My challenge to Buycycle

[meerkat]

To Hennie and the directors of Buycycle.

Let's declare war against grey imports, parallel imports or whatever your definition is for getting bikes, parts and accessories cheaper to the consumer.

 

Here's the deal, close the gap between the price of the grey product and your products and you have our support. This will mean you must fight the fight for us against the local importers and distributors or who ever is lining their pockets.

 

Is this wishful thinking?

[HaydenE]

Unfortunately yes, it is wishful thinking. Take for instance camera's imported through B&H and the local prices for the same products - South Africa just doesn't have the buying power to equal the bulk discount that online super retailers get.... my point of view.

[Weight Weenie]

Doubt they'll do that, they have local (supposedly) goods at better (supposedly) than local prices, so therein lies there niche and attractiveness, dont see why they would try to compete with CRC or CWC, dont think it would be possible to get local stuff at grey prices and they would not make money then. By offering locally garanteed stuff cheaper than the shops they should turn a profit, thats how I see it anyway.

[meerkat]

Buycycle expressed a strong opinion about grey imports. So why not give them the opportunity to make it right Although not all their comments are true... Companies like CWC does offer a guarantee http://www.cwcycles.co.za/content/terms-and-conditions

 

The issue is that we as consumers are too willing to pay these prices

[Unicycle]

I think buycycle is pretty close or even better than most of the grey import prices from CRC and CWC and they offer a bigger range through local supplier backing (look at shoe sizes for instance). I also like supporting someone who offers warranty backing through the local importers rather than through some international supplier, because I don't want to wait for 4 weeks if my product is faulty.

 

I made a small price comparison between CWC and buycycle by taking all the products on their respective home pages and comparing the prices including the shipping cost. I realized that there wasn't a lot of overlap, because only a handful of products was available on both sites. I also noted that the shipping on CWC was more expensive and most products ended up more expensive from CWC(even if they looked cheaper before shipping) after I calculated and added the shipping costs. See attachment.

online price comparison.pdf

[Hennie Scheepers]

Hi Meerkat

 

When we started with BuyCycle.co.za we had to decide: do we go the “Gray” route or do we use the official importers and distributors. We decided to use the official importers and distributors for the following reasons:

 

• If every cycling entrepreneur starts importing gray, eventually the whole cycling community will suffer, the big Shimano, SRAM, GT, Cervello, Pinarello, Campag, Rudy Project etc… (labelled as the big bad over charging bullies of the cycling industry in South Africa) will seize to exist, from who will you then buy that R250 seal kit for you Fox Shock, or Campag Derailleur spring or special bearing for your American Classic wheelset? No gray importer stock all those parts, because it doesn’t make money – it is kept in stock at a great expense by the wholesalers as a service to the cycling industry. Who does the gray importer call when he needs a R35 part for the gray groupset he imported – he calls the official wholesaler who is actually holding stock of that item.

 

• A cycling industry based on gray/direct imported goods are simply not sustainable and do more harm than good to the industry as a whole.

 

• If we went the gray route we wouldn’t have been able to offer complete size curves and complete product ranges, because the gray importer only imports the popular sizes.

 

• Warranty backup – all gray importers claims that they offer international warranty backup, and often they do, and often they are able to sort you out because they just pull the warranty item from their stock and you’re sorted, but what happens if you buy a 2009 Rockshox Shock and it needs to be replaced under warranty and the gray importer sold the last for the 10 shocks he picked up somewhere in Europe? You’ll have to wait…. We don’t want to take that chance, it is just easier to call the official importer.

 

• We want to add value to the cycling industry as a whole, by investing in the local importers we enable them to keep on offering the massive ranges they currently have.

 

• By engaging the importers & distributors we keep more money in the local economy - we are proud to be South African!!

 

We’re constantly arm wrestling with the importers for better prices & as you can see we are often on par, in the ballpark or cheaper than other online shops. We can only offer better pricing if our sales volumes picks up and we have more bargaining power with the suppliers.

 

Here is my challenge to you – help us help you to get the best possible pricing on cycling gear supplied through the official channels in South Africa.

 

Ek het besluit om jou te antwoord Meerkat in ‘n poging om jou ‘n idée te gee hoe die fietsry bedryf agter die skerms lyk, maar ek verstaan ook, op die ou end sit jy voor jou PC en jy soek maar net die beste deal. Ek wil nie te veel op die Hub sê nie, hier het ek nou ‘n halfuur spandeer om jou te antwoord, terwyl ek eerder beter deals vir jou kon gesoek het.

 

As jy nog wil gesels, bel my sommer op 086 199 0001 of email my op hennie@buycycle.co.za.

 

Lekker bly

 

Hennie

[gummibear]

Hennie,you may want to look here to about the spamming!!

