4TB Lexar NM790 $295.00 Deals gone wrong

LTony Foster on 26/02/2025 - 13:07
Last edited 26/02/2025 - 13:33 by 1 other user

A request for Lexar Chris ANZ @Lexar.

I registered for a Black Friday Mwave deal offering a 4TB NM790 at $295.00. The the deal stated there was no stock and therefore customers should register with Mwave. I registered in mid November 2024 and again on Boxing day in December 2024. I expected to be contacted when stock was available.

By January 2025 I had received no news. I contacted Mwave who said registration was not a guarantee of supply, only a deal for existing stock.

That does not match the advertising. According the OzBargain Lexar advertised deal, there was no stock at time. I assume the instruction to register was intended to join the queue for stock when it became available.

On January 7, 2025, I spoke to Mwave who say no 4TB Lexar NM790 SSD’s were available until January 7, 2025, and; according to Greg Hansford, Account Manager at Mwave, 50 units are available at a new price of $339.00.

So much for the earlier promised deal! The 4TB Lexar NM790 now, at time of writing, is advertised at Mwave at $395.00

So what happens to all those people who, like me, followed directions, registered for the $295.00 deal and have been ignored.

I write via this site as my request via Lexar site for an explanation has also been ignored.

This appears to be deceitful advertising as no Mwave customer could have been fulfilled under the above circumstances.

An explanation from Chris @Lexar would be greatly appreciated.

Tony Foster

Computing Computer Component Lexar M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD

Comments

  • MS Paint on 26/02/2025 - 13:13
    +13

    You go get em Tony.

    I ♥️ boomers.

  • spackbace on 26/02/2025 - 13:40
    +4

    Such boomer energy

  • Jimothy Wongingtons on 26/02/2025 - 13:42
    +2

    It's the Constitution. It's Mabo. It's justice. It's law. It's the vibe and ah, no that's it. It's the vibe. I rest my case.

    • AdosHouse on 26/02/2025 - 13:45
      -1

      OP should take this straight to the Prime Minister.

  • Save Medicare on 26/02/2025 - 14:06

    I just installed a NM790 in my laptop. I hope you get yours, Mr Foster

  • randomusername2017 on 26/02/2025 - 14:39
    +1

    @Lexar ANZ Chris

  • lew380 on 27/02/2025 - 16:46

    No one owes you a deal. Deals are price errors, clearance of old stock, or just to get get a reputation and get name recognition.

  • Lexar ANZ Chris on 27/02/2025 - 18:59
    +8

    Hi Tony,

    Thank you for your patience, and apologies for the delayed reply. I truly appreciate your support for our brand. Last year was my second year with Lexar, and thanks to customers like you, we achieved record-high market shares and revenue in the Australia and New Zealand region.

    I’ve reviewed your concerns regarding the recent promo. While the issue is linked to the Lexar brand, it appears to stem from Mwave overselling promo stock, which is outside my direct control.

    To provide some context on how promotions typically work behind the scenes, let me give you an example:

    Pricing Structure:
    I sell 10 SSDs to an Australian distributor at $100 each.
    The distributor sells them to retailers at $110.
    End users purchase them at $120.
    (this is just an example, no one in our industry makes that much profit ever lol)

    Promo Scenario:
    If I want end user to buy the SSD at 100 instead of 120, but my promo budget is only 60 dollars, I'll allocate 60 dollars to the distributor.
    I’d ask the distributor to reduce the price of 3 units from 100 to 80.

    Distributor and Retailer Flexibility:
    The distributor could follow my instructions and sell 3 units to retailers at 90, allowing retailers to sell them to end user at 100.
    Alternatively, they might adjust the pricing differently (e.g., reducing 4 units to 85, selling to retailers at 95, who then sell to end user at 100, or 96 or whatever)
    Distributors may also choose to allocate stock to specific retailers or regions, which can lead to unexpected outcomes. They can sell the stock in Sydney, or ship them to a exporter who specializing shipping stuff to Syria.(just an example, I know no such business)

    While I can implement measures to ensure promotions run smoothly, I can’t control every aspect of how distributors and retailers manage their stock or pricing.

