Selling Mike parts at higher price?

[Tz250racer]

This guy is buying parts from Mike and reselling them at higher price.Big bore,stock bore carb kit etc.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/750c...otorcyclesQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories#ht_500wt_956

 

[MrBillohnooo]

Yeah, he lists a lot of stuff from Mikes and says it is "special order" and takes longer to ship....has for awhile, at least a year or two.

 

[gggGary]

More power to him. He ain't doin' nothing wrong. There are some who trust fleabay more than a independent vendor Like mikes or have never looked beyond fleabay for parts. Sometimes BR549 even sells cheaper because his shipping is less. I keep common mikes items in my parts bins along with all the other stuff and if someone local wants them a little mark up seems fair to me?
I have ordered a bunch of O rings and other carb parts and am thinking about carb kits for different model carbs, If I do that a little mark up for time, organization and knowledge of what fits what seems to have some worth too?
A member and I didn't come to agreement on parts prices, I wasn't as cheap as opening eBay prices. Fine by me if you can get a deal on fleabay. Heck I buy stuff off there all the time. I know all the local delivery guys by first name. 'Specially in the fall there are some great deals on MC parts if you need them. I can't count how many times I have PM'd back and forth 3 or 4 times taken pictures boxed stuff and gotten it ready to ship then ........ nothing. Maybe they found it cheaper maybe the motor blew and they threw away the bike, but nothing no thanks for the trouble, no I found it cheaper, sorry. Other times after all of that, I have packed it paid the paypal fees made the trip to town and shipped it for $10.00 TOTAL. I have lots or great dealings with guys here and I don't let the dropped communications bother me much because that's just part of selling. I spent 30 years behind the counter in retail then basically got put out of business by a monster national chain that got local government subsidies to build his store, WTF??? So my view might be a little different than others. Selling is selling and to sell incurs costs, I like to think I am a nice guy but I ain't no saint. I can guarantee you BR549 isn't driving a new Porsche from his ebay profits.

 

[Travis]

It isn't free to sell on ebay either. They take their cut then paypal gets their cut too. You also have to buy packaging materials and take the time to send the parts out. If he can make a little extra money doing what he does, good for him.

Makes you think.. if he can sell them for more on ebay (where everyone is a cheap ass) I bet mike could start charging more too.

 

[MrBillohnooo]

I agree, not knocking the guy at all. Selling on ebay is a p.i.t.a. sometimes between ebay and ppal themselves, not to mention the stuff ya deal with from customers, whether ebay or not.

 

[Tz250racer]

Nothing wrong by trying to make a profit but let's face it would you buy a Keihins carb kit for $349.00 +S&H when you could buy it from Mike for $299.00 shipped and a super fast delivery?.I don't think so.

 

[Travis]

^ Nope! Sure wouldn't! plus what if something were missing from the kit or something. An email to mikes and you'll have them in a couple of days. Buy them on ebay and who knows if you'll get them or how long it'll take.

 

[Tz250racer]

That's esactly my point.I ordered a complete alternator this past saturday and it will be delivered this thursday.Beat that.Good luck to the guy.

 

[80xs650]

.. if he can sell them for more on ebay (where everyone is a cheap ass) I bet mike could start charging more too.

Don't EVEN say things like that!

 

[bdholsin]

While it's morally ambiguous there is nothing legally wrong with it. Personally, I prefer to order as close to the top of the supply chain as possible. The more a product changes hands the higher the cost and more chance of error. I'll order new parts from mikes or 650central every time.

 

[DLD1]

Interesting point about this guy is that he's not even buying the stuff and re-selling it. Look closely at his ads. He generally states that they are special order items, so what he's doing is taking the purchaser's funds, ordering from Mikes and probably having Mikes drop ship directly to the customer. Actually quite clever! I feel sorry for the poor blokes who buy from him, but if they aren't savvy enough to look for alternatives, they pretty much deserve what they get.

Caveat Emptor

DLD

 

[XSLeo]

650central gets parts from Mike's to resell. The parts with an XS in the prefix of the parts number came from Mike's.

