| Author | Message | ||
     Hangontight |
So, I went into a KTM/Ducati/Triumph dealer Friday afternoon and was looking to get sized up for a new helmet. (I had gone to several honda/kaw/yamaha dealers but nobody seemed very knowledgeable about helmets...just had a rack of HJC/Shoei hanging on the wall.) Anyway, i went into this dealer and the sales rep was very good about measuring my head, talking about different brands, quality, features, etc. Long story short, I end up ordering an AGV helmet from him at retail price. Driving home it dawned on me that I could have gone online and bought the same model 30% cheaper. Then I got thinking: Here I walked into this dealer, the guy spent probably 30-40 minutes with me getting the right helmet...there's no way I'm gonna take all his advice and undercut him by picking one up online cheaper. If people do that enough it's gonna put the local guys outta business....then who's gonna get you fitted properly and be willing to discuss the options with you? Bottom line, I'm really happy that I paid the extra dollars and bought locally. these are tough times for everybody, it feels good to help out the little guys. (Whew, now I feel better about spending the extra $50 by not buying online  ) | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
Sometimes short term "bargains" are long term expensive. How much would it have cost you in time and money shipping the wrong helmet back and forth until you got the right one? How much more satisfactory is your ownership experience because you got the right helmet the first time and it fits perfectly? We squeeze out local support at our own peril. Good on you for supporting your local shop and for making the service/value connection. Shop for VALUE not just for PRICE! | ||
| Jaimec |
I worked one summer at a dealership. I can't tell you how many times we'd work with a walk-in customer getting him/her sized up for a proper set of riding leathers. We'd literally spend over an hour or more with some people as they tried on article after article of clothing. Afterwards, they'd say they'll "Think about it" and walk out. A month later, we'll see them wearing one of the outfits they tried on in our store but we KNOW they didn't buy from us. It was INFURIATING! We got so tired of being the fitting room for every online or catalogue apparel shop that we stopped carrying lines that were available online. The big attraction of the "First Gear" line from Intersports Fashion West was that anyone agreeing to sell their product line had to agree they would NEVER sell the product online or via mail order. I still remember one guy who spent over an hour getting fitted for a Vanson suit. He thought he could pull one over on us by heading up to Massachusetts and buying direct from the factory. You can imagine his surprise (and our smug satisfaction) when he discovered he had to pay MORE from the factory than buying from us. So he not only paid more for the suit, he also burnt up about 600 miles worth of gasoline only to have to spend more money in the first place. | ||
| Bill0351 |
My local import dealer has been really good about matching prices with online places as long as it's exactly the same gear and you include shipping. (It usually isn't that much of a difference once you count the shipping cost.) Last season they offered to order me several sizes of a product they normally don't even carry so I could try them on, and then match the internet price. I know exactly what they are doing and it isn't fair. They are trying to trick me into buying everything from them by offering the best prices and best service combined in one place. WTF is up with that? | ||
| Teeps |
The only thing wrong with the OP's story is he didn't buy from Buell dealer. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
My Buell dealer doesn't carry Scorpion. That's what I wanted. I bought from the local shop rather than online because of the time the dealer spent with me and because they have had a long history of working with the manufacturer when I had problems with my Arai. I will ONLY buy my helmets from this shop. They put in the time and continue to serve me well. They have earned my business. | ||
| Hangontight |
"The only thing wrong with the OP's story is he didn't buy from Buell dealer." They only carry the H-D and Buell helmets, neither of which I was interested in. | ||
| Eaton_corners |
I would gladly buy local if we actually had a store that offered the same product. I am glad I have the option to order the product I want when I can't find it around here. | ||
| Hughlysses |
OTOH- After much research, I decided two weeks ago I was going to spring for a Arai helmet because of my "long-oval" head shape. I went to the dealer locater on Arai's site, and found 5 listings for dealers here in Charleston. Of the 5 dealers, ONE had ONE Arai helmet in stock, and not the model I wanted to try (the Profile). I went to Jacksonville last week for work and hit 3 supposed Arai dealers there. Cycle Gear (chain store) had no Profiles in stock, the mega Japanese store had dropped Arai, and the HD/Buell shop, who was listed as an Arai dealer, didn't have a clue about Arai. I did some additional on-line research and found that Shark makes a long-oval helmet called the RSI for about $200 less than the Arai. Only dealer in either Charleston or Jacksonville was the Cycle Gear store. The JAX store only had one in stock and not the right size. I ended up buying one on-line last week for $150 off on a $350 helmet. I agree with the gist of this thread, but it's not always easy to do. | ||
| Jaimec |
I ended up buying my Nolan N-103 at the Javits Motorcycle Show. None of the dealers I regularly visit carry Nolan. The one dealer that did went out of business a couple of years ago (some nasty little problem with unpaid taxes). I'm glad I didn't order it online, though. Although I wore a large in the old N100e model, with the N-103 I actually took a MEDIUM! I also got a 10% discount as an MSF RiderCoach so the price practically matched what I'd pay online (if you added in shipping) so overall it was a good deal. | ||
