Rip Off

Richard Farrow · Jun 24, 2003

Ron I can't disagree with the bulk of what you say. I know one tackle dealer who will, to good customers, discount on products from one particular company, but very very quitely as it has been made very clear to him that discounts off the RRP are not allowed, and if they find out it is happening they will refuse to supply him in future.
How we as anglers can influence this rip off I don't know. On a similar line one e mail campaign to reduce petrol costs was for every body to boycott one particular petrol company altogether. The reasoning being that we all need petrol but by boycotting 1 company only we would not cut off our nose to spite our face, and that secondly the boycotted company would need to reduce its price to get its market share back,thus forcing other companys to fall in line.

Richard Farrow · Jun 24, 2003

Sorry for the duplication, Simons article had not appeared when I started another thread.

Kiwi Carper · Jun 24, 2003

The only thing I will say at this point is would you have a choice of 7326 different rods in any tackle shop you visited in S.A?

Let me think on this one and come up with a sensible comparison wiith NZ

Good read though

Kiwi Carper · Jun 24, 2003

Ok first point while Im still thinking, as many of you will know I am now down under (Kiwi), you cant make a direct comparison on prices by exchange rate, as obviously everyone has different costs of living average salaries etc etc.
ie here in NZ petrol is around 30 british pence a litre (sound cheap?????)
well the average salary is probably about ?8000 if yo make a direct exchange rate comparison (would you get out of bed for that?????)

So lets just say coarse fishing was big down here and it isnt but lets just say it was, a new pole is released in the UK rrp of say ?3500 (not unreasonable) how many do you think would be sold in NZ for that price (roughly $11,000) not many.

So do not make a simple assumption that you are getting ripped off in Britain, New Zealand Lamb is half the price in Tescos as it is in my local supermarket and it has 12,000 mile of transport costs to get there so who is getting ripped off.

If you dont like it do something about it either import (but try claiming on a warranty), shop around for discounts or move to where you think everything still costs under a fiver but dont be surprised if it isnt actually that cheap when you get there. But would I give up my 4 bedrooms 1/4 acre and pool to go back to my UK salary.......mmmmm....let me think, and I have to pay nearly $10 for a packet of 25 spade hooks and I get whatever is in the shop at the time I dont have a wall of match hooks to choose from.

Wolfman Woody · Jun 24, 2003

I wrote to Guns & Tackle, the trade's magazine, a coupe of years ago about hiked-up prices and was slated for my thinking. I stand by what I said then, retail prices are inflated so that discounters can look good for making a reasonable profit. However, the little local shop, and we do need them, cannot afford to keep pace with the big mail order giants. What when they close, where will we go for maggots and groundbait and a natter?
Reasonable prices, reasonable profits, and a fair shout for all! Ron, your pole is just one example. 50% off - no way, it was more like the real price!!!

Dave Rothery · Jun 24, 2003

the problem with the petrol arguement though richard is that its all tax, so oil companies can say "hey, not our problem, its the goverment". and if you take away the petrol tax, what pays for the nhs, road building (ha!), tony's parties, etc?

Dave Rothery · Jun 24, 2003

and if you believe the "half rrp" thing, your a mug. there is nothing to stop me selling a banana for ?10,000. i wont sell many, but 2 weeks later, i can say "save ?9999" and sell it for a pound-still a gigantic profit, but people think they've got a deal. this is what furniture people do all the time. maybe our marketing people are cleverer than you think ron? and if shops are being threatened by a supplier, go to trading standards.

Ron Clay · Jun 24, 2003

Dave,

If true free markets really existed we wouldn't need a government qwango like the Trading Standards Authority.

Remember such organisations have staff that have to be paid; and where does the money to pay them come from??

And oh yes retailers ARE threatened by suppliers - all the time mate.

I fully agree that to lose the little tackle shops would be terrible.

But consider this.

When I bought my computer system I went eventually to a little computer shop up the road. When I compared the equpment I got for a little over ?600.00, to PC World, it was almost 1/2 the price!!!!

And the guy came around to my place and helped me fit it all up - at no extra charge.

Maybe the PC industry works differently to the tackle industry.

