Distributors what they do for us

[bontie]

Bought a Rotwild RGT2 Trail MTB online in Germany middle of last year. Carbon frame, XT throughout,Fox fork, DT Swiss Carbon Shock,Formula Disc brakes,Fizik Tundra saddle. Marked down from €4500 to €2400. On exportation I got back the 19% VAT due in Germany as well. Total cost at the rate of exchange at the time, just under R20000.

Brought back the 2011 S-Works shoes from Germany in November. Off the shelf, not online. Cost me R2000 after the Vat refund.

 

Yes, all far, but per legislation you would have to declare the goods at customs when you entered, and SA VAT would have been charged on the "customs value" of the goods.

 

What you did, by claiming the VAT back and not paying VAT or import duties on entry into SA is actually against the law, but that is not the point I am trying to make.

 

Distributors cannot avoid paying VAT and duties...their businesses will be shut down in an instant - unless they are connected in some way to the cadres, because it seems if you know the right peeps you can do as you please in SA.

[FrancoisC]

What I don't get is how this whole country can shut down because it's xmas time. For everything you have to wait till the new year. How can business just shut down for weeks? There must be someone there to process oreders. Even our local garage store ran out of Simba chips.

 

Did YOU work between Christmas and New Year?????

Or were you on leave enjoying you bike??? Or shopping and expecting everything to be open and ready, red carpet rolled out for your covenience?

EVERYONE deserves a rest, especially those who need to deal with inconsiderate asses like you all day long.

[tikki]

LBS need to make a stand for there customers , only dealing with wholesalers that care about you,and give you great back up service and value for money! my lbs wont stock specialized, to pricey and bad service!

[101SCC]

Did YOU work between Christmas and New Year?????

Or were you on leave enjoying you bike??? Or shopping and expecting everything to be open and ready, red carpet rolled out for your covenience?

EVERYONE deserves a rest, especially those who need to deal with inconsiderate asses like you all day long.

 

Convenience Retail is exactly that, Convenience. Don't advertise 24/7/365 if you can't back it up.

 

You want a rest over Christmas get a corporate job!

[GrumpyOldGuy]

Convenience Retail is exactly that, Convenience. Don't advertise 24/7/365 if you can't back it up.

 

You want a rest over Christmas get a corporate job!

 

- Ha,Ha, Yeah or in Government.

 

....but Jokes aside, I agree, sectors that deal with the public (and that includes the entire supply chain) cannot afford to close when the buying public is on vacation and enjoying a pocket of cash they wish to spend somewhere.

 

If a supplier in this market thinks he can be dozing in Plett, and his target customer must simply wait for his return to fill their needs, he is sorely mistaken.

[101SCC]

- Ha,Ha, Yeah or in Government.

 

....but Jokes aside, I agree, sectors that deal with the public (and that includes the entire supply chain) cannot afford to close when the buying public is on vacation and enjoying a pocket of cash they wish to spend somewhere.

 

If a supplier in this market thinks he can be dozing in Plett, and his target customer must simply wait for his return to fill their needs, he is sorely mistaken.

 

Absolutely G.O.G.,

 

But you come from the school when retailers ran THEIR business at the customer face.

Seem to remember your association to the Squires Group. there are a few guys like that left, "retailers" now are ex school teachers / civil servants who 'took the package' and bought a Franchise. Then wondered what hit them! when it came time to do the work.

 

Even CycleLab franchises, amazing!

 

Your view on supplying while people are buying is spot on.

[Guest coenie]

Did YOU work between Christmas and New Year?????

Or were you on leave enjoying you bike??? Or shopping and expecting everything to be open and ready, red carpet rolled out for your covenience?

EVERYONE deserves a rest, especially those who need to deal with inconsiderate asses like you all day long.

Well I worked, providing a service our customers

[GrumpyOldGuy]

Absolutely G.O.G.,

 

But you come from the school when retailers ran THEIR business at the customer face.

Seem to remember your association to the Squires Group. there are a few guys like that left, "retailers" now are ex school teachers / civil servants who 'took the package' and bought a Franchise. Then wondered what hit them! when it came time to do the work.

 

Even CycleLab franchises, amazing!

 

Your view on supplying while people are buying is spot on.

 

Oh 100%, 101SCC, I believed (and still do) that the ad depart, the finance dept, the complaints dept, the recieving and dispatch depart and the problem solving dept stands right there behind the till and anyone can contact them (read me) anytime they want.

 

Many folk run the Cajees company down, and perhaps they have a point, but from a business perspective this is a highly successfull company, argueably the most successfull in the cycling industry, and a big part of that is because above said departments are standing there with a bucket every day and bailing when necessary, not out on the road or dozing in Plett.

 

The very truth is private small and medium sized business in SA which is not owner run and controlled 27/7/365 is seldom successfull.

[linnega]

101SCC - have you ever considered that perhaps you are speaking to the wrong people with regards to your business model. Your idea relies on an extensive store network, more than anything else. Convincing around 250 independent retailers (about the footprint you would need) would be difficult. Perhaps you would be better off approaching retailers rather than LBS's that have a better concept of the idea that service is more about having the customer's product in stock when they want their product than about "knowledge". It worked very successfully in the UK with BikeHut through Halfords, and through Decathlon with their "Pro" cycling section.

