By shady I meant several things first the prices do sometimes change from page to page (yes it's only $1.50, but still weird). I admit that it is not doing it today (I just checked), but it has done it most times I have been to your site. It probably is a cache thing, but like much on you site, it probably needs to be looked at. The other thing is that if your cache system is speeding up your site, then you have other problems, because your's is one of the slowest sites I ever look at (I tried going through the kilt order process this morning and some pages took over 30 sec to load). It drives me nuts waiting for pages on your (and your sister sites) shop.

But regardless of that, with your system, you don't know what you're paying for a kilt until you pick a tartan. All other kilt shops on line have different catagories (all kilts on this page are $X.xx, all on this page are $Y.yy), your advance search idea would never occur to anyone. Clicking on a link for $328 kilts says to me that the kilts should cost $328, and then when I find they cost $387 (the cost of the sample I deciced to click on randomly this morning), I get a little discouraged (it's called bait and switch in the US).

As for your prices, I did not accuse you of artifically raising them. I pointed out that they were high. I will grant you that you use an outside kilt firm, and the company I compared you to uses inhouse kilt makers so that is probably why they are cheaper (still made in Scotland, not imported slave labor kilts, as you implied).

However you insist that you are fairly priced on other items. As an example you mention your leather kilts. Yes the $715.88 (X-marks price) you sell for is much lower than the $2450 of a TFCK. But in all fairness TFCK is a high end fashion hours with their own grossly inflated prices. Now Utilikilt sells a leather for $625.85, RKilts go for $638.03 (US) and Union Kilts leathers are only $514.74 (these prices are for Black, Rkilts go up to $701.83 for the more exotic colors, but then yours go up to $804.42). Maybe your kilts are better, others will have to judge.

So maybe your prices are comparable in accessories. Just last week, I bought a belt and some hose from the same kilt vendor I mentioned in my first post. I have found the exact same products on your web site (not Bazaar merchant look alike), let's see how they stack up (all prices were found as I was writing this post).

Your Price (X-Marks Discount) Their Price (Sale Price)
Belt $41.82 37.38 32.52 29.27
Hose $18.44 16.50 15.08 13.57
Just for fun I found sporrans and OTR tweed jackets (again same product on the sporrans and comparable jackets)
Sporran $125.74 112.02 97.72 87.95
tweed jacket $335.12 299.60 268.87 241.98

Do I need to keep going on. Their every day prices are significantly lower than your discount prices

Now as Ron has said many times you can have any 2 of (Price, Quality and Service). Your company has quality and service (be proud of that, stop defending your prices), the company I'm comparing you to has quality and price (everyone that has dealt with them will tell you their service sucks - though it only took a week to get the hose and belt). I personally will go for the second option every time, but there are those here that want to be in constant communication with whom ever they are dealing with, expicially when a kilt is on order. You serve them.

Finally Fed Ex ALWAYS charges the duty AND a fee. Royal mail/USPS sometimes misses the duty and NEVER adds a fee (so even when you do get hit, it is less).

Adam