C-Bus NOT AUSTRALIAN MADE

Value for Money

Its more about providing value for the money and to WHO?

IPODs Vs MP3 Players and CBus
The IPOD's are clearly a better product but more importantly they look and represent excellent value for money because of the technology and parts supplied - you cannot really say this about Cbus?
Ipod Prices are very competitive and the technology, parts, package and support supplied certainly looks and represents excellent value at a $240 ?
When I look at the equipment in an ipod, I know/feel it represents excellent value and when Ipod competitors entered the market they responded by dropping prices at just the right level to maintain their market dominance.

A 12 channel Cbus Relay module doesn't look or represent value at $900 and this goes for most of the other Cbus hardware.


You say you are selling a "quality system" and that system represents excellent value - OK I agree, but to who? - the end user - not the integrator - not the guy who has taken the financial risk to do the job!

Lets say the end user price for a Cbus System is $10,000 and he/she sees excellent value for money in the system at that price. Now to the system integrator who had to pay $9000 for the Cbus parts, do all the application design, fit-off, configuration and site commissioning it doesn't represent value for money when he can see that relay box he paid for isn't worth the price?

 

If the above example is in any way related to your real life practices I think maybe you need to look at the way you quote jobs, it is hardly clipsals fault if you are losing money because you did not do your figures right.

 

Very true. I don't see how anyone can see it as good value. The only reason I have C-bus is because I installed it myself so just had the parts cost to pay for. Did my whole house for $2000 back in 2000. At an average price of about $100 per light. If I were to do that today with the SAME or similar hardware (ie standard switches) it would cost me double or about $200 per light. Compare this to about $50 per light for a standard switch and dimmer, or about $7 for just a switch.

The only ones it seems who think it is good value are those that can charge a fortune for installing toys for people who don't care what price they pay. If the prices were lower then it would appear to a wider market, the volume would increase to offset the lower price. Just as happens with Ipods.

 

Although I am not Cliplsal's staff, I want to make some comments.

Every company has to make what it takes to be as competitive as possible. Unfortunately this means that a lot of products are made in China.

Some products of C-Bus are cheaper than others compared to competitors products. Thats true, but we have to check the cost of a whole system not of a specific item. I also believe that some products like relays are quite expensive but dimmers are so cheap that a C-Bus system is quite competitive.

I don't believe that we gain something comparing video players or mp3 players or cars. Every company in home automation field has similar technology. It is old technology because there is not a need for something faster.

Price policy of every company depends on the cost of the product, on the market share they (want to) have in every market - country and a lot more reasons that a mechanical engineer like me don't know.

At last, I though that every member of this forum likes C-Bus, lives in a home with C-Bus or make money from C-Bus. It is productive to ask for new products or to make some comments for the existed products. However, this post is miles away from this purpose.

 

It did not start out as being a thread about Clipsals apparent overcharging, rather, just a question on why made in China. It has gone downhill a little unfortunately.

Yeah we would all like to see cheaper prices and higher margins for the installers, but it ain't going to happen. If Clipsal can keep the prices lower by using China, then so be it - it still has a warranty.

Mick