eBay rocks

[Madness]

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

And I'm saying that if the trend to privately import continues to grow at the current rate we will not have any choice but to buy online.

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.

High margin, huh?
Easy to stock, huh? Paid rent on a commercial warehouse lately?
They don't have to adapt actually. They can simply continue to close up shop as they have been in droves.

No bike shop really wants to deal with all that, legally having to provide warranties and so on.

Really? I thought that was their entire reason for being in business, you know, selling stuff.

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.

Oh, I'm not worried by it. I'm frustrated by the stupidity of some but at the end of the day it will be them who complain when they have little choice locally and there's nothing that resembles healthy competition in the local marketplace.

[Madness]

But, a faggoty pansy bad attitude won't get me anywhere

I wouldn't have said you have a bad attitude neccesarily.

[ducatilover]

I wouldn't have said you have a bad attitude neccesarily.

You're a sweetheart Madness.

One thing that I don't get, how are shops meant to adapt to the internet rape? They probably can't drop their margins on shelved products, costs money to keep shit.

[clonak]

You're a sweetheart Madness.

One thing that I don't get, how are shops meant to adapt to the internet rape? They probably can't drop their margins on shelved products, costs money to keep shit.

I had an website selling electronics, sold a fair bit on trade, stocked next to nothing. It was all drop shipping. Customer places an order with you, you place order to supplier, suppier ships to your customer with no markins. Im sure somewhere out there would be similar practises with motorbike parts, got to be for so many people on ebay to offer thnigs they way they do. I see alot of it on trademe too. Wouldnt hurt for a bike shop make a sort of catalogue, and order it in for them. If you could find who is supplying it.

But yes, whole buying online thing is killing retail shops. There was a thing on the news or 20/20 or something awhile back, shops shutting down and going wholely internet based, because they just weren;t getting the customers through the door anymore.

[Madness]

One thing that I don't get, how are shops meant to adapt to the internet rape? They probably can't drop their margins on shelved products, costs money to keep shit.

Exactly. To suggest that retailers simply need to adjust their business model or drop their pricing is sheer ignorance. If we want to continue to have the luxury of going onto a retailer and buying product off their shelf there & then, or perhaps trying stuff on or simply looking at an article, then we the consumer needs to adjust our buying habits.

Or, we just carry on thinking eBay is great & retailers are all a bunch of rip-off cunts and eventually there will be only one retail outlet for each brand of new motorcycle available in this country and all accessories, etc will have to be imported privately. It won't happen overnight but it will happen.

[bogan]

Exactly. To suggest that retailers simply need to adjust their business model or drop their pricing is sheer ignorance. If we want to continue to have the luxury of going onto a retailer and buying product off their shelf there & then, or perhaps trying stuff on or simply looking at an article, then we the consumer needs to adjust our buying habits.

Some of them could stop getting so pissy when 'their' consumers decide they don't want to have those luxuries.

[Madness]

Some of them could stop getting so pissy when 'their' consumers decide they don't want to have those luxuries.

Who are you referring to exactly?

FWIW I have nothing at all to do with the motorcycle industry personally, other than the fact that I quite like the idea of having access to choice & competition as a consumer. As I stated in "that other" thread, there will always be cases where local suppliers cannot compete or supply an equivalent and under these circumstances I don't feel the buyer should feel at all guilty. eBay & internet shopping certainly has it's place in this modern world but surely local shops do too? Maybe I'm wrong about that but if the demise of motorcycle retailers continue I'm pretty sure I know a few KBers who will be at the front of the queue of those moaning when there's none left.

[Jantar]

I also buy direct from overseas and cut out the local guy IF there is a substantial price difference. If the price difference is small (less than 50% or $100 dearer locally) then I'll buy in NZ. Often items from USA may look to be less expensive, but once you factor in the exchange rate, GST (if over $400) and lack of local support then that dearer item bought locally is often cheaper.

This winter I have two small projects on the DR650. For one of them (some plastic work) all items will be imported, simply because the New Zealand importer doesn't stock what I need and will only import in a batch of 12 that I will have to pay for when I only need one.

