealer, you can get it cheaper than that. Dealers here are making a nice profit even at $2400, so the dealers in the States are making a killing. Is it possible that Technics' invoice cost to American dealers is much higher than for UK dealers? It wouldn't surprise me.

Chuck

We often complain here in UK that we live in 'Rip-Off Britain' but these prices for a KN7000 are just plain ridiculous!!
List Price $5000? that's about £3117 - List price in UK was £2100 when it was launched, but of course, nobody pays list price. I don't know what the 'Sales Tax' is in CA but it surely doesn't account for the massive difference. UK 'Sales Tax' (VAT) is 17.5% on goods such as the KN.
Bill, maybe it's time you paid a visit to UK or had a KN7000 shipped from here - even with freight costs, it would be cheaper.

... Unless your Customs guys got hold of it.....
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Willum

[This message has been edited by Bill Norrie (edited 05-04-2003).]

Hello Willum,

Speaking as a native Californian I can tell you that the sales tax in my home state (Bebop lives there) was 7.75% as of July 2002. I doubt it has increased since then. "Rip-off Britain" is no fallacious indictment of the cost of most everything in this country since almost everything costs a lot more here than in the United States. But when it comes to keyboards the pendulum swings the other way and it is the U.S. that becomes the rip-off country. I have to believe it is Technics that is controlling prices within each market (read country) and not the dealers.

Chuck

The UK has a sales tax of 17.5% ...you have got to be kidding...that makes the price of the $2400 keyboard at $2820. Add overseas shipping and the saving are nill.

17.5%.. wow... we complain here in Pennsylvania at 6%.. I'm really gobsmaked !

SeeYa,
Larry Hawk

Thanks to all for responses.
Larry this is the first rain of the winter in San Jose and is settling the dust;-)
Chuck, The rep told me that the dealer cost has now gone up, but would not even give me a clue. I know that the dealer cost was 2000 USD initially so I guess Technics is partially responsible for the ripoff compared to UK etc.
Bill, I say a vat tax of 17.5 % does seem a tad excessive. by Comparison our sales tax in my area is 8.25%
Chuck, the reason our sales tax is higher then where your brother lives is because we have two .025% additional taxes to pay for the huge potholes and ruts in our super freeways and our rapid transit that is presently being nearly abandoned due to the loss of nearly 200,000 jobs in our Silicone Valley.
so the 3468.00 price plus sales tax of 8.25 % puts the out the door price at 3754.11. Note that very few of us can qualify to buy even at that price. Most retail buyers will have to pay over 1000 more at THAT store. There are very few professional musicians trade at that store as it is a piano store, so few people get the professional musician discount. The pro Musicians have always felt that any keyboard with speakers in it was not acceptable for pro work and now that they are arranger keyboards why they wouldn't be caught dead with one on the bandstand. I used to belong to that school but fortunately I outgrew it when I bought the first Technics PR90 digital piano and then the KN800 to go with it. However that is a totally new topic we will get into later

Incidentally if I buy the keyboard out of state which I will do, I will prolly pay freight of about 50.00, which may or may not be a separate charge. HOWEVER there is no sales tax that would be 286.11 on the minimum price offered me at the dealer in San Jose. SO....... out of state dealers, let me hear from you at:
bforrest@ix.netcom.com
Thanks to all members that have already emailed me regarding price availability from their sources. I will be in touch with your sources quite soon
Best to all
Bebop

Larry, you've missed the point - the UK 'Sales Tax' (VAT) is included in the prices I quoted. Also, if an item is purchased in UK and it can be proven that it is going to be exported, then no VAT is charged. So, the Tax free price of a £1500 KN7000, as quoted by Chuck, would be £1276 ($2046)

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Willum

Willum,
Sorry and thanks for the clarification. That's not a bad deal, especially since I believe, if purchaced in England, you recieve Jukebox Software and the Panasonic Reader Writer with the 7000. Correct?
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Larry Hawk

[This message has been edited by lahawk (edited 05-04-2003).]

YEP! Should do!

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Willum