Fritz Pienaar denies uncompetitive behaviour

[no.one.knows]

 

Why is everybody gunning for Cyclelab and FPC - I am not a fan on CL and have never been to FPC but there were about 40 other cycling shop owners at the meeting - do you want them all to be investigated and put out of business because if they need to pay the penalty of 10% of their turnover' date=' I can promise you that 90% of cycle shops will be put out of business.

Where do you get the idea in any case that cycling shop owners are doing well - there are maybe a few in Jhb that have a lavish lifestyle but most of the owners I know are living a middle class lifestyle - not all of them are driving Porsches - you must also remember that cycling [especially road cycling'] is a very seasonal sport and that there turnover falls dramatically over the winter months.

It is easy to say that it is so much cheaper to by over the net and that you can get your equipment at 50% cheaper - do you actually pay the import taxes required when doing that or do you take that out of the equation - if you are not paying these taxes, are you then not also guilty of a crime.

P.S - I am not a cycling shop owner, nor do I have shares in one.

 

I though MTB'ing is getting bigger than road cycling....maintenance is also a lot more on them so they should be busier in winter than summer??

 

Also in winter most people take their bikes in for service, there is very very little cost expense behind doing a service, so their charge is mostly profit. Also remember winter gear and indoor trainers, all are bought in bulk and they will receive a good discount from suppliers, so no, in actual fact winter is as profitable as summer.

 

[zeepee]

Hey where would Fritz be now if it weren't for many many years of ripping customers off?

Needless to say the service at his shop is nothing but complete and utter horses#$t! Of course he'll deny it. He's that weak!

 

I'm sorry but you dont have three successful shops by giving sh*t service and ripping your customers off. If you run your business like that, you wont last long

 

So who's gonna post the list of the other shops that was there?

 

Come now, surely their names should be on here too??

[big_guy_g]

Would be iteresting to see the guest list!!

[jagwil]

Just out of interest... How much research have you put into that post???

 

There was a massive outburst over it last year already! How much research was done into that??

 

I have pretty close ties with the industry at a supplier lever and at a retail level... I was clearly not involved with the meeting' date=' but the way I understand it is that the minutes you all read on the hub last year... were very misleading and one could be forgiven for making the assumptions that were made. It really made Fritz and Andrew look bad! And as I understand, they were NOT out to make us (the consumers) pay more, but rather to protect their market! Retailers don't make massive margins at all and I don't blame them in the least for wanting to protect their margins. 

 

But please tell me what you all know about price fixing???

 

Is it not all rigged from the supplier side of things?! Eg. Tigerbrands story. How do you suppose the retailer is going to fix price??? Stand with a gun to his oppositions head and TELL him that he MUST sell a tube at R50 so that he can do the same?? Please man!

 

I am sure that ALL the info I have got my hands on and ALL I have heard is not all 100% true and some of my opinions may be influenced by that. I want to see what comes of this whole case still and if my views on it are incorrect I will accept that. But before making comments like "why weren't any customers invited?" Think about it a little bit. Am I allowed to know what your company's margins are if I am your customer??? I doubt it!! There is an element of secrecy regarding pricing in any industry, not only cycling!! Also, how would this meeting have helped us, the consumers??? Quite simple... If stores aren't making ends meet, there is no prospect for investment in the stores and they close.

 

Do yourselves the favour... Go have a look at The Lab and at Fritz's stores... They don't even sell the same stock!!! A tool that serves the same function from 2 different manufacturers cost different amounts. A dual suspension MTB from 2 different brands cost different amounts!!!

 

So before everyone slings mud in the direction of the guys who are only here to provide us with a service and make a living, let's see what the competition board decides... and let's all quit speculating. I believe the competition board is a little more qualified to make judgement on this case than any one of us is!!

[/quote']

 

 

 

THIS IS ONE OF THE FEW SANE POSTS ON THIS THREAD OR ON ANY OF THE OTHER THREADS ON THE SAME TOPIC.!!!!!

[Moab]

Just out of interest... How much research have you put into that post???

 

There was a massive outburst over it last year already! How much research was done into that??

 

I have pretty close ties with the industry at a supplier lever and at a retail level... I was clearly not involved with the meeting' date=' but the way I understand it is that the minutes you all read on the hub last year... were very misleading and one could be forgiven for making the assumptions that were made. It really made Fritz and Andrew look bad! And as I understand, they were NOT out to make us (the consumers) pay more, but rather to protect their market! Retailers don't make massive margins at all and I don't blame them in the least for wanting to protect their margins. 

 

But please tell me what you all know about price fixing???

 

Is it not all rigged from the supplier side of things?! Eg. Tigerbrands story. How do you suppose the retailer is going to fix price??? Stand with a gun to his oppositions head and TELL him that he MUST sell a tube at R50 so that he can do the same?? Please man!

 

I am sure that ALL the info I have got my hands on and ALL I have heard is not all 100% true and some of my opinions may be influenced by that. I want to see what comes of this whole case still and if my views on it are incorrect I will accept that. But before making comments like "why weren't any customers invited?" Think about it a little bit. Am I allowed to know what your company's margins are if I am your customer??? I doubt it!! There is an element of secrecy regarding pricing in any industry, not only cycling!! Also, how would this meeting have helped us, the consumers??? Quite simple... If stores aren't making ends meet, there is no prospect for investment in the stores and they close.

