Karaoke Forums

Sorry, I couldn't resist the temptation.

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KNOW THYSELF

price fixing

n. a criminal violation of federal antitrust statutes in which several competing businesses reach a secret agreement (conspiracy) to set prices for their products to prevent real competition and keep the public from benefitting from price competition. Price fixing also includes secret setting of favorable prices between suppliers and favored manufacturers or distributors to beat the competition.

collusion

n. where two persons (or business entities through their officers or other employees) enter into a deceitful agreement, usually secret, to defraud and/or gain an unfair advantage over a third party, competitors, consumers or those with whom they are negotiating. Collusion can include secret price or wage fixing, secret rebates, or pretending to be independent of each other when actually conspiring together for their joint ends. It can range from small-town shopkeepers or heirs to a grandma's estate, to gigantic electronics companies or big league baseball team owners.

our little network of 4 KJ's is neither a cartel or a monopoly, and there is nothing stopping any other legal/legit KJ from entering our little part of the world and charging whatever they may choose. To insure transperency I have however emailed specifics of the "retracted agreement" and a copy of my posts to the Justice department. I will post any reply I receive

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"Integrity is choosing your thoughts, words and actions based on your principles and values rather than for your personal gain."
Unknown
"if a man has integrity, nothing else matters, If a man has no integrity, nothing else matters."
Lee McGuffey

Doesn't have to be a "cartel" or a "monopoly" does it? Nope. "Small-town shopkeepers" will work just fine.

Backpedal as fast as you can....

So for complete transparency, who were the other 4 companies and what was your minimum price?.... Shouldn't be a problem since you've all now agreed NOT to agree.... right?

I guess i'm stupid, I still don't understand how a few kj's agreeing on a price they should charge is price fixing - no one is saying any place has to hire them at that price and can seek out other hosts that do not charge the same.
So if they do it as a 'group' that would be considered 'fixing', if they just decided to charge the same price individually it wouldn't be? Just don't talk with your fellow kj about what one should charge and you'll be ok!

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LIKE Lonman on Facebook - Lonman Productions Karaoke & my main site via my profile!

I get it,.....IF......there was no other option. there are other companies the venues can utilize that are not in this agreement. as long as there are other options, they are not preventing real competition, and not keeping the public form benefitting from price competition. now, if the only other option is to hire a company breaking the law (pirate), then i agree it is price fixing. i do not believe this to be the case, but if it is, i will graciously take it across the nose.

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Paradigm Karaoke, The New Standard.......Shift Happens

Doesn't sound like there are other options to me. Sounds like if the bar won't pay, then perhaps they'll be reported, which is just a hop, skip and a jump from being sued. (and who is it that will verify that the person they hired instead of the little "Alliance" Athena has is running legally?) Which leads me to another question -- Athena -- since you're from the area where the bars are now being sued, could it be possible that you're Sound Choice's "investigator" in that area? Considering the fact that you've been stalking my husband, it doesn't seem that far of a leap.

Birdofsong

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Birdofsong

good point, but it could easily lead too such situation (price fixing) given the right condition

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I can neither confirm nor deny ever having or knowing anything about nothing.... mrscott

I was in the autobody business for many years, and everytime a group of owner/managers got together for a meeting with vendors, the first thing on the agenda was "we are not here to discuss pricing". I am quite sure that it was CYA for the vendor, but it must have some strong legal consequence or it wouldn't have come up 100% of the time.

Mrmarog

Yet every type of service business has a jobber book that has the "estimated pricing" laid out in it as a guide line for any particular job! The material and labor cost to R&R a front fender is laid out, even the replacement of a brake light bulb is given in material and labor cost.

Does this require a mechanic to charge exactly what is in the book? NO it doesn't he may charge more or less than the estimates.

The same goes for construction bidding there is an estimating book that has material and labor cost for everything from excavation to replacing a light switch.

None of this is considered price fixing and neither is what Athena is refering too.

To answer your question Birdofsong.....NO I am not now nor have I ever been an investigator for SC or any other manu...I have made it clear that I have and will pass out packets to venues telling them how to prevent being involved....the anti-piracy packets are very clear.

