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Motorbike prices stun consumers
The prices of many scooter models have been pushed up to unreasonably high levels. Meanwhile, many imitation motorbike models, which are dirt cheap, are on open sale on the market.
Prices becoming sky high
On July 13, Lao dong newspaper reporters, after checking the manufacturer’s suggested retail prices (MSRP) on well-known motorbike manufacturers’ websites, dropped into motorbike shops in Hanoi to learn about the actual retail prices on the market.
At a big HEAD (Honda Exclusive Authorized Dealers) on Tran Nhan Tong street, they asked about the prices of the Lead, once of the ‘hottest’ models now, and found out that buyers have to pay 32.2 million dong for a black, red, silver or white scooter, and 34.8 million dong for a canary-coloured scooter.
Meanwhile, the MSRPs stipulated on the official website of Honda are 30.9 million dong for black, red, silver and white Leads and 31.49 million dong per canary-coloured and pink products.
Similarly, Air Blade model is now selling at 37 million dong on the market, while the MSRP for the model is just 31.99 million dong. The actual sale price of Air Blade Repsol is 32.99 million dong – 4-7 million dong higher than the MSRP.
At a Honda showroom on Le Duan Road, an officer told customers that the manufacturer only ensures the quality of products, it does not control the sale prices. Retail prices are defined by retail shops. That explains why favourite models always see prices fluctuate every day, depending on the demand and manufacturer’s supply.
“Canary-coloured LEAD has a sale price higher by far than other products because of overly high demand and short supply,” he explained.
Imitation goods dirt cheap
Ton Duc Thang and Nguyen Luong Bang are the two streets which display and sell motorbikes with no labels, which are called ‘imitation goods’.
The motorbikes, introduced by sellers as sourced from China, have exactly the same designs and colours as products of well-known manufacturers, including Air Blade, Future Neo and Jupiter. As they are called ‘imitation goods’, they are dirt cheap.
Sellers say that people just need to have 7 million dong only to own a ‘Jupiter’ motorbike, 6 million dong for a ‘Wave SX’ and 9 million dong for a black SCR. The motorbike which imitates Honda’s Future Neo and is labeled ‘Future New’ was being sold for 6.8 million dong.
The imitation goods sourced from Taiwan are 2 million dong more expensive than the ones sourced from China.
When asked why he decided to purchase a cheap motorbike, Tung, a first year student, said that his family does not have much money.
“This is a good choice for me as I do not have to spend much money on the motorbike, while it looks very fashionable,” he said.
Consumers have become angry with the sky high retail prices of motorbikes on the market. Why don’t the manufacturers increase the supply of motorbikes rather than keep providing motorbikes in dribs and drabs, which has pushed the prices up? Are there other reasons behind the high prices?
Meanwhile, the answer by Tetsuya Kawahara, an executive of Honda Vietnam, has not really satisfied consumers.
He said that Honda Vietnam and HEADs are independent business partners and that Honda Vietnam, which is selling products to HEADs under the mode of definitive sale, does not have the power of intervening in HEAD’s pricing schemes.
He said that after motorbikes are sold to HEADs, the HEADs own the products. He cited articles of the Competition Law to show that Honda is now allowed to define the retail prices of HEADs.
VietNamNet, LD
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