Brake pads from USA.

[cowboyz]

I am in need of some new front brake pads so womble off to bike shop in town.

$88 a pair ($176 for the bike) was the best they could do. I told them they were too dear and I will go find something else. All good.

Come home last night and jump on ebay. 10 mins later I brought 2 sets of brake pads off ebay. US$14.95 a side.
Including shipping to my house it costs me a grand total of NZ$51.
2 hours later I got an email saying the pads have been dispatched from their shop. Hopefully it wont take long to get here but can wait a week or so for the saving.

I say keep Bush around if this is how their dollar is going to compete.

[R6_kid]

$88 is about right... but buying stuff off ebay will generally save you $$$ anyway.

[nallac]

shit don't let rob taylor see this thread.
you know you've just put untold thousands of NZ'rs out of jobs...........

It shows how much a markup the importers/distibution agents are putting on.

Ya gotta pity the dealers who have to try and compete with the exorbant prices they get them for.

[cowboyz]

I was thinking about $50 a side would have been more reasonable. The bike shop has treated me well over the years so not going to bag them for trying to make $$. When I told the guy $50 he said that is lower than cost for them so that is just what it is.
This is the first time I have turned to ebay. I usually dont shop overseas but with this kind of saving I couldnt turn it down. Looked at cameras and gps before and didnt find they were much cheaper by the time they were landed here.

[cowboyz]

with the internet what it is these days we vertainly are on a world market. I typically dont like buying stuff overseas because of the risk. But when it is THAT much cheaper, its worth the risk.

(wait for a thread next week about how my brake pads dont fit)

[nallac]

Ya have to wonder how much the shops in the states pay for them if they can sell and ship them cheaper than the dealers can get them here.

Some ones making a big profit and its not the dealer..

[johan]

with the internet what it is these days we vertainly are on a world market. I typically dont like buying stuff overseas because of the risk. But when it is THAT much cheaper, its worth the risk.

(wait for a thread next week about how my brake pads dont fit)

Yes! I have a few favourite ebay stores I trust and know they know their thing. It's cheap good products and fast shipping.

Especially buying Ducati OEM is a killer here and in many case it has to be ordered from Australia anyway. The dealer still get my $$$ when they service my bike, which is probably a better margin for them, compared to what they get for a $180 clutch lever.

I'm paying with Paypal which I trust. It's probably unsafer to use your credit card at any holiday resort than on ebay.

[Motu]

Are the pads from the shop the same brand as the ones you imported? Are your new ones ECE90? We need to compare apples to apples - photos please of the OE dealer supplied pads and packaging,and the same for your internet ones.

[98tls]

Paypal and a computer and your set,to be honest i cant remember the last time i bought anything for my bikes in NZ,i can remember the last time i tried,i wanted a TLR clutch,found a wrecker who had one he wanted $350 + freight:blink:bought one in Germany for less than 1/2 that landed on my door 7 days later.I am all for supporting Kiwis etc but am not going to rob myself to do it.

[cowboyz]

Are the pads from the shop the same brand as the ones you imported? Are your new ones ECE90? We need to compare apples to apples - photos please of the OE dealer supplied pads and packaging,and the same for your internet ones.

they are ece r90 approved.

I went into the bike shop and asked for brake pads for my bike.

He said $88

I said can you do cheaper ones.

He said no that is it.

The internet ones are FA188

Info I found on them

http://www.ebcbrakes.com/mcstreetpads.html

It falls into the FIIK basket but they seem pretty good on paper.

[Motu]

That's all good - you should of put all the relevant info in the first post.I'd hate to see someone go for cheap pads just on your say so.There are brake pads and brake pads as you should know.....but all some people can see is cheap.I'd far rather have a cheap no name helmet than cheap no name brake pads.

[cowboyz]

I would hate anyone to do anything just on my say so - my kids certainly dont.

[ynot slow]

I would hate anyone to do anything just on my say so - my kids certainly dont.

Mine kids don't either,and they like holdens as well,wife likes fords but still won't do what I ask/say,might just need to change tack on my behalf,i.e if the Hurricanes win by 2 points I get .... till next game.Worst part is when ladies think oral sex is talking to you.

[Sparky Bills]

What brand did you price up?
Sintered pads are about $60 per side...
$80 would be an all out race pad...?

Sintered are more than what you need on the road.

[cowboyz]

to be honest I dont know the brand that the bike shop were quoting on. It was the only brake pad they could get on their books and had to order it. They were sintered pads though.

[cowboyz]

for anyone who cares. Brake pads arrived. Fitted. work just as they should.

All happy and still got over $100 in my pocket I wouldnt have had otherwise.

[The Pastor]

Thing I dont understand is, why dont the shops buy off ebay, and then sell them for a $10 mark up etc. costs $50 incl shipping, why not sell them at $60 maybe even $70 - i'd pay that much to have them straight away instead of wait etc.

