another LBS rant
 

For Christmas my wife bought me a resistance trainer from a bike/ outdoor shop that we'd been doing business with for about 4 years. We've bought 2 bikes, snow shoes, and numerous accessories, parts and other sports equipment from them. They also service our 4 bikes.
My wife asked the store manager at the time of purchase if the trainer had a remote resistance control and she was assured that it did. She was charged the price for the remote model,(Minoura mag 850) $159 with her discount. When I opened it on Christmas, we discovered that it was the less expensive model although the box indicated that it was the model w/remote. The next week I went back to the shop and explaind that I wanted the remote model and that's what we thought was in the box. The mgr. looked in the box and agreed that the box was marked wrong (remember, the price paid was according to the model # on the box). He then told me that if I tried the model we'd purchased, I'd probably like it and wouldn't have to re-order another. I went home and gave it some thought. Next day I brought it back again and said I really have my heart set on the remote model and was told he'd order me that one for an additional $35, the difference between the remote and non remote models! That would have been a total of $194 WITH my discount! Or about $210 without a discount. I was p***ed. I returned the trainer, got my money back and went home and ordered one on line for $144 including shipping. Same model, w/remote.

They wanted way too much for the one with remote. I think you did the right thing.
I bought the same model with remote for $159 at a local sporting goods store. That is without any extra discounts, just right off the shelf.

Did the box have "mag-850R" on it or did you go by the picture on the box? Both (850 and 850R) models have a remote unit pictured on the box.
$159 is not even a 40% margin. Pretty low for a small retailer.

did you bring your receipt? If so, he should have given the remote model to you without charging you

what a jerk

Oh, but if we don't support our LBS and foster a relationship they're all going to go broke and the poor shop owners won't be able to feed their starving families or shell out free sage advice and we'll lose the warm & fuzzy feeling of basking in their glory yadda yadda yadda...
/sarcasm

Now you know why I go wherever I can get the best price which is usually online, and I don't buy into all the bullwinkle I read on these boards about supporting your LBS.

You should have forced the issue with him.

Regardless the price of the remote model and non remote model, as a good business person needs to eat the difference. It doesn't matter if that difference was $35 or $3,500. He had a box in the store that said it had a remote and there was no remote. They assured your wife that it indeed had a remote. It may very well be the fault of the manufacturer or a stupid mistake on his or one of his employees parts.. But he is responsible to you. If he wants he in turn can make a beef to the manufacturer then he should do so.


I'm surprised this is even an issue with him. For 35 lousy dollars, he risks a couple of good customers plus everyone that you may drag with you. Bad news travels much quicker than good new. He should know this.

I have a very small software company and a couple of times, I made mistakes posting the incorrect price for my software. I honored the price loosing a few hundred dollars but my reputation is worth many times that.

Very true! I had got a Sun EZ-3 USX, I had nothing but problems with it. After breaking the frame two times, they took the bike back and got me a Marin. They have been so nice, and in 1 year and 9 months I have dropped about $6000.

Sometimes you need to keep your ground, and demand what you want. Well, in a nice why.

Super Geek

If you ran an LBS, and you knew the walmart down the road was ripping ppl off with cheap crap with the intent of undermining you, and you know online dealers can offer a lot of bang for the buck, but you have loyal customers because of quality, honesty and knowhow on your part... Then would you try to baldfaced scam somebody and risk getting the rep of a crook? Probably not.
So I don't get why your LBS is trying to scam you. Looks like caveat emptor means a lot more these days...

The box said Mag 850R and had a pic of the trainer with the remote attached.
I have since checked with a couple of other shops and was assured that it should have been between $159-$169 w/remote. That's without a discount.
The on-line shop I ordered from had a list price of $149.99, marked down to a Holiday sale price of $129.99.
The only thing he seemed to care about as far as the reciept was to make sure my refund was correct.
I'm still having a hard time figuring it out.
While shopping for a kayak in the fall, the owner even offered to take two of them to a local lake for me on a Sunday before opening, and let me try them out while he gave me instructions on how to paddle etc. I never bought one but he knows if I do it'd be from him, no question.....at least until now!

I do like to support my local LBS, but I'm with you on this one. If the box clearly indicated it came with a remote, and it was purchased in good faith, at the agreed-upon price, then you were entitled to the model with remote.

I can't understand, if the manager actually agreed with you that the box should have contained the model you wanted, that he wasn't willing to make it right. That's just bad business.

Good LBSs should be supported. Bad ones, not so much.

That guy either 'just works there' or doesn't know how to run a business. Its not uncommon to have a problem with one of the employee's, who knows, maybe he was just doing what he could do, kinda like someone at a Walmart who doesn't really care, just doing enough to stay outta trouble with the boss.

It looks like you talked to an employee, a manager. Even a manager has limited power in most business. Looks like the owner is the one to talk to from the kayak story.

Hopefully there is another local shop where you can give your business in the future. Then every time you make a purchase you can send them a copy of your receipt for your recent purchase with a letter describing your past purchasing history with them and the problem you had with purchasing a trainer with them and their stupid way of handling it. You can just make copies of the letter so you can send it along with a copy of the receipt each time you make another purchase in the future. Hopefully after many years of doing this they will realize that they made a mistake.

This is an excellent idea. Every time I get a deal on peas at Food Lion I will send a copy of the recipt to Harris Teeter, "In your face Harris Teeter"!

This will be great for passing other people while cycling or driving, getting front in line at the store, close to front parking spaces.

I have seen the light. A vindictive attitude is the one for me.