 

Do yourselves the favour... Go have a look at The Lab and at Fritz's stores... They don't even sell the same stock!!! A tool that serves the same function from 2 different manufacturers cost different amounts. A dual suspension MTB from 2 different brands cost different amounts!!!

 

So before everyone slings mud in the direction of the guys who are only here to provide us with a service and make a living, let's see what the competition board decides... and let's all quit speculating. I believe the competition board is a little more qualified to make judgement on this case than any one of us is!!

[/quote']

 

 

 

THIS IS ONE OF THE FEW SANE POSTS ON THIS THREAD OR ON ANY OF THE OTHER THREADS ON THE SAME TOPIC.!!!!!

 

I agree on that.

[GoLefty!!]

It really made Fritz and Andrew look bad! And as I understand, they were NOT out to make us (the consumers) pay more, but rather to protect their market! Retailers don't make massive margins at all and I don't blame them in the least for wanting to protect their margins. 

 

 

 You are exactly right of ocurse. Why didn't I see this before. They held a meeting to discuss how they can protect their market..

Margin and markup strategy was one of the topics on the agenda then was it?

 

this must make it ok, surely

 

 

[DRIVETRAIN]

 

Such a load of hogwash here - If "any other shop fixed prices" be it the little guy on the corner that lives a middle class life style he should not be treated any less than a criminal - velvet gloves ...methinks not. If their names come out & they fixed prices or was in cahoots with CL/FPC then they should be named/shamed ...... Nothing be it Turnover / cycling being seasonal gives any moron a right to fix prices ... so if I eat brown bread & U eat white bread is Tiger Brands gonna fix prices only on one of these items ???

 

Some of U are too "loyal" -- "Do not forget what they do/did for the sport blah blah ..... """" cry me a river -

Get with it already !!! Next post --- Its getting boring now, slag me if U want but it's clogging up the system !!!  

 

Now I don't have proof who did what but these names came up - I have never supported either one - not that I care to anyway.

 

"DT"

[Moab]

 

Such a load of hogwash here - If "any other shop fixed prices" be it the little guy on the corner that lives a middle class life style he should not be treated any less than a criminal - velvet gloves ...methinks not. If their names come out & they fixed prices or was in cahoots with CL/FPC then they should be named/shamed ...... Nothing be it Turnover / cycling being seasonal gives any moron a right to fix prices ... so if I eat brown bread & U eat white bread is Tiger Brands gonna fix prices only on one of these items ???

 

Some of U are too "loyal" -- "Do not forget what they do/did for the sport blah blah ..... """" cry me a river -

Get with it already !!! Next post --- Its getting boring now' date=' slag me if U want but it's clogging up the system !!!  

 

Now I don't have proof who did what but these names came up - I have never supported either one - not that I care to anyway.

 

"DT"

[/quote']

 

Someone had typically Monday blues. Ag shame!!

[big_guy_g]

GoLefty!!

 

I can't go into a detail, don't feel that would be right. What I can do though is tell you that you would not be paying more for what you wish to purchase, just because the shops felt like lining their pockets. (At least that is how it was explained to me anyway!! I wasn't there to experience it first hand!!).

 

How about we all quit speculating and wait for the outcome from the competition board. Then we can publish that on a thread and we will all know the truth behind it all!! That way we can all stop arguing in the meantime and ramble on about our weekend rides and not get worked up about it!!

[GoLefty!!]

whose worked up?

[Tumbleweed]

Would be iteresting to see the guest list!!

 

i did post that originally, but it was apparently inaccurate. it was also wrong of me to do so because it contained personal info of some people.

[no.one.knows]

Are you asking us to stop skinnering?

 

Oh my word! like no way doll. This is hot gossip and with out it the world would stop.

 

[no.one.knows]

 

Would be iteresting to see the guest list!!

 

i did post that originally' date=' but it was apparently inaccurate. it was also wrong of me to do so because it contained personal info of some people. [/quote']

 

 

Just because you have nothing to hide, evident in your avatar. doesnt mean you can go round doing the same to others. sis on you holy. you should know better,

 

Now go put some pants on.

 

[big_guy_g]

Are you asking us to stop skinnering?

Oh my word! like no way doll. This is hot gossip and with out it the world would stop.

 

Oops!! My bad!! Very silly of me to have thought that possible!! ;-)

 

I'm pretty much done and made my point!! But you go nuts!! ;-)

[Ox_Wagon]

hang on... arent you all a little bit hypocritical?

You're meeting in an open forum and deciding collectively to not support the cycle shops?

The bike shops/importers/manufactures made that decision for me by pricing their products beyond what I am prepared to pay for a hobby.  <?: prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

 

I am at the point where I do not buy local bike magazines as test of R100 000 Full suspension bikes are totally irrelevant to me.

 

They are simply pricing them self into extinction.

[no.one.knows]

not nuts popcorn.