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Cycle Lab in Hot Water


Dubsy

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Dead COME ON IF ITS TRUE  ITS US THEY WERE TRYING TO SCREW stop standing up for them if the are guilty they should get what they deserve I personally wont be suppoting them again we all complain how expensive cycling is getting and now we know why.

 

 

 

if they aren't guilty' date=' what will you blame the increase on?[/quote']

 

Shpongles. Always blame it on the shpongles.

 

And if that fails, it's definitely the aliens. Can never trust them folk with their anal probes.

 

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It's not always collusion between stakeholders that pushes up prices, even the letters in overseas mags are complaining about the increase in prices.

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Thing is, as has been said before - increased volume of sales overseas has limited the price increases... of course, us being a lower sales environment, we're bound to see more of an effect on it... Bulk pricing being more attractive the more stock you buy, pricing on lower acquisitions being raised higher because it isn't as cost effective supplying smaller quantities anymore... 

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how many of you have stopped shopping at pick n pay. They were directly blamed for pushing up food prices and influencing inflation last year. how many of you didnt ride the argus because PNP is a sponsor.

 

I Don't shop at Pick 'n Pay or ride Argus. Not sure where the wife shops.
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What nonsense - there may be no present "price collusion / fixing" but it was not for "WANT" of trying by these stake holders.

 

The very fact they never got it right was due to major players like Cajees and others who will never participate in this kind of scheme, simply because they prefer to be in their shops looking after business than getting involved in anti competitive behaviour.  

 

The fact remains they got caught with their fingers in the cookie jar (attempting to fix prices) - now the spin doctors are out and trying to put a respectable face on it - actually judging by some of the posts here, they appear to be succeeding.!

 

Personally, I see their attitude towards the consumer in the same light as I see SAA - anti competitive and lacking in business ethics - I will never set foot in any of these shops again and I wouldnt blink an eye if they both closed.

 

 

 
porky2009-03-14 14:08:39
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Bicycle retailer denies cartel

 

14/03/2009 22:04 - (SA)   

 

 

 

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Johannesburg - Fritz Pienaar Cycles has denied any involvement in price fixing.

 

 

 

This after the Competition Commission announced it was investigating a possible cartel operated by local bicycle retailers.

 

 

 

"We firmly deny any involvement in any alleged scheme to break the law and create a so-called cartel to fix prices or margins in the cycle retail industry," director Fritz Pienaar said in statement on Saturday.

 

 

 

He said the company attended an open forum discussion in Johannesburg last year to discuss the challenges facing the bicycle industry as a whole. More than 40 retailers and wholesalers were present at the discussion.

 

 

 

"The intentions of this meeting were honourable, and all those present set out to find solutions to challenges facing the industry that would benefit the wholesalers, retailers and consumers... the inquiry appears to be based on minutes of this open forum discussion."

 

 

 

Earlier this month, the commission said it had in its possession minutes of the meeting at which it appeared a group of bicycle retailers met to discuss how to increase profit margins.

 

 

 

The minutes from the meeting were also posted on a forum on cycling website, www.thehubsa.co.za.

 

 

 

The shop owners allegedly discussed ramping up the prices on cycling accessories to increase margins from 50% to 75% - ramping up prices of bicycles to increase margins from 35% to 50 % and co-ordinating these increases to be introduced at the same time.

 

 

 

The commission said the shop owners also apparently discussed a plan to get certain wholesalers to collaborate.

 

 

 

The retailers apparently wanted the wholesalers to provide a new suggested retail price to them.

 

 

 

The commission said shop owners had apparently held face-to-face meetings in Gauteng and Cape Town about cartel plans.

 

 

 

"We welcome the inquiry into this matter and pledge our full support to the Competition Commission," said Pienaar.

 

 

 

 

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"OPEN MEETING"?????

 

 

If it was an open meeting why not invite a member of the cycling trade press and customers to sit in on the meeting to ensure theres no dirty talk.

 

I for one do not believe the spin for one second. Some of teh larger shops have being trying to muscle the distributors into bullying the smaller shops for years.

 

Let them burn i say, let them burn. This is free market economy. Distributors have a recommended retail price. Thereafter your overheads and markup should determine your selling price.

 

No secret meetings needed. let them burn

 

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"OPEN MEETING"?????


If it was an open meeting why not invite a member of the cycling trade press and customers to sit in on the meeting to ensure theres no dirty talk.

I for one do not believe the spin for one second. Some of teh larger shops have being trying to muscle the distributors into bullying the smaller shops for years.

