eBay rocks

**speeding_ant** · 10th February 2013, 14:38

Found a big crack in my front mud guard/fender. Got an oem price for $350 unpainted. Look on eBay, boom. $70 NZD free shipping, in the colour of my bike.

Continued on to find a brand new replacement Showa rear shock for $100.

Happy days

**Madness** · 10th February 2013, 14:39

People like you with your short-sighted "me me me" attitude will be the downfall of small business in this country as we know and enjoy it currently. Enjoy your purchase.

**imdying** · 10th February 2013, 14:50

No, that would be the rape rape rape attitude of Honda NZ.

**speeding_ant** · 10th February 2013, 14:52

Originally Posted by Madness

People like you with your short-sighted "me me me" attitude will be the downfall of small business in this country as we know and enjoy it currently. Enjoy your purchase.

Was wondering when that post would pop up.

People like me spend money at bike shops too. People like me are smart enough to realise that $400 on a front mud guard is ludicrous (probably not the dealers fault, likely Honda). This year I've spent $1000 at a bike shop, and appreciated their input. Online, $200 and I accept the risks. The bike shop wouldn't have gotten any more of my money, because I don't have any more to spend.

Listen before you mouth off, the dealers are lucky that I've got a fucking job with money to spend in the first place.

**Madness** · 10th February 2013, 15:18

Originally Posted by speeding_ant

Listen before you mouth off.

This forum has audio?

Alright point taken Princess, now calm the fuck down before you soil yourself.

The whole "eBay is great" mantra is the issue I take exception to, rather than your purchase of Honda parts specifically. Too many fuckwits will take that as a reccomendation to go online & do Kiwis out of a sale when they are in a position to be competitive. Trust me, there are people out there thick enough to do exactly that.

**speeding_ant** · 10th February 2013, 15:32

Fair call.

Things like bar ends, bolts, etc, are not worth the time for either party to get from a dealer. The flexibility of eBay/online stores is there so you get more of a choice for the smaller stuff you just can't easily get in NZ.

There's no point in trying to convert the pure online purchaser, they were a lost customer anyway. Let them make mistakes, and compete in the clusterfuck that is online sales. Rumor has it they make bugger all money anyway.

I wouldn't write it all off completely. A lot of the online stores/sellers are New Zealanders trying to get a slice of the cake.

**Madness** · 10th February 2013, 15:39

Originally Posted by speeding_ant

The flexibility of eBay/online stores is there so you get more of a choice for the smaller stuff you just can't easily get in NZ.

And the choice available locally is only going to get smaller as the online buying increases, a self-perpetuating extinction.

Originally Posted by speeding_ant

There's no point in trying to convert the pure online purchaser, they were a lost customer anyway. Let them make mistakes, and compete in the clusterfuck that is online sales. Rumor has it they make bugger all money anyway.

I'm not trying to convert anyone, that's Ed's domain. Point is though, if no prick pokes these numpties in the eye with a stick occasionally there won't be many bike shops left in this country, or other stores catering to specialty markets for that matter. The eBay traders probably don't make much margin, but remember they are selling to a much, much bugger market than the shop down the road in little old Enzed.

Originally Posted by speeding_ant

A lot of the online stores/sellers are New Zealanders trying to get a slice of the cake.

Really?, a lot of New Zealanders selling motorsickle stuff to the Yanks on eBay despite our dollar, our location and the limited choice of product available locally? Well bugger me.

**speeding_ant** · 10th February 2013, 15:45

Originally Posted by Madness

And the choice available locally is only going to get smaller as the online buying increases, a self-perpetuating extinction.

I disagree. Show me a shop big enough to hold and source that much stuff from the thousands of Chinese/American distributors. That's where the little online sellers find a niche.

Originally Posted by Madness;

Really?, a lot of New Zealanders selling motorsickle stuff to the Yanks on eBay despite our dollar, our location and the limited choice of product available locally? Well bugger me.

Yeah, don't have numbers for that. No argument.

**Madness** · 10th February 2013, 15:47

Originally Posted by speeding_ant

I disagree. Show me a shop big enough to hold and source that much stuff from the thousands of Chinese/American distributors. That's where the little online sellers find a niche.

I really don't thik you understood my point. Try again, read slowly.

**bogan** · 10th February 2013, 15:53

Originally Posted by speeding_ant

eBay rocks

Fuck, the shipping must be horrendous, don't we have some here you could dig up?

**ducatilover** · 10th February 2013, 15:56

Originally Posted by Madness

And the choice available locally is only going to get smaller as the online buying increases, a self-perpetuating extinction.

This is very true, there are many factors I suppose, but I'm considering starting a small business importing some of the more common eGay purchases and selling them for a (small) mark up (don't really have any overheads + I have plenty of storage space). That would be supporting the NZ (err, just Doug) economy... I think

**speeding_ant** · 10th February 2013, 15:57

I'm saying if someone stocked that selection locally - I'd go there.

Who thought it was a bright idea to start selling this guff first? The slow lumbering traditional local business, or the masses of "online entrepreneurs".

Local stores sell bikes, common parts, tyres, etc. Most of those are high margin, easy to stock and source. Online retailers will try to compete, and they will take some of the customers away from the local stores. I don't think that can be avoided in this day and age, and bike shops need to adapt/compete.

Online sellers on eBay and TradeMe will continue to make bugger all money, sourcing cheap parts from China and selling off with minimal margin. No bike shop really wants to deal with all that, legally having to provide warranties and so on.

I'd quit worrying, local stores won't go away any time soon. Some of them haven't survived, which means the market has spoken. That sucks, but it's reality.

**Madness** · 10th February 2013, 15:57

Originally Posted by ducatilover

This is very true, there are many factors I suppose, but I'm considering starting a small business importing some of the more common eGay purchases and selling them for a (small) mark up (don't really have any overheads + I have plenty of storage space). That would be supporting the NZ (err, just Doug) economy... I think

Good luck with that.

**speeding_ant** · 10th February 2013, 15:58

Originally Posted by bogan

Fuck, the shipping must be horrendous, don't we have some here you could dig up?

Free shipping, fuck knows how

It'll likely arrive as cracked as my current one

At $70 I'm happy to take that risk. I searched a few parts places, someone had one but needed sanding/painting and it wasn't new. I don't have time getting that sorted, would have ended up being $200 all up plus my time.