Originally Posted by Huntsman
Actually, I *can* buy cars online but I suppose I should have said "retail products that can fit in a box".
What I don't understand is why does it matter to Specialized if I purchase an 04 FSRxc from a bike shop 2000 miles away instead of my local shop so I can save myself $400-600? The shop 2000 miles away may not be local to me but it is local to somebody. It's still a retail shop and it's making a sale. So who loses? I get my bike, they get rid of old stock, Specialized has another happy owner and consumer advocate, and I save some $$ that can be put to good use elsewhere.
IMHO, this "no ship" policy hurts more than helps because it's only going to drive more and more people to the big mass markets like Walmart. So in the long run I think it's going to do more harm than good due to lost sales at the local bike shop.
Again, take my case as an example. I'm totally new to the mt bike scene but I'm ready to buy. I've done all my research and I've ridden several bikes and I've decided on an FSRxc. Unfortunately, I can't afford what my local bike shops are asking for their shiny new 05's and they don't have any 04's available. So I hop online and find several 04's in the $600-800 range. I go to purchase one from a bike shop 2000 miles away and find out they can't ship because Specialized has this silly "no ship" policy. So yeah, now I'm pretty upset because my options are limited to
a) spend nearly twice than my budget allows and get the 05 locally
b) drive to Texas to pick up the leftover 04
c) buy a hardtail locally, even though the FS suits my needs better
d) hit supergo and get an Iron Horse that I'm unable to test ride locally first
e) boycott mt biking altogether! (yeah, a little extreme but I'm steamed about this)
Anyway, sorry for the rant but the more I write and think about this the more steamed I become.
I was hoping my introduction to these forums would have been more along the lines of "Hi guys! New FSRxc owner here!"
I really feel that the manufacturer's are truly shooting themselves in the foot here and I hope this policy is reconsidered someday and seen for the hogwash it really is.
Warranties ...
The LBS handles warranty issues with the local customer. In return they get exclusive distribution and a territory.
Very few people would want to buy a bike without ordering it. That means the product must be on a shelf near where someone lives. The LBS fullfills this job. In return, they get the territory and effectively a "warehousing" fee for making the inventory more accessible to the consumer.
If the bike shops didn't have dealership arrangements, they'd go out of business because Wal-Mart would then be able to sell their product. The end result would be crappy bikes for everyone. The bike makers realize this. Only startups will sell direct. Once they get dealerships, they'll no longer do this.