 

Perfectly correct.You could have included an attorney as well Go Lefty, just to ensure things were nice and "OPEN."

 

..............but NO, to me it seems this was nothing but a clandistine meeting of certain stakeholders trying to increase their profitability, cut certain (discounting) retailers out of the supply chain with wholesalers and fix prices to eliminate the risk of the customer shopping around and them loosing the sale, ........ALL THIS is at the expense of the consumer, the independant retailers who prefer to run their business ethically from behind the counter and the smaller operators who have no real muscle with the importers.

 

That IS anti competitive, no matter what spin you may try and put on it.

 

................Oh, and by the way boys, check your minutes of the meeting for accuracy before you leave, seems the secretary just conjured up his/her own "inaccurate" version of events here.??

 

Strange, ...................I wonder why they would do that.?

 

...........Sorry, you wont get a scrap of sympathy from me.!

 

 
porky2009-03-15 04:48:31
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How were people invited? Was everyone invited? What about the discounting shops?

 

by email. dunno. dunno.
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Guest Big H
"OPEN MEETING"?????


If it was an open meeting why not invite a member of the cycling trade press and customers to sit in on the meeting to ensure theres no dirty talk.

I for one do not believe the spin for one second. Some of teh larger shops have being trying to muscle the distributors into bullying the smaller shops for years.

 

Perfectly correct.You could have included an attorney as well Go Lefty' date=' just to ensure things were nice and "OPEN."

 

..............but NO, to me it seems this was nothing but a clandistine meeting of certain stakeholders trying to increase their profitability, cut certain (discounting) retailers out of the supply chain with wholesalers and fix prices to eliminate the risk of the customer shopping around and them loosing the sale, ........ALL THIS is at the expense of the consumer, the independant retailers who prefer to run their business ethically from behind the counter and the smaller operators who have no real muscle with the importers.

 

That IS anti competitive, no matter what spin you may try and put on it.

 

................Oh, and by the way boys, check your minutes of the meeting for accuracy before you leave, seems the secretary just conjured up his/her own "inaccurate" version of events here.??

 

Strange, ...................I wonder why they would do that.?

 

...........Sorry, you wont get a scrap of sympathy from me.!

 

 
[/quote']

 

I can promise you Porky that all these replies that has hit the press as releases were carefully written and edited by their lawyers. As far as I remember all the persona involved were lauded as heroes of cycling at the end of the original discussion.
Big H2009-03-15 11:20:15
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No amount of spin could get Mittal steel or Tiger Brands off with very well paid entire firms of attorneys.

 

I hope everything gets investigated and guilty parties, if there are any, prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

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"OPEN MEETING"?????


 

 

I can promise you Porky that all these replies that has hit the press as releases were carefully written and edited by their lawyers. As far as I remember all the persona involved were lauded as heroes of cycling at the end of the original discussion.

 

No doubt Big H, No Doubt, but I dont think the Competition Commission is going to be scared by the replies, they will quitely continue to gather evidence and build a case, I think the chickens will soon be flying home to roost.!

 

I wonder what the sponsors of these cyclists think about this furore, been in the news for all the wrong reasons is not a great way of building a brand.?

 
porky2009-03-15 11:29:49
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"OPEN MEETING"?????


If it was an open meeting why not invite a member of the cycling trade press and customers to sit in on the meeting to ensure theres no dirty talk.

I for one do not believe the spin for one second. Some of teh larger shops have being trying to muscle the distributors into bullying the smaller shops for years.

Let them burn i say' date=' let them burn. This is free market economy. Distributors have a recommended retail price. Thereafter your overheads and markup should determine your selling price.

No secret meetings needed. let them burn
[/quote']

 

As an aside, "recommended retail price" is a form of minimum resale price maintenance, which is prohibited in terms of the Competition Act.  Retailers are free to sell their goods at whatever price they choose, even below cost if they wish, and wholesalers, distributors can do nothing about it.
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As an aside' date=' "recommended retail price" is a form of minimum resale price maintenance, which is prohibited in terms of the Competition Act.? Retailers are free to sell their goods at whatever price they choose, even below cost if they wish, and wholesalers, distributors can do nothing about it.[/quote']

 

 

 

Thanks Gary, that is what I've been trying to know. Why do they have to tell the shop how much to sell stuff for. If they have a head for business they will sell it at the right price, if not, they do not belong in the business world. With a RRP it seems the shops are just a retail department of the importer/distributor who dictates what and where to sell.

 

 

 

.

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