Price fixing on mountain bikes ????

Nothing wrong with Speshies!

Love my Kona and Gary Fisher(from like early 2000).

Specialized probably don't give much leeway with profit.
 
As long as the dealer is doing something to help you out. That's all we could do too and often it can be helmets,pedals,clothing or whatever else.

Obviously margins are better on P+A and he can afford to give them away more freely.
 
OP is correct in thinking that these prices seem fixed everywhere. Specialized and Trek don't seem to be discounted anywhere apart from end of season bikes.

I'm sure I heard somewhere that Specialized where actually buying next to new bikes and removing them from ebay.

Come to think of it, Synology NAS drives all seem to be the same price everywhere too.
 
Sometimes companies get done for it. I believe Volvo got in trouble as they were actively blocking Dutch dealers from selling right hand drive (ie British spec) cars at much cheaper prices than you could get over here.
 
Deific said:
I bought a specialized bike about 7 years ago and got 200 quid knocked off (1300 down to 1100), so don't know what you guys are talking about tbh.
Click to expand...

A lot also depends on when you buy it.

If you are buying popular models which have only just come into stock, like anything you aren't going to get a discount. If it's just before the new bikes come in and they've got old stock they can't shift, then you might get one.

The other issue with the cycle industry in the past few years with cost saving and rising prices is that the spec of certain models is going down and the cost going up. This is especially the case with some of the big manufacturers. So if a store has stock of both the current model and the old one, the old one might be a better spec and cheaper already, so why would they discount it?
 
9designs2 said:
Been shopping around for a pair of bikes for myself and the other half.... We are not talking small money.... So I've expecting and asking for a discount for buying two.
First I notice just about all dealers and websites list the same bike always at the same price, the RRP shall we assume.

I not impressed....... Perhaps the OFT should be looking into this, as I should be free to negotiate the best deal that suits me.
Click to expand...

9designs2 said:
I phoned 5 dealers, none had stock, all would take till end of the month on a stock order to come in..... This dealer, checked online, then made some calls, got a person to double check to find the bikes in the store and confirmed he can get them next day......
Brand is Whyte ......

I will push once in the shop, I was on the end of the phone.... If not I'll cancell and wait till the end of the month with another dealer.
Click to expand...

As someone has pointed out, you won't get a discount on current Whyte or Marin models unless end of season. What you will find is some dealers will give you 5-10% back as store credit for accessories, parts and clothing.

You can however, buy end of season or last years direct from the UK distributor ATB Sales here http://www.atb-sales.co.uk/atbshop/range.php?BikeModels=MTB if they have anything you would be after.

I got my Marin Rocky Ridge 2010 in Jan/Feb this year for £700 brand new boxed stock (rrp was £1400) direct from ATB using the above link. Arrived at my local dealer next day and was away. Doing it this way you get the full waranty with your local bike shop still too.
 
LordSplodge said:
I'm not sure why people actually buy current year bikes anyway, buying last years model the moment the new ones are released can bag you some real bargains.
Click to expand...

+1 to this. When is it new years stock starts to come through? Around Oct-Nov? Or do retailers start discounting around this time in preparation.
 
Hmmm well we want bikes now, for the hopefully arriving summer, we left our excellent Author bikes in Slovakia, mine was sold to friend of the family, and the GF's gave her's to her mother.....
I paid deposit yesterday, as the dealer was able to get the bikes driven over and delivered today !!! So should pick them up Monday after work.
Can't fault his effort, so I'm making him earn the RRP ;)
Plus will get some extras put on. .....
Ordered the Coniston and a Woman's Caledonian.....
 
its nothing to do with price fixing....


its just dealers are much more sensible regarding their margins nowadays, your free to sell whytes for whatever price you want but the supplier will then either put you on the worst trade price or stop your account.

Its all about brand protection as the RRPs of bikes are the realistic prices on which the item should cost for a customer, its also to stop the trend of starting up a website and selling products cheaper than shops therby stoping bricks and morter shops even bothering stocking X or Y brand.

Its very good for the trade as a whole that businesses stick to the RRPs
 
9designs2 said:
Hmmm well we want bikes now, for the hopefully arriving summer.....
Click to expand...

Well if you want something right now be prepared to pay the list price! Also schoolboy error only having one bike. Do what I, and others including my wife, do and have a fleet. Never short of a bike then and allows you to buy at leisure and get great savings. The money saved can go on more bicycles... :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom