Online stores over charging

[Sharkcatcher01]

This is not a rant or not what its intended to be, but more of an observation/query. 

 

When you see something online that has been reduced 50% and its still double the price of the price you pay at your LBS, do you continue to buy from them, or start double guessing all your online purchases?

 

In an ideal world we would all support our local LBS, but the convenience of online shopping has its advantages. 

 

Just a thought. 

[Dirkitech]

Speaking from own experience, I have yet to see an LBS that sells anything I bought online for cycling at a cheaper price. The closest so far from my own searches was for helmets, because of either the duty or shipping cost.
You have me really curious what it is you found cheaper at an LBS

[Kalahari Vegmot]

Huh?

 

If it's cheaper at my lbs I'll buy there. If it's cheaper online buy there.

 

Don't get caught up in 'specials' or 'offers'.

[Eldron]

The only price that matters is the price you pay. Normal price recommended retail price etc are irrelevant - no reason to even look at them.

[Mojoman]

Some online stores seem to be having specials on items that were already on special (so there is no special really as its already on special!)...thats my observation...

 

To be honest the last few purchases I have made online have not been from the main online players but rather smaller stores scattered around out there....

[Sharkcatcher01]

Speaking from own experience, I have yet to see an LBS that sells anything I bought online for cycling at a cheaper price. The closest so far from my own searches was for helmets, because of either the duty or shipping cost.

You have me really curious what it is you found cheaper at an LBS

I saw tyre sealant being sold on 'special' for double the price. Not a big thing, but becaue i dont have time to browse at my LBS and check prices out i was wondering what else they are charging those kind of mark ups for. 

[scotty]

Speaking from own experience, I have yet to see an LBS that sells anything I bought online for cycling at a cheaper price. The closest so far from my own searches was for helmets, because of either the duty or shipping cost.

You have me really curious what it is you found cheaper at an LBS

I bought Ultegra cranks and BB from Solomons for less than any of the local online shops plus they fitted it for me without charging. 

[Dexter-morgan]

I am very tight fisted and suffer from paralysis by analysis, so I will search and research the item until I find the best deal.

[worriesnot]

I bought Ultegra cranks and BB from Solomons for less than any of the local online shops plus they fitted it for me without charging. 

 

I've bought a number of items from Solomons at prices below any online shop. 

Last one I recall was my AC Wide Lightnin's.

[Sharkcatcher01]

I've bought a number of items from Solomons at prices below any online shop. 

Last one I recall was my AC Wide Lightnin's.

 

Funnily enough the LBS that has the sealant is notorious for having high prices, so i will pop into other this weekend and see what it sells for there. 

[Dirkitech]

I bought Ultegra cranks and BB from Solomons for less than any of the local online shops plus they fitted it for me without charging. 

I guess i should have specified that all my cycling related purchases were overseas, except for a bottlecage from Coimbra.

 

You have piqued my interest though, so I'll make time to go browse through Solomon's retail store in the coming weeks!

[watsonr]

I had an interesting experience last month. I broke one of my brake levers after hitting a fence. With Sani coming up I went straight to a nearby cycle shop to replace the lever. Mechanic gives me a quote for new Shimano SLX levers and labor cost and I immediately/incorrectly assume I'm getting over charged. I quickly review some popular online stores and to my surprise the 2 online stores I quickly looked at while standing in the shop all had Shimano SLX brake levers on sale with a large discount advertised. The one online store had a banner of "30% off". The funny thing though is that the price for the brakes on these websites and what I was getting charged at the bike shop differed by maybe R100. And that includes the labor to fit the brakes. I asked the mechanic if the brakes were on special and he replied "No. That is our normal price". So I started comparing items in the shop to the same items on these 2 online stores, and the prices for the same products were identical and in some cases cheaper than the online stores. Even though the online stores had "10/20/30% off banner" over the product. It was only then that I saw on 1 of the sites, the marked discount is based on "RRP". So the discount offered or advertised by the online stores is not necessarily a discount on their normal selling price, it is more a discount percentage on some arbitrary recommended selling price of the product. Is this legally misleading or false advertising? Probably not. Is this a clever way to mislead me to drive sales and hype around drawing attention to "40/50/60%" discounts? Yes. 

[keithbe]

I am very tight fisted and suffer from paralysis by analysis, so I will search and research the item until I find the best deal.

I sh!t me pants when I see I've paid regular price for an item that I've scoured the interweb!

[Thomo]

It was only then that I saw on 1 of the sites, the marked discount is based on "RRP". So the discount offered or advertised by the online stores is not necessarily a discount on their normal selling price

Becoming common practice.

Sometimes "discounted prices" end up being more than normal prices.

[RupertdeBeer]

South African legislation has definite laws when it comes to the definition of 'sale'. Just do your homework regarding the law and hold the relevant party to it. 

[Shebeen]

What always gets me is the Persian rug stores in shopping malls. They're always 50% off. Does anyone actually ever buy one (and at what discount), or is it just a money laundering scheme. Mall rent is not cheap