[homer]

ok
if were talking EBC pads
which i just assume we are
i had new in my 600 rear pads when got the bike ,
pads were shit
i got a set of new EBC pads fitted , were better by about 50 % still shit
I then got another new set , that the shop were told not to get ,
i told them i dont care what price just dont get the same pads .
so they got they got the same pads , why?
because the pad compound had changed .

you know the saying , if it aint broke dont fix it
so why would they change the compound if they were good pads .
i rang the distributor, and they recken no probs with the pads they know of .
then recommended to get the hard pads which i did $ 80 .
I didnt get to fit these as sold the bike

In the knowledge i know now , I wont be buying any EBC break pads again
ill go back to the VESRAHS .:argh:

[Taz]

I like vesrah too. and retail even with a generous mark up is rarely over $60 bucks a side. I'm surprised that the shop could not have done better than $88 bucks. I have no qualms about buying from oversea's.

[Patch]

last time I bought a set of pads from a nz dealer, Coleman's charged me $99- per side.

I'd rather spend the extra peanuts on Yoshi pads if I'm going to get raped by these fucking nz distributors/wholesalers who insist on ripping us off.

I have no problem paying for those who are extremely good at what they do, but they can get fucked if they think I'm paying an idiot to do it especially if said idiot can't pick up the phone to tell me the parts have arrived (wasn't Coleman's either, they're ok, most of the time)

The service in this country is shit, and some wonder why others prefer to shop overseas. Go figure.

[geoffm]

Huh, those NZ prices are cheap. Go into the BMW $tealership, and price up brake pads - BMW original only at $130 each! I got them to order some SBS ones at half that, but still expensive.
WHen I replaced them when I did the disks recently, I had some Galfer ones off trademe. my next set will come from the UK with all my other parts - I can landstuff from the UK for 2/3 the NZ price for the same thing, to my door in 5 days. BMW NZ is a ripoff, and puts me off buying another BMW.
G

[johan]

You have to look at the whole picture. Having lived in Europe most of my life, my opinion is a lot of things are very reasonable priced in NZ.

A few examples from overseas:

Petrol: $2.60 / liter
Bike insurance: ~$450, a month! (liter bike)
Gst: 20-25% on all parts
0,75 liter of vodka: $60
Beer at the pub: $10 ~ 50cl
etc...
etc...

NZ is a small community far away from everything. Still, most costs are reasonable IMHO.

Still, I prefer to buy Ducati spare parts on ebay.

Bad service is never acceptable. I happily pay $10 extra if the store staff remember my name after have ordered my fifth spare part. $20 extra if they remember what bike I have and a bonus of $50 dollars if they remind me of oil change is due on my bike :)

[homer]

Huh, those NZ prices are cheap. Go into the BMW $tealership, and price up brake pads - BMW original only at $130 each! I got them to order some SBS ones at half that, but still expensive.
WHen I replaced them when I did the disks recently, I had some Galfer ones off trademe. my next set will come from the UK with all my other parts - I can landstuff from the UK for 2/3 the NZ price for the same thing, to my door in 5 days. BMW NZ is a ripoff, and puts me off buying another BMW.
G

yeah but your buying original parts

[homer]

I like vesrah too. and retail even with a generous mark up is rarely over $60 bucks a side. I'm surprised that the shop could not have done better than $88 bucks. I have no qualms about buying from oversea's.

vesrah are primo m8

[geoffm]

yeah but your buying original parts

True - because they don't sell anything else. In the case of comparing UK parts prices with NZ, I am comparing the same BMW parts with the same part numbers as here - and they are still 1/3 cheaper.

[homer]

Thats rather a surprise
i know the parts at the shop where i go are dear but i also do know they get stuff all margin.
So its the middle man doing his bit

[Max Preload]

When I told the guy $50 he said that is lower than cost for them...

They're always going to say that. But the fact of the matter is you paid retail in the US, so maybe they should start looking at importing popular models themselves if they're being so ripped off by the local agents or importers.

[Robert Taylor]

shit don't let rob taylor see this thread.
you know you've just put untold thousands of NZ'rs out of jobs...........

It shows how much a markup the importers/distibution agents are putting on.

Ya gotta pity the dealers who have to try and compete with the exorbant prices they get them for.

Or thousands departing to Australia! The free trade agreement with China could well bite certain sectors of the economy very hard. Its as well to be flippant about my thoughts on bypassing NZ business but eyes wide open to the long term damage it inflicts on our own. Think about it if you actually care about the future of this country.

As another post inferred, has he bought apples for apples? I think I know the answer to that one already.

[Robert Taylor]

You have to look at the whole picture. Having lived in Europe most of my life, my opinion is a lot of things are very reasonable priced in NZ.

