quote:

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Hi Scott, not sure if you remember me but I met you and an associate briefly at Ebonite in Kentucky last year.  Bob Reid introduced us when he called in all the e-tailers for a meeting.

Objective response: You're about 2+ years behind (figured you knew) http://www.bowlingball.com/find-a-pro-shop.php ..and I don't believe they ask the shops to give up part of their profit either.  So asking for your local shop to sacrifice part of their income does not make sense unless you can "guarantee" an "x" amount of additional customers or that your volume is so much higher then your competitors.

Are you going to validate which shop is a quality shop or are you taking every Tom, Dick and Harry that signs up?  This could backfire on you even if you have the clause of "recommended shops are not affiliated with us" but in a customer's mind, they got that name from your website.

Non-objective response: I have to agree with the other shop owners (mike300,jls,mikeaustin,laufaye etc..) here in regards to what the online dealers (and the distributors that supply them) have done to pro shop owners.  I also do not fault the consumer, "everyone" is always trying to save money.

I actually think the e-tailers could have made more for far less work if they didn't compete in the manner which they did.  By lowering pricing the way you guys did, you devalued the product and reduced the equity in which it held.

It's pushed me out of my location of 11yrs to work from home but I'm lucky I do a good job, offer good customer service and knowledge that my customers have followed me.  I'm still debating if it's a good move or not to go back into a center and try this again, not sure so long as I have to compete against the net.

*Rant On* Just checked a site and they have a 2 ball roller selling for $2 under my cost and THAT'S shipped! sheesh! You guys have taken away balls, bags, shoes...what else is left? *Rant off*  and now you want me to give up $5 "more" dollars? (Okay..rant off now)

Sorry Scott, I don't think so.  A majority of bowlers have their drillers picked out in their local areas already, so if this is for newbies or first timers, how many new bowlers are we talking about?  USBC memberships are showing that hasn't grown so what is the overall cost benefit to me?  


side note: jls, I'm proud of you...I thought you'd be all over this as soon as it was posted...  or we're just getting old...lol
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Rick Leong - Ten Pins Pro Shop
Tag Team Coaching - Co-Founder
"El" Presidente of the Legion

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Tenpinspro,  At first I decided to stay out of this one.  I wanted to see what other pro shops thought about his offer.  Then a few people IM me and asked what I thought or why I had not posted.  Then after reading Mike's post,  I thought I should post and show some support for what Mike was saying.

Now I never dealt with these people.  I have been with my dist. for probably over 20 years now.  Maybe longer.  But since Mike has dealt with them, and pretty much confirmed much of what some of us pro shops have been saying.  I thought I should respond.

Bottom line here.  I have nothing against any dist. selling balls to online shops or pro shops.  I was one of the first to ask Global to sell thru dist.
All us pro shops are saying is this.  If a dist.  poses or fronts a online site.  Then of course he has a major price advantage.  He is selling to himself.  What if Ford decided to open a car dealership.  They would be selling their cars to themselves,  thus they could sell them for a much lower price then all of their dealers could.  That just ain't fair or right or honest.

One pro shop posted that he lost money on the case of Motion's he bought, because of BP.com $99 price online.  Now I don't know what he paid. maybe he bought the deal at $422 or maybe he just bought 4 at about $132.  But he said he had to buy $300-$400 worth to get free freight.  But anyone can buy just 1 ball at $99 and get free freight.

So here is a classic example of a pro shop having to buy more to get the price and free freight, and yet, he still ends up paying more then Joe F, or Duke H.
if they were to buy just 1 ball.

Now Mike has shown the guts to speak out, and on this site of wan a bee's, that is not a easy thing to do.  You will get bashed by the geek squad.
There are bowlers, and then there are those that just bowl.
Bowlers for the most part have and show some respect towards pro shops.  Those that just bowl, want everything for nothing.

Sad but true

"getting old
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jls