Ebay is cheaper and I'm disturbed !!!

[fiona wallace]

I would like to add something else into this discussion. I am a also a distributor, and, apart from the obvious overheads, I will also spend an hour or more, if necessary, with everyone who comes into my wholesale shop, giving advice and support, showing different methods, demo-ing new products, etc. and would ask you all to consider this in working out what benefits you really get from buying from someone or 'thing' that has no passion for your industry or you, as nail technicians, and is only in business to make the quickest and easiest money and get out again.

ALL business people are in business to make money...ALL nail technicians are in business to make money...ALL employees are working to make money...BUT think about how differently we all live our lifes and just HOW you want to go about making that money!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Mieke]

I don,t have a problem with this discussion to be honest. I just lay back...take it easy and read.It,s good too see different opinions and views on this issue. You don,t need to agree or convince one another when it comes to these types of threads. It,s good just to listen to what another has to say.

By the way geeg...incase we have a problem that i am not aware of let me know so we can take our pink boxinggloves out of our closets LOL :green:

 

[The Geek]

Professional is as professional does.

I find it mildly amusing when a 'professional' supports smuggling and illegal shipments to save a few pounds (hey, its business!) and then whinges when their clients go to a high volume low cost salon to save a few pounds :twisted: (hey! its business!)

 

[Pink Pink Pink]

Professional is as professional does.

I find it mildly amusing when a 'professional' supports smuggling and illegal shipments to save a few pounds (hey, its business!) and then whinges when their clients go to a high volume low cost salon to save a few pounds :twisted: (hey! its business!)

The words, 'hammer', 'nail', 'head' come to mind

 

[SammiG]

I have never done this myself and wouldn't ever consider buying professional products on ebay. I do apologise if I have offended anyone.

This thread just got me thinking about people choosing to buy from distributors in other countries because it was cheaper. Ie: going to the states and shipping some products back that you brought from (purely an example) Nsi (HQ or authorised distributor) or Creative. Is that illegal? I think it's illegal to airmail them if I'm correct but not by courier or sea. Am I right? I don't really know.
I'm not saying I agree with it at all, just saying that I understand in some cases why some people do import products because they are cheaper elsewhere. Not from dodgy websites or ebay but from authorised distributors abroad.

 

[Pink Pink Pink]

Hit the nail on the head, damn. So close yet so far..
LOL!! xx

 

[geeg]

I have never done this myself and wouldn't ever consider buying professional products on ebay. I do apologise if I have offended anyone.

This thread just got me thinking about people choosing to buy from distributors in other countries because it was cheaper. Ie: going to the states and shipping some products back that you brought from (purely an example) Nsi (HQ or authorised distributor) or Creative. Is that illegal? I think it's illegal to airmail them if I'm correct but not by courier or sea. Am I right? I don't really know.
I'm not saying I agree with it at all, just saying that I understand in some cases why some people do import products because they are cheaper elsewhere. Not from dodgy websites or ebay but from authorised distributors abroad.

Those authorised distributors abroad are NOT authorised to sell out of their exclusive territory. They are breaking their contracts when they do it. That makes then dodgy.

We respect our exclusive territory. There is supposed to be such a thing as integrity ... it is a joke with many.

 

[SammiG]

We respect our exclusive territory. There is supposed to be such a thing as integrity ... it is a joke with many.

I didn't realise that was the case at all. Now I know that, I completely agree with you.

 

[mrs o]

As a new distributor myself,i felt to had to respond to this issue.The price one pays for- say 1 Creative product varies hugely from country to country.
The reason for this is determined by lots of factors.
For example we buy this one product for lets say a pound or euro or a dollar,well here.... we deal in euros so we pay the fluctuating(up or down) price to our supplier.Then the bank charges us a percentage of the transaction-perhaps 1%?

Now our supplier has the money in advance(the credit days are long gone !!) we have no funds left in our account.The stock arrives approx 6 weeks later after 1000 phone calls and emails(it could not go on the plane because a dog was travelling ,or it is all hazardous material and each flight can only take so much,or it was not labeled correctly according to EU regulations etc etc.)
Its here -thats all we care about and it is going to be in the port or airport tomorrow.Happy days.

