LBS loyalty issue. Rock--me--Hardplace
 

ok, so i'm leaving town after a few years. gotten to know both LBSs well. They've each offered me roughly the same price on a new ride. I've got an offer from a friend who can get one from a shop I don't know that's about $300 less. Now, were I staying in town, I'd be inclined to buy from one of the LBSs for all the reasons people do so. But I'm not. So the question is do I save the $300 and take the out of town deal, or "do the right thing" and patronize one LBS even though i'm leaving?

oh, and the town i'm moving to has a terrible LBS (at least for the bike i'm looking at).

Thoughts?

This is a hard call, 'cuz $300 is a lot of money. So, here's my compromise. Buy the bike from the other store and spend the $300 on other stuff, like clothes, new saddle, better pedals, etc., at one of both the LBS's you've have good rapport with. This way, you'd put the $300 that would have spent to patronize your LBS's to your LBS and established a new relationship with the store you've bought the bike from. :)

good idea, i like that, everybody wins, and you get more stuff

I'll go out of my way to support my LBS. But $300.00 would be enough to tempt me. If it's a real deal, my LBS would lose.

I might ask my LBS if they can come part way toward matching it though.

I don't know seems like a no brainer to me. My girl friend was looking at a Poprad A few months ago. At the LBS it was $1250. At my Mom's LBS it was $900. I mean the way I look at it is the guy doin it for $900 is'nt screwin everyone over. btw both towns are economically similiar. My LBS is a great shop. I ride with some of the Employees and always buy stuff there and get work done on my bike cause they do good work. But $300 - $350 is no chump change. I think the owner knows that he can get away with selling off a lot of stuff to the yuppie contingent in the area.

save the cash

first see if your LBS can match the price or at least part way. And spend a few extra bucks there.

Well, to me maybe $30 could be spent to be nice to your LBS. But $300????

That is a little too much loyalty to a RETAIL STORE for me. It is not like you are running off to WalMart. If you feel bad, how about this. Save the $300 on the bike. Send the $300 to a good charity. Take the tax break. I don't think an LBS should be rewarded for not being competative with other LBSs.

Loyalty means taking the offer to your LBS and giving him the chance to say yes or no. I'm sure you'd hate it if you bought it out of town and later found out one of the LBS would've matched it.

55/Rad

THAT is a great idea!

Unless he/she owns a house, there probably won't be a tax break for a charity donation. There is a minimum amount of deductions needed to file the long form. I've never reached that amount no matter how many records I've kept.

Down here all donations over $2 are tax deductible. Oh.... and $300 is way too high a price for loyalty.

CHEERS.

Mark

Cash donations (to something like LAF hint hint) are tax deductible
even if you use the short form.
if you are leaving town, what is the big issue. If you were offered the same
deal 2 weeks after leaving would you go back to check your old LBS?
It isn't like you are buying from either wally world, or internet. you are still supporting
LBS, just not the ones you are about to leave.

Marty

IMO the main reason for LBS loyalty is for after the sale service. I support my clubs shop to some extent but will not pay 30-50% more for disposable or consumable items I can get elsewhere. As you will receive no service after the sale because you're moving, you should have no issues with saving the money.

This isn't the usual mail-order v. LBS loyalty issue. This is bike shop v. bike shop, and then the question is, should you give them an extra $300 to support their profligate lifestyle (the other shop is getting by without the $300), or keep it yourself for your needs. Give your shop a chance to match the price and eat sirloin instead of filet mignon for a while, and if they won't go dead even, well, you know where THEIR customer loyalty is (missing), and go to where the deal is. Loyalty is not a one-way street. How many people have you sent to them over the years?