Klim

[simonw]

Lets have a look at that jacket under discussion. for ease of maths lets say the retail price is 500 quid...

Mike, your observations are spot on but I suspect you're wasting your breath here - most don't appear to understand business or economics. Some even appear to have a sneering and arrogant contempt for personal choice.

[Tourist-Biker]

Today I witnessed the owner of a UK company spend 25 minutes of his time on the phone giving tyre advice to a potential buyer. Try getting that level of customer service from your Euro based internet company.

Just my two penneth worth.

Yep It"s not a fair world, I can spend weeks on tenders only to lose out on contracts but we win more than we lose. This is going to sound hard but if you can't make your company work don't blame people buying the same product cheaper somewhere

[johnnyboxer]

Ah, go on then Mike

I'll bite

I was in at a BMW dealer yesterday for a service on my 10yo BMW (they're canny lads and do a good job)

My sidelight parking light bulb has gone, a small pilot bulb 4w and the lad says you'll not a BMW boxed one, he told me the price £5.70 FFS for a tiny pilot bulb, from BMW

I can get a box of 10 for £3, on ebay

Now, the manufacturers are really taking the piss and not being fair to their dealers, with some parts prices for consumables like that

[davem100]

Me to chad I do exactly the same, why pay more if you don't need to.

[davem100]

Well if I stopped making profit I would find something else to do then, funny how years ago items weren't as expensive as they are now in relative terms I mean, you don't think it's got anything to do with all this Adventure market hype shit that's been rammed down our throats since charlie & Ewan went on their travels, most people will look for a deal it's human nature, I'm not knocking the quality just the price, the gear we are talking about to me is not worth it, as I said it's personal choice anyhow, unless I snag a bargain I will continue to do as I've always done finder a cheaper option, also I can't see these business closing anytime soon while people are queuing up to throw their hard earned away.

[davem100]

Simon i understand economics I know that on certain items I will be paying through the nose for, so simple I don't buy them I find cheaper, if your a retailer don't moan if someone finds the same or similar product cheaper elsewhere that's the name of the game, I bet every person that has commented on this has shopped around before buying I also bet you have all purchased stuff on line because it's cheaper even Mike54,
Economics one green grocer is selling apples for a penny each the other one is selling for double where do you buy that's economics from the consumers point of view.

[Andy A]

Economics one green grocer is selling apples for a penny each the other one is selling for double where do you buy that's economics from the consumers point of view.[/quote]

The trouble with that argument is that its the thin end of the wedge, eventually you get one grocer, say tesco for example, so powerful they nail the producers on price to the point of bankruptcy for many, the smaller grocers go out of business and we are left being dictated to about what we can/should buy all in the name of profit. I had this discussion with a friend in the pub not long ago about how we have a milkman, and the milk is more expensive but keeps the dairies in work and the farmers get a better deal etc etc, he and his wife are both actuaries but wouldn't pay an extra 12p or whatever it is a pint, these are also in glass bottles so perfect recycling.

I will always try and look for value, not the cheapest and that value can mean talking to someone face to face, personally I would always want to try on riding gear before buying anyway, I know you can send it back and get exchanges but for me thats just a pain in the arse when i could be wearing it and enjoying myself.

Had my badlands 3 years now, and will have it another few, still does the business worn it in 35deg, in Spain, pissing down in Ullapool, a very wet Beacons rally and been down the road in it so tested the armour. I think its value...

[ollydog]

who is a good contact abroad for klim kit, had a troll through andorra bike shops but nothing doing, so any leads would be great,

steve

[ollydog]

Just on Klim gear, I first bought the Klim Traverse suit in Grey second hand from the states for half the money for a lad that had it on only a handful of times and I had it in every day use for a year. I loved it and it kept me dry but the light grey got very dirty looking so I gave up and cleaned it and sold it on.
Now one of the things with that jacket is you have to wear armour under it and you had to layer up.

So that got me thinking and the cheaper Klim jackets are their snow mobile range and they have the same features as the traverse where material etc is concerned but with an addition of thermal lining. So I bought the black and blue kinetic and for pants I bought the Klim Dakar pant. I wear them all year round. The jacket is 100% water proof but the pants aren't as their not gortex. I wear rain bottoms over them but I like the air flow in them. Been wearing them now for two years and next week I'm ordering the new Dakar pants.

That's just me though. You might prefer gortex pants so the latitude would be the one to go for.

hi eric,

thats food for though, might look down that route

steve

[AndyB]

It's perfectly understandable to shop around and buy cheaper from mainland Europe but what would you do if your company decided to make your redundant because they can get someone with exactly the same qualifications as you for less money if they bring them in from Europe or even more of a kick in the face is if they opt for an inferior version for even less money on the grounds that they're not as good but they'll be ok?