Ractech and a rotting stench

**Viscount Montgomery** · 11th February 2010, 04:51

So I go looking for a stiffer spring to throw on my rear shock to shorten up the 45mm of rider sag a bit. Racetech US have a good selection of stiffer ratings on their site, US$109 for the spring. That's NZ$154. Shipping was usually around the US$35 mark, so looking at about NZ$185-195 delivered to my doorstep. Shipping being a bit of a rip, but easier than rowing it across the pacific in your own canoe..

I've purchased racetech products from them before, and they were quick and efficient.

Better check out racetech NZ next methinks, surely they've got something here for me... probably an extra 20 bucks or so more, but she'll be right. Find their website, lo and behold there's the same spring - WTF? NZ$299.00. Plus postage. Yeah right! Thanks but no thanks, I've no intention of throwing over $100 into the nearest incinerator.

So it's back to the racetech US site, go to load the online order form and hello, hello, page refuses to load.. funny, it used to work OK before.. Just detecting a faint rotten smell coming from somewhere now..

Ah, I know, it's probably just the firefox browser.. Click up IE and try again. Nah, same result - all kosher UNTIL the order form. The faint rotting smell is getting a little bit more distinct now...

Rattle off an email to racetech US and ask them what the shipping costs will be to send over one spring. By and by, I get the slightly evasive reply -

"Thank you for your interest in Race Tech. We do however have a distributor in New Zealand that will be happy to help you out with your request. I will leave there (THEIR) info below so that you can go ahead and contact them."

Now the rotting stench is begining to really come in strongly ... Rattle off another email telling racetech US that their online form isn't loading and do they not ship internationally now?

By and by, back comes the reply -

"We do sell to the public and you cannot order on-line, it is not available and will not be available for some time. You can contact Crown Kiwi directly and they will be able to help you. We do not sell to international customers if we have a distributor in that area."

NOW THE ROTTEN STENCH IS REALLY COMING THROUGH IN WAVES. My, my, I wonder who the faceless toads scuttling behind the scenes are who set these slippery wheels in motion? huh? huh?

Contemptable greasy crap. Needless to say, as far as I'm concerned, racetechNZ can now go and get fucked

**peasea** · 11th February 2010, 05:33

Originally Posted by Viscount Montgomery

So I go looking for a stiffer spring to throw on my rear shock to shorten up the 45mm of rider sag a bit. Racetech US have a good selection of stiffer ratings on their site, US$109 for the spring. That's NZ$154. Shipping was usually around the US$35 mark, so looking at about NZ$185-195 delivered to my doorstep. Shipping being a bit of a rip, but easier than rowing it across the pacific in your own canoe..

I've purchased racetech products from them before, and they were quick and efficient.

Better check out racetech NZ next methinks, surely they've got something here for me... probably an extra 20 bucks or so more, but she'll be right. Find their website, lo and behold there's the same spring - WTF? NZ$299.00. Plus postage. Yeah right! Thanks but no thanks, I've no intention of throwing over $100 into the nearest incinerator.

So it's back to the racetech US site, go to load the online order form and hello, hello, page refuses to load.. funny, it used to work OK before.. Just detecting a faint rotten smell coming from somewhere now..

Ah, I know, it's probably just the firefox browser.. Click up IE and try again. Nah, same result - all kosher UNTIL the order form. The faint rotting smell is getting a little bit more distinct now...

Rattle off an email to racetech US and ask them what the shipping costs will be to send over one spring. By and by, I get the slightly evasive reply -

"Thank you for your interest in Race Tech. We do however have a distributor in New Zealand that will be happy to help you out with your request. I will leave there (THEIR) info below so that you can go ahead and contact them."

Now the rotting stench is begining to really come in strongly ... Rattle off another email telling racetech US that their online form isn't loading and do they not ship internationally now?

By and by, back comes the reply -

"We do sell to the public and you cannot order on-line, it is not available and will not be available for some time. You can contact Crown Kiwi directly and they will be able to help you. We do not sell to international customers if we have a distributor in that area."

NOW THE ROTTEN STENCH IS REALLY COMING THROUGH IN WAVES. My, my, I wonder who the faceless toads scuttling behind the scenes are who set these slippery wheels in motion? huh? huh?

Contemptable greasy crap. Needless to say, as far as I'm concerned, racetech can now go and get fucked

This sor of shit happens too often and good on ya for posting your experiences. Nobody would mind the local distributor making a few bucks but sometimes they go too far and are way too greedy. It happens a lot with Harley parts and I simply refuse to play the game. Ultimately they are shooting themselves in the foot; then they wonder why their business goes to the wall.

**tri boy** · 11th February 2010, 06:09

Errr, CKT have the NZ master franchise for Race Tech products.
They have invested a shitload of time and pingers into that franchise, and offer the best service to Kiwis looking to improve their ride.
Also, I'm fairly certain that if people would just contact CKT, they may find that they can do more for them than what they think. ie spring swaps etc, invaluble set up advice gained from many years setting up thousands of road/dirt/track bikes.
That $100 is not thrown away, just pick up the ph, or email them.MHO

**Stormdragon** · 11th February 2010, 06:18

You could try contacting Dave Moss at Feel The Track. (Great suspension videos available too.) I'm not sure if Dave does Race Tech, or Ohlins but E-mail's free. There's also the guys at Traxxon Dynamics as an alternative possibility.

