#Amiga 3000 shortage?
43 messages in this thread
I have a friend who has had an Amiga 3000 on order from a dealer here in
Honolulu for OVER TWO MONTHS! Is there really a national shortage of these
machines or should he go to another (out of state) dealer. BTW, the
dealer required him to pay 100% of the purchase price up front! Is this
normal?
There is indeed a shortage of A3000's were backlogged 5 machines, my sales
rep says that he has 700 on backorder with only 100 coming in this week.
Needless to say my customers are ready to lynch me. The problem seems to
be with motherboards (one of the 5 is a replacement for a DOA). My fingers
are crossed that T'll get 3 units (DOA, and first two deposits).
BEN:Leigh's Computer's
Ben, thanks so much for the observation. I think my friend will rest a
little easier, though he is somewhat PO'd to have nearly 3 GRAND tied up
for who knows HOW long!
I'm PO'd to have customers PO'd at me!
BEN:Leigh's Computer's
Ben, take a peek at tech at a message I just got …
Ron
I saw it, thanx.
BEN:Leigh's Computer's
The A3000 has proved to be much more popular than Commodore expected, and
is backordered all over. I don't know about paying up front.
Betty
Betty, thanks for the insight. IMHO, a dealer should certainly take a
DEPOSIT on an order, but 100% 'up front' seems excessive to me.
I had to pay a 10% deposit on mine. I ordered it May 13 and got it June
28. (They told me "14 to 21 days" when I ordered it…)
Ready to start throwing stones…?
I walked in to my dealer two weeks ago with my A1000 manual cover, wrote a
check, and walked out with a 3000. No problem, no ordering, no wait.
(in retreat, — hey, quit throwing bottles)
– Whapping from the North Coast Michael
Oh, go jump into a creek or something!! (just joking). You must have
gotten the 16 Mhz or the 100 meg version? A friend of mine picked up a 16
Mhz the same day back in June. But now the dealer has none except for the
demo units. They did just get 2 Toaster and 2 2000HD's in though. Hmm I
wonder if I could, nah, they wouldn't go for it.
Tim..
Nope… for some reason, the dealers here in Ohio seem to be in OK stock
condition… I picked up a 3000/25-50 without any ordering or wait. I
remember a couple of months ago, a dealer in the Cincinnati area told me he
was ordering way above normal just so he could have them in stock… he
said that most dealers don't do that, and that most want deposits on CPU's
before they commit to inventory. How's that for supporting the Amiga? And
these are the Authorized Delaers! (although who can really blame them?).
So, I think that's what the real problem is. Dealers just didn't want to
purchase inventory ahead of time and risk the investment. Now that the
demand is there, CBM is a little behind.
– Whapping from the North Coast Michael
Makes sense. I think our dealer orders on demand. They did have about 10
in before the powerup, but they had a special sale going on and sold them
all. I guess it's just a matter of the powerup programming doing better for
CBM then they ever expected. Just hope that when CBM can meet the demand
of our dealer(Last I heard he had 60 back ordered), they don't send them on
a slow boat to Honolulu(you know, the one that stops in China on the way).
Aloha
Tim.
This is what endears me to C=, thier various regional outpost can't share
the wealth with any of the others (Eastern, Midwest, West Coast). That's
one of the reasons we can't get CDTV's Defender of the Crown 'cuase the
East sales rep doesn't have any for us.
*SIGH*
BEN:Leigh's Computer's
*Sigh* What I would give to have 'em in stock (chucking a truck load of
bottles) ;-}.
BEN:Leigh's Computer's
Ben…
In a reply to Tim Melhorn, I told him that a dealer out here told me (gee,
does this sound like a rumor?, nahhhh) that most dealers didn't order a lot
of additional stock of CPU's for the power-up deal due to the risk of
inventory investment… How did you gauge your inventory needs (just
curious).
– Whapping from the North Coast Michael
When the power up started NO ONE was interested, UNTIL the last week.
That's one of the reasons why we got caught with our pants down.
BEN:Leigh's Computer's
Ben…
You're right. I walked in to my dealer on June 30th.
