How convenient! K20D - £100 off, prices go up!

Typical!

Since Pentax have announced the £100 cashback promotion, it seems as if everybody's prices have gone up! Body prices seem to have stayed the same, but bundles with the kit lens have shot up!

Have been keeping a beady eye on prices as I am just about to pull the trigger on a K20D as a 2nd body for the wedding shoot, and 2-3 weeks ago I could buy the K20D with MKII kit lens, from at least 2 seperate places for £699. Cheapest I can see now is £749!

As an example (don't want to mention names yet!) one supplier had body only at £679 or £699 with MKII kit lens, now they are £679 body only, sell the lens on it's own for £59, but £759 for a 'kit'.

Do you think Pentax have put the prices of kit lenses up, or do you think all the suppliers are taking advantage of the cashback deal by pushing prices up?

This may sound like sour grapes I know, but it is situations like this that just leave a sour taste in the mouth!

Looks like I bought at the right time
I got 835 for body, grip, 18-55MKII, 4GB SDHC card
And 100 cashback

At least Pentax UK is offering cash back. More than they are here in NL, and the prices have dropped there a lot more than here.

Just buy the £679 body + the separate lens @ £59 (not as a bundle) or any other Pentax lens and claim the £100 back.

It is still cheaper than buying just a body @ £679

I was also thinking about buying a K20 body but this cashback offer, if I decide to go ahead, will mean that I will buy a lens of some description.

You have to buy the kit bundle from a pentax uk dealer to apply for cashback

Well, it's been so dead at work today that I spent all morning checking prices on t'interweb, and guess what, I've found a supplier within 30 miles, that has a £699 kit price with MKII lens!

Just asked the missus to cover the shop tomorow for a couple of hours so I can go and get one, got the OK, so showed her the site, just to find that they have put the price up by £50 this afternoon!

Just what the heck is going on?

You just have to buy the K20 body + any Pentax lens.

So you phone up Chris @ SRS and buy the K20 body for £679 and the 18-55 for £59 (both as advertised) - total cost £738 and then complete and send off your claim form with the details of body and lens. Final cost is £638.

All the shop owners in the western world are logged in (anonymously) on this site and laugh their ass off.
Sorry for your misfortune though,
Martin.

Hi all,

I understand it looks a bit 'iffy' that the prices have increased after the cashback was announced, but lots of camera and lens manufacturers have increased prices to dealers recently. The reason they have given is because most stock supplied by UK distributors is bought in Euros and the exchange rate at the moment means that goods are costing more.

Speak to me Danny (and anyone else of course!) - you know I will do you a good deal...

Chris

I know I'm on rant mode, and it does seem as if I am just going off on one (which is probably right!), but I've had an itchy trigger finger on a K20 now for a few weeks since the price dropped below £700, and with the wedding shoot coming up rapidly, if I'm gonna do it, it has to be now so I can get plenty of practise in!

With body only @ £679 & MKII kit @ £699, £599 was a good price, I'm now in 'buy mode'. Now it is £649 (after rebate), there's only £30 in it now as I didn't want or need a lens in the 1st place!

You're right Chris, it does look 'iffy', but I don't doubt you as everyone has done the same, I think Sigma have put all their prices up as well as an example.

But it still looks 'iffy' / strange / coincidental that the body only prices have remained the same, whilst the only lens prices I have been watching that have gone up in price are the kit ones!

My body only price is going up tomorrow. I have tried to keep price increases to the minimum and to delay them as long as possible.

This is why, for example, that my Sigma 10-20 has gone up to £329 whilst the Tamron 17-50 is still £259. When I have run out of existing stock and I have had to reorder at the new price I will then put my price up. I have sold out of Sigmas at the old price hence the price increase. The price I am selling the Tamron for is now less than my new cost price, but I have resisted the temptation to 'up' the price of the Tamron to make extra profit as I am keen to be seen as ultra competitive, which I think I am.

I have had to do the same thing with the Olympus E510 yesterday - I then received an extremely offensive email from someone accusing me of 'grossly profiteering' - even though we are the cheapest on the product in the UK!!

The good news is that there are no more price increases scheduled - would people mind if I mention on here if they are about to happen again? I resisted before because I didn't want to be seen as trying to 'drum up' trade!

Chris

What is the new body price :

We have become accustomed to price drops and I was hoping that the body price would drift downwards.

It is difficult for us mere mortals to understand how the euro affects prices, when the cameras are made in the Far East

If I manage to convince my other half that I need K20 body, it would be in early August and my concern would be that a week later the price does not suddenly drop, because Pentax need to maintain demand against a worsening economic background.

I am waiting to find out my costings - I will post on this thread once I have the info needed.

Chris

Advance notice of price increases is a brilliant idea, and the fact that you are keeping your prices down until you have to order the next batch is very, very appreciated!

A post along the lines of 'xxx price going up, have 3 left at the old price' would be very greatly appreciated, and I am sure that no one here would mind! Advance knowledge is a powerful thing!

It is great that at least one dealer is putting in the effort to explain things, (even if the timing by the powers that be has not been the best!), and long may it continue!

Just be prepared for me to twist your arm tomorrow!

Agreed