| Hangontight |
I agree that when it's not available locally, online is the way to go...no problem with that. I think the important thing to remember is to not go into a local dealer to get sized up and check out the different models with no intention of buying from them. I was guilty of this in my early days (especially as a broke college student). Now i've come around in my infinite wisdom being 25 yrs old! | ||
| Vanvideo |
I recently bought two helmets from local dealerships. One was off the shelf, the other I ordered through them. I usually buy discontinued models off of eBay for cheap, but I wanted these newer designs and the service I received was worth it. | ||
| Steve_mackay |
I have a rule of thumb... If a local brick and mortar can meet the price within about 15-20%, then I will buy from them. | ||
| Cityxslicker |
there is no substitute for first hand customer service, touch the product and test proper fit.... | ||
| Vortec57 |
I wish many of my customers would realize what all of you are saying. We get the tightwads in that want us to diagnose their troubles and then give them the part numbers (sometimes even admit to looking for it online) only after using our services. I do what I can at local shops, and the rest via online shops that give me good service. Better when its wrong or not functioning right to have a person to talk to (yell at) than have to email someone in another country! | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
When I bought our washer and dryer, I shopped at Lowe's. I asked the sales guy "is this the best price you can offer?". He said yes. I bought the washer and dryer and scheduled to have them delivered the next day. On a whim, I stopped by a local appliance store. They had the same washer and dryer for sale about 15% cheaper than Lowe's. I went back and returned the purchased set from Lowe's. The CS person said "you know we'll give you the difference plus 10% right?" I said, "yes. I understand, but I asked whether you were giving me the best possible price. I'm going to reward the local shop for having a better price. The 1% "bonus" isn't worth it to me." You should have seen the look on her face. | ||
| Thumper74 |
Vortec, I figured you either worked at a car or bike dealership. I worked at a Honda dealer that had a policy of charging a flat rate of an hour for diagnosis, if you perform the repair at our dealer, we waive the diagnosis. It keeps the weiners from bringing the vehicle for diagnosis and then taking it home to fix it themselves or take it someplace cheaper. Price vs. value. Would you rather have a technician that can diagnose a problem or one that will throw parts at it? My favorites are the ones that bring their own $15 AutoZone special brake pads in for us to install and guarantee even though the brakes are substandard and we can't warranty them. | ||
| Sifo |
Hangontight - MCC will take care of you! They would be even better if they sold/serviced Buell. Then again that would make them one of our local HD/Buell dealers.  You should go back there sometime and just ask any of them about running track days. They will talk your ear off and get you stoked! | ||
| Paint_shaker |
Ftd, Board Sponsor Gainesville H-D/Buell carries Scorpion helmets and products. As a general rule, I try to buy at my local shop or my local "good" Buell Dealer. Tires are one major exception. | ||
| Ourdee |
I was looking for the Buell mesh jacket, My local HD that did not stock it told me if I tried one somewhere else and found out my size, I could come back there and order it. I found a dealer that stocked it in a couple of sizes. Did I reward my local HD? NO! Bad dealer, no sale. Another time I was looking for a disc lock. I knew the internet prices. I went to the no name neighborhood bike shop and asked Junior at the counter if they had one. He looked around and said nope. I Ebayed a like new one. Went back to the shop a couple weeks later and while waiting on Junior, I looked up over the register and there was a dusty box with the same lock I just Ebayed for one cent less and no shipping. I chewed Junior out for costing his boss a sale and me the shipping. I don't want them to go out of business. | ||
| Oddball |
I went around to many of the dealers here searching for a helmet that fit. I wanted cheap but ultimately bought Arai cause it fit better than anything else. I might have considered shopping online but I wanted to see and feel my purchase. Even between two Arai's the fit was different enough I wouldn't let that one out of my sight. Most dealers have dropped or are dropping anything expensive. They say people don't spend more than the bare minimum. So the same cheaper stuff is everywhere. Fine if it fits and one is happy with the quality but blows if your not. I guess if you wad the helmet with the bike regularly stunting you'd want dirt cheap too. Of course with the exception of the BMW dealer and the Honda dealer I bought from, the 'help' from all the others was worthless. Both the dealer and I ended up happy. | ||
| Cyclonedon |
my local dealer has a 20% off sale at least twice a year so I plan ahead on my purchases. | ||
| Hangontight |
"Hangontight - MCC will take care of you!" Sifo, nice catch! Yeah, I actually got the helmet today from them. I took it home because I was in a hurry, but once I got home, it didn't fit like I thought. I called up Mike @ MCC and he said no problem, bring it by and exchange it for something else. I'm gonna go with a Shoei RF-1000. Man, I'm sure glad I gave my business to these guys! | ||
| Court |