Les Clark · Jun 24, 2003

It`s all down to supply and demand,ive just ordered a new bivvie,rrp ?400, i got it for ?320,good price,but I still know that the shop is still making a good profit from me,and they are not down to the bone.
I suport my local tackle shop when I can,but if it means that he`s making money out of me and I can get it cheaper by shopping around, i will shop around.
I would be a mug not to.

rob tudor · Jun 24, 2003

I fyou think we are being ripped off then go to france and look at the prices charged for the big English brand carp gear. Friends of mine in france regularly ask me to bring gear for them. However go to Belgium the prices are low eg when they where first launched Infinity reels wre ?180 each. I used to work in the computer industry and in the mags similar gear in the ad verts has a wide spread of pricing look in any carp mag and all the stuff is priced the same its as if retailers know if they discount then there will not get supplies. The manufacturers of fishing tackle behave much like the car makers. I support my local tackle shop of bits and pieces but if I am looking for reels rods etc then I hit the phones.It is the same on the web with most sites pricing all the same.

Ron Clay · Jun 24, 2003

If you want a good bivvy, go to Millets and get one of their domes for ?45.00. Dunk it into olive green dye and there you are!! ...

)

Richard Farrow · Jun 24, 2003

Dave I think you missed the point somewhere along the line. We will still pay tax perhaps just a little less. That shortfall could easily be made up by the NHS if they cut a few of the mangers. It seems more of the money being put into the NHS is being wasted by creating more and more mangerial posts.

Tim Birch · Jun 24, 2003

Business is business, if you ask for the best your offered whatever has the highest mark up wherever you go. No one has to advise you in tackle shops, you are the punter, end of.

Dead worms, crap line, dodgy rods, half life landing nets - all 'recommended'.

Warren 'Hatrick' (Wol) Gaunt · Jun 24, 2003

Ron, their ?45 tents wouldn't last 10 mins on a windy September Fenland night mate!

Trust me on that one.

Jon Moores · Jun 25, 2003

Fully agree with Ron that tackle shops are threatened by some manufacturers, along the lines of, discount below a certain level and supplies will be difficult to find.

I think the OFT did in fact investigate fishingtackle a few years ago, but the industry got off due to lack of evidence.

If you don't think this happens, look at how certain manufacturers are never discounted on new products and how some others are all discounted to exactly the same level (to the penny) everywhere, a sure sign the market is not really free.

Jon Moores · Jun 25, 2003

ps - Richard - If the NHS is using "mangers" then things really have gone backwards, about 2000 years

Dave Rothery · Jun 25, 2003

its something like 1.6 admin/patient. dont forget a lot of "managers" are ex sisters etc

Mark Watson · Jun 25, 2003

Seems to me that things are more expensive just because they are for fishing. For example Les's bivvie is just a tent when all is said and done. I bought a 7 man Coleman tent (decent make) with 2 sleeping compartments for under ?300, why is your bivvie so expensive? Because it's for fishing!!

Prices are definately cheaper in the US, I go a couple of times a year on business. Last trip I bought 1500 metres of Berkely 10 lb line for $7 !! You can't buy 100 mtrs here for that price.

Ron Clay · Jun 25, 2003

Exactly Mark.

There is something wrong with the whole darned system. I think I should also point out that the problem of very high prices in UK seems to apply to items like lines and fixed spool reels than rods for example.

There is one well known brand of fluorocarbon line that comes in a miserable 20 metre spool for about ?7.00. The line it'self is actually manufactured by one of the World's leading polymer suppliers in the USA where it retails for about $6.00 per 250 yard spool in most US tackle shops.

By re-spooling it and putting a picture of a carp on the packaging they haved duped many into believing it is a very speciality product dedicated to carp catching.

Cobblers!!!

Mind you many carp anglers can be taken in by owt!!

I think I will get some bog rolls, have them coloured in "real tree" with Jules head and a picture of a carp on them and sell them for ?10.00 a roll!!

Dave Rothery · Jun 25, 2003

not to mention bait. repackaged hooks. leads. sleeping bags, etcetc
but then, you'd do the same if it was your business wouldn't you ron? they do it because they can.

Rip Off

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