Discount to death?

Anyone that believes that you can discount solar to death down to a point where people will buy simply because its so cheap need to learn the lesson that one mail order company is learning in the USA right now.
They have taken what was a $99 folding portable solar charger, discounted it to $35 and they are still stuck with 3000 pieces (near what they bought originally) that a floundering manufacturer just wanted to get rid of, and an able salesman wanted to make commissions on. What were they thinking?
Well in typical retail style, they believed that the discount of 65% from the regular retail would make these units disappear in no time flat. Did they? Nope. So now the item is featured as a blow-out on their home page.
I know this company well and they are led by a fine gentleman who has built his reputation on being straight forward and dedicated to his company. They specialize in tools, yet have built up an impressive solar selection. The trouble is that like others, price leads rather than a method of selling which really delivers to consumers what they need.
We certainly cannot blame the retailer for this folly. They are buying (and selling) what they are offered. They are not solar specialists nor wish to be. And yet if you look at the selection, you can see that there is neither rhyme nor reason to the assortment. Ask a customer service person what the difference between an 80W and 125W panel is, and they simply rattle off what is on their screen.
So for those who feel that they should just search the web for the lowest price, nothing wrong there, IF and only IF you are absolutely sure that what you are buying fulfills your need, is backed by someone who can help you through the configuration, install or service process, and is fairly priced. In a category like solar, price is not the leading factor in a purchase decision. The old adage goes “if its too good to be true..it probably is”.
Sass