The Customs and Excise hold it up for at least a week(dont know what Cool Blue is ),We ring all customers ( phone bills and a person behind the cal)lto say they will have their order asap.Some are really cross so we send what we can and absorb the cost of sending out the rest of the stock -to keep them as a customer.
It finally arrives -on a Saturday!! so staff have to come in to let it in and unpack it as customers are needing this product and staff have to be paid accordingly.Now if this was India i am sure the staff wages would be a lot less than they are here.
At this point we pay the 21 % vat ,the customs duty ,and the shipping charges and the extra charge for delivering on the week-end.
However we have your 1 euro or pound or dollar product...........-now all we have to do is send you a brochure(they cost money to print and at least one person has to work on it -so there is their wages)....... put a stamp on it,( 55 CENT)do a trade show or two -to show you some new stuff and techniques(which we learned from going to a training seminar or event-usually far away -more costs and extremely difficult technically),......have an open house when you want to phone or call in at whatever time suits you .
And CONSTANTLY upgrade our skills- so that you feel you are training with the Best and buying the Best.
I do not think that we can be called Greedy-we do what we do because we are passionate about what we do and the amount of FREE advice that we give out is incredible.I had a phone consultation the other day (and i learned nothing new) from an accounts company and i paid 300 euro for 2 hours of her time.
So .....my point is i can buy products cheaper from other countries,i definitely will help raise the un-employment figures where i live ,i will cheat the government out of their Vat etc( will not help when i need to claim assistence .... or benefits) i will help in a small way to de-value my euro or pound or dollar and wonder when my house or flat is dropping in value .I raise my hat to Sam ,Samantha and Geeg and all other Greedy Suppliers out there-how can you do this year after year?
I could go on and on and on.............I rest my case.
Mrs o

 

[Mrs Geek]

As a new distributor myself,i felt to had to respond to this issue.The price one pays for- say 1 Creative product varies hugely from country to country.
The reason for this is determined by lots of factors.
For example we buy this one product for lets say a pound or euro or a dollar,well here.... we deal in euros so we pay the fluctuating(up or down) price to our supplier.Then the bank charges us a percentage of the transaction-perhaps 1%?

Now our supplier has the money in advance(the credit days are long gone !!) we have no funds left in our account.The stock arrives approx 6 weeks later after 1000 phone calls and emails(it could not go on the plane because a dog was travelling ,or it is all hazardous material and each flight can only take so much,or it was not labeled correctly according to EU regulations etc etc.)
Its here -thats all we care about and it is going to be in the port or airport tomorrow.Happy days.

The Customs and Excise hold it up for at least a week(dont know what Cool Blue is ),We ring all customers ( phone bills and a person behind the cal)lto say they will have their order asap.Some are really cross so we send what we can and absorb the cost of sending out the rest of the stock -to keep them as a customer.
It finally arrives -on a Saturday!! so staff have to come in to let it in and unpack it as customers are needing this product and staff have to be paid accordingly.Now if this was India i am sure the staff wages would be a lot less than they are here.
At this point we pay the 21 % vat ,the customs duty ,and the shipping charges and the extra charge for delivering on the week-end.
However we have your 1 euro or pound or dollar product...........-now all we have to do is send you a brochure(they cost money to print and at least one person has to work on it -so there is their wages)....... put a stamp on it,( 55 CENT)do a trade show or two -to show you some new stuff and techniques(which we learned from going to a training seminar or event-usually far away -more costs and extremely difficult technically),......have an open house when you want to phone or call in at whatever time suits you .
And CONSTANTLY upgrade our skills- so that you feel you are training with the Best and buying the Best.
I do not think that we can be called Greedy-we do what we do because we are passionate about what we do and the amount of FREE advice that we give out is incredible.I had a phone consultation the other day (and i learned nothing new) from an accounts company and i paid 300 euro for 2 hours of her time.
So .....my point is i can buy products cheaper from other countries,i definitely will help raise the un-employment figures where i live ,i will cheat the government out of their Vat etc( will not help when i need to claim assistence .... or benefits) i will help in a small way to de-value my euro or pound or dollar and wonder when my house or flat is dropping in value .I raise my hat to Sam ,Samantha and Geeg and all other Greedy Suppliers out there-how can you do this year after year?
I could go on and on and on.............I rest my case.
Mrs o

Karen, I'm exhausted, this whole post has made me want to crawl into bed and sleep for a week (fat chance :lol ... but I know where you are coming from :hug::hug:

 

[the-male-geek]

As a new distributor myself,i felt to had to respond to this issue.The price one pays for- say 1 Creative product varies hugely from country to country.
The reason for this is determined by lots of factors.
For example we buy this one product for lets say a pound or euro or a dollar,well here.... we deal in euros so we pay the fluctuating(up or down) price to our supplier.Then the bank charges us a percentage of the transaction-perhaps 1%?

Now our supplier has the money in advance(the credit days are long gone !!) we have no funds left in our account.The stock arrives approx 6 weeks later after 1000 phone calls and emails(it could not go on the plane because a dog was travelling ,or it is all hazardous material and each flight can only take so much,or it was not labeled correctly according to EU regulations etc etc.)
Its here -thats all we care about and it is going to be in the port or airport tomorrow.Happy days.