    In your case, the promo was designed for the NM790 4TB SSD to sell at 299/310 (NHS/HS), Mwave sold it at 295, which was great - they absorbed the extra 4 dollars discount themselves. However, I have no control over how many backorders they accept or whether they start selling before stock arrives etc.

    Please don’t blame Lexar for this particular issue. I allocated my entire marketing budget to the Christmas and Black Friday promotions, and many customers did receive their products at the promo price.

    That said, I believe Mwave is one of the best retailers in the Sydney region, and I’m not here to criticize them.
    As a gesture of goodwill, feel free to DM me your email address. When I run the next promo (budget permitting), I’ll ensure you get the first unit.

    On a side note, instead of the expected price drop in Q1, SSD wafer prices are set to increase significantly.
    I’m still verifying this information, so I can’t guarantee the NM790 4TB will ever hit 299 or 295 again.
    However, I'll definately work on brining Ozbargain - worthy deals in the future.

    Thanks again for your understanding and support!

    • Austere on 28/02/2025 - 22:22
      +2

      Chris you are an angel and Lexar is lucky to have you <333

  • Tony Foster on 04/03/2025 - 09:27

    Hi Chris,
    Thank you for your detailed explanation.
    Under the circumstances you describe, it seems the unit’s available for the Lexar Deal ran out while the OzBargain deal continued to be advertised. Mwave apparently saw no need to qualify their offer. My dissatisfaction lies with the misleading advertising which makes no mention of stock limitations and also fails to explain what the Mwave registration actually provides for the consumer in terms of purchase security. For all I know the ‘Deal’ may simply be a technique for measuring market interest with no intention to supply at the advertised price.
    Finding a strong buyer response, a retailer can simply pitch the Lexar price to suit their profit expectations. The SSD price increase further suggests that possibility.

    To quote Mwave email 7 January 2025:
    "In terms of honouring original pricing this would only be applicable where funds have been exchanged and an order is placed within our system.
    As we only discussed the enquiry via email I'm afraid this isn't enough to honour old sale price which is tied to particular shipments of stock due to different cost prices."

    See how easily a retailer can dismiss an obligation to supply! Emails do not matter! Catch 22; the ‘Purchase’ button was inactive on the website, presumably because no stock was available! What a tangled web we weave.

    When stock became available the price had risen to $339.00. So the original advertised deal was for me a lie. A completely non existent offer. This is not merely a fuss about a $40-00 price increase. It is about deceitful advertising. Many more people than I are effected as only Mwave registrations can show.

    As a professional close to the advertising industry, nothing annoys me more than misleading advertising. While laws exist to prevent such behaviour, usually the financial sums are too small to justify the necessary legal action to implement them. This plays in favour of retailer neglect and/or manipulation. I have reported this matter to the Dept of Fair Trading who have spoken to Mwave. The Dept state the situation will continue to be monitored.

    Regarding Lexar, I have no particular issue other than ignorance as to how wholesale/retail relationships work. I very much appreciate the insight you have provided Chris. It seems to me Mwave behaviour unfairly reflected upon Lexar due to my lack of understanding about the demarcation of responsibility. This illustrates how important ethical advertising is for all concerned.

    I have now purchased the 4TB Lexar NM790 at $336 via PC Case Gear. I thank you for your kind offer Chris. I noted an earlier reference you made about future prices. I also took heed of articles indicating that future Nand prices would increase while simultaneously, manufacturing units would be reduced in order to return the industry to profitability.

    I am certainly happy with the Lexar product and shall simply melt down another gold bar to manage the additional cost.

    Best Wishes,

    Tony Foster

  • Tony Foster on 04/03/2025 - 10:50

    PS. I see on the Mwave website, the 4TB Lexar NM790 price increased to $395 in February and is now, in March $499. Welcome to the ‘free market’.

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