If you're set on springs from Race Tech, they could be delivered to me, and I'll ship them on to you. I've done similar trades back and forth with a couple guys from England. I can't get KR250 parts here, and for some reason they have a hard time getting Honda RS125 parts there.

**Viscount Montgomery** · 11th February 2010, 07:05

Originally Posted by Stormdragon

You could try contacting Dave Moss at Feel The Track. (Great suspension videos available too.) I'm not sure if Dave does Race Tech, or Ohlins but E-mail's free. There's also the guys at Traxxon Dynamics as an alternative possibility.

If you're set on springs from Race Tech, they could be delivered to me, and I'll ship them on to you. I've done similar trades back and forth with a couple guys from England. I can't get KR250 parts here, and for some reason they have a hard time getting Honda RS125 parts there.

Thanks for that Storm, I am definitely interested in your kind offer and wouldn't hesitate to throw you some extra cash for your trouble mate.

WILL SEND YOU AN EMAIL LATER. CHEERS.

**Headbanger** · 11th February 2010, 08:15

Companies will continue to lose customers if they refuse to acknowledge the market is now International and we can find out the worth of a product in a few minutes. There is already a markup built into the price when sourced from overseas, and we can see the obvious when the local price is set so high above that.

Recently I have been looking at setting up a retail business in an unrelated field but decided against it as they are forcing the use of a local destributer whose price wholesale is higher then the retail internationally, I'd be telling any customers I get not to shop through me, its a ripoff, here go to this website. Hell, If I went ahead with the project I wouldn't even buy my own gear, I'd buy from overseas.

**Viscount Montgomery** · 11th February 2010, 08:39

For sure. Charging DOUBLE the price of a product to a New Zealand customer, then in the same foul swoop, choking off the only available alternative is just plain inexcusable, and a lousy money-grubbing stunt. No amount of weasel-words trying to justify this shit will wash with me.

**CookMySock** · 11th February 2010, 09:08

Originally Posted by Viscount Montgomery

For sure. Charging DOUBLE the price of a product to a New Zealand customer, then in the same foul swoop, choking off the only available alternative is just plain inexcusable, and a lousy money-grubbing stunt. No amount of weasel-words trying to justify this shit will wash with me.

Damn straight. Try comparing hyosung parts locally to import-your-own and you will get the same fright.

It's hard to make money out of something that you cant double your dollar on though, so importers are not in a good position. Maybe an innovative approach is required, but that is often not explored until they have to get off their arse.

Steve

**Katman** · 11th February 2010, 16:05

I don't know of very many filthy rich people in the motorcycle industry.

I wonder how many people who moan about the cost of motorcycle parts in New Zealand have ever run their own business (and I don't mean just selling ice-creams).

How many moan about the 100%+ mark-up that the shops put on the price of their TV, their washing machine, their stereo, their playstation etc.

The mark-up in the motorcycle industry is nowhere near that of most other businesses.

**SixPackBack** · 11th February 2010, 16:12

Originally Posted by Katman

I don't know of very many filthy rich people in the motorcycle industry.

I wonder how many people who moan about the cost of motorcycle parts in New Zealand have ever run their own business (and I don't mean just selling ice-creams).

How many moan about the 100%+ mark-up that the shops put on the price of their TV, their washing machine, their stereo, their playstation etc.

The mark-up in the motorcycle industry is nowhere near that of most other businesses.

That may be true re: mark-up and filthy rich motorcycle folk, but the fact remains that a large disparity in cost is evident in NZ sourced suspension and that sourced from overseas. A logical explanation for what looks like gouging has yet to be forwarded by local suppliers.

**Katman** · 11th February 2010, 16:14

Originally Posted by SixPackBack

A logical explanation for what looks like gouging has yet to be forwarded by local suppliers.

Or maybe the American market and the New Zealand market are two totally different things.

American importers order items in the thousands - New Zealand wouldn't even get to order them in the hundreds.

Who do you think gets the better buy price from the manufacturer?

**Headbanger** · 11th February 2010, 16:16

Originally Posted by Katman

The mark-up in the motorcycle industry is nowhere near that of most other businesses.

The point is we can bring in a single item at a lower cost then what the local supplier can provide one, at this means someone has given themselves a hefty increase to the detriment of the local market and retailers. There is no way an item should be manufactured in Japan,exported to the USA, purchased from a retailer, Be packaged and put on a plane,come all the way around the world, then be couried to your door for less then the local retailer.

This doesn't apply to bigger items as the postage would kill it so your reference to other industries doesn't fit, try importing a lounge suite of 50" plasma for example.

**pc220** · 11th February 2010, 16:18

Originally Posted by Katman

I don't know of very many filthy rich people in the motorcycle industry.

I wonder how many people who moan about the cost of motorcycle parts in New Zealand have ever run their own business (and I don't mean just selling ice-creams).

How many moan about the 100%+ mark-up that the shops put on the price of their TV, their washing machine, their stereo, their playstation etc.

The mark-up in the motorcycle industry is nowhere near that of most other businesses.

Yeah but the point is we as customers are been denied an alternative.

**Headbanger** · 11th February 2010, 16:19

Originally Posted by Katman

Or maybe the American market and the New Zealand market are two totally different things.

Did you miss the memo?, 2010, The market in International. Perhaps retails need to petition the manufacturers for direct purchases or resort to parallel importing. In this day and age the middle man is redundant, Now they only exists to take a cut and protect their own interest...which is taking a cut. Even worse when teh "middle man" is retailing to the public at an inflated price.