The other one is a simple front suspension upgrade, and for that I'll buy through Robert Taylor. He may be a little dearer than buying from USA, but one thing I can't import is his knowledge.

[wasiler]

Congrats on your ebay purchase. Yeah, I have seen a lot of good prices on ebay as well as other online places. All the people I ride with when I ask do they buy local or online they all say the same thing, "I buy where the price is the best". That was from a friend that recently purchased springs for his Ninja. Unlike these shops that keep saying "me me me"...... "buy my product because I want the extra cash to stay in business, without me, NZ will stop motorcycling" . I have been looking at tyre prices online and already found a place that even with shipping I will be saving $$$$ dollars on a set. Motorcycle tyres are expensive and I don't need them right away so, might as well think ahead. I did buy some tyres locally recently because I needed them at the time and had to bite the bullet. Probably won't make that mistake again. Ebay is my first source if I can find it and it does not matter if it is in used condition.

[Madness]

Congrats on your ebay purchase. Yeah, I have seen a lot of good prices on ebay as well as other online places. All the people I ride with when I ask do they buy local or online they all say the same thing, "I buy where the price is the best". That was from a friend that recently purchased springs for his Ninja. Unlike these shops that keep saying "me me me"...... "buy my product because I want the extra cash to stay in business, without me, NZ will stop motorcycling" . I have been looking at tyre prices online and already found a place that even with shipping I will be saving $100-$150 dollars on a set. Motorcycle tyres are expensive and I don't need them right away so, might as well think ahead. I did buy some tyres locally recently because I needed them at the time and had to bite the bullet. Probably won't make that mistake again. Ebay is my first source if I can find it and it does not matter if it is in used condition.

I rest my case. Of course you'll buy from eBay, it makes sense for you to support traders from your own country, eh?

The Americans obviously know so much more than we do about our own economy. Oh, wait...


Nice avatar too. Does this mean I can now call you Cock?

Cock.

[wasiler]

I rest my case. Of course you'll buy from eBay, it makes sense for you to support traders from your own counrry, eh?

Nice avatar too. Does this mean I can now call you Cock?

Cock.

I support the country with the lowest price. I purchased from Germany recently and saved hundreds of dollars on one item..

I am glad you like my cock but, would not share it with your kind. I bet you wish you had one.

[Madness]

I support the country with the lowest price. I purchased from Germany recently and saved hundreds of dollars on one item..

I am glad you like my cock but, would not share it with your kind. I bet you wish you had one.

I don't like your cock at all, or you for that matter. I'm suprised you had the intellect to think of it actually, are you sure a Kiwi didn't think of it?

I reckon you should be deported with an attitude like that. Fuck knows, we wouldn't be missing anything with you gone.

Cock.

[bogan]

Who are you referring to exactly?

FWIW I have nothing at all to do with the motorcycle industry personally, other than the fact that I quite like the idea of having access to choice & competition as a consumer. As I stated in "that other" thread, there will always be cases where local suppliers cannot compete or supply an equivalent and under these circumstances I don't feel the buyer should feel at all guilty. eBay & internet shopping certainly has it's place in this modern world but surely local shops do too? Maybe I'm wrong about that but if the demise of motorcycle retailers continue I'm pretty sure I know a few KBers who will be at the front of the queue of those moaning when there's none left.

Not too sure tbh, not you anyway. There just seems to be an implied theme in a lot of these threads that NZ'rs have a duty to support local business because local can provide additional services; which the customer doesn't actually want, much less want to pay for.

[wasiler]

I don't like your cock at all, or you for that matter. I'm suprised you had the intellect to think of it actually, are you sure a Kiwi didn't think of it?

Cock.

Nope, note a kiwi. I do get along with a lot of them them. It seems I don't get along with you which is a good thing. Does not surprise me though because probably most kiwis don't care for you much either. Also, no need to be so formal and sign your name at the end of your comment. Or is that something you are hoping to get. Trademe has a personal dating section I think and you would be supporting local business too.

[SMOKEU]

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.

We're not all rich enough to pay the highest price for everything we want.