I can't believe how much retail stores charge for cables.

[nageov3t]

I always knew monster cables were ridiculously over-priced and usb/ethernet cables were up there too, but hdmi cables are making me like wtfbbq.

the cheapest I've seen them in retail stores is $30 for a 6' cable.

the same cable is like $1.50 on amazon :Q

 

[Demon-Xanth]

They're making thier money on people that just bought thier brand new TV and need cables to hook it up but don't want to wait.

 

[Old Hippie]

It's not exactly the same.....the others come with Snake Oil. :laugh:

 

[slsmnaz]

I asked a BB employee the same question on another forum and here's the exact response I got:

Question: Please explain how Monster Cables are worth the price

Answer: With audio cables and RCA's in particular, they are made of the highest quality material, which allows for a super-pure signal.

As far as HDMI's, if you're dealing with a 720p/1080i signal, any HDMI cable will do. With 1080p signals, Monsters provide cleaner, silver-lined, gold-tipped connections and higher-bandwidth cables. They should be required for this type of TV setup.

 

[DJSnairdA]

Having worked in a retail store that sold cables of that variety, I can vouch for the very high markup. Dollar cables are easily sold at $20 upwards and people keep paying for them thinking they are priced fine. They are also the easiest item to sell.. they need the cable, it needs to connect between here and there... this is the one.

 

[rudder]

Hmmmm $40 for an HDMI cable at a B&M store or $6 from ebay? I may just buy a thousand of them and open a little cable kiosk at the mall. I could sell them for $15 and make a killing. I will set up shop right outside Radio Shack.

 

[Specop 007]

Originally posted by: slsmnaz
I asked a BB employee the same question on another forum and here's the exact response I got:

Question: Please explain how Monster Cables are worth the price

Answer: With audio cables and RCA's in particular, they are made of the highest quality material, which allows for a super-pure signal.

As far as HDMI's, if you're dealing with a 720p/1080i signal, any HDMI cable will do. With 1080p signals, Monsters provide cleaner, silver-lined, gold-tipped connections and higher-bandwidth cables. They should be required for this type of TV setup.

Monster cable uses more copper in their wire then the budget cables, so they have more bandwidth.

 

[BKLounger]

the cables are the biggest scam in the world. When i used to work at microcenter that was the big thing. The salesmen would sell a computer then tell them they could get a free printer with computer purchase (pos low end canon free after rebate), but then the people would have to buy a usb cable and be told to buy ink since it only has a "starter" cartridge. The markup on a usb cable. was employee price was $1.25 and retail price was 24.99. such a raging scam.

 

[manowar821]

Haha, wow. I was just talking to someone about this. He had gone to Best Buy to look for HD enclosures and SATA cables. The cheapest SATA cable (1 lousy foot) was almost 20 dollars.

I got 6 nice quality 1 1/2 foot SATA cables with my motherboard.

The price for these stupid cables is almost criminal.

 

[K1052]

Heh....my boss came up to me last week asking for TV advice. He also asked if they really needed the $75 set of Monster Cables from BB. I took the liberty of introducing him to Monoprice.

 

[Aikouka]

Originally posted by: BKLounger
be told to buy ink since it only has a "starter" cartridge.

That's the one I hate the most. See, people actually need a cable but they're just being charged a ton of mark-up. The thing is, a lot of printers have standard cartridges in them that have just as much ink as the ones on the shelf, but you'll still hear, "Oh that only has a starter cartridge, you'll need to buy some normal ones if you want it to last." It's just downright lying on their part.

 

[Specop 007]

Originally posted by: Aikouka

Originally posted by: BKLounger
be told to buy ink since it only has a "starter" cartridge.

That's the one I hate the most. See, people actually need a cable but they're just being charged a ton of mark-up. The thing is, a lot of printers have standard cartridges in them that have just as much ink as the ones on the shelf, but you'll still hear, "Oh that only has a starter cartridge, you'll need to buy some normal ones if you want it to last." It's just downright lying on their part.

If you print very much at all though it isnt like its going to hurt to buy an extra cartridge while your in the store though. They suckered my wife on that one too so she bought an extra cartridge. She prints alot though so no harm. And truth be told that included cartridge didnt last all that long. Either shes printing a hell of a lot or the starting cartridge was just that.

Either way the cartridge game doesnt bother me nearly as much as the cable game.

 

[kranky]

It wasn't always that way. While cleaning out some files over the weekend I ran across my receipt for the color inkjet I bought in 1992 (an HP Deskjet 550c that cost $712 at CompUSA). The parallel cable I bought with the printer was $4.

 

[Mucho]

Not long ago here at Future Shop ( Toronto ), I saw a guy bought an HP printer for $39.99 and a USB cable for $39.99.

 

[mugs]

It doesn't surprise me that stores charge that much, it surprises me that people pay it. I guess it's a combination of ignorance and impatience.

 

[Mxylplyx]

I discovered this almost 15 years ago when I needed a null modem cable so me and my friend could hook our computers together and play games. It was a $35 cable, so I asked my sisters BF to use his Comp USA discount to get it for me, and I'd pay him back. He handed it to me, and I asked how much I owe him.

He said dont worry about it. He got it at cost for under $.50.

I was :Q

 

[RadiclDreamer]

Originally posted by: Aikouka

Originally posted by: BKLounger
be told to buy ink since it only has a "starter" cartridge.

That's the one I hate the most. See, people actually need a cable but they're just being charged a ton of mark-up. The thing is, a lot of printers have standard cartridges in them that have just as much ink as the ones on the shelf, but you'll still hear, "Oh that only has a starter cartridge, you'll need to buy some normal ones if you want it to last." It's just downright lying on their part.

Actually the hp printer I bought my wife DOES have smaller cartridges in it when you first get it. The ink gauges are about 1/2 the size in the program. Same with the value pack carts.. small gauge and they dont last. Get a normal retail, 2x the bar length and prints

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: Old Hippie
It's not exactly the same.....the others come with Snake Oil. :laugh:

I can buy the exact same USB cable Bestbuy and the like sell for $20 for about $5 shipped online.

HDMI cables about $25-50 for the same they sell at $100. Still I tell people monoprice for the win....don't worry it doesn't say 'MONSTER' on it. Paying much less for the same end result.

There are times when more expensive cable is worth it. Still brand name will be outrageously higher than just non-branded stuff.