[FrancoisC]

Well I worked, providing a service our customers

 

And so did I, and I never mind catering to serious buyers over that time who actually SPEND MONEY and dont come in expecting you to have a return spring for a left shifter on 2001 8 speed Shimano Ultegra that they need NOW or they cant go on their 20 min, 3 km ride-the-christmas-turkey-off piss around and give you attitude while they're about it because, why should they pay for it, Shimano is guaranteed for life isn't it???!!!

For some people who work in "convenience retail" its just a job, and not their own business, and they would like to spend time with their families, just like the rest of most of the chirpers on this thread.

My staff go home and come back productive in the new year, I'll keep the ship afloat, for whingers.

And if you are so serious and you cant BEAR to miss 4 days of training for the spring classics or your early Giro preparation has taken a knock, have your sponsor fly you out whatever you need to be able to train and keep pace with Schleck and Contador.

Or alternatively, you can always get a life???

[The_Break]

And so did I, and I never mind catering to serious buyers over that time who actually SPEND MONEY and dont come in expecting you to have a return spring for a left shifter on 2001 8 speed Shimano Ultegra that they need NOW or they cant go on their 20 min, 3 km ride-the-christmas-turkey-off piss around and give you attitude while they're about it because, why should they pay for it, Shimano is guaranteed for life isn't it???!!!

For some people who work in "convenience retail" its just a job, and not their own business, and they would like to spend time with their families, just like the rest of most of the chirpers on this thread.

My staff go home and come back productive in the new year, I'll keep the ship afloat, for whingers.

And if you are so serious and you cant BEAR to miss 4 days of training for the spring classics or your early Giro preparation has taken a knock, have your sponsor fly you out whatever you need to be able to train and keep pace with Schleck and Contador.

Or alternatively, you can always get a life???

 

And this is exactly why I import. Because the customer now comes 2nd most of the timein SA.

[ErikV]

im hoping the concept stores here (and the new one here in KZN) set there prices more globally related?

 

Not a chance mate!! I was in the Melrose Arch Concept Store last week looking for CO2 "pump" and bombs. R 210-00 vs R 120-00 for other brand at LBS.

[stringbean]

Sorry to hear about your problems Coenie.The reason you getting no help from Specialized is probably because they are trying to be a distributer and run a store(concept store)at the same time with the same staff.What i can't understand with regard to price is if you go to the Specializeed US site and check out the RRP of the bikes in the US and then get your LBS to give you a price on the same bike you see the guys here are working on around R10/11 to the $.Sure there are guys that will pay but it's sad to see bikes in the for sale section(specialized)that last year cost over 80K and this year they cant even get 40K.

[101SCC]

101SCC - have you ever considered that perhaps you are speaking to the wrong people with regards to your business model. Your idea relies on an extensive store network, more than anything else. Convincing around 250 independent retailers (about the footprint you would need) would be difficult. Perhaps you would be better off approaching retailers rather than LBS's that have a better concept of the idea that service is more about having the customer's product in stock when they want their product than about "knowledge". It worked very successfully in the UK with BikeHut through Halfords, and through Decathlon with their "Pro" cycling section.

 

Thanks for the feedback, I have my own retail business in a massively competitive sector.

I'm not looking to get involved, I ran the numbers on behalf of a friend looking. After confronting the negativity of it all, we agreed not to get involved and I took my Credit Card off to CRC and Total Cycling.

 

At G.O.G.

[101SCC]

And so did I, and I never mind catering to serious buyers over that time who actually SPEND MONEY and dont come in expecting you to have a return spring for a left shifter on 2001 8 speed Shimano Ultegra that they need NOW or they cant go on their 20 min, 3 km ride-the-christmas-turkey-off piss around and give you attitude while they're about it because, why should they pay for it, Shimano is guaranteed for life isn't it???!!!

For some people who work in "convenience retail" its just a job, and not their own business, and they would like to spend time with their families, just like the rest of most of the chirpers on this thread.

My staff go home and come back productive in the new year, I'll keep the ship afloat, for whingers.

And if you are so serious and you cant BEAR to miss 4 days of training for the spring classics or your early Giro preparation has taken a knock, have your sponsor fly you out whatever you need to be able to train and keep pace with Schleck and Contador.

Or alternatively, you can always get a life???

 

Wow!!!

[ronniebuis]

And so did I, and I never mind catering to serious buyers over that time who actually SPEND MONEY and dont come in expecting you to have a return spring for a left shifter on 2001 8 speed Shimano Ultegra that they need NOW or they cant go on their 20 min, 3 km ride-the-christmas-turkey-off piss around and give you attitude while they're about it because, why should they pay for it, Shimano is guaranteed for life isn't it???!!!

For some people who work in "convenience retail" its just a job, and not their own business, and they would like to spend time with their families, just like the rest of most of the chirpers on this thread.

My staff go home and come back productive in the new year, I'll keep the ship afloat, for whingers.

And if you are so serious and you cant BEAR to miss 4 days of training for the spring classics or your early Giro preparation has taken a knock, have your sponsor fly you out whatever you need to be able to train and keep pace with Schleck and Contador.

Or alternatively, you can always get a life???

Jeez Francois - take a pill dude - or, take yourself in hand and work off some of that frustration in there buddy - you're gonna pop a valve otherwise. None of this thread deserves your response - an honest concern and lot's of varied opinion. My one item of agreement is - "if you profess to offer a service, provide it". The world is a moeruva small place so one must be on the top of your game to survive. I take much of the rants at face value but, everything with a pinch of salt. However, I don't think you can compare Coen's problem with your wee spring. I think a small apology might be in order. Chill Bud.