Thread: Festool Price Maintenance...or not?

Originally Posted by Bohdan

The position of the cut relative to the guide rail is adjustable so that you can make all of your saws fit all of your rails. See the extended manuals for the method.

This has just been discussed on the FOG on this link.

Thanks for that. I've used the screws to adjust for blade drift but never thought of it for this application.

Originally Posted by Bohdan

The position of the cut relative to the guide rail is adjustable so that you can make all of your saws fit all of your rails. See the extended manuals for the method.

This has just been discussed on the FOG on this link.

That's great! Thanks! Who would have thought they actually thought about this and figured it all out... and here I was complaining about it haha! Never should have doubted those clever Germans.

Cheers,
DOM

Originally Posted by DomAU

That's great! Thanks! Who would have thought they actually thought about this and figured it all out...
Never should have doubted those clever Germans.

Originally Posted by woodPixel

Well, on this trip I've been driven into the all-loving embrace of AliExpress.

For the sake of absolute transparency (Hello CCP overlords!) here are some of the products I'm looking at:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/6-In...951189780.html
https://www.aliexpress.com/store/gro...512964862.html

ALSO, Ive found some new pads for my Mirka Ceros 150. (man o man is THAT a fantastic sander)....

Might be worth grabiing one of each and giving them a blat.

Those links are fantastic! Has anyone found the cheapo half sheet bases for Festool sanders?

Or in my case as my stuff is so old, a replacement base for a Festo sander!

Not entirely sure why, whether due to price maintenance or not, but I recall that when I was in retail we would often get promotions with the major power tool brands. The discounts were sometimes up to about 30% which would include a wholesale discount together with a reduced margins.

A recent example was a $100 trade in on selected dewalt tools. You could bring in any bare tool and get $100 off. I bought a cordless brush-less angle grinder. I have never seen anything like that on Festool.

My opinion is that the ACCC caved in. The government makes good anti price maintenance laws only for them to be completely nullified by the ACCC.

I highly doubt if the RRP protection was removed that the total volume of sales would change but some dealers would suffer. Simply put the tools are priced in a range that only a small amount of power tool buyers can afford and lowering the price a few dollars is not going to change that.

Originally Posted by woodPixel

Well, on this trip I've been driven into the all-loving embrace of AliExpress.

For the sake of absolute transparency (Hello CCP overlords!) here are some of the products I'm looking at:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/6-In...951189780.html
https://www.aliexpress.com/store/gro...512964862.html

ALSO, Ive found some new pads for my Mirka Ceros 150. (man o man is THAT a fantastic sander)....

Might be worth grabiing one of each and giving them a blat.

But no Rotex replacements

Originally Posted by Yanis

My opinion is that the ASIC/ACCC caved in. The government makes good anti price maintenance laws only for them to be completely nullified by the ASIC/ACCC.

Well, we saw from the banking royal commission that they are utterly incapable of policing the biggest and most systemically important entities in our entire economy.

This flawless, toothless, blind and paralysed tiger has well and truely failed at its SINGULAR task.

If they can't control the banks, they certainly can't control a tool company.

Remind me again, what are we paying billions for them for? To allocate blame elsewhere when their failings surface *yet again*...?

Originally Posted by woodPixel

This flawless, toothless, blind and paralysed tiger has well and truely failed at its SINGULAR task.

Are you confusing them with ASIC?

Originally Posted by Yanis

My opinion is that the ACCC caved in. The government makes good anti price maintenance laws only for them to be completely nullified by the ACCC.

Originally Posted by woodPixel

This flawless, toothless, blind and paralysed tiger has well and truely failed at its SINGULAR task.

Very harsh words there, m'Lord.

the law -- as enacted by our beloved federal politicians -- allows retail price maintenance PROVIDED the company seeking to benefit from RPM can demonstrate to the ACCC that RPM will result in a beneficial outcome.
Festool Australia, with the support of persons making relevant submissions to the ACCC, has managed to convince the ACCC that when it comes to "expensive power tools" RPM has a beneficial effect in the context of Festool's dealer network.
If you don't like ACCC's decision, I strongly encourage to write to them explaining why they are wrong.

And I don't think that stating that you and a dealer should be able to negotiate a 20% discount on a $1200 power tool will get very far -- especially when Festool's core argument in support for RPM is that people seeking to buy a sliding compound mitre saw for less that what Festool wants to charge can go to Bunnings and buy a Ryobi for $150.

Originally Posted by ian

Very harsh words there, m'Lord.

the law -- as enacted by our beloved federal politicians -- allows retail price maintenance PROVIDED the company seeking to benefit from RPM can demonstrate to the ACCC that RPM will result in a beneficial outcome.
Festool Australia, with the support of persons making relevant submissions to the ACCC, has managed to convince the ACCC that when it comes to "expensive power tools" RPM has a beneficial effect in the context of Festool's dealer network.
If you don't like ACCC's decision, I strongly encourage to write to them explaining why they are wrong.

And I don't think that stating that you and a dealer should be able to negotiate a 20% discount on a $1200 power tool will get very far -- especially when Festool's core argument in support for RPM is that people seeking to buy a sliding compound mitre saw for less that what Festool wants to charge can go to Bunnings and buy a Ryobi for $150.

Well said, when you cut to the chase all those disgruntled potential consumers want is to be able to get a bargain but still want the level of service and quality of product they offer.
Those that do not focus on price alone value the other benefits the brand offers.

Originally Posted by Beardy

Well said, when you cut to the chase all those disgruntled potential consumers want is to be able to get a bargain but still want the level of service and quality of product they offer.
Those that do not focus on price alone value the other benefits the brand offers.

Obviously anything Festool, or in my case Festo cause almost all my stuff is so old, comes at a premium, but having said that what I have spent in the early years on tools that didn't last or performed not very well probably comes pretty close to what I've spent on Festo stuff, that many decades later is still working as good as the day I bought them.

Even my wife who would somehow manage to destroy a vacuum cleaner roughly every 12-15 months (true, I've lost count!), has now had a small Festool extractor for roughly around 8-9 years now that she just hasn't been able to kill. This is a very considerable thing I can tell you!

Compared to the many, many other brands of tools I've had and onsold over the years, the Festool stuff is just a joy to use in my opinion, so if it comes at a bit of a premium, it's worth it to me for the ergonomic use and lifespan.

I am sure that they are precisely the arguments that the prestige re-sellers and the agent used. It completely goes against the purpose of the legislation. The outcome is certainly beneficial to Festool and to the re-sellers.

Originally Posted by woodPixel

Well, on this trip I've been driven into the all-loving embrace of AliExpress.

For the sake of absolute transparency (Hello CCP overlords!) here are some of the products I'm looking at:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/6-In...951189780.html
https://www.aliexpress.com/store/gro...512964862.html


Might be worth grabiing one of each and giving them a blat.

The best I could find for the Rotex was a German seller. $126.24 inc postage and GST for two, a saving of over $50, 30% discount. The sanding disks no longer stick to the pad that is on it now