Part of that was because up until the power-up program, there just weren't
that may out there, and people weren't TALKING about WB 2.0 from first
hand, day-to-day experience. When June hit, two things happened…
1) Finally, people started talking about how wonderful the 3000 realy and
truly was… and compatibility was way up.
2) We users figured out what a really GOOD deal CBM had devised in POWER-
UP. The discounts were real. Even Montgomery Grant couldn't offer a
lower price than an authorized dealer (yea!). CBM actually made a GREAT
marketing move with POWER-UP. Unfortunately, it is aimed at current
Amiga users, not NEW users, so, on one hand it's great, OTOH, it once
again shows that CBM has no idea how to market this computer to new
computer users, or even non-amiga users.
– Whapping from the North Coast Michael
Michael,
Slight correction…the Power-Up deal wasn't aimed at current
*Amiga* owners, it was aimed at current *Commodore* owners. All the way
back to the VIC-20.
Don
Don:
The program is AVAILABLE to current *Commodore* owners. _IMO_ (and that is
why I stated it they way I did) The program was *AIMED* at current Amiga
owners (at least in the US… I understand that in Canada, Power Up allowed
upgrade to the 2000). You are right, of course. I was just expressing my
frustration with CBM's inability to attract NEW customers to C-A products.
NewTek has done more for the marketing of the Amiga to NEW users than CBM.
– Whapping from the North Coast Michael
I have to wonder about this power up thing.
Let's just say I don't give Commodore too much credit for being benevolent.
I'm having a tough time justifying buying an A3000 right now, especially
with a lot of the software that I have not being able to work on it. Also,
I honestly expect that within threee months after the powerup deal ends,
you will be able to purchase Amiga 3000s for LESS THAN the powerup deal.
Call it a gut feeling, but don't be surprised if it happens.
Bob Kline
– via Whap!
Probably 3000"t"'s, also. (IMHO)
Ben
Amateur Radio Callsign is A A 7 A S
Michael,
I ordered mine the end of May with no deposit on a Saturday & picked
it up the following Tuesday. I think the answer is NO DEPOSIT. There is
very little markup on hardware so if the dealer makes nothing until he
ships he naturally will ship more quickly. I'd bet that had those others
used the NO DEPOSIT approach they would have had 3000's long ago.
———————————————-Don- via Whap!
With what we take as a deposit, it doesn't even cover the cost, so how are
we making money? As a matter of fact we paid C= that $ and are waiting (we
even refunded a large part of someones deposit because it was late and
they didn't want that much money tied up).
BEN:Leigh's Computer's
Ben,Ben,
Do I sense a slightly defensive tone? All I'm saying is MY dealer
didn't require a deposit. You are trying to imply that taking deposits on
computers is a universal practice and that just ain't so. It actually is
the exception not the rule. I have NEVER bought a computer by paying a
deposit and I can't count how many I've purchased. These people paid
deposits & had to wait. I paid no deposit and didn't wait. The evidence
speaks for itself.
Retailers generally purchase their inventory with their own money.
Any that use the customers' money in my opinion are Mickey Mouse operations
and should be not be considered retailers. I'd rather buy my product from
a retailer that has inventory, not a broker that takes my money & orders
the product.
———————————————-Don- via Whap!
Whoa seems like your on the offensive there, you are right that deposits
aren't universal, as a matter of fact we don't normally take 'em except for
non stock items (Stuff that we would'nt carry). But this case is different,
when we have this many orders we take deposits to: 1 prioritize the
customers, and 2 becuase the demand is so high we can't shell out 20 grand
all at once (we aren't that big, although we'd like to be). As far as
inventory goes my sales rep Jim Cooke says NOBODY (at least in the East
coast devision) has machines. I've even let my customers speek directly to
him, and if they want we REFUND thier entire or any part they want of thier
deposit.
BEN:Leigh's Computer's
Ben:
If it's of any consequence to you, I agree with you 100%.