A few examples from overseas:

Petrol: $2.60 / liter
Bike insurance: ~$450, a month! (liter bike)
Gst: 20-25% on all parts
0,75 liter of vodka: $60
Beer at the pub: $10 ~ 50cl
etc...
etc...

NZ is a small community far away from everything. Still, most costs are reasonable IMHO.

Still, I prefer to buy Ducati spare parts on ebay.

Bad service is never acceptable. I happily pay $10 extra if the store staff remember my name after have ordered my fifth spare part. $20 extra if they remember what bike I have and a bonus of $50 dollars if they remind me of oil change is due on my bike :)

Thats very relevant Johan, Europeans are also rather better paid than here and there are more people to make the money go round.
Its also an all too common misconception that distributors make exorbitant margins.
I betcha a lot of this stuff that is coming in privately attracts no gst, and no customs clearance charges and gst on those charges, all add ons that baloon the end price, sometimes significantly.
This is an imbalance that is frankly immoral, because proper recognised distributors with proper infrastructure always incur these charges.
Heck, think of the extra revenue the minister of tax theft could accumulate and he could boost the size of the civil service to police it!

[cowboyz]

Think about it if you actually care about the future of this country.

As another post inferred, has he bought apples for apples? I think I know the answer to that one already.

I buy very little from overseas and there has to be a massive margin for me to do it. Like in this case. Future of this country when businesses are charging so much markup doesnt mean the lowely wage worker gets any more in their pocket. Hate to sound like the 90s but the gap is definitely getting bigger.

And apples for apples. Honestly I dont know if these pads are the same as the $200 ones or not. Lets say they are not. Fine.

I am getting around 25000km out of a set of brake pads. These pads are the same as the ones I took out. That means that if I were to pay $200 for them I would expect 100000km out of them to get bang for buck. Doesnt sound reasonable at all.
I work the same out with secondhand tyres. Work out what it cost me and how many ks I need out of it to be worth it. Last front I paid $70 for and needed 7800km out of it to make it worth it. Got nearly 9000out of it. I say that makes me up. The rear I am just about to go put on now will owe me 2000km. Ill tell you next month if it is worth it or not.

[Robert Taylor]

I buy very little from overseas and there has to be a massive margin for me to do it. Like in this case. Future of this country when businesses are charging so much markup doesnt mean the lowely wage worker gets any more in their pocket. Hate to sound like the 90s but the gap is definitely getting bigger.

And apples for apples. Honestly I dont know if these pads are the same as the $200 ones or not. Lets say they are not. Fine.

I am getting around 25000km out of a set of brake pads. These pads are the same as the ones I took out. That means that if I were to pay $200 for them I would expect 100000km out of them to get bang for buck. Doesnt sound reasonable at all.
I work the same out with secondhand tyres. Work out what it cost me and how many ks I need out of it to be worth it. Last front I paid $70 for and needed 7800km out of it to make it worth it. Got nearly 9000out of it. I say that makes me up. The rear I am just about to go put on now will owe me 2000km. Ill tell you next month if it is worth it or not.

Markups are also VERY relevant to business operating costs and it would surprise you that net profit for many motorcycle shops over the course of a financial year is not that flash. That explains in part why so many of them come and go.

After 9 years of a so called ''government for the workers'' you have to wonder what is going on? I can relate to a good part of your argument. But without getting into an ''us and them'' argument the incoming new Government actually wont change things dramatically, as really needs to happen.

What I am trying to say is that there is a huge imbalance whereby people will buy overseas and cut out NZ business ( our own people ). If this continues it is just going to perpetuate further all the inevitable consequences. I think we all have a collective responsibility ( however possible ) to support our own first rather than turn a blind eye.

[AllanB]

Even buying original parts there is a big sting here. A hornet owner recently posted that a stock set of bars was quoted at $220 - and they are a bloody weird bend!

I checked a US Honda site and I can get them for US$60 plus shipping - that's delivered here for about $100!

Yes yes - huge market in the USA - still that's a pocket load of change.

I try local first - if it is close to international (checked before I ask) I'll buy here - if they are miles out tough.

A fine example - a set of Leo Vince cans for my Hornet - NZ dealer $1600 - online ex USA delivered to my door around NZ$900. Yoshis are cheaper!

There is a middle-man in NZ making a lot of bucks. Frankly for stuff like cans I'd be happy to be told 'we order ex overseas' and the wait is 10-14 days if they were going to be a couple of hundred (or more) cheaper.

[Robert Taylor]

Even buying original parts there is a big sting here. A hornet owner recently posted that a stock set of bars was quoted at $220 - and they are a bloody weird bend!

I checked a US Honda site and I can get them for US$60 plus shipping - that's delivered here for about $100!

Yes yes - huge market in the USA - still that's a pocket load of change.

I try local first - if it is close to international (checked before I ask) I'll buy here - if they are miles out tough.

