letter from bicycling australia

[byron27]

Im sure a lot of you may already have seen this letter though i really cant believe that bicycling australia would have the gall to write such a letter!

http://www.bikepro.com.au/images/shop/bicycling_australia_letter_b.jpg

Surely this suggests a level of collusion and price fixing among the major bike importers and distrobutors in Australia?

I can't open another bicycling australia magazine knowing that they are really taking the **** and all their reviews of goods are really tainted by their sycophantic approach to their importers and distrobutors.

Seeing as i am on a non magazine opening crusade, can someone tell me which bike shops advertise in bicycling australia so i make a point not to go to them!

 

[ritcho]

Im sure a lot of you may already have seen this letter though i really cant believe that bicycling australia would have the gall to write such a letter!

http://www.bikepro.com.au/images/shop/bicycling_australia_letter_b.jpg

Surely this suggests a level of collusion and price fixing among the major bike importers and distrobutors in Australia?

I can't open another bicycling australia magazine knowing that they are really taking the **** and all their reviews of goods are really tainted by their sycophantic approach to their importers and distrobutors.

Seeing as i am on a non magazine opening crusade, can someone tell me which bike shops advertise in bicycling australia so i make a point not to go to them!

It's a pretty old letter... nevertheless, I wonder if there is recourse to the ACCC or someone else?

Ritch

 

[flyingdutch]

Im sure a lot of you may already have seen this letter though i really cant believe that bicycling australia would have the gall to write such a letter!

http://www.bikepro.com.au/images/shop/bicycling_australia_letter_b.jpg

Surely this suggests a level of collusion and price fixing among the major bike importers and distrobutors in Australia?

I can't open another bicycling australia magazine knowing that they are really taking the **** and all their reviews of goods are really tainted by their sycophantic approach to their importers and distrobutors.

Seeing as i am on a non magazine opening crusade, can someone tell me which bike shops advertise in bicycling australia so i make a point not to go to them!

what was wrong with BikePro's Ads or prices?


Were they too low for other retailers??
Surely if a retailer decides to take less margin on his/her sales and go for volume
(Gee, that reminds me of GIANT back in the nineties) they directly wear the consequences.

Do BA subscribe to the 'you place X-amount of advertising with us and we will give your product a favourable review' ???

Never buy it as it all seems too 'Andrew Peacock' (all feather and no meat!)

 

[suzyj]

The letter pretty much summarises what's wrong with the Australian bicycle industry. The distribution network is dominated by a small group of old ex-racers who rather than promoting cycling to get more revenue, are content to simply screw the consumer as much as possible.

Australian bike brands (remember Speedwells and Malvern Stars?) died out twenty years or so ago due to the dropping cost of freight, and because the local brands didn't have the brains to compete with the cheap imports. Now Australian bicycle retailers are going to go the same way, again due to dropping freight prices, this time helped along by the Internet.

Regardless of how hard the local industry tries to stop it, they'll all end up shutting shop unless they can come up with a way to compete with the overseas shops.

Regards,

Suzy

 

[Dej]

"flyingdutch" <[email protected]> wrote in
message news:[email protected]...
>
> byron27 Wrote:
>> Im sure a lot of you may already have seen this letter though i really
>> cant believe that bicycling australia would have the gall to write such
>> a letter!
>>
>> http://tinyurl.com/5p9fw
>>
>> Surely this suggests a level of collusion and price fixing among the
>> major bike importers and distrobutors in Australia?
>>
>> I can't open another bicycling australia magazine knowing that they are
>> really taking the **** and all their reviews of goods are really tainted
>> by their sycophantic approach to their importers and distrobutors.
>>
>> Seeing as i am on a non magazine opening crusade, can someone tell me
>> which bike shops advertise in bicycling australia so i make a point not
>> to go to them!
>>
> what was wrong with BikePro's Ads or prices?
>
>
> Were they too low for other retailers??
> Surely if a retailer decides to take less margin on his/her sales and
> go for volume
> (Gee, that reminds me of GIANT back in the nineties) they directly wear
> the consequences.
>
> Do BA subscribe to the 'you place X-amount of advertising with us and
> we will give your product a favourable review' ???
>
> Never buy it as it all seems too 'Andrew Peacock' (all feather and no
> meat!)
>
>
> --
> flyingdutch

wernt bike pro the guys selling the sigma bc1600 with cadence kit for $29 a
few months back?
i remember cecil walker had them cheap at $59
Only went to bike pro once even tho its not far from my place..the shop
never seems to be open, but the guy in the store was nice enough to deal
with when i did manage to get there..

 

[SteveA]

Im sure a lot of you may already have seen this letter though i really cant believe that bicycling australia would have the gall to write such a letter!

http://www.bikepro.com.au/images/shop/bicycling_australia_letter_b.jpg

Surely this suggests a level of collusion and price fixing among the major bike importers and distrobutors in Australia?

I can't open another bicycling australia magazine knowing that they are really taking the **** and all their reviews of goods are really tainted by their sycophantic approach to their importers and distrobutors.

Seeing as i am on a non magazine opening crusade, can someone tell me which bike shops advertise in bicycling australia so i make a point not to go to them!

