fmmobley 0 #1 April 26, 2005 I am in the market for a new rig. Looks like I can buy some things directly from the manufacturer, or through a retailer. What do you all do, and who do you like to buy from? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AggieDave 6 #2 April 26, 2005 My favorite place to buy a rig or anything skydiving related is through my local dealer at my DZ. He gives me a good price, he's there for my questions and measuring for gear. He takes good care of me when something isn't right. Not only that but it helps him out.--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HSPScott 0 #3 April 26, 2005 Your local DZ is a great place to look. I have also found that Mike at Pier has always given me a great price along with great service. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nbblood 0 #4 April 26, 2005 I buy gear from my home DZ gear dealer, which happens to be the DZO. The difference in prices is negligible, and often in my favor, in comparison to major gear retailers. Also it is a display of loyalty and support for the DZ, since the DZ and the gear store are linked financially. Also, remember if you order from somewhere else, the gear dealer at your DZ WILL notice and may be offended you didn't give them a chance for your business. That all said, I have done business with major retailers in the business and all the ones I've had experience with are professional, helpful, courteous, and provide fast, quality service. The choice is yours, but if it were me, I'd give my local DZ gear dealer a chance at my business first. Ordering direct from the manufacturer is rarely an advantage for the customer as you don't get dealer prices. Unless you have a certificate that provides savings, it is usually better to buy from a retailer, it usually saves you money. Blues, NathanBlues, Nathan If you wait 'til the last minute, it'll only take a minute. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tdog 0 #5 April 26, 2005 Let Dominic at Square One give you a quote if your DZ does not have a good local shop... He was awesome for me and when I visited his DZ (Perris) he really hooked me up with demo stuff to see what I liked... I learned - buying a car - find the cheapest dealer. Buying gear - find a dealer who gives great service (and a good price too)... I will be a customer of Dominic for a long time because he went the extra mile for me... I would tell my best friend this, and since I am not making $$$ of this post, I hope the moderators don't mind me spreading my opinion... The advantage to "mail order" is in sales taxes - out of state you don't pay any.... T. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkydiveNFlorida 0 #6 April 26, 2005 Paraconcepts! They gave me the best price on my container/reserve, and also in a seperate order my main. Not to mention they don't mind my thousand questions. Great service, great price, and out of state so no sales tax! -A Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
falxori 0 #7 April 26, 2005 once i knew what i'm going to buy (sort of), i got a few offers from 2 dealers i've ordered from before and then went talking to my local dealer. if the offers are similar, i'd go with your local dealer for the reasons mentioned earlier. if you have a better offer, talk to your local dealer about it. he might be willing to cut his profits a little bit and match (or even exceed) the offer you have. thats what i did and i got a good price, good service and if i have to spend so much money, i'd rather someone i know benefit from it pay attention, just like any other dealer based market, different people may get different offers. O "Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
matthewcline 0 #8 April 27, 2005 I go straight to the dealer. But I am usually buying for the Team and not for myself. In your case I would recommend a dealer or knowledgable person you TRUST. It is usually easier whe nyou can put aface to the other half of the deal. MattAn Instructors first concern is student safety. So, start being safe, first!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tdog 0 #9 April 27, 2005 Quoteif you have a better offer, talk to your local dealer about it. he might be willing to cut his profits a little bit and match (or even exceed) the offer you have. At Home Depot, or the local electronics store, I have no problem being the hard a$$ customer and would gladly play that game because the value there is in inventory stocking and cheap pricing, not a sales rep’s knowledge... But there is so much time/experience that goes into skydiving gear, and sales reps are gonna spend a lot of time helping unless you just plan on adding items to a web page shopping cart… Matching pricing is what is called by some industries as the "race to zero" - zero being either profit or bottom line price, depending on the context. Profit/markup is not BAD, these people are skydivers trying to make a living too. If you have a job, profit/markup is what likely pays you. The two or three other dealers will spend a lot of their time putting together a quote, then never get the business because you used their quotes to beat up the local guy... That is not fair to their time. I WOULD feel comfortable saying to the local guy before the bid, "I am getting pricing from XXXX too." If he wants the business, and understands the market and his competition, he should price it right the first time around. Just my two cents. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
falxori 0 #10 April 27, 2005 Quotethere is so much time/experience that goes into skydiving gear, and sales reps are gonna spend a lot of time helping unless you just plan on adding items to a web page shopping cart… that's basically what i did. i did my own research and asked for a quote on a specific list of items. QuoteProfit/markup is not BAD, these people are skydivers trying to make a living too i never said profit is bad. but its a market, not charity. like any other market, a combination of good deals and customer service will bring you more business. QuoteThe two or three other dealers will spend a lot of their time putting together a quote, then never get the business because you used their quotes to beat up the local guy... That is not fair to their time. not at all. its part of their line of work to prepare an offer and sometimes not get the deal. the company i work for (communications) can spend a LOT of time and money answering RFPs and not get chosen for the project. its part of the business. i did not "use" their offers. i got an offer and added it to a list of other factors. on my first rig, i got a special discount offer on the container from another dealer and ended up buying the container from him and the rest (2 canopies+cypress) from my local dealer. on my new rig the difference wasn't much so i paid slightly more and bought from my local dealer (as i said, if the price is close i'd rather buy local) just so you know, once you know what you want, most of the dealer's work is (1+2+3+4)*0.X with a small variance on the % from retail price. you could say that its not worth 10-15% profit on a rig (assuming you already know what you want.) O "Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tdog 0 #11 April 27, 2005 Quotenot at all. its part of their line of work to prepare an offer and sometimes not get the deal. the company i work for (communications) can spend a LOT of time and money answering RFPs and not get chosen for the project. its part of the business. I agree about taking a project out to bid - that is what the market is about... I just will choose my final choice by picking the one that had the best price + customer service = value, without asking one guy to match another guy's quote... If I was not willing to buy from guy A - then I should not get a quote from guy A. If guy A is cheaper, then I should honor his risk and pricing structure, not ask guy B to match the price. Just my opinion... We are 95% on the same page here - my argument was solely about matching pricing... Why make one guy do a lot of work and give a good price just to let the other guy match it??? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tso-d_chris 0 #12 April 28, 2005 For large purchases, buying from a reputable dealer located in another state can often save you hundreds of $$$, which would be better spent on altitude! chris For Great Deals on Gear Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
peckerhead 0 #13 April 28, 2005 Call Ralph! Best price No sales tax Great service Satisfaction guaranteed Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Squeak 17 #14 April 29, 2005 QuoteCall Ralph! Best price No sales tax Great service Satisfaction guaranteed YUP that's where all my new kit is comming fromYou are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky) My Life ROCKS! How's yours doing? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chopchop 0 #15 April 29, 2005 I buy from Bonnie at http://www.gravitygear.com/. She is honest, knowledgeable and very creative. chopchop gotta go... Plaything needs a spanking.. Lotsa Pictures Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nightingale 0 #16 April 30, 2005 I've gotten great customer service from Kama at GroundZero (elsinore). When I ordered my jumpsuit, we spent hours going over colors and options. Bonnie at Gravity Gear was awesome when I needed new risers and we were trying to figure out the best color match for my container, which had faded. I've also gotten great service from Square 1. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
firstime 0 #17 April 30, 2005 No sales tax ut oh, you just dropped a dime on ralph Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