A fine example - a set of Leo Vince cans for my Hornet - NZ dealer $1600 - online ex USA delivered to my door around NZ$900. Yoshis are cheaper!

There is a middle-man in NZ making a lot of bucks. Frankly for stuff like cans I'd be happy to be told 'we order ex overseas' and the wait is 10-14 days if they were going to be a couple of hundred (or more) cheaper.

There is frankly a real nasty and destructive by-product of all this....In your defence you say that you try local first. But inevitably those that think about it a lot less may naturally assume that every distributor of product has a ''nasty middle man'' and therefore they are all tarred with the same brush. BIG BAD BUSINESSMEN.

In defence of NZ business they are usually employing our own NZ citizens. If they have enough business to afford to. A level playing field with respect to import clearance costs and tax would be kind of nice.

[johan]

There is the old BigMac index, and also this Ipod index.
Take it with a grain of salt.

http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2007/01/18/200ipodi2.jpg

http://www.smh.com.au/news/technology/ipod-index-trumps-the-bigmac-one/2007/01/18/1169095897045.html

[AllanB]

A level playing field with respect to import clearance costs and tax would be kind of nice.

Now we are talking - I get containers through Auckland and CHCH at work - the clearance costs in Auckland are a lot more than CHCH. A nice fat slice goes to you know who as well. Good one Michael.

What I do see happening is less items being stocked by bike shops and possibly websites set up to supply the aftermarket with mirrors and bits for (bolt-on) modifying bikes.
Specialists areas such as suspension etc will be catered for as is becoming the norm now by qualified experts.

[cowboyz]

Markups are also VERY relevant to business operating costs and it would surprise you that net profit for many motorcycle shops over the course of a financial year is not that flash. That explains in part why so many of them come and go.

After 9 years of a so called ''government for the workers'' you have to wonder what is going on? I can relate to a good part of your argument. But without getting into an ''us and them'' argument the incoming new Government actually wont change things dramatically, as really needs to happen.

What I am trying to say is that there is a huge imbalance whereby people will buy overseas and cut out NZ business ( our own people ). If this continues it is just going to perpetuate further all the inevitable consequences. I think we all have a collective responsibility ( however possible ) to support our own first rather than turn a blind eye.

I find it hard to disagree with you.

But then I did/do go to NZ shops first. It was/is only when they dont come through I went looking for alternatives.

[ajturbo]

Sorry Robert... but..

i have to buy my unbreakable belts from the states...

these unbreakable belts cost over $360. from welly M/C..

i can get 2 landed here for $400.....

and as they are unbreakable i will never have to use them..... i'm down to one spare

[GSVR]

I find it hard to disagree with you.

But then I did/do go to NZ shops first. It was/is only when they dont come through I went looking for alternatives.

We will have to have a long talk one day Lance. What you are actually doing wrong is not becoming a GST registered bussiness yourself.

I wouldn't worry about importing stuff directly just don't tell anyone your doing it. And when someone wants something you import then you can put a markup on it and sell to them. When you start doing this it may get so big you become a wholesaler and supply to others that put their markup on and onsell.

One other benifit of being a bussiness is parts for your company vehicle (Kawasaki) becomes taxe deductable. This way you can claim back on the company taxes.

You don't have to be a company you can be registered as a "sole operator" or something else.

Most NZ retailers don't buy direct from the factory they buy from an importer so by the time you get the product its had several different peoples profit margins added.

If your "in the trade" you can also get up to 50% discount at some places.

Disregard this if you already know. And I'm just guessing alot of this so someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

Businesses put other Businesses out of Business so they can have a captive market and not have to worry about being in competition. When new competition comes along then the have to promote their product which takes time and money.
Yeah its not that simple and this is only one aspect.

Edit. Forgot to add popcorn. :jerry:

[Robert Taylor]

Sorry Robert... but..

i have to buy my unbreakable belts from the states...

these unbreakable belts cost over $360. from welly M/C..

i can get 2 landed here for $400.....

and as they are unbreakable i will never have to use them..... i'm down to one spare

I am in no way trying to justify the many prices I see out there that are just plain nuts.
But looking at it the world is upside down at present because of the very weak $US and because many of our day to day goods are artificially cheap because of the blind self interest of the big multinationals in both employing slave labour and maximising profit. Although I largely condemn the abysmal quality of many Chinese goods I feel very sorry for their production workers who are treated little better than battery hens.
We are effectively all complicit in condoning this immorality as we ( metaphorically ) lace up our Chinese shoes every day. In all walks of life we are all guilty of self interest with scant or no thought about the long term consequences of our actions.
What is going on is a big facade and more of us should be asking questions...
I love this country even though there have been some very bad judgement calls over the decades by our so called leaders. We can do better but I fear it would take an act of armed insurrection to change as much as we need to.