I dont believe that rumour from the USA Dealer is true at all. There is no way in the world STERN would be putting their prices up by well over 20 percent in one hit. It will never happen. A 5percent increase, IF at all, but by $500 to $1,000, no way. Totally unrealistic.
Steve Ritchie was recently asked if his up n coming Star Trek machine (which is going to have the new boards n playfield harnesses etc) , if the price was going up, and he said he didnt believe so at all, and said he couldnt see why it would.
I will send both AMD and STERN a email right now and ask for clarrification, because It might be a rumour created perhaps from another manufacturer versus having any merit. A 5% increase on Sterns retail $4750 price, would be apx *$240, with a 10% increase being *$475 total.
Given that the increase is levied against the purchasing Stern dealers at a wholesale price, and not levied against retail pricing, it would be less than the above *figures anyway.
I cant see STERN increasing costs in a time when they are just winning back many many thousands of clients. We also pay more money here in Australia pro-rata than the USA end buyers, so there is already more fat on the bone for the Aussie importer, which means they could easily absorb
any small price increases and not pass them on, if it meant keeping the Aussie public happy.
*In any event, I will email for the answer, direct from the horses mouth.