Didn't Dean Woods get similar treatment from them for his advertising?


SteveA

 

[NickZX6R]

Dej wrote:
> "flyingdutch" <[email protected]> wrote in
> message news:[email protected]...
>
>>byron27 Wrote:
>>
>>>Im sure a lot of you may already have seen this letter though i really
>>>cant believe that bicycling australia would have the gall to write such
>>>a letter!
>>>
>>>http://tinyurl.com/5p9fw
>>>
>>>Surely this suggests a level of collusion and price fixing among the
>>>major bike importers and distrobutors in Australia?
>>>
>>>I can't open another bicycling australia magazine knowing that they are
>>>really taking the **** and all their reviews of goods are really tainted
>>>by their sycophantic approach to their importers and distrobutors.
>>>
>>>Seeing as i am on a non magazine opening crusade, can someone tell me
>>>which bike shops advertise in bicycling australia so i make a point not
>>>to go to them!
>>>
>>
>>what was wrong with BikePro's Ads or prices?
>>
>>
>>Were they too low for other retailers??
>>Surely if a retailer decides to take less margin on his/her sales and
>>go for volume
>>(Gee, that reminds me of GIANT back in the nineties) they directly wear
>>the consequences.
>>
>>Do BA subscribe to the 'you place X-amount of advertising with us and
>>we will give your product a favourable review' ???
>>
>>Never buy it as it all seems too 'Andrew Peacock' (all feather and no
>>meat!)
>>
>>
>>--
>>flyingdutch
>
>
> wernt bike pro the guys selling the sigma bc1600 with cadence kit for $29 a
> few months back?
> i remember cecil walker had them cheap at $59
> Only went to bike pro once even tho its not far from my place..the shop
> never seems to be open, but the guy in the store was nice enough to deal
> with when i did manage to get there..
>
>
>
>

I think Andy at Bikepro is from Singapore (or maybe HK, can't remember)
so maybe he's got some contacts where he can buy stuff at a cheaper
wholesale rate than the Aus distributors sell, therefore undercutting
the local shops but still making a profit?

--
Nick

 

[Mick]

"Dej" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> wernt bike pro the guys selling the sigma bc1600 with cadence kit for $29
> a few months back?
> i remember cecil walker had them cheap at $59
> Only went to bike pro once even tho its not far from my place..the shop
> never seems to be open, but the guy in the store was nice enough to deal
> with when i did manage to get there..

That's right. bc1600 plus cadence kit for $29.99 & free postage.
I ordered one from Brisbane and it arrived a few days later,
less the packaging which I thought was strange. But maybe
that was so they could use a smaller postpak? Way cheaper
than anywhere else.

 

[paul]

Yup, got one.

Dej wrote:
> "flyingdutch" <[email protected]>
> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>>
>> byron27 Wrote:
>>> Im sure a lot of you may already have seen this letter though i
>>> really cant believe that bicycling australia would have the gall to
>>> write such a letter!
>>>
>>> http://tinyurl.com/5p9fw
>>>
>>> Surely this suggests a level of collusion and price fixing among the
>>> major bike importers and distrobutors in Australia?
>>>
>>> I can't open another bicycling australia magazine knowing that they
>>> are really taking the **** and all their reviews of goods are
>>> really tainted by their sycophantic approach to their importers and
>>> distrobutors.
>>>
>>> Seeing as i am on a non magazine opening crusade, can someone tell
>>> me which bike shops advertise in bicycling australia so i make a
>>> point not to go to them!
>>>
>> what was wrong with BikePro's Ads or prices?
>>
>>
>> Were they too low for other retailers??
>> Surely if a retailer decides to take less margin on his/her sales and
>> go for volume
>> (Gee, that reminds me of GIANT back in the nineties) they directly
>> wear the consequences.
>>
>> Do BA subscribe to the 'you place X-amount of advertising with us and
>> we will give your product a favourable review' ???
>>
>> Never buy it as it all seems too 'Andrew Peacock' (all feather and no
>> meat!)
>>
>>
>> --
>> flyingdutch
>
> wernt bike pro the guys selling the sigma bc1600 with cadence kit for
> $29 a few months back?
> i remember cecil walker had them cheap at $59
> Only went to bike pro once even tho its not far from my place..the
> shop never seems to be open, but the guy in the store was nice enough
> to deal with when i did manage to get there..

 

[Terry Collins]

flyingdutch wrote:

>
> Do BA subscribe to the 'you place X-amount of advertising with us and
> we will give your product a favourable review' ???

Keep that is mind whenever you read any publication with paid
advertising.
Even my little business has been offered "equal advertorial space (you
write it) to match the size of your advertisement". They were a bit
****** when I said it wasn't worth advertising with them as they (local
newspaper) didn't bring in the business. Aka - it is widespread.

 

[BCL]

On Fri, 26 Nov 2004 14:43:34 +1100, SteveA
<[email protected]> wrote:

> >
>Didn't Dean Woods get similar treatment from them for his advertising?
>


I think that is the case yet Dean Woods still advertises in Australian
Cyclist and the sky hasn't fallen in.


Regards
Bruce