MAP Policy – Piper

MAP Policy

February 2018

What is MAP?

MAP is “Minimum Advertised Price”, or the minimum price at which Piper expects its authorized sales partners and resellers to advertise its products.   

By setting MAP for use in advertising Piper products (in media such as print, television, radio, the internet, social media, direct mail, and catalog sales) and by providing advertising funds to support ads that meet the MAP guidelines, Piper is working to establish the appropriate perceived value of its products in the minds of its customers.

Piper is building a strong brand name and loyalty among consumers and does not wish to support any advertising or promotions that would have the effect of diminishing or detracting from the perceived value of Piper’s products.  Piper’s MAP Policy supports fair competition and discourages advertised price disparity for it’s products. Piper has determined that adoption of this MAP Policy is a necessary component of its strategy to achieve these goals.

General Information

This MAP Policy is unilateral, non-negotiable, and will not be altered for any reseller. This MAP Policy applies equally to all Piper authorized resellers who sell and advertise Piper products directly to end-user customers.  Piper authorized resellers are free to sell and advertise Piper products at whatever price they deem appropriate, but to qualify for MAP program benefits, Piper products advertised must comply with this MAP Policy.

Upon purchasing Piper products for resale through Piper or a Piper authorized distributor, reseller acknowledges and understands Piper’s MAP Policy.

All products listed must be sold directly to the end user.  Any unauthorized movement of products to another Reseller, or by Reseller to another division, exporter, or another unauthorized organization is a violation of MAP policy.

This MAP Policy does not constitute an agreement between Piper and any Reseller. Compliance does not evidence any kind of agreement between a Reseller and Piper.

Covered Products

This MAP Policy applies to all products and accessories manufactured and distributed by Piper.

Adherence to this MAP Policy, applies to the advertisement of closed box Piper product only. (Used, factory refurbished, demonstration or reseller-reconditioned units do not apply if advertised as such).

MAP Prices

Product

MAP

Piper Computer Kit

$299.00

Piper EDU Computer Kit

$299.00

Piper Station

$897.00

Piper Classroom

$2990.00


MAP Guidelines

Displaying a price for a Covered Product below the MAP in any of the following places is a violation of this MAP: flyers, posters, coupons, direct mailers, brochures, inserts, newspapers, magazines, catalogs, mail-order catalogs, public signage (including signs within a store visible from outside the store), other print media, television, radio, or other forms of media.

At Piper, we view the internet as any other medium for advertising Piper products, and the same rules and violations that apply to print also apply to resellers who use this electronic medium for advertising, and/or price offering or order placement. Displaying a price for a Covered Product below the MSRP in any of the following places is also a violation of this MAP: any website, banner, sponsored link, or email. Additionally, prices that are below the MAP for a Covered Product that are displayed in an internet search engine’s results as a result of a Reseller’s website or a Reseller-run store or at online merchants such as Amazon or eBay is also a violation of this MAP.

To remain in compliance with the MAP guidelines all advertised prices should be at or above the MAP listed price prior to placement in the shopping cart or member price. Moreover, shopping cart or member price cannot appear on Price Grabber, Google or similar price comparison or auction sites; as well as Amazon.com, NewEgg.com or similar sites that accept third party marketplace type feeds. Any appearance in price comparison or auction sites below MAP is a violation of the MAP guidelines.  

MAP Violations

Any advertisement(s) that does not comply with the terms of this MAP Policy will be deemed a violation of the MAP Policy.

Any advertisement(s) not in compliance with the terms of this MAP Policy violates the MAP Policy.

For avoidance of doubt, this MAP policy does not grant any reseller the right to act as a reseller for Piper products for any particular term, and each reseller acknowledges and agrees that Piper may terminate any reseller for breach of this policy or for any other reason at Piper's sole discretion.

It is important to remember that the MAP policy is the only document on which all compliance will be based, and it supersedes all other communications. All current products under the MAP program can be requested by contacting your Piper Sales Representative.

Warning: Piper may, at its sole discretion and without notice, modify products, prices and this policy.  Piper will always provide you an updated MAP Policy and/or price list upon request.

MAP Exceptions

The exceptions to MAP are as follows:

  • Special promotions as announced by Piper
  • Free shipping advertised to customers to provide a discounted total price.
  • Coupons, buy-on-get-one’s, and other conditional sales events that require customer to perform a qualifying action are permitted with advance permission of Piper.
  • Loyalty or award programs when the award is based on “points” and not equated to a specific dollar denominated benefit or credit.

Examples of MAP Policy Compliance

We try to keep the MAP Policy as easy to understand and adhere to as possible. By following important points listed throughout this document, your advertising efforts will remain in compliance with the MAP program.

  • If you choose to advertise prices for Piper products in your promotional efforts, the

pricing for them must be at or above the current MAP listing

Example: (during non-promo periods) “Special Offer on Piper! $299 before instant savings”

  • The advertisement of reduced prices on services or products from other manufacturers—in conjunction with the purchase of Piper MAP-listed products—is not a violation of the MAP Policy. This policy gives you the flexibility to create product/service combinations that will entice customers into your store.

Example: “Purchase Piper for $299.00 and any mouse and save $50.00!”

  • A below-MAP price that results from a promotion or an end-user rebate offered by Piper is not a violation of the MAP Policy. Please indicate “Piper Rebate” in the ad.
  • No “minus-outs” or words such as “subtract,” “take away,” “less,” may be used if it makes the price of the product below MAP
  • Storewide promotions relating to all products may be advertised in a title or headline format at the top of a page or ad. However, individual Piper products within the body of the ad must continue to meet MAP

Examples: “Save 20% on all Computer accessory products, limited time offer”

“Store Wide Sale, Everything 10% off! Piper $299 before savings”

  • Using shopping-cart technology where the discounted pricing is neither able to be picked up as a search-engine result, not shown to the general public without adding the product to your shopping cart is permissible

Example: “See price in cart”; “Add to cart for price”

  • Advertising that instructs a customer to “call for price” or “email for price” or other similar language is permissible, so long as no price is listed.
  • Creating a password-protected section on your website where the discounted pricing is neither able to be picked up as a search-engine result nor shown to the general public is permissible.
  • In-store advertising (unless it is visible from outside the store), or direct promotions to pre-existing customers is permissible.  

We recognize that our success is tied to the success of our network of select authorized dealers. We also know that many of our dealers invest significant time and resources to deliver an extraordinary customer experience. We appreciate your support in maintaining the quality of the Piper brand name.