Cut price golf stores

[medwayjon]

Hi All,

Over the last few days have heard a few stories where people see equipment advertised at a low price, ring up and there is no stock of the item they want and the salesmen then attempts to cross-sell them to something totally different.

Maybee I am too cynical but I have seen it before where companies in my trade advertise cars they don't have, and have never had to generate phone-calls or foot-fall. I reckon that this is what is going on with these golf retailers.

The place I buy from had a punter on Sunday, he wanted the guys to price-match a driver that the company advertising didn't have in stock and couldn't see why the guys wouldn't do it, mad.

Has anybody else encountered this dastardly ploy to attract customers on false pretenses?

 

[HTL]

Nope.

I have only good things to say about buying golf equipment online, I use Affordable Golf and their service is excellent.

 

[forefortheday]

I agree with htl. Used Affordable Golf many times myself and found their service to be excellent, including giving me a more expensive wedge than the one I ordered due to stock and rushing through delivery of a putter when I lost my original. What I find annoying is when retailers offer to price match and then say but only on xxx websites (i.e the big retailers)which smacks of price fixing to me

 

[clubchamp07]

I bought my young son a Nike putter last year from N, Bobs, I checked their online site to see what price it was and then went to the shop to buy it. When we got to the shop it was a 10er more than it was online. So we told the sales man this, he went and phoned his boss and checked online aswell, and finaly let us have it for the online price.
It didn't say on line that it was a 10er more in the shop, so I think we did alright out of it.

You know whenever kids want something they have to have it there and then.....

 

[madandra]

In the retail sector this is very common and I have noticed it more and more within sporting goods retail. It is called a 'loss leader' and they will sell a few at the special price (less than the price they buy them) and when they are gone they find that the customer more often than not 'trades up' buying the nearest item but at full price. Last year PC world were selling laptops for £199 and I wandered over at lunch time to see if I could bag one only to be told each store got 5 PER DAY and folks were queing up from 8pm the night before in sub zero temps to get one. I think it should be illegal and any guilty party should be named and shamed.

 

[medwayjon]

I remember that PC world scam Andy, there is one near my office and the amount of people who went away disappointed was mad, It made the local paper letters page I believe.

This sort of thing is a disgrace, I have never done it myself but so many other dealers down this way do it.

You are right Andy, it should be illegal and they should be named and shamed.

I think that there is definately also some form of price fixing in place in the retail world.

I don't know if it true that retailers cannot sell ping/titleist products at knock-down prices, somebody in the business told me that the manufacturers control the rrp range, makes you wonder. Probably just more cynicism I suppose.

 

[Parmo]

I agree Jon, before Xmas I went to AG to pick up a Callaway hat and mittens set for £12 that my step son was buying me whilst I was in the area, they didnt have a bloody clue what I was on about and after 20 minutes of them calling around to find someone who could confirm what the advertised I got the offer, but I found it so unprofessional of them to offer and advertise something and not cascade to stores or maybe just to get people in store and when they can not find what they want some people will just buy for the sake of it.

 

[madandra]

I look at it like this: If I want ton buy one of something, I am going to pay full price for it. But if I want 1000 of something I will be looking at a huge discount and perhaps a final rebate. So when the wee Pro buys 1 set of Titleist, Callaway, Cobra and Cleveland he will fork out a pretty penny and when AG or Navada Bobs buy 100's they will get a huge discount but here is the bit that gets me ... they are NEVER any chaper for the golfer to buy so they are fleecing the customer.

 

[medwayjon]

People go to the big boys because they think that they are getting a good deal. Yours is another reason why I would never in a million years take my business to AG & NB etc.

 

[Parmo]

Maybe a Pro shop partnership across courses in a range of areas to lower the cost to the consumer (who wants to buy local and not corporate) and max their profits?

bit of romance there.. its early lol

 

[medwayjon]

Think that in principle that is a good idea parmo but difficult to manage.

Gillingham golf club near me has a pro shop that is stocked by one of the big-buyer companies however a lot of their members buy elsewhere as the pro-shop is dearer even though they buy in at heavily discounted prices. Personally I would always support the pro.

 

[madandra]

In my line of busines smaller independent retailers get together in large numbers to set up buying groups. I get more business from the smaller independent sector than I do from the large muliples simply because my indies account for 65% of my customer base. I have 180 small indies and 30 larger mults. The buying groupl give them leverage and protection when dealing with manufacturers.

 

[Parmo]

It seems the way forward, I presume my local Pro buys off the cheapest place online and custom fits to order but adds a percentage on the cost which in turn is making people on budgets turn to his supplier rather than pay the same or roughly the same with him if he was able to bulk buy with other Pros, maybe a buying union of golfers, it would increase profit for them and open the market more.

 

[geronimo]

I remember that PC world scam Andy, there is one near my office and the amount of people who went away disappointed was mad, It made the local paper letters page I believe.

This sort of thing is a disgrace, I have never done it myself but so many other dealers down this way do it.

You are right Andy, it should be illegal and they should be named and shamed.

I think that there is definately also some form of price fixing in place in the retail world.

I don't know if it true that retailers cannot sell ping/titleist products at knock-down prices, somebody in the business told me that the manufacturers control the rrp range, makes you wonder. Probably just more cynicism I suppose.

the price control thing will be correct.

The same thing goes on with fishing rods from certain company's, grey's, century and cono-flex are the main culprits with there rods.
If you look at any add a fishing store has these rods advertised they all have the same price(its full retail price) and if someone orders online or goes into the shop without a clue they will pay full price.
You have to ask whats your best price and phone all the shops to barter with each one.
Its a con as for every rod sold under the rrp 3 or 4 will go for full rrp.
This is probably why your local pro will be more willing than a big shop to sell you what you want at a lesser price as the pro will be in control of his stock rather than some faceless manager in a head office.

 

[viscount17]

Parmo, I don't know about your pro but I think mine deals direct with the main brand distributor if not with the company direct. I wouldn't have thought we would get the demo days if he bought online and certainly not the loan of a launch monitor from Titleist. (Unfortunately that will be going back now that the tour has started.)

Don't know why anyone's surprised at marketing come-ons. Wasn't there a row over RyanAir and EasyJet advertising £1 seats when there was only ever one seat on one flight on that route?

 

[thecraw]

Maybe a Pro shop partnership across courses in a range of areas to lower the cost to the consumer (who wants to buy local and not corporate) and max their profits?

bit of romance there.. its early lol

That goes on up here in sunny Scotchland!

Hundreds of professionals are under the umbrella of "Tartan Golf". It affords them greater purchasing power and allows them to compete with onlinegolf etc.

 

[Parmo]

Vis,
My home course is a municipal and trust me we dont get demo days and I have copped him more than once with his face in Direct golf catalog. It seem the Tartan Golf is the way forward for smaller Pro retailers in the UK to compete with the bigger brands and to say loyal local customers cash.

 

[GB72]

I have heard of a company or two who advertise very low prices for items that are out of stock. That said, most of my online experiences have been very good. Pricebuster golf have had some great deals and have delivered bery quickly whilst recently I bought I Benross VMC putter for £28.00 from online golf. Put the order in or Sunday night and had the putter by Truesday morning.

 

[Parmo]

GB, what are your Orka irons like?

 

[holein1]

I bought my young son a Nike putter last year from N, Bobs, I checked their online site to see what price it was and then went to the shop to buy it. When we got to the shop it was a 10er more than it was online.

Same thing happened to me with me Taylormade Burner 3 wood.