>>>>I said, "yes. I understand, but I asked whether you were giving me the best possible price. I'm going to reward the local shop for having a better price. The 1% "bonus" isn't worth it to me." I did the same thing on a car. Guy gave me his best price, I thanked him, told him we had two more appts at dealers at 1:00 and 3:00 and headed for the door. About the time I get there, he pops a better price. I turned around and asked "how many BEST prices are you going to give me? The moment you gave me the 2nd one you made yourself a liar". Got to Mercedes at 1:00, left a couple hours later with the best car and best purchase experience I have ever had. I do not haggle. I know if works well for MANY folks and man I wish I could. I go in. Ask for the best deal. I like it I write a check, I don't I walk. | ||
| Oddball |
"I do not haggle. I know it works well for MANY folks and man I wish I could. I go in. Ask for the best deal. I like it I write a check, I don't I walk." Oh god I agree with Court.  That shell game style of pricing is irritating. | ||
| Mcgiver |
I always buy from the local shops, and never buy online (except American Sportbike)! Brian | ||
| Paint_shaker |
I am with Court and Oddball on this one. I don't haggle. I don't play "the game". We sit. We talk numers. We reach the bottom line. If I don't like the bottom line, I leave. No matter the deal, if I feel insulted with a ridiculous trade in price, I'll not be back! | ||
| Dynasport |
I buy local and shop online. It depends on what I am buying. I want to be loyal to both as both have their places. I live in a place that doesn't have much in the way of a professional camera store. The one we do have is VERY expensive. I do my research and buy online, almost exclusively from B&H. I am loyal to them even though it is an online store for me. OTOH, I try to buy helmets and other gear locally. I like trying the stuff on and I WILL NOT go into a local store and try stuff on and then order online. I know tons of people do that, but I won't. I am partial to Shoei RF-1000 helmets. I know that because a kid at a CycleGear took a LONG time letting me try on a ton of different helmets one day. I bought my first one from him. When I trashed that one I went back to the same store and bought another one. I could have saved about $20-30 by buying online. I decided to reward the service I had gotten. By the same token, if I get crappy service somewhere, I'll do without before buying from them again. Happy spending. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
I usually shop purchase items to death. I know EXACTLY what I am willing to pay and pretty close to what the dealer paid for it. I'm not trying to squeeze every nickel of profit out of the deal for the dealer. The dealer has to make money and the sales guy has to make a living. In car buying, I tell them up front that I have 30 minutes to make the deal work. Past that, I am leaving. The whole "leave them in the office to sweat" BS doesn't work for me. The second they leave the office, so do I. On my last purchase, I had a vehicle that I was planning on buying from an Ebay dealership I have used in the past. They had a comparable car to the one I was looking at locally. I already had a quote from Carmax for the trade in value for my car in writing. I told them my plan was to trade my car in at Carmax, grab a plane to go pick up the car at the other dealer and drive it back. If they could match the price and save me the trip, I would buy the car from them. I already had financing arranged. The deal took 22 minutes. "Haggling" is a state of mind. I look at it as the willingness to come in prepared and stick to your guns. It ain't personal. It's business. | ||
| Barker |
I try to buy local as much as possible. When buying a new ride I use email. I send a email to all of the internet sales managers of my local dealers. They see in the "to line" who they are competing against. I state the ride I want and ask for their best price. They bid for my business. The last new vehicle I purchased was my truck. Sticker was $15,500 I got it for $8,900 with my email games. | ||
| Arcticktm |
If I need help, I will go with a dealer (if they will help, which is certainly not always the case). If I do all my own research and know exactly what I want/need, I will take best price, since I do not like to pay for service I never received. I am tall, and need long sizes to fit well. First Gear tends to work well for me. Tired my local (at the time) Honda/BMW dealer, but all they stocked was Joe Rocket (does not fit, and I do not care for). Asked punk-kid at counter if I could order a First Gear mesh and see if it fit. He said "sure" as long as I would pay for it/keep it even if it did not fit! What an idiot. Went home, ordered online, and got a great fitting jacket for much less than he was going to charge. Next time, I saved the gas/time and just ordered online. when I need knowledge help, I have a couple good dealers that I mail order thru for KTM (Matto Cycle) and Buell (American Sport Bike) stuff. I would never screw with a service dealer by getting them to diagnose my bike for me to fix it, but I have taken my Buell back from the dealer to fix myself when Buell refused to cover repairs under warranty. | ||
| Hangontight |
I agree that if the dealer employs punk-kids who aren't knowledgeable about the products they are selling, all bets are off. I certainly understand a dealer who won't give a cash return on something they ordered for you in the event that it doesn't fit...especially if it's not something they typically stock. However, like my KTM/Duc/Triumph dealer that I'm working with, they should exchange it for another brand or something that fits properly (of course settling up on the price difference). I'm really happy that this dealer is willing to do this for me. I was really concerned last night when I got home and realized this was not the helmet I wanted. One call to the dealer relieved my stress...I'm going in this afternoon to exchange it for an Arai or Shoei, whichever fits best. Like Ft_Bstrd said, I got VALUE by purchasing at a local dealer staffed by professionals. |
