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[Weight Weenie]

Why on earth did a post from CWC get hijacked by all this bulldust?? That is seriously UNCOOL.

I couldnt give a rats ..... who is stepping on who's toes here. ASG well done for upping your brand awereness, but YET AGAIN, thank you CWC for AGAIN looking out for us SA (ripped off) consumers.

I am a LOYAL CWC supporter and irrespective of pricing, I will buy from CWC again and again, SERVICE IS KEY and CWC delivers!!!!!

 

Exactly, service ! This in my mind is the sole reason to buy anything locally, together with a warrantee.

 

Well, my uncle had a pair of rydons, lost a screw or something from the glasses. 2 bike shops later(think he also contacted ASG/Rudy directly) he still couldnt get the part and bought a 2nd hand pair from a friend.

 

So whats the point then of buying rydons from the lbs if there's no backup ? Now I know ASG can't look over the shop's shoulders all the time, but my interaction with ASG happens via the stores that sell their product so if I or a friends has a bad experience (word of mouth is powerfull...) then that is connected to ASG in our minds.

 

I'm pretty sure if he went to CWC for the same bit they would have helped him right away, even if they had to dissasemble their own personal glasses.

 

So maybe ASG must go klap the retailers or is it the other way around ?

[covie]

Ok, let me take the bait (possibly against my better judgment):

 

We do not sell direct (only through dealers) but here is an example on the Rydon model you are refering to - we offer it as a package through our dealers (as mentioned in one of my posts this is one way to give our clients better value even if it is sometimes difficult to match online pricing on an individual item - for countless possible reasons) - see ad under my post for more details. I'll compare our price (through our dealers) with CWC pricing as it is on their web site today?

 

 

Rydon with photo clear lenses (CWC price: R1599)

Extra set of smoke lenses (nice ad on for the car - photo lenses react with UV and will not transition in your car which makes the extra lenses a nice ad-on) - (CWC price: R350)

Rudy Project Zuma helmet (CWC price: R800)

 

Package: CWC: R2749

ASG promotion price (through our dealers: R2300 to R2500 depending on how well you negotiate at your LBS ) Some of our dealers will even ship this to you FOC!

 

Believe me to do this (even get close to online pricing) is not easy considering we are the so-called and much hated 'middle men'

 

On an individual Rydon I guess you will have to negotiate with the store in question knowing what the package sells for.

 

The new SWIFT model with photo clear lenses is an unblievable deal - it has a great frame and the exact same lenses as the Rydon (we bought over 5000 of them to get the price to a great level) - at R1290 incl at anyone of our dealers I think you will be hard-pressed to find a better deal (anywhere!!).

 

Similar to a special CWC had except they gave the actuym helmet with the rydon's for 2.2k

[ASG]

Similar to a special CWC had except they gave the actuym helmet with the rydon's for 2.2k

 

I am not going to win this one! Actyum is a 2009 helmet and there was no extra lenses in their promo - and we have been doing this for almost a year (check our ads going back more than 12 months). CWC copied the concept as a Xmas promotion.

 

Anyways, as I mentioned before - we do not want to criticise CWC - they do what they have to. Just wanted to make the point that we are aware of many guys looking at price only and we understand that and are doing our best to meet and exceed those requirements! Remember where this started - an accusation that ASG was expensive - I wanted to make the point that we're not! I'll leave it at that.

[covie]

I am not going to win this one! Actyum is a 2009 helmet and there was no extra lenses in their promo - and we have been doing this for almost a year (check our ads going back more than 12 months). CWC copied the concept as a Xmas promotion.

 

Anyways, as I mentioned before - we do not want to criticise CWC - they do what they have to. Just wanted to make the point that we are aware of many guys looking at price only and we understand that and are doing our best to meet and exceed those requirements! Remember where this started - an accusation that ASG was expensive - I wanted to make the point that we're not! I'll leave it at that.

 

LOL buddy don't get so worked up, work on getting those prices lower, and on your retailers to up their game. Historically in SA service has never been king, but people are paying and they expect service and support these days. And not to be funny but a "certain" company has the formula to a succesfull business model already. Others would do really well to try and get to the same level of price and service being offered by them. Like you say you are trying but we the consumer are more interested in results than intetions. But keep at it. We need the cycling business to change in SA.

 

Thats basically all we are saying. Now send me some free kit just becuase i was nice in my last post

Edited January 2, 2011 by covie

[Chubba]

Now send me some free kit just becuase i was nice in my last post

 

Nice!

[covie]

like I tell my staff i am subject and very partial to bribery besides those shirts do look good

[Jaco-fiets]

Chris give us some indication on the price on the Pinarello prince & dogma frames

[Burts]

Why on earth did a post from CWC get hijacked by all this bulldust?? That is seriously UNCOOL.

I couldnt give a rats ..... who is stepping on who's toes here. ASG well done for upping your brand awereness, but YET AGAIN, thank you CWC for AGAIN looking out for us SA (ripped off) consumers.

I am a LOYAL CWC supporter and irrespective of pricing, I will buy from CWC again and again, SERVICE IS KEY and CWC delivers!!!!!

:clap: Could not agree more!!

