Your right to disagree is given by those who have died to keep it so. I'll not change my words. Just be glad that I did use a certain amount of self control over what I really wanted to say. Perhaps it's just the way I was brought up. I for one do care about others, even if I lose some credibility in their eyes because of my archaic beliefs.

 

CroK, I agree with what you said as far as our rights - but I think that it had nothing to do with lowball pricing. With freedom comes responsibility. Victory without honor is not truly victory. I wouldn't deal with either one of these dealers, personally, as one has no honor and the other no shame.

And I'd like to thank our forefathers for freedom of speech and our veterans for defending it!

 

When speaking of competition, the 'low balling' is considered to be bad business by their competitors not their customers. If no one is willing to drop their prices, then the market will suffer as a whole, especially during times such as we are experiencing now. That's a personal battle between adversaries/competitors.

For some one to place blame on the customer looking for a better deal is just plain ignorant in my opinion. Even if there were no other dealers close enuff for them to go to for better pricing, it instills bad karma between potential future business with that customer, or at least it should give them reason to consider alternatives. We all saw what happened when people stopped buying gasoline, the prices dropped. That is how it should be. No product is worth more than some one is willing to pay. And just because there are some who don't care what they have to pay in order to have more than some one else doesn't justify the price. I first heard the term 'stupid money' from a friend of mine. There is alot of that going around which forces everyone to suffer degredation in workmanship and shoddy goods simply because of 'stupid money'.

Just because some one owns a business doesn't mean they are just in their actions. The insane amount of profit we see every day is evidence of the reason foriegn countries view us as 'capitalistic pigs'. I am a business man myself, and alot of what I've seen people do for the sake of business, I would NEVER consider thinking of let alone actually practicing in that manner. But then, I have personal morality issues...

I may never become wealthy, but I am a man with a conscience and I will never question my ethics since I look at things from the customer's side. That alone makes me favor competition as a good thing. I could go on for a few days on my idea of proper business ethics for sure, but I doubt anyone cares enuff to listen. So to not persuade people from reading what I write from this time forward, I should stop now. LMAO

 

I don't disagree with most of what CroK is saying. But as I think TeachU2 was suggesting, it's not quite that simple.

Some people refer to the federal antitrust laws as "the closest thing to the US Constitution that's not actually in the Constitution." Notions of freedom and open markets and competition are the very core of the Sherman Act. Still, the antitrust laws recognize something called "predatory pricing," a concept that says "low prices are not necessarily consistent with fair open markets."

When someone prices their products below a certain level (what level is a subject of some complexity), in order to drive competition out of the market, it can be considered an "anti-competitive" act, a violation of the very laws that protect free markets. I'm not in any way suggesting that anyone involved here has done that -- I doubt it very much. But if we are talking about general concepts of American freedom, open markets, and competition, it would serve you well, before making Big Pronouncements that purport to rest on the foundations of what is American, to have a somewhat better understanding of the laws and concepts that inform the protection of the market system.

Just sayin....


Mark

 

Hows the bike running? Let it go and ride!

 

The Thread got off the subject Hijacked im kinda a falt to. This will be it for me on this one. Talk about fair market. Home Depot ,Walmart, Made in China. Outsorceing US jobs. Losts all the Mom & Pop hardwear stores US jobs to the above.

 

Wasn't my intention to hijack the thread, and yes I do know about the business laws to an extent. But again I say that is a concern of the businesses not to be passed on to the customer. Thats just my opinion, and I will refrain from further comment on the subject. I do have to say I appreciate the way you guys accepted my opinion whether you agree with me or not. Good on ya's!


WOW! I'm no longer a Prospect, I'm now a SENIOR RIDER! YEAH!!! LOL
Only thing sad about that is that it is based on post count only. Wouldn't mind seeing how I was rated as to content, but then I'd prolly not be happy with that either! Can't help but laff at myself sometimes!

 

Now that fall is here, why don't you take your wife over there, tell her to take up a bunch of the salesgirls time picking out an s..tload of motorclothes, you get the parts counter all lined up with new chrome, new wheels, make a day of it, enjoy yourselves, waste a load of their time. Then get them to ring it all up........Then go get the owner and tell him that you forgot, he doesn't want yer money.....and walk out the door.

 

CroK - Good posts.

 

from what I've been told. eastern only has a few mechanics (i believe the correct number is 2) and 1 of them has another duty in the store. so for him turning you down i dont see the problem.. but you saying that he was slandering other dealers, thats another story. If i had a dealer and I was low on mechanics.. I would take care of my own before i would take care of a bike from another dealer.