Brake pads from USA.

[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/news/technolog...095897045.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.

[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.