buyers beware--

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Originally Posted by superquag

Silly thing is.... there is still the odd Bootmaker around who will make you a pair of perfectly fitting, hand-crafted (and repairable) top quality shoes/boots, for around the same price as the 'expensive' ones above.

But they'll last... :angel:

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Certainly is. I wear them :D

I was really referring to sneakers/runners.....

Another thing is that some folk expect the 'supposed wealthy' to pay the ticketed price and not haggle. 'Why do they need a discount' is often the thought.

I have worked with many PhD's and they all hated being referred to as 'Doctor' when buying anything, as the salesman / tradesmen / grocer never negotiated. Funny thing though, I was on a higher pay grade:D!

It's the tall poppy thing.
That and folk too lazy/disinterested/rushed/busy/blind to actually look around and compare.

Cheers
Ralph

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Originally Posted by catch-22

Slightly off topic, but was watching an older episode of QI and they made a point that shoe companies 'have to' make a very expensive shoe, despite the fact that it does the same as the moderately priced shoe. Why? Because people will pay.

I love the psychology of it all.

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I remember a 'Choice' comparo of running shoes, from $30 cheapies to trendy brands over $300. The best (shock absorption, manufacturing quality, strength, etc) was a $35 pair of Dunlops from K-mart. I'm afraid a lot people are gullible, suggestible, pretentious, shallow, superficial and often just plain stupid. If they weren't there would be no advertising or fashion industry.

Disclaimer: I have previously admitted to being an asocial misanthrope. Aspergers syndrome has also been mentioned.

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Originally Posted by superquag

- Same mindset at British Airways, when they increased ticket-sales on the Concorde... by lifting the price....
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I did the same thing when I was selling my old car - at the first price I had it advertised at I only had a handful of phone calls and they were almost all time wasters offering half of what I was asking without even coming to see that car.

After a couple of weeks of this I put the price up by a grand (approx 12% in this case) I got calls off serious buyers who came round to look. The car was sold in less than a week for more than I was originally asking.

I've also found this works on eBay with some items. If they don't sell first time round, increasing the "buy now" price when re-listing often results in a quicker sale.

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Originally Posted by ugu80

I remember a 'Choice' comparo of running shoes, from $30 cheapies to trendy brands over $300. The best (shock absorption, manufacturing quality, strength, etc) was a $35 pair of Dunlops from K-mart. I'm afraid a lot people are gullible, suggestible, pretentious and often just plain stupid. If they weren't there would be no advertising or fashion industry.

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I'm not a brand name snob or anything but I've found that Nike do last so much better than cheaper brands it's worth paying the extra up front for the longer life and not having the hassle of frequent replacement.

I used to buy the cheaper brands thinking they'd be just as good but my Nike running shoes get almost daily use (albeit as cycling shoes) and have lasted 6 years so far with no sign of falling apart, my old Nike shorts are 8 years old and have only just been replaced, my last 3 pairs of trainers I have bought have been Nike and were only been replaced becuase the soles wore out after heavy use. None of them fell apart at the stitching or anything like that (unlike the last pair of Dunlops I bought at K-Mart which barely lasted 3 months of moderate use).

I don't buy Nike becuase I think they are "better" than any of the other big brands - I've just stuck to what I know has proven to be reliable :)

Pricing and customer perception, it's a tricky balance to get right.

A few years back I cranked my charge-out rate by $25 an hour. The clients I wanted have no problem with that. The turkeys I don't want to work for don't bother me now, meaning I can provide better service to the better clients.

Business has been better ever since.

I buy my dress shirts from a dedicated shirtmaker, $200- each in my choice of cottons (usually swiss) and made to measure with round french cuffs, round collars and if collars/cuffs wear or stain they can be replaced.

Go to DJ's or Myer and pay $300- + for a "brand name" made in "sweat shop land"?

Same for my pants and suits.

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Originally Posted by sam_d

I did the same thing when I was selling my old car - at the first price I had it advertised at I only had a handful of phone calls and they were almost all time wasters offering half of what I was asking without even coming to see that car.

After a couple of weeks of this I put the price up by a grand (approx 12% in this case) I got calls off serious buyers who came round to look. The car was sold in less than a week for more than I was originally asking.

I've also found this works on eBay with some items. If they don't sell first time round, increasing the "buy now" price when re-listing often results in a quicker sale.



I'm not a brand name snob or anything but I've found that Nike do last so much better than cheaper brands it's worth paying the extra up front for the longer life and not having the hassle of frequent replacement.

I used to buy the cheaper brands thinking they'd be just as good but my Nike running shoes get almost daily use (albeit as cycling shoes) and have lasted 6 years so far with no sign of falling apart, my old Nike shorts are 8 years old and have only just been replaced, my last 3 pairs of trainers I have bought have been Nike and were only been replaced becuase the soles wore out after heavy use. None of them fell apart at the stitching or anything like that (unlike the last pair of Dunlops I bought at K-Mart which barely lasted 3 months of moderate use).

I don't buy Nike becuase I think they are "better" than any of the other big brands - I've just stuck to what I know has proven to be reliable :)

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See my original post.
Disclaimer: My partner and I have just imbibed one 700ml bottle of Wild Turkey and cola, even though I normally do not drink (after 7 years, she has been cleared of bowel cancer) I love you all.

Ugu80
Cheers. I am so happy for you and as such you both deserve the wee drink.
May that cancer NEVER return.
I have a close friend battling leukemia at the moment.

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Originally Posted by incisor

could be worse, dsg vw for that matter

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Yes especially if the DSG plays up like it has for two of my friends $10k plus each and still not brilliant both in VWs although they were told Audis have a similar problem as well.

When it comes to cancer, never give up hope. This was originally diagnosed as terminal, then came a new treatment, radioactive pellets, injected into the tumour; 10 minutes every three months instead of radiation twice a week (8 hours a session). The tumour reduced to operable size and now all clear. Yes, we are celebrating.

It also means we take can up Fatty O'Barrell on his offer of a $7000 grant to relocate from Sydney to the country. We can hardly wait.