Boeing overcharged the U.S. Air Force 8,000% above market for soap dispensers

The US has 222 C-17 Aircraft. A single C-17 costs over $300 million.

If you ask Boeing for soap dispenser parts for these, what should they cost? Boeing charged $149,072 for the dispensers. That's $671 per plane. Is that too much?

If you had to make these dispensers, make sure they conform to rules for aircraft parts and Air Force parts, provide formal responses to bids, etc., how much could you make them for?

It seems high to me. The article says 8000%, which is less than $10 per plane. So while it seems high, it's definitely not 8000% high.

What about designing the plane to use a common soap dispenser that doesnt cost $150k?

Why not just use existing solutions like a soap dispenser that is found on common commercial passenger planes that Boeing already has and makes?

There is no world where a simple soap dispenser is $150k.

They seemingly design them like this so they can bilk the US government aka tax payers with these absurd prices for simple objects.

I mean it doesn't cost $157K it costs $671. They ordered a couple hundred of them.

This one from CB2 is $40 and it doesn't conform to FAA rules and it's not MIL-SPEC. [1]

I suspect if I wanted a limited run of soap dispensers, I was only willing to buy 300 made-to-order, tested and conformant to niche military specifications and aviation specifications, I'd probably end up paying a decent chunk more than CB2.

How much does the entertainment system in your car cost vs an iPad? Is that a rip-off, or is it a niche, custom part that has to be made from automotive grade components?

How much does the soap dispenser cost in a 777 bathroom? That's the real point of comparison, not CB2.

[1] https://www.cb2.com/ramsey-calacatta-gold-marble-soap-pump/s...

Your example is a marble soap dispenser. Did you go on Google and search for the most expensive one you could find?

I did, yes, lol. I mean the most expensive one on sale at CB2 which is kind of a mid-range home furnishings store. I'm confident I can find a soap dispenser that costs more than $671 for home use, though.

[edit] Here you go, just under $845. I present you the Labrazel Discus Brown Pump Dispenser available at Nieman's. Only $77 per month thanks to the magic of Affirm. Good news is thanks to Black Friday you get a $125 gift card. Still not MIL-SPEC though.

https://www.neimanmarcus.com/p/labrazel-discus-brown-pump-di...

> The finest natural materials and the most exceptional quality of craftsmanship converge at Labrazel due to a singular focus—the design and creation of luxury accessories for the bath

Maybe the Pentagon should check these guys out.