Hoya price fixing?

I was looking around for a cpl then came upon this http://www.2filter.com​/hoya/hoya_pro1_digita​l.html

It appears Hoya or the USA distributor (THK) is price fixing their products. So far I have only read this on 2filter.

Wow, good for 2filter for calling them out on this.

Yes the prices all over America went up 70% overnight on the Hoya HDs, some stores still have them at lower prices but for how long? THK Photo is trying to force the prices up to more than what a good cameras cost. filters are only a piece of "we hope optical glass" in a metal ring, maybe th ring rotates? $300 for a 82 circular. $227 for a 77mm cpl
B+W filters cost less. The new HD's don't even have the classic B+W and Tiffen 2 part retaining ring. the ring is press fix on the glass blank, way cheaper method of production

time to stock up on all the HD filter. you can always order from hvstar.net

Hoya thinks we all bang our filters against tables to see how good the are. The only reason the HD glass had to be harder in my opinion is because Hoya is using a one piece pressed on mounting ring bent on to the optical blank, If the glass was regular optical glass the pressing machine maybe would break the optical blanks. This method of filter mfg is way cheeper to make filters. Yet, the Hoya Hd's are the most expensive? B+W and Tiffen still use 2 part rings way better, with a retaining ring holding the filter glass in place

Maybe Hoya thinks that US photographers are dense? So we can buy from hvstar.net/maxsaver.ne​t or www.2filter.com is selling them through a UK vendor.

Come on Hoya it's 2009! Ordering a filter from China was as easy as buying something off of eBay...

bzollinger wrote in post #7735256
Maybe Hoya thinks that US photographers are dense? So we can buy from hvstar.net/maxsaver.ne​t or www.2filter.com is selling them through a UK vendor.

Come on Hoya it's 2009! Ordering a filter from China was as easy as buying something off of eBay...

Shhhhh,
Don't let them in on the secret.

Sucks about the price fixing though. Personally, I have UV filters but rarely use them and just use a hood instead and think these filters are very overpriced.

I can't believe 2filter actually had the guts to call them out. Nice to know how good of people they are over there, next time I need a filter you know who I'll be calling...

That's pretty sweet they got called out, suckerrrs hahah!

I'll certainly be checking out 2filter as well next time I need something. Glad to see that there are still people out there that seem to care about the consumer and don't keep BS schemes like this going.

Being called a troll twice in one day might be a record for me, but I'll go ahead anyway.

What's the problem with price fixing? As in, why does 2filter need to file with the government to make them stop? Shouldn't supply and demand solve this problem? If Hoya filters shoot up then people should buy the next best best value filter. Eventually either it will be found that the filters are worth the high price to people or everyone will buying another manufacturer's.

I'm also glad 2filter exposed the price fixing. Let's people know what's going on and why they (apparently) don't think Hoya's are worth that much. Now people can refuse to buy them at the high price because either a) they aren't worth it or b) out of spite for THK being jerks. But if I were 2filter I wouldn't want more government intervention to make it 'fair' for everyone. We don't need the government regulating school yard fights -- let the next kid punch him.

I think the problem is that price fixing is illegal.
The make up industry just lost a large court case for the same thing and had to give away make up for free as a consequence.

Hmmm.... Free filters? Not bad.

Perhaps we should be starting a boycott of Hoya products... I know I'm personally not that happy with the company... Price-fixing is a really good reason to avoid a company...

outbri wrote in post #7750508
What's the problem with price fixing? As in, why does 2filter need to file with the government to make them stop? Shouldn't supply and demand solve this problem?

Price fixing artificially inflates prices and prevents supply and demand from occurring

Reign wrote in post #7775342
Price fixing artificially inflates prices and prevents supply and demand from occurring

No it doesn't. It stops supply-and-demand on Hoya filters, somewhat. But even so, not really. Hoya artificially inflated the prices to whatever it thought the market would bear when it set a price on its filters to begin with. This artificially inflates it to what some people think the market will bear. We have to prove them wrong.
In the large scale, this has no effect on supply and demand. Fewer Hoya filters will be sold and more of other filters. Eventually the supply of Hoya filters may get so high and so few get sold (low demand for high price not-worth-it filters), that their price will come back down. Or else people will pay inflated prices making the filters worth it. I won't.

Tee Why wrote in post #7774907
I think the problem is that price fixing is illegal.
The make up industry just lost a large court case for the same thing and had to give away make up for free as a consequence.

Hmmm.... Free filters? Not bad.

Lots of things are illegal that I don't think should be. I'm not going to report someone just because they're illegal. I'm going to report someone because a) they're doing something illegal and b) I think it's wrong.
What I was asking was what the problem with price fixing was. Why the government has a law making it illegal, and specifically in relation to this.