Hi
Should outfitters publish prices on websites or not?
I am looking to do a poll on peoples opinions on the pros and cons.
Let me know your thoughts as hunters please.
Thanks
Adrian

I want to see them and any packages they offer. If it is not on the site I just pass them by and look somewhere else. But that is just me.

I think they should. if pricing changes, update the site. a good site should be constantly be updated anyways.

Definately = If not, I don't go past just looking at their website. I can't imagine someone trying to sell a product and not posting the price of their product.

I like to see the prices as well. IMO the outfitter should list their current prices and keep them up to date.

UK Safari

We are actively working on our website and that is one of the things we absolutely will have is up to date pricing. POR (Pricing On Request) doesn't get it. I also would move onto another site if I had to e-mail for pricing.

Mark

one more thing to add. if you aren't going to list pricing, then don't even have a pricing section.

POR, or CONTACT FOR PRICING all the way down the page is more annoying than anything.

No pricing. I just continue on. I know that some outfits want you to contact them to discuss. I can look at a price list and see immediately if it is for me or not. Please post them.

generally, no prices-no interest

I am in the other camp. There is a short list of people I would hunt with in Africa and pricing, while important, is not the reason I choose to hunt with a particular operator.

Information about the area, PHs, available animals, trophy size, and references are far more important.

This is one of my pet peeves. It doesn't matter to me if it would be a hunt or a car or whatever it is annoying when there is not a price on something. I go elsewhere regardless of what product is being offered.

I have even seen some of the outfitters on this website that fail to post their prices on this website. For those of you on here that dont have your prices read this post hint hint.
It may be 2 years or 5 years before I get to africa. For those of you on here that dont list your prices you will be one of the last outiftters or booking agents that I will consider. Hint hint

When I see POR or 'contact us for rates" I move on and don't come back.

Post the prices. If it is someone you have hunted with before, no big deal.

If you are looking for someone to hunt with you need to have a basic idea of what they are charging.

quote:

Originally posted by Mike70560:
Information about the area, PHs, available animals, trophy size, and references are far more important.

Mike - Details on ALL of the information you listed should be included, in addition to current pricing.

If they don't list pricing I don't even bother looking.

I hate websites that fail to list prices OR make it impossible to find contact info! How about a physical address? I want to know where people are located

Yes put in pricing. NOt putting in pricing may infer that a) it's very expensive b) pricing depends on who you are or where you are from c) you don't routinely maintain your website or have staff to do it. If there are variables that may change the cost, state that up front. Most of all, do not try to hide anything and for hell's sake, do NOT imply that a visitor should 'already know xyz' by leaving important information off that is 'obvious.' You want a customer who goes to your site, finds more information than they initially looked for, learned something and now sees your site as a reference to go back to to check for new information while they are in the process of booking a hunt.

Cheers

quote:

Originally posted by Gayne C. Young:
I hate websites that fail to list prices OR make it impossible to find contact info! How about a physical address? I want to know where people are located

+1 A great big red flag goes up if I do not see all the details.Are they trying to hide something or are they just too dumb to create a good website.Either way I am not impressed.

Hi
Thanks guys, looks like I have the answer
Adrian

It's daft not to post prices, as not doing so means you will spend an inordinate amount of time telling people what they are either by email or phone.
IF they bother to ask that is...

people , let me give you an African operators perspective ...

at one time the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) went through all the zimbabwe operators websites and printed off prices ...they then used these prices to strong arm the zimbabwe outfitters into the income they declared , they made it illegal to discount off your price list , mandated how much commission you were allowed to pay agents etc etc ... in short for those who posted prices it became a veritable nightmare ..

please dont be too hard on the african outfitters who dont post rates, its often more of a political decision than anything else rather than an attempt to hide anything ...something that anyone living in the first world could ever appreciate ... Thats Africa

Thank you Ivan words of absolute truth

quote:

Originally posted by ivan carter:
people , let me give you an African operators perspective ...

at one time the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) went through all the zimbabwe operators websites and printed off prices ...they then used these prices to strong arm the zimbabwe outfitters into the income they declared , they made it illegal to discount off your price list , mandated how much commission you were allowed to pay agents etc etc ... in short for those who posted prices it became a veritable nightmare ..

please dont be too hard on the african outfitters who dont post rates, its often more of a political decision than anything else rather than an attempt to hide anything ...something that anyone living in the first world could ever appreciate ... Thats Africa

i get that for Zim but is it the same for all the other African countries/outfitters?? doubtful. if you read all the above comments, the message is pretty clear.

