Electronics > Metrology

Why do companies force you to ask for a quote?

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jeremy:
Hi,

Hope this is on topic here.

When looking at buying equipment, the prices seem to disappear as soon as someone drops the words "scientific", "quantitative" or "metrology". I ask this purely out of my own ignorance and curiosity, but why do these companies make it so hard to find out the price? Why can't it be in a catalog somewhere if not online? Even when I send for a quote, I sometimes don't get a number easily, instead the sales rep asks about what I want to do, how I'm going, what my background is, etc seeming trying to set up sales tactics. And then I receive many emails in the months to come asking if I still want to purchase. Not that they aren't pleasant and polite, they are just wasting both of our time  :) .

So putting aside what I imagine is a whole lot of cynical opinions from folks who have been in a similar situation as me ;), why do all of these "scientific" businesses operate this way? Does it really have such a large effect on the bottom line ? It would be great to hear from someone who has firsthand experience on the sales side.

DenzilPenberthy:
This really is infuriating! It's so that they can work out how much they can get away with charging you. It makes buying things really difficult. I don't know what I want to buy until I know how much all the different options cost! Grrrr!!!  :rant:

tszaboo:
Because the quote will be different from company to company. And they get your email address. And maybe the lead time is long, or they just make it for you if you order it. It is quite common in B2B environment.

_Andrew_:
It is also a method to make it harder for competitor distributors to know what there price point at which there selling equipment at to make it harder for them to come in at a lower price, and harder for the customer to shop around.

Dave:
I've had worse experience. I requested a quote at Micro Precision Calibration for something. They must have figured out from my Gmail address that I'm not a business customer and decided to straight out ignore me.
A couple of months later I received their newsletter. |O

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