 

[DLD1]

650central gets parts from Mike's to resell. The parts with an XS in the prefix of the parts number came from Mike's.

That's true, but he undoubtedly buys them at a discount from Mikes, since he sells them for the same price as Mikes. My guess is the guy on ebay has no resale license, and has to pay Mikes retail, and makes his profit from people who think Ebay is the only place to get a deal on stuff.
I have no ill will against the guy on Ebay, since there is nothing legally wrong with what he's doing, but morally I think it's pretty sketchy.
Just my opinion.

DLD

 

[weekendrider]

Tz250racer, you and 650skull would get along on this point.
Mr.Billohnoooo, this periodic persecution/condemnation is more than 2 yrs old.
gggGary, I'm in your camp free capitalism and good luck with the special carb packs.

Sometimes (if you watch) you can get "lost leader" items from BR549 cheaper than you can from Mikes. Communication is better and shipping is fast for those items(the cheaper ones) he seems to have in stock. Examples are points, brushes, vintage or retro items. If you really want to punish him watch his auctions and get those deals he has to be losing money on. Oh and maybe you can save a buck or two while at it.

It's his money, time and trouble.
It's your money, time and trouble.
Neither of which is my business.

 

[Tz250racer]

My post was only to let people be aware that his parts where way overpriced and most people work hard for theyr dollar are not aware what other parts source are out there beside ebay.Some people don't mind to $$$$ for a part but I do.That's all.

 

[DLD1]

My post was only to let people be aware that his parts where way overpriced and most people work hard for theyr dollar are not aware what other parts source are out there beside ebay.Some people don't mind to $$$$ for a part but I do.That's all.

And I'm sure there will some folks who really appreciate it.

DLD1

 

[Jerm]

ebay final value fees and paypal fees usually total 15-18% of the final sale price. that adds up.

 

[Capt_Zoom]

Does he actually respond to emails. If so he's already a notch better than MikesXS.

 

[650Skull]

Thanks Weekend rider.
I first bought this guy to members attention over at the old 650 rider and and people like br549bikes are accepted because there entrapenorial skills are synominous with democracy and the great American way

................ we wont talk about the reasons for the colapse of the US banking system that reverberated around the world and caused the world recession.................. see first paragraph

Here is a link to some info on Gerald Jones aka br549bikes.

In answer to your post weekendrider,

:Sometimes (if you watch) you can get "lost leader" items from BR549 cheaper than you can from Mikes. Communication is better and shipping is fast for those items(the cheaper ones) he seems to have in stock. Examples are points, brushes, vintage or retro items. If you really want to punish him watch his auctions and get those deals he has to be losing money on. Oh and maybe you can save a buck or two while at it.

this guy refuses any returns, refuses to give feedback till feedback is given,(states on his site and against ebay rules), and the leader items that are cheaper have proberbly been bought with the interest for the money that is held over waiting to find out if Mikes has the part in stock. eg; he sell 3 big bore kits with a mark up of $100 = $2100, Mikes is out of the kits so br549bikes has that money invested for the time it takes to decide to return the money, (his descretion), and who knows how many items br549bikes is doing this with. Or the money that is saved through free postage can be spent on the leader items and then make up the difference with a profit on the postage. This guy will not loose 1 cent and if you think you are getting a bargain he (br549bikes), will be making money

His entrapenerial skills are non existant, they are based on other peoples hard work, the guy has no origional idea and takes absolutly no risk with large mark ups. Even the photos of his items have been taken from the origional sellers.

I don't think he would have the items delivered direct from the origional manufacturers as then the buyers would know where the parts come from and if they were smart, cut out br549bikes on the next order. Buying in bulk $150.00 and up from Mikes gets shiped for free so he (br549bikes), will be making money on the postage as well, and all he has to do is remove the invoice Mikes puts on his boxes and reship with no cost for the boxes or packaging.

This guy is lower than a snake in the grass and in fact saying that is doing the snake a disservice

 

[Travis]

I don't know... His feedback seems to be pretty damn good considering all the above...