If no prices are listed, I'm on to the next site - every time.

Ivan des make a great point about the politics. I'd be more accepting if a website actually stated something like that. However what normally happens is the site simply says "POR" and doesn't offer any kind of explanation why.

Regardless, I move on if I don't see pricing.

quote:

Originally posted by ivan carter:
people , let me give you an African operators perspective ...

at one time the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) went through all the zimbabwe operators websites and printed off prices ...they then used these prices to strong arm the zimbabwe outfitters into the income they declared , they made it illegal to discount off your price list , mandated how much commission you were allowed to pay agents etc etc ... in short for those who posted prices it became a veritable nightmare ..

please dont be too hard on the african outfitters who dont post rates, its often more of a political decision than anything else rather than an attempt to hide anything ...something that anyone living in the first world could ever appreciate ... Thats Africa

Certain 'authorities' in Australia troll through websites gathering data on hunt packages, next thing when we are negatiating they put all these figures before us and ask for a bigger percentage.... then hunters complain that the hunt price has gone up!

How hard is it to send an email enquiry? We offer Asiatic Buffalo hunts in four different areas with different pricing and very different conditions.... it is very difficult to make that clear without good customised information. I guess I could write on my website ... Buffalo Hunts from $8,000 - but what is that going to tell you??

I wonder if the old East African companies of old posted their safari prices in sporting journals?

I guess our consumer mentality has made us more demanding... instant information!!

Well being that the internet can be updated instantly vs printed material that takes time to move across the world. not exactly a proper comparison. even though I would bet that they did in fact print prices. Even looking through older publications you see a lot more pricing printed than you do now.

Ivan makes a good point, but if they were trying that hard to screw with you, then I would assume they could have someone emailing operators for pricing while posing like a possible client just as easily.

I like pricing up front and open as well. I understand the opposing arguments but clients like to see the bottom line pretty quickly to determine if they are interested or not.

i hope outfitters will take note of the overwhelming opinion here- PUBLISH YOUR PRICES OR EXPECT TO LOSE CUSTOMERS!!!

quote:

Originally posted by jdollar:
i hope outfitters will take note of the overwhelming opinion here- PUBLISH YOUR PRICES OR EXPECT TO LOSE CUSTOMERS!!!

This. Lack of pricing information drives me crazy. If it's 2AM and I'd sitting around in my boxers contemplating a hunt I want to know what the prices are without having to send an email to some poor bugger that likely gets 20 emails a day from guys just like me. It's like putting the price in the window of a car on the lot...frees up the sales guys to deal with real customers, which tire-kickers usually turn into at a later date.

Agreed. I don't bother to look any further. If the numbers look doable, then I delve deeper.

Rich

I've got a basic idea what it's going to cost and would prefer to negotiate from there, usually with friends (i.e., not real hard negotiating); with dates, what's left on quota, etc. being part of the deal. See very valid reasons not to post a price. Every safari is unique and different.

Without prices listed on their websites, I don't spend much time at all on the site (doesn't matter what country the hunts might be offered in). While price isn't everthing for deciding with whom to go on a guided hunt with, when one is first starting out researching, I want to see what the relative prices are for a group of outfitters that I might be interested in for a hunt.

As a aside to this, I also believe this is true for Taxidermists also, if I get to your website, I want to be able to see what your prices are for work you do when I start a search process. Everthing might be great, with fantasic pictures and such, but without listed prices I lose interest fast.

Very interesting thread.

I always thought as a client I would prefer to discuss my personal requirements for a hunt and the cost implications thereof. Given that every hunter has different requirements in terms of accommodation, hunting type and hospitality requirements it is very difficult to put a one size fits all price up.

However I have had to start doing this in the UK now as particularly for the US clients it looks like people want a full round trip cost rather than the modular approach. (I know Mark!!! It just took a couple of years to sink in... )

Speaking to some web marketing experts I work with, they tell me lack of pricing is one of the biggest reasons for people leaving a site in any industry along with complexity of navigation. Time to update the site then!!

Rgds,
K

ONCE AGAIN- OUTFITTERS TAKE NOTE!!! as the old saying goes in academia-publish or perish!