“reasonable price…”. Amazon lost money every year for decades (even with a special tax exemption from the government). Decades. They didn’t have “reasonable pricing”, although customers loved the bargains. As a particular instance illustrating a larger point, Amazon LOST MONEY selling Harry Potter books as they were issued. Harry Potter releases were the biggest selling event in bookselling history. They were a bonanza for independents, like the shop I worked for (three stores). ANY ONE of those small stores made more money on every new Harry Potter release than all of Amazon.
My point? “reasonable pricing”. Amazon wants market share rather than profits. Independent shops can’t play that game. And indeed neither can Amazon in the long haul.
The same with Costco, and their hearing aids, I suppose. If you assume that Costco and Amazon are charging “honest, reasonable prices” because they’re so low, and then go on to assume all others are gouging…I’ll suggest the picture is more nuanced than that. If one should want all the independents to go away and yield the market to Costco and Amazon alone, and assume these last named corporations will continue with a below real cost model for pricing…one would be naive.
Sure, if one goes in with the conviction that HA industry is a cartel and a racket charging an ungodly mark up every which way, and audiologists too…you’ll believe that Costco is the honest good guy looking out for the poor consumer, with the blessings of their shareholders and owners.
That is not reasonable.