[MTB_Roadie]

Don't want to get into huge debate here but it is not that we 'do not sit around the same fire' - we have actually visited Chris 3 times and we have tried to supply them in the past through the official channels. Chris does what he does and that's his business - good luck to him (our official view). I agree it is great from a consumer point of view to get great products at great prices and that's the role he fills when he runs these ‘specials’ - especially in times like these when you have periods where the exchange rate is really good and you can capitalise on that (regretfully at the expense of distributors that have sometimes bought stock at higher rates – but that is the new online challenge J).

 

From a consumer point of view, pricing is massively important and we understand that - we also understand that we have to meet the challenge guys like Chris (and other online vendors) is setting if we want to continue the business success we have had in the last 4 years.

 

It is just a little annoying (FROM A BUSINESS TO BUSINESS POINT OF VIEW) when we spend serious money on rebuilding and developing brands in SA (Pinarello, Rudy, SIDI, etc.) - all brands that were badly neglected in the past and then someone jumps in when the demand / awareness has been created with some seriously discounted rates (this then makes our dealers look like they were massively expensive and were ripping off clients!!). We also do not agree with the 'distributor badmouthing and accusations' that generally underpins their communications to the public (but that is our view) - I think they can be successful without having to do that.

 

For the record (and I will reply to another posting on this topic soon) - it is our ASG mission to continue to negotiate great bulk deals in order to supply quality products (through our growing network of dealers) at pricing that is competitive with any realistic online offers you might see out there. We have launched some promotions (through our dealers) on Pinarello, SIDI and Rudy Project that I am convinced no online vendor will ever be able to beat - feel free to test us on this next time you need SIDI, RUDY PROJECT, PINARELLO, SAN MARCO, FTECH, etc.) – you may be surprised.

 

No offence, I been knowing Chris since I was a laaitie and my brother used to cycle with him, also I buy from him cause he gives me the best value for money and superb service...in the end all buyers buy at a place where it is the best priced and the great service you get. I was there the other day, a guy had problem with his glasses and Chris gave him a brand new Rudy Project frame without asking questions...was a straight swop there, FATASTIC service. You guys can learn from him, and so what if he imports it himself or wherever he gets it, he is well priced and I will support him for many years...ASG, you guys get it straight from the factory, I am sure you can give better pricing, in the end a lower price lets you gain more customers meaning you will win in the long run....anyway KEEP IT UP CWC!

[Tumbleweed]

I enjoy this grey product debate. Simple question is, if a discounter isn't getting its stuff through the official channels, where is it getting it from? Dig a little, and you'll get the answer. You may also find yourself asking questions about ethics and questionable business practice. Why, for instance, would a grey-product dealer try to conceal the manufacturer's serial numbers on a product? Simple. The manufacturer would be able to trace the source and cut off the supply to a wholesaler with which, presumably, it has an agreement with certain conditions of sale on its products, which the wholesaler is not abiding by. It's funny how most of us South Africans decry the the state of crime in the country, but will be all to willing to cut a corner or two if it suits our pockets.

[Squier]

Nice hijack asg...

[Squier]

I enjoy this grey product debate. Simple question is, if a discounter isn't getting its stuff through the official channels, where is it getting it from? Dig a little, and you'll get the answer. You may also find yourself asking questions about ethics and questionable business practice. Why, for instance, would a grey-product dealer try to conceal the manufacturer's serial numbers on a product? Simple. The manufacturer would be able to trace the source and cut off the supply to a wholesaler with which, presumably, it has an agreement with certain conditions of sale on its products, which the wholesaler is not abiding by. It's funny how most of us South Africans decry the the state of crime in the country, but will be all to willing to cut a corner or two if it suits our pockets.

 

TW, it seems as if you have done the digging already, so let's not duplicate effort C'mon, spill the beans.

[kosmonooit]

Common lets face it a lot of this stock are commodities and there is little value for most of us in paying higher prices to go through the local channel. And we all know that price fixing has been going on, so we don't in general feel any loyalty to this local channel since quite frankly we have been ripped off all these years.

 

So then we discover decent prices on-line overseas (like at CRC) and that's been a revelation to a lot of us. But now Chris and his family have come to the party with, in most cases, competitive prices and good service and an alternative to the wait and hassle from sourcing overseas. I don't think buying from them is a question of ethics at all, its just common sense. If it was cloned pirated goods of course that would be a different issue but there are not. Supporting the 'offical channel' means little to us when there is such a large price differential.

[covie]

TW, it seems as if you have done the digging already, so let's not duplicate effort C'mon, spill the beans.

 

In SA the term grey products gets loosly swumg around, Our best example is a certain Hi-Fi company ie corporation. They buy product destined for asian markets and re-ship them to SA. So if you buy from them you can't claim your normal warrantee from LG or Sony or Samsung etc. and you have to have the unit repaired by this specific company you purchased the product from. If you were to take the product and tried to register the warrantee with LG or they will tell you you cannot.

 

I have registered many products I have purchased from CWC with the original manufacters. And its been accepted. So they are simply using different import channels as opposed to selling grey products. Therein lies the difference.

['Dale]

Actually Chris is one of the nicest guys around and you need to suck a chill pill.

 

CWC brings us some of the best deals you'll see.

Yes! Agree!!

No reason to discredit this dealer. He is of high quality.

[Tumbleweed]

So they are simply using different import channels as opposed to selling grey products. Therein lies the difference.

 

Nope, a grey product has a very clear definition. It's one that the trading of which is not sanctioned or authorised by the manufacturer. It's not illegal, and CWC know this, hence the disclaimer they carry on their site which is required under South African law.