[Public-List] Buying tip of the week

[John Riley]

Gordon Laco wrote:
> Well I'm in the marine business too, I supply all kinds of retail outlets,
> and I am not fond of West's style. In my books that's gouging.  And I would
> agree about their lack of ability to offer competent advice.  I guess what I
> really abhor is the damage they do to more professional marine outlets.
>
> GL
>
>
>   

Okay, don't let me get labeled a "West Defender," because I have my
problems with them, too.

But, I will say that for all they do to "damage" the marine outlet
industry, they also do some things they often don't get (positive)
credit for.

For example, last year, when Rocna was imploding under the weight of low
QA with their Chinese manufacturing facility, West honored warranty on
anchors "no questions asked."  In at least one case that I know about,
the anchor was returned to West cut up into pieces that had been used
for destructive testing to verify steel strength.  West took it back and
gave the customer his money.

This was when Rocna was claiming there was nothing wrong and trying to
spin the whole thing, so it's not clear that West was going get
reimbursed from the manufacturer for a DESTROYED anchor.

West put the customer first.  That's not shabby in my book.  And, that
sort of thing benefits the "marine outlet industry," because it sets a
high standard of customer service that everyone gets held to.  Do they
do this every time?  I don't know.  I've seen nothing but positive
customer service from them, and I will absolutely NOT say that about
Jamestown.

Setting a retail price and letting customer choose whether to pay it or
not is NOT gouging (especially if there is competition)...no one is
holding a gun to anyone's head forcing them to buy from West Marine at
whatever price point they select.  But we may have to simply disagree on
the definition of "gouging."

-- 
John S. Riley
S/V Gaelic Sea
1972 Alberg 30 #521


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