The Customs and Excise hold it up for at least a week(dont know what Cool Blue is ),We ring all customers ( phone bills and a person behind the cal)lto say they will have their order asap.Some are really cross so we send what we can and absorb the cost of sending out the rest of the stock -to keep them as a customer.
It finally arrives -on a Saturday!! so staff have to come in to let it in and unpack it as customers are needing this product and staff have to be paid accordingly.Now if this was India i am sure the staff wages would be a lot less than they are here.
At this point we pay the 21 % vat ,the customs duty ,and the shipping charges and the extra charge for delivering on the week-end.
However we have your 1 euro or pound or dollar product...........-now all we have to do is send you a brochure(they cost money to print and at least one person has to work on it -so there is their wages)....... put a stamp on it,( 55 CENT)do a trade show or two -to show you some new stuff and techniques(which we learned from going to a training seminar or event-usually far away -more costs and extremely difficult technically),......have an open house when you want to phone or call in at whatever time suits you .
And CONSTANTLY upgrade our skills- so that you feel you are training with the Best and buying the Best.
I do not think that we can be called Greedy-we do what we do because we are passionate about what we do and the amount of FREE advice that we give out is incredible.I had a phone consultation the other day (and i learned nothing new) from an accounts company and i paid 300 euro for 2 hours of her time.
So .....my point is i can buy products cheaper from other countries,i definitely will help raise the un-employment figures where i live ,i will cheat the government out of their Vat etc( will not help when i need to claim assistence .... or benefits) i will help in a small way to de-value my euro or pound or dollar and wonder when my house or flat is dropping in value .I raise my hat to Sam ,Samantha and Geeg and all other Greedy Suppliers out there-how can you do this year after year?
I could go on and on and on.............I rest my case.
Mrs o

That, Mrs O, is a very fair and very true summary of what it can feel like to be a distributor.

A HUGE amount of time, effort, money and passion are the vital ingredients to get a distribution and education network off the ground - and keep it afloat!

When things do come off though, it can be VERY rewarding - and I don't mean financially. It is a buzz to be involved in the growth of other peoples businesses.

That's what keeps us going......

 

[1999judy]

Well I have to say after hearing all this...I am not surprised in the slightest.
I give up.

 

[fifitrix]

That, Mrs O, is a very fair and very true summary of what it can feel like to be a distributor.

A HUGE amount of time, effort, money and passion are the vital ingredients to get a distribution and education network off the ground - and keep it afloat!

When things do come off though, it can be VERY rewarding - and I don't mean financially. It is a buzz to be involved in the growth of other peoples businesses.

That's what keeps us going......

I have read this thread over and over and just have to say there is a vast amount of differing opinions out there, absoloutley agree with what Derek has just said.

I am a small business, just purely mobile and home based, I suppose in my circumstances it would be cheaper to go through ebay? Erm NO. I purely go through my distributor and in return have reaped the benefits of doing so. For a start I know that my products are genuine and also there is there next day delivery or if my long suffering hubby is in the area or me then just go and get them.

Dealing with your distributor in my view keeps your eye on the ball, you know what is coming up training wise, new products, new ideas..... the list goes on, ebay has none of that. What I have gained training wise and service wise is second to none and that is what I am looking for.

If your distributor is like mine, they are worth their weight in gold, sometimes I think you have step back from the price and realise what you are getting.

 

[Sassy Hassy]

I really apologise as I have not read this entire thread, just the first and last page. However maybe you can now understand the mentality of people who go to the NSS. As far as they are concerned they are getting a cheaper set of nails. They don't know they aren't the real deal, they don't know the risks unless they are told. Once they are told then they can make an informed choice. This is now what you are having to do when you buy off Ebay.

Do you go the cheaper option and take a risk which is a risk to the reputation of your business? Or do you go the official way where you know the service and product is the real deal? On the surface it all seems the same just a cheaper price, but is it really?

(I hope that makes sense as I am not feeling well today, it's just a food for thought post!)

 

[nailzoo]

If you read my initial post .... I managed to save a mere 50p

But it was the frustration, back and forth emails, the problem with the Distributors website not taking my order and the problem with VAT being added that made me make my final decision.

"I was actually forced into using ebay", after exhausting all other avenues, as it ended up being a more simple option. This would be based on the fact that I am an international buyer and many sites are not built to accommodate our orders (particularly if the product we want is not available in our country).

 

[sheryden]

hi guys,
for the above first and formost i am a business women and i am going to go for the cheapest route, if that be buying from my supplier or ebay or even from china, i'm sorry but i am going to do it, in business guys there is NO loyalty. I know it's sad to say but it is a cut throat world out there and competion is everywhere, so tech's what would you like to do, keep your supplier happy or have your bank balance happier.?

p.s i use creative and have trained with creative, they are a fab company but if i can buy cheaper in america i'm sorry i'm going to do it.

 

[sheryden]

I've just been trying to order some Freeforms from The Edge
their website price is £24.95 + VAT + postage £6.50 = £36.95p (I didn't think I would have to pay VAT, as I'm in another country) not sure about this (I've never had VAT added before, or maybe it wasn't mentioned upfront).

The Ebay price (same company, same product) £29.49 + postage £7.00 = £36.50.

It doesn't seem the professional way to go .

But I guess my hands are tied and I'm a little disturbed.

what i would like to know is where are these people getting the products from? To be truthfull with ya i have hunted for wholesalers of creative and found nothing, these guys are getting cheaper from somewhere i need to know maybe creative need to know this then they may be able to put a stop to it.