Oh and there are a couple of "settled" KJ's in our little piece of the world so there are other options for bar owners if they wish to seek them out......IF they remain legal with all manus no suits would be needed.

And as always in this business there will be "newbies" and those newbies are welcome to set prices on there own as they see fit...as long as they are legal the playing field is level and I have no problem competing or as we have done before even helping them(as I have said before "we do not run our company with conventional "business sense")we have been known to help "newbies" with information and even training....

The "alliance" you refer to amounts to nothing other than a few like minded people networking as confirmed by my attorney(and hopefully an answer from the justice department will re-comfirm)

and I never "stalked" your husband...I posted info that other people unknown to me sent via email and asked people I do know if they could confirm or deny said information......BTW confirmation would not be needed if "your husband" would confirm or deny himself.

"newbies here should know if people posting even have a horse in the race...it helps them to decide on how much weight to give what is written"

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"Integrity is choosing your thoughts, words and actions based on your principles and values rather than for your personal gain."
Unknown
"if a man has integrity, nothing else matters, If a man has no integrity, nothing else matters."
Lee McGuffey

In Nevada, one must be a licensed Private Investigator of the state to gather evidence.

As far as Florida, I'm not sure if they have similar laws but would wager that they do.

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"Just Say NO, To Justin Bieber & His Beatle Haircut"

I believe you are correct WallofSound....i think someone posted a list of the few states that do not require a license and Florida was not on it.

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"Integrity is choosing your thoughts, words and actions based on your principles and values rather than for your personal gain."
Unknown
"if a man has integrity, nothing else matters, If a man has no integrity, nothing else matters."
Lee McGuffey

Do you mean to say that if I saw somebody committing some crime and I happened to have a camera with me and snapped their photo while they were in the act of committing said crime, that photo could not be used as evidence?

When I refer to the "lowly little KJ" I am talking about small operators with one or maybe on the outside two systems I would include myself in this as well. The big guys are the ones running 4, 8, 12, 20 systems, most of them on pirated hard drives.

There are several lowly little KJs who have been sued because they are running pirated hard drives there are also some of them who are or were selling drives on E-bay and Craigslist.

BTW just how many loaded hard drives can you find on E-bay now?

HA! Just found another one... with a phone number.

http://fortmyers.craigslist.org/lee/msg/2323372757.html

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Never the same show twice!

Flagged!

How many can you find on E-bay?

Yup, I miss that, and other informational posts.

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"No Contests, No Divas, Just A Good Time!"

" Disc based and loving it..."

Two good points, but I would disagree with the reasoning:

First, the venue HIRED the Cheap Charlies, proving that they couldn't care less about any "certification" from a manufacturer.

Second, those KJs didn't run off the customers because they were CHEAP, but because they SUCKED.

Third, YOU were called back because you brought in patrons and money due to your skills, not because you were "certified", or because there were less Cheap Charlies around.

CHEAP does not always equate to bad, however, and what you see as "legit" does not necessarily equate to good. If you refer your overs to what you call a "legit" KJ, and that show fails or is successful, it is ONLY due to the skills- or lack thereof- of that KJ. Nothing else.

An aside, and caveat. You recently stated on this forum that you are trying to get the local ABC involved, with hopes of getting them to threaten venues with what you deem as pirate hosts with the revokation of their liquor license.

I wouldn't have stated that on a public forum. If there is even ONE of your competition of any sort lurking, and they get that info back to the venues, I don't believe even your best skills will save your business. It's an SC type of move, a wave maker, and would be seen as coercive by the venue owners. Do what you do, but I advise doing it VERY quietly...

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"No Contests, No Divas, Just A Good Time!"

" Disc based and loving it..."

There- I fixed that for you.....

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"No Contests, No Divas, Just A Good Time!"

" Disc based and loving it..."

Here's a Yellowbook for that phone# on craigslist!

http://www.yellowbook.com/profile/ameri ... 45431.html

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"Just Say NO, To Justin Bieber & His Beatle Haircut"