Demo, Demo, Demo

[eastcoastpowderhound]

Wow, no wonder my friend at Head has been so cheap.

Okay, so how do the guys in the factory vans make their money ( as I assume they are not doing it out of the goodness of their hearts )?

sales commissions on what they sell to the retaliers in their territory. Lots of times the guy in the van is actually a "tech" rep...some paid by the company, other by the reps, and sometimes split between rep and company. Those guys (tech reps) drive many miles, work long hours, tune skis constantly and don't get paid all that well.

 

[eastcoastpowderhound]

So if I demo a pair of Atomics from the Atomic van..then buy then online where most savvy skiers buy their skis..what's in it for the Atomic rep???

depends on the location of the online retailer...if you demo here in NE, then buy from backcountry.com, the NE rep gets bupkiss, the Utah rep gets to sell another unit to backcountry for next year. Shop your local shops...you can find killer deals in the off season there too...get your boots fit, etc.

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

depends on the location of the online retailer...if you demo here in NE, then buy from backcountry.com, the NE rep gets bupkiss, the Utah rep gets to sell another unit to backcountry for next year. Shop your local shops...you can find killer deals in the off season there too...get your boots fit, etc.

I've found the best deals on everything online..local shops are becoming extinct...I'm all about E-bay..cut out the middle man..

 

[millerm277]

I've found the best deals on everything online..local shops are becoming extinct...I'm all about E-bay..cut out the middle man..

Until you need your skis fixed/tuned, then you're annoyed that there aren't any local shops around....

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

Until you need your skis fixed/tuned, then you're annoyed that there aren't any local shops around....

I can tune my own skis..or have my racer friend do it for some beer..

 

[L2RAFO]

.I'm all about E-bay..cut out the middle man..

I can't speak for every company, but, as far as last season is concerned, Nordica will not honor their warrantee on any product sold on Ebay.

I'm not judging here, I'm just trying to let the buyer be warned.

 

[Greg]

Lots of online retailers nowadays are just extensions of brick and mortar stores. Even some of the big eBay retailers...

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

Lots of online retailers nowadays are just extensions of brick and mortar stores. Even some of the big eBay retailers...

Beat me to it...there will always be a need for ski shops for those who need assistance but if I know what ski I want..I'd rather save 200 bucks online and pay the shipping..and have a friend mount them or pay to have a ski shop mount them..

 

[L2RAFO]

Beat me to it...there will always be a need for ski shops for those who need assistance but if I know what ski I want..I'd rather save 200 bucks online and pay the shipping..and have a friend mount them or pay to have a ski shop mount them..

All well, and good until there is a product defect, and you try to slove the problem like you would at "Brick 'n Mortar". Internet age/deals means serial numbers are being followed back to point of purcahse whether you like it, or not.

As I said earlier, I respect your choice, I've just known a bunch of burn stories at this point that are really a big time wake up call.

 

[JimG.]

I've found the best deals on everything online..local shops are becoming extinct...I'm all about E-bay..cut out the middle man..

Wal-mart special!

My shop pro treats me well...I give him a ton of referrals, he appreciates it and takes care of me and my family. Never got a bad deal from him, never. Rarely find a better deal online. And he's a wicked good hand tuner.

Ever hear of earning the discounts?

 

[eastcoastpowderhound]

Until you need your skis fixed/tuned, then you're annoyed that there aren't any local shops around....

you didn't cut out the middle man, you just traded one for another...Ebay is a retailer, not a wholesaler...only way to cut out the middle man is if you were buying directly from the US subsidiary. Try returning a defective ski or binding to Ebay.

 

[eastcoastpowderhound]

I can tune my own skis..or have my racer friend do it for some beer..

does your racer friend have a $50K stone grinder in his basement? If he did, it would cost you a lot more than beer to get them properly tuned.

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

Wal-mart special!

My shop pro treats me well...I give him a ton of referrals, he appreciates it and takes care of me and my family. Never got a bad deal from him, never. Rarely find a better deal online. And he's a wicked good hand tuner.

Ever hear of earning the discounts?

Why should I earn the discount when I can just get a great deal online...we had this discussion a while back on PASR and over half of the members bought their skis online..it's reality..

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

does your racer friend have a $50K stone grinder in his basement? If he did, it would cost you a lot more than beer to get them properly tuned.

No and he does a better job then the local ski shop and doesn't charge 50 bucks..and take 5 days..lol

 

[JimG.]

Why should I earn the discount when I can just get a great deal online...we had this discussion a while back on PASR and over half of the members bought their skis online..it's reality..

Glad you asked...here's EXACTLY why.

My buddy Karl and I both bought Fischer RX8's last season. Same set up, he paid $150 less online for the equipment but had to pay for shipping and mounting the bindings after.

We both skied and enjoyed those skis last season. But at the end of the season, we both noticed that our RX8's were defective and that the top sheets were delaminating.

My skis went back to my shop and then back to the factory. I'll be skiing on NEW RX8's this coming season.

Karl will be skiing on delaminating RX8's.

 

[kingslug]

I used to shop around but now stick to my local store. We know the owner pretty well and he takes care of us. He even took back a pair of boots that didn't fit well after I had used them for a month. Not many places would do that. I haven't demo'd anything from his place but did buy my last pair of skis from him after reading a lot of reviews. And got them for less than any online price. This season I plan on demoing as many fatties as I can until I find the best one for the deep days.

 

[L2RAFO]

Glad you asked...here's EXACTLY why.

My buddy Karl and I both bought Fischer RX8's last season. Same set up, he paid $150 less online for the equipment but had to pay for shipping and mounting the bindings after.

We both skied and enjoyed those skis last season. But at the end of the season, we both noticed that our RX8's were defective and that the top sheets were delaminating.

My skis went back to my shop and then back to the factory. I'll be skiing on NEW RX8's this coming season.

Karl will be skiing on delaminating RX8's.

And I can tell ya' ten more just like it.

As I've said, don't get me wrong, I'm all for a great deal, but you've got to be a bit of a gambler if you're going to try to save a buck on the net when it comes to ski equipment.

If you know what you want, and most ski runs last for at least a couple of seasons, just go into your local shop at the end of the season, or right at the end of the Summer.

I picked up my Top Fuels at $65 below pro form last season, and saw nothing anywhere close to it online.

 

[jack97]

......I'm all for a great deal, but you've got to be a bit of a gambler if you're going to try to save a buck on the net when it comes to ski equipment.

For me, the savings has to be signifcant to go online. Thats why I get one to two year old models. Figure the risk to reward is worth it after a certain price.

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

I picked up my Top Fuels at $65 below pro form last season, and saw nothing anywhere close to it online.

Nice, very nice.

 

[JimG.]

And I can tell ya' ten more just like it.

As I've said, don't get me wrong, I'm all for a great deal, but you've got to be a bit of a gambler if you're going to try to save a buck on the net when it comes to ski equipment.

If you know what you want, and most ski runs last for at least a couple of seasons, just go into your local shop at the end of the season, or right at the end of the Summer.

I picked up my Top Fuels at $65 below pro form last season, and saw nothing anywhere close to it online.

To be fair, it also depends on what kind of equipment you're looking at. I wouldn't buy boots or skis online. Or bindings because if they're defective you're screwed. Or a helmet that, like boots, has to fit right. You know, the bigger ticket items.

But things like gloves, goggles, underwear, I might be more willing to take a chance. Even poles I might take the risk.

I'll also qualify that I'm more likely to take a risk buying a new pair of older model skis (2-4 years old) online bacause alot of shops just wouldn't have them and you can get alot of deals for $150-$200.