If a machine is in stock, then obviuosly there's no need to tkae a deposit
<g>. If there is a backorder situation (as there is now with the 3000)
then taking a deposit protects the customer. You're not likely to take a
deposit on a 3000, order one from CBM, receive one in, and then sell it to
the first person who walks through your door with a check.
– Whapping from the North Coast Michael
Thank you.
BEN:Leigh's Computer's
Michael,
Let's assume the worse. Let's assume the dealer has no morals. He
takes 10 deposits for 100% of the price. Two weeks later the shipment
arrives with 5 computers. At that time someone happens to be in the store
and offers to buy one on the spot but refuses to make a deposit threatening
instead to go to a competitor. The unscrupulous dealer sells him a
machine. Say this happens to the whole shipment. Say this happens for
several weeks. Meanwhile he still has the deposits knowing the other
customers will not go somewhere else. Eventually when demand slackens & he
has inventory he ships to those with deposits. The dealer made a killing
using the deposit money to make more sales.
———————————————-Don- via Whap!
Ben,
Those poor people who made 100% deposits ordered their's back in
May. That kind of dealer who takes full deposits and doesn't deliver the
machine is only giving Amiga & Commodore a bad name. It hurts the Amiga's
reputation by having shady operators like that as Amiga dealers. If the
Amiga would retain some "real" dealers like CompuUSA, Businessland, etc.
instead of Mickey Mouse operators maybe it not only would sell real volume
but it's image would be greatly enhanced.
My dealer is one of the biggest volume Amiga dealers on the East
coast yet the lady who took my order misinformed me about the amount of
Ram: included with the machine.
———————————————-Don- via Whap!
Well if they ordered thiers back in May, ESPECIALLY with a full deposit
they should have gotten machines. The shortage didn't happen until the 3rd
week of June, in May we had NO TROUBLE getting 3000's, we just didn't have
much interest (two people did the power up and got machines).
BEN:Leigh's Computer's
Ben,
Also, I was at a dealer on Tuesday 7/23/91 and I asked about the supply.
He said he had one available for immediate delivery and the only current
shortage was with the 16 MHZ model.
———————————————-Don- via Whap!
Call JIM COOK at C= he's my rep and told me ALL machines are out! And they
have 1600 machines on back order from his office, you don't have to believe
me that's the name of a C= dealer rep! I wish that the rep from C= who
lurks around here would get online and say something, if there's no
shortage then I want my order! And I want to know what the H**l's going on
at C= East coast!
BEN:Leigh's Computer's
Oh yeah, one thing I missed in your earlier message, if you noticed I
mentioned in one of my messages that the bulk of our power ups wer at the
end of June, you got your machine at the end of May, there wasn't a
shortage then and we were able to get machines in two to three businessdays
from C=, back in May.
BEN:Leigh's Computer's
A guy at my user group meeting three days ago said he got his in a week.
I've heard people on Usenet complain that theirs are taking several weeks,
but nobody seemed to be stuck for as long as me.
Betty, any idea of 3000 sales figures?
Ron
Ron, I haven't the foggiest notion how many 3000's have been sold.
Betty
Well, it sounds like they're selling well.
You know, as annoyed as I can get at Commodore, after nearly 6 years of
using Amiga's I still want to see huge numbers of them out there!
Ron
We ALL want to see lots of them out there, Ron. And I suspect we all get a
bit annoyed with Commodore from time to time – but we keep right on using
their products!
Betty
Hey, who's your friend? Sounds like someone I know. Mine has been on
order for 1 1/2 months now and I also have a few grand tied up. Last word
I heard from the dealer was it could take another 2 months cause CBM was
gonna ship them with 2.0 roms. I'm a bit ticked and feel like I'm getting
the run around but don't know who's fault it really is. I left a message
in the CBM service areas as well. I can understand shortages, but let us
know what is going on. After all, someone(the dealer or CBM) is drawing a
few months interest on my money.
Tim..
Tim, interesting about the 2.0 rom comment, because my guy doesn't WANT to
boot from rom but rather from the disk!
The moral to the story is DON'T PUT DOWN MORE THAN A DEPOSIT OR YOU MAY BE
SORRY!
I put 10% down and got my A3000 after about a month.