 

https://community.bikehub.co.za/topic/75449-buycycle/

[Omlette]

Hi Meerkat

 

When we started with BuyCycle.co.za we had to decide: do we go the “Gray” route or do we use the official importers and distributors. We decided to use the official importers and distributors for the following reasons:

 

• If every cycling entrepreneur starts importing gray, eventually the whole cycling community will suffer, the big Shimano, SRAM, GT, Cervello, Pinarello, Campag, Rudy Project etc… (labelled as the big bad over charging bullies of the cycling industry in South Africa) will seize to exist, from who will you then buy that R250 seal kit for you Fox Shock, or Campag Derailleur spring or special bearing for your American Classic wheelset? No gray importer stock all those parts, because it doesn’t make money – it is kept in stock at a great expense by the wholesalers as a service to the cycling industry. Who does the gray importer call when he needs a R35 part for the gray groupset he imported – he calls the official wholesaler who is actually holding stock of that item.

 

• A cycling industry based on gray/direct imported goods are simply not sustainable and do more harm than good to the industry as a whole.

 

• If we went the gray route we wouldn’t have been able to offer complete size curves and complete product ranges, because the gray importer only imports the popular sizes.

 

• Warranty backup – all gray importers claims that they offer international warranty backup, and often they do, and often they are able to sort you out because they just pull the warranty item from their stock and you’re sorted, but what happens if you buy a 2009 Rockshox Shock and it needs to be replaced under warranty and the gray importer sold the last for the 10 shocks he picked up somewhere in Europe? You’ll have to wait…. We don’t want to take that chance, it is just easier to call the official importer.

 

• We want to add value to the cycling industry as a whole, by investing in the local importers we enable them to keep on offering the massive ranges they currently have.

 

• By engaging the importers & distributors we keep more money in the local economy - we are proud to be South African!!

 

We’re constantly arm wrestling with the importers for better prices & as you can see we are often on par, in the ballpark or cheaper than other online shops. We can only offer better pricing if our sales volumes picks up and we have more bargaining power with the suppliers.

 

Here is my challenge to you – help us help you to get the best possible pricing on cycling gear supplied through the official channels in South Africa.

 

Ek het besluit om jou te antwoord Meerkat in ‘n poging om jou ‘n idée te gee hoe die fietsry bedryf agter die skerms lyk, maar ek verstaan ook, op die ou end sit jy voor jou PC en jy soek maar net die beste deal. Ek wil nie te veel op die Hub sê nie, hier het ek nou ‘n halfuur spandeer om jou te antwoord, terwyl ek eerder beter deals vir jou kon gesoek het.

 

As jy nog wil gesels, bel my sommer op 086 199 0001 of email my op hennie@buycycle.co.za.

 

Lekker bly

 

Hennie

 

Hennie

 

My 2c.

I have been liaising with you on a few questions I have had with regards to buycycle and your products, I must say you have always replied promptly and professionally and even invited me to a visit of your premises. Once my list has been completed I shall be supporting you guys.

Keep up the great service.

[Starry nights]

Hi Hennie

 

For those of us who live near you - can we pick up the goods saving the postage costs? CWC does this - would be good? Have not gone to the checkout stage on your site sot his may be an option but is not indicated elswhere.

[Showtime]

I understand the point of going through distributors. Who is going to do the marketing for Shimano in South Africa if the distributor doesn't do it? To an extend the direct importers are piggy backing on the marketing and support provided by the distributor.

 

At the same time is ridiculous for anybody to take a swipe at CWC. If the distributors weren't taking us to the cleaners there would have been no need for CWC to import directly. The distributors might be singing the right tune now but if it wasn't for CWC this would never have happened and for that I will continue to support him (that and his great service).

 

And thanks to buycycling as well for offering a quality service, had a positive experience buying from them as well and if I need an Easton fork for example I would gladly support them.

[meerkat]

Hello Hennie

Quite unexpected but great to hear from you. Yes, I will most definitely take you up on the challenge! Bottom line is that we have two choices, import grey products or export grey products... The latter sounds much better but suppose we have to face reality - shipping costs!

 

Any official importers and distributors out there? I would like to hear your comments. Are you going to make it easier for us?

[ridr]

As far as service and waiting times go - I get better faster service from CRC if I have a problem with something I buy. 1 week, not 4. Had a crankset with faulty chainrings sent in one of my orders - CRC ended up sending three replacements, and there was no 'we need to inspect it first and then tell you the damage isn't covered by us' rubbish.

[Weight Weenie]

I must agree with Ridr here, warantee's are only worth the extra cash if you actually get them honoured afterwards, which locally seems to be an issue...

[Danger Dassie]

heheh ... similar debate in one of the photographic forums

[Weight Weenie]

Probly on ODP ? Havent been there for ages.

[meerkat]

Hennie stop the clock!

 

Buy from Buycycle after comparing prices with Cyclelab. Exhilarating! B)