Comments on On An Overgrown Path: Harmonia muddle

My original comment pointed out that the original ...

2008-02-08T07:47:00.000Z

My original comment pointed out that the original price quoted by an independent dealer for Kontakte was wrong, although it was given in good faith. The article was amended to recognise this.

But looking again at this link the price that Harmonia Mundi is selling direct at is still relevant

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-listing/B000025R06/ref=sr_1_olp_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1202456272&sr=1-1

The Harmonia Mundi price is cheaper than a number of other sellers. In particular it is cheaper than five UK sellers, one of who is called 'verycheapcds'.

EMI Reflexe, see - http://www.overgrownpath.com/20...

2008-02-08T07:35:00.000Z

EMI Reflexe, see - http://www.overgrownpath.com/2008/02/some-of-best-cover-art-ever.html

And ... OOPS.I meant Sony BMG, not EMI!!!

2008-02-07T19:42:00.000Z

And ...

OOPS.I meant Sony BMG, not EMI!!!

Email received:That reminds me: I suppose we can k...

2008-02-07T19:41:00.000Z

Email received:

That reminds me: I suppose we can kiss Deutsche Harmonia Mundi goodby.

EMI will probably never issue them again.That was also an amazing catalogue. And some of the best cover art EVER was on their REFLEXE series.

Cheers

David Cavlovic

Email received:........................Dear Bob, M...

2008-02-07T12:36:00.000Z

Email received:

........................

Dear Bob,

Many thanks for the coverage, and indeed for the chance to reply.

We use every avenue available to us to sell both our own CD’s and those of the labels we so proudly distribute in the UK – that’s our Job.

Amazon Marketplace does enable us to offer service to the (very few) customers that cannot find what they want from independent retailers, multiples or indeed other web-retailers.

Our policy in this area has always been not to undercut the market – the reason so few people use this service.

The disc to which you refer is a mid-price title, typically on sale for £9.99 in most stores.

So I’d be grateful if you could correct your story, and indeed let me know which retailer is offering you mid-price product at £14.99!!!!

Many thanks,

Simon Astridge

Commercial Manager, Harmonia Mundi (UK) Limited

.....................

I'm more than happy to publish this reply, and have corrected the price. But I would make the following comments.

Before I published the article I received a written price of £14.99 from a very dependable independent store for Kontakte. I have since pointed out to the retailer that is is now a mid-price disc. They accept this, but are critical of the mechanism used by Harmonia Mundi to notify price changes.

The main thrust of the article was not about price cutting. It was about Harmonia Mundi offering a distribution service in direct competition with independent dealers.

The justification offered by Harmonia Mundi is a strange one -'Amazon Marketplace does enable us to offer service to the (very few) customers that cannot find what they want from independent retailers, multiples or indeed other web-retailers.'

What service can Harmonia Mundi provide direct that Amazon themselves, or many other market place resellers cannot provide?

It is also clear that Harmonia Mundi's view and that of some of their retail outlets differ sharply on the topic of HM selling direct to the public.

And, of course, the BBC Radio 3 programme made absolutely no mention that Harmonia Mundi 'use every avenue available ... to sell' - including the internet.

So there is more muddle than sense in this story. Which just about sums up record companies today