Just a quick Example

[The Saint]

Seeing as I have moved areas I need to get myself a new LBS. Walk into recommended LBS today looking for a Fizik Areone saddle.

Price 2K

See a second hand one there and ask for the price, Gimme 1K and you have a deal. Nope 1K too much for a second hand saddle I say. Well it's not so second hand says shop owner.

 

Besdies the fact that I didn't know that there was a difference between second hand and not so second hand the same saddle is available from Chain Reaction at 60Pounds. New one even with conversion and landed cost is still cheaper than the "Not so second hand" one.

 

This type of stuff just irritates the living cr@p out of me when 6 months ago they were R950, how is a 100% price increase justified in 6 months?

 

Well F it I will get the thing from Chain reaction and not local and besides I have previously said that I will not support the local market anymore and this type of thing just confirms my sentiments.

[Speed Devil]

Was that LBS at the infamous meeting? That should explain the 100% increase

[The Saint]

Must have been

[TNT1]

You need to find a cajees near you

[The Saint]

Well there was a dispute that the minutes were not correct. Maybe the mistake came where they typed 40% increase and the actual sentence should have read 100% increase.

[Dirtbreath]

I can justify 20% more than anywhere else to "support" my LBS and the local distributor/wholesaler whatever. But when I can get stuff 25% less or cheaper online then my charity purse strings tighten.

 

Funny how some things locally are competitively priced against CRC and other online shops.

[The Saint]

Well Chain Reaction got my business, just saved myself 900 bucks.

[porky]

Thats just crazy - 2k???????

 

I bought one about 18 months ago, pretty sure it was only R650 / R700.

 

So okay lets work it out, 10% manufacturers increase (fairly standard annually), if it was bought in the last 2 months lets factor in a 30% rand devaluation, lets factor in a 15% increase in freight costs and an  increase locally for the supply chain say 10%. - I still only get R1200.00 odd bucks.!!  - which sort of tallies with the Chain Reaction price.

 

Yup, no wonder folk go buy internationally and we have a healthy parallel import market.

 

[LEGZ!]

Seeing as I have moved areas I need to get myself a new LBS. Walk into recommended LBS today looking for a Fizik Areone saddle.

Price 2K

See a second hand one there and ask for the price' date=' Gimme 1K and you have a deal. Nope 1K too much for a second hand saddle I say. Well it's not so second hand says shop owner.

 

Besdies the fact that I didn't know that there was a difference between second hand and not so second hand the same saddle is available from Chain Reaction at 60Pounds. New one even with conversion and landed cost is still cheaper than the "Not so second hand" one.

 

This type of stuff just irritates the living cr@p out of me when 6 months ago they were R950, how is a 100% price increase justified in 6 months?

 

Well F it I will get the thing from Chain reaction and not local and besides I have previously said that I will not support the local market anymore and this type of thing just confirms my sentiments.

[/quote']

 

Look at all the bike shops, all the prices are more or less the same price, the price of the saddle has been high even before the meeting.

If you not happy about the price contact the wholesaler. They will explain to you something called an exchange rate and how week our currency the rand is.

[javadude]

 

Seeing as I have moved areas I need to get myself a new LBS. Walk into recommended LBS today looking for a Fizik Areone saddle.

Price 2K

See a second hand one there and ask for the price' date=' Gimme 1K and you have a deal. Nope 1K too much for a second hand saddle I say. Well it's not so second hand says shop owner.

 

Besdies the fact that I didn't know that there was a difference between second hand and not so second hand the same saddle is available from Chain Reaction at 60Pounds. New one even with conversion and landed cost is still cheaper than the "Not so second hand" one.

 

This type of stuff just irritates the living cr@p out of me when 6 months ago they were R950, how is a 100% price increase justified in 6 months?

 

Well F it I will get the thing from Chain reaction and not local and besides I have previously said that I will not support the local market anymore and this type of thing just confirms my sentiments.

[/quote']

 

Look at all the bike shops, all the prices are more or less the same price, the price of the saddle has been high even before the meeting.

If you not happy about the price contact the wholesaler. They will explain to you something called an exchange rate and how week our currency the rand is.

 

Um duh. Did you read the part where Muxman mentions he ordered the saddle from overseas. I'll take the liberty to explain to you that when a South African orders from an overseas shop the exchange rate still applies. In spite of the week currency, the saddle is still 50% cheaper than the local saddle that was more than likely imported when the Rand was still strong.

 

Let me know if this confuses you, i'll try and dumb it down a bit for you.

 

[mrmed]

Erm, aren't there are different types of Ariones (different rails)?

[AndreZA]

Erm' date=' aren't there are different types of Ariones (different rails)? [/quote']

 

I was just about to ask that. Even the base can be different. Not all models are shown on the website either. My Aliante came of a Raleigh and I got it for less then 50% of the new price. It was still new, just OEM version.

 

 

[Red Zone]

R2k for a seat, thats a lot of cash to lay out. I bought one of Kiwi's PlanetX seats, for the price around R250, I thought that if I didnt like it I could ditch it. It is almost exactly the same shape and size of my Gobi and just as comfy. not bad for 12.5% of the price of an Arione.