buying sram
02-15-17, 08:03 PM
#127
Flyin' under the radar
Short answer: Because SRAM isn't a charity. They don't WANT to sell their products for less. They want to sell them for more. (Do you want to work for a lower wage or a higher wage? Huh? Think about it!)
Longer answer: Believe me when I say that SRAM isn't asking your question. SRAM is asking, "If we can sell the Red22 group to a US LBS for $2,000 USD, why can't we also sell it to a UK retailer for $2,000 USD?" There are people at SRAM whose entire JOB is to find a way to push up that selling price in the UK.
If you know you only have a market of 100,000 groupsets that anybody will buy this year, would you rather sell them for $900 or for $2000? There's only a finite number of these groupsets that are going to move. You're NOT going to sell double the number by cutting your price in half. You might sell 5% more -- MIGHT. What price do you want for those groupsets? (Hint: If you want to stay in business, maximize that price. You only get to sell it once!)
Longer answer: Believe me when I say that SRAM isn't asking your question. SRAM is asking, "If we can sell the Red22 group to a US LBS for $2,000 USD, why can't we also sell it to a UK retailer for $2,000 USD?" There are people at SRAM whose entire JOB is to find a way to push up that selling price in the UK.
If you know you only have a market of 100,000 groupsets that anybody will buy this year, would you rather sell them for $900 or for $2000? There's only a finite number of these groupsets that are going to move. You're NOT going to sell double the number by cutting your price in half. You might sell 5% more -- MIGHT. What price do you want for those groupsets? (Hint: If you want to stay in business, maximize that price. You only get to sell it once!)
As a consumer, though, it's my job to buy at the cheapest cost possible. Everyone I know who has bought a Sram group has bought it from the UK because that was by far the cheapest place. That's now no longer an option.
So which is better for SRAM? Because I can tell you I won't be buying another SRAM group, and most of my riding buddies who were considering SRAM no longer are since this whole UK thing went down. The pricing is simply too high now.
02-15-17, 08:04 PM
#128
Flyin' under the radar
02-15-17, 08:07 PM
#130
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02-15-17, 08:09 PM
#131
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Yeah, in talking to some LBS employees over the last few weeks, it's pretty clear that most aren't terribly on the ball at least when it comes to the road segment. Maybe they're lights-out on commuters, though, I dunno.
02-15-17, 08:09 PM
#132
Flyin' under the radar
02-15-17, 08:12 PM
#133
Chases Dogs for Sport
I get it.
As a consumer, though, it's my job to buy at the cheapest cost possible. Everyone I know who has bought a Sram group has bought it from the UK because that was by far the cheapest place. That's now no longer an option.
So which is better for SRAM? Because I can tell you I won't be buying another SRAM group, and most of my riding buddies who were considering SRAM no longer are since this whole UK thing went down. The pricing is simply too high now.
As a consumer, though, it's my job to buy at the cheapest cost possible. Everyone I know who has bought a Sram group has bought it from the UK because that was by far the cheapest place. That's now no longer an option.
So which is better for SRAM? Because I can tell you I won't be buying another SRAM group, and most of my riding buddies who were considering SRAM no longer are since this whole UK thing went down. The pricing is simply too high now.
I get what you're saying. And I never pay retail. I've bought groupsets from the UK before. I get it.
And I'm certainly no SRAM apologist. In fact, I think this price differential could be the best thing that ever happened to you. Although I own a SRAM component or two, I have to say that they just really aren't that great. They are very cheaply manufactured and it shows. The function is rickety, the crankset preload collar is a glaring weak link -- horribly cheesy, and how many years have they had to (unsuccessfully) get the front derailleurs right??? I'm not sure there is such thing as a "good" price for SRAM components. So . . . if they drive you away, perhaps you should send a "Thank You" note.
02-15-17, 08:12 PM
#134
Flyin' under the radar
My LBS shouldn't have to run to Daddy to ask permission to be competitive with the rest of the world's pricing.
02-15-17, 08:15 PM
#135
Senior Member
Well, I think it's a shame that items are not priced exactly the way you want them exactly where you want them to be. I'll keep boycotting SRAM eTap until they stop with their unfair pricing practices and sell it for $300, the unarguably 'fair' price.
02-15-17, 08:16 PM
#136
Flyin' under the radar
Clearly, you have not understood anything I've been saying.
02-15-17, 08:17 PM
#137
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I just need to find a way to pawn my 5-month-old off on someone and I'm golden.
Yeah, in talking to some LBS employees over the last few weeks, it's pretty clear that most aren't terribly on the ball at least when it comes to the road segment. Maybe they're lights-out on commuters, though, I dunno.
Yeah, in talking to some LBS employees over the last few weeks, it's pretty clear that most aren't terribly on the ball at least when it comes to the road segment. Maybe they're lights-out on commuters, though, I dunno.
02-15-17, 08:18 PM
#138
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That's not the job of a consumer, that's the job of a cheap-ass. Many consumers value things like product knowledge, thoughtful consultation, post-sale support, etc. No saleperson worth their salt wants to deal with a cheap-ass ringing up stores all over the tri-state looking for the rock-bottom price.
02-15-17, 08:21 PM
#139
Senior Member
Yes, I get what you say. I just find it amusing when internet folks think they know better how a company should conduct their business than the people in the company do. Considering how long SRAM has been around, maybe they know what they're doing. Or maybe they screwed up and not allowing BF dwellers to buy their products from the UK will be their demise.
02-15-17, 08:22 PM
#140
Flyin' under the radar
That's not the job of a consumer, that's the job of a cheap-ass. Many consumers value things like product knowledge, thoughtful consultation, post-sale support, etc. No saleperson worth their salt wants to deal with a cheap-ass ringing up stores all over the tri-state looking for the rock-bottom price.
02-15-17, 08:23 PM
#141
Flyin' under the radar
02-15-17, 08:24 PM
#142
Senior Member
That's not the job of a consumer, that's the job of a cheap-ass. Many consumers value things like product knowledge, thoughtful consultation, post-sale support, etc. No saleperson worth their salt wants to deal with a cheap-ass ringing up stores all over the tri-state looking for the rock-bottom price.
02-15-17, 08:25 PM
#144
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02-15-17, 08:25 PM
#145
Senior Member
02-15-17, 08:27 PM
#146
Senior Member
Fwiw, if I was running a bike shop I wouldn't be very happy with the situation. I have bought tons of stuff from the UK and I am sure the shop would rather have that business. I have no clue what the holdup is though, or how they would go about getting rid of it.
02-15-17, 08:33 PM
#147
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SRAM is doing exactly that by prohibiting UK shops from selling their components to US customers. I think I might have said that before.
02-15-17, 08:40 PM
#148
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02-15-17, 08:47 PM
#149
Senior Member
I agree with you. I think SRAM is trying to protect shops in the US as opposed to screw US customers, which is what some here think (although the end result is the same from a consumer's perspective.) But it is not just SRAM, a lot of bicycle products are considerably cheaper if bought abroad and that can't be good for American shops. Why it is more expensive in the US I do not know, and I do not totally buy into the simplistic 'it costs more here because people are willing to pay more' explanation. If that was the case, things would be cheaper in Mexico, where we can't pay as much. I can assure you, that is not the case.