TNT1 Posted March 6, 2009 Posted March 6, 2009 Has it been discussed that between the minutes being posted, and now, that CycleLab has changed owners? Did McLean now this was coming and tried to get out while the getting was good?
nicksa100 Posted March 6, 2009 Posted March 6, 2009 I doubt these guys will be found guilty. Way too many technicalities. I hope the competition commission has their ducks in a row as these businesses are going to take a hammering through reputational issues. Remember, innocent until proven guilty. (I'm not a fan of the parties involved btw.)
Brighter-Lights Posted March 6, 2009 Posted March 6, 2009 I have to agree... I compare prices online, at local bike shops, and then some of these 'chain store' bike shops like cycle lab... I sometimes can't believe my ears when my girlfriend tells me what some of the stuff she wants are priced in 'those' shops in Centurion... Daylight robbery! Sometimes twice as much as I can get it for 'elsewhere' They're screwing a lot of uneducated people (who's got enough money to just buy and believe) ... and they're screwing themselves because educated people like some of us, import our own parts with a '****you, I'll never pay that much' attitude... Why? Because even with the weak Rand, I can still import a lot of tyres for R200 to R300.... just to mention tyres.... When the Rand suddenly weakened end of 2008, a lot of shops, if not the whole community, used that as an excuse, but in actual fact pushed up prices much more than to compensate for the weak Rand... they think we're stupid and I think most people who keep supporting them are stupid...
AndreZA Posted March 6, 2009 Posted March 6, 2009 On another forum everybody is also stopping to support the local industry because of the ridiculous markups of the importers. I mentioned that I feel sorry for the small shops that are not making money and a shop owner commented that they are still doing fine. There are people who do not care about price they they keep them going. There are only a small group of people that will go to the length of importing stuff and take the risk with their credit card. The SA people are still not comfortable with international online shopping. .
Eldron Posted March 6, 2009 Posted March 6, 2009 My 2c...EVERYTHING is cheaper when bought via "unconventional" business models ala CWC style or bought overseas - buying in SA (unless you have "contacts") is self rape really. Andrew/Fritz getting off lightly because they've done so much for SA cycling absolutely reeks of ANC style "they have been long time cadres of the movement so they deserve another chance" rhetoric. They are being investigated for BREAKING THE LAW and if found guilty should be prosecuted in the full - nice guys or not. For too long shops in SA have cow towed before the mighty distributors - hopefully this will change that. There is no doubt that unfranchised cycle shops have it tough in SA - I worked in several for years after studying and none of the owners were rolling in cash - they were all "2 bedroom house, one car, one holiday a year" kinda people - not on the bones of their ass but not putting down payments on luxury german sedans. Cut out the middle man I say - the standard importer to distributor to agent to bike shop chain does not work in a relatively small market like South Africa. Viva Planet X, CWC, etc etc who have seen the light and brought cycle spares to SA in an affordable way!
specialized7 Posted March 6, 2009 Posted March 6, 2009 Ver sharp and very funny Racman!!!!!!!!specialized72009-03-06 01:45:38
Tumbleweed Posted March 6, 2009 Posted March 6, 2009 Has it been discussed that between the minutes being posted' date=' and now, that CycleLab has changed owners? Did McLean now this was coming and tried to get out while the getting was good? [/quote'] did he own it at the time?
Merlin Posted March 6, 2009 Posted March 6, 2009 +1 Eldron. I can't believe some people are actually sticking up for these guys. Do you like paying BS prices and supporting criminals? A kid could tell you this is price-fixing. I recently started getting back into biking after some time off and the prices I noted in local stores made me pale. Just another example of the ZA consumer getting his behind tapped. Disgusting. Saying that these guys did a lot for the sport so it's OK is completely irrelevant. Right, my 2c posted, I'd also like to see these so-called Minutes...anyone? Thanks, N.
Challenger Posted March 6, 2009 Posted March 6, 2009 Take a look at the prices quoted in our bicycling mags as compared to UK on-line retailer prices. I think ComCom just needs to do that. It's bigger than we think.
TNT1 Posted March 6, 2009 Posted March 6, 2009 Has it been discussed that between the minutes being posted' date=' and now, that CycleLab has changed owners? Did McLean now this was coming and tried to get out while the getting was good? [/quote'] did he own it at the time? Dunno. I'm asking. I seem remember the whole new owners of cyclelab debate coming after the secret price fixing meeting scandal...
curious ken Posted March 6, 2009 Posted March 6, 2009 excuse my ignorance, but who are the wholesalers (particularly parts etc) here in SA? surely their names are the ones we should be bashing?
Mr Giant Posted March 6, 2009 Posted March 6, 2009 excuse my ignorance' date=' but who are the wholesalers (particularly parts etc) here in SA? surely their names are the ones we should be bashing? [/quote'] We should be bashing the whole happy lot of them!!!
Bellscycling Posted March 6, 2009 Posted March 6, 2009 As if all the dopig scandals isn't enough......
Brighter-Lights Posted March 6, 2009 Posted March 6, 2009 My local shop, Penford Cycles, is a very small shop in Uitenhage. Lots of PE people come here because their prices are the best and the service is good and personalized. I support these guys because they are not rolling in money, they give me good deals and I sometimes rather pay a little extra to have something immediately, instead of saving R200 and wait for 2 weeks when importing... My problem is with shops charging R200 or R300 more for the same thing at this small shop who's got almost as many overheads and a lot less customers/traffic. I remember when a Crossmark was R350 at Penford and R550 in PE...One shop marked their Crossmarks R550 and not long after that everybody followed... I just don't like to be ripped off... And my local shop has always tried to better prices when I made them aware about something I'm looking to buy from overseas... and many times they got the business... 'And what these guy's did for the sport.... blah blah blah... they knew pretty well that they were doing it for themselves long term... ' Nobody does that much for free... Brighter-Lights2009-03-06 02:00:04
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