jankerson
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- Oct 13, 2013
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It's a long way from the US, a 5 hour flight usually, I know because I have made it a few times.....
Buying staff from Autogeek.net
- Thread starter Mikas46
- Start date
It's a long way from the US, a 5 hour flight usually, I know because I have made it a few times.....
swanicyouth
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- Mar 3, 2011
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Just thought it would be a benefit of living in America. One could argue its a lot closer to ship to Georgia than to CA - so the CA people should pay more.
WantcarPerfect
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- Jan 15, 2013
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1. AG opens up a whole new market for themselves by selling on Amazon. The average buyer on Amazon is not a Detailer or detail hobbyist. But to do this they must compete with Amazon. Amazon has Prime memberships the purpose of these is to get people to spend more. They can offer this because of their volume and the fact they have numerous distribution centers. They also have very advantage shipping rates because they are so large.
2. Try calling someone at Amazon for recommendations or product questions.
3. AG will always match prices even with themselves. Amazon will not.
4. You can always find someone someplace that will sell a product cheaper, however you need to look at the total of what your getting including service, product knowledge and the companies reputation.
5. Autogeek offers so much more to their Customers than anyone I know. I just like doing business with them.
6. No matter how hard they try they just can not be all things to all people.
7. If you enjoy their forum, their tutorials and the advise of Mike Phillips you should support them. These things cost money, so their costs are higher than many other sellers.
8. I buy from and will continue to buy from them because I like doing business with them. I am not a Professional but just a guy who really likes to keep his large investments looking real nice. AG helps me do this.
9. They have a larger selection of detailing products than anyone I know.
10. I defend them because they are good at what they do, try real hard offer good products and good advice. If people do not support them they will eventually go out of business and you will be force to buy from Wally World, Amazon or where ever. But you will loose the good advise personal service and be at their mercy when all the competition is gone.
2. Try calling someone at Amazon for recommendations or product questions.
3. AG will always match prices even with themselves. Amazon will not.
4. You can always find someone someplace that will sell a product cheaper, however you need to look at the total of what your getting including service, product knowledge and the companies reputation.
5. Autogeek offers so much more to their Customers than anyone I know. I just like doing business with them.
6. No matter how hard they try they just can not be all things to all people.
7. If you enjoy their forum, their tutorials and the advise of Mike Phillips you should support them. These things cost money, so their costs are higher than many other sellers.
8. I buy from and will continue to buy from them because I like doing business with them. I am not a Professional but just a guy who really likes to keep his large investments looking real nice. AG helps me do this.
9. They have a larger selection of detailing products than anyone I know.
10. I defend them because they are good at what they do, try real hard offer good products and good advice. If people do not support them they will eventually go out of business and you will be force to buy from Wally World, Amazon or where ever. But you will loose the good advise personal service and be at their mercy when all the competition is gone.
Centexhokie
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- Oct 14, 2010
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I think most folks on here want to support AG. The problem is on small orders and on shipping times. I wish as I think others here do that they could make that less of a disadvantage for them. The slow shipping and expensive shipping doesn't benefit AG or their customers.
Dogfather
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- Sep 7, 2012
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When I get stuff from Amazon that " ships from and sold by PBMG", aren't I supporting AG?
Centexhokie
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- Oct 14, 2010
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Yes, but the PBMG doesn't qualify for Prime nor does it arrive any quicker than if you ordered from AG directly.
Dogfather
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- Sep 7, 2012
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My wife does lots of online surveys and earns Amazon bucks.
Regardless, the last item I ordered was 17.99 + 3.99 as opposed to AG 17.99 + 7.99
I agree with OP and here's a recent example. I'm preparing for winter so after reading about how great Collinite 845 wax is I decided I wanted it. $16 or $17 is what it costs on AG. Shipping, however, would be about $7 or $8. That's crazy, so I checked Amazon. Turns out I can buy it WITH a lake country foam applicator for the same price, but with $4 shipping. AND it's from PBMG.
I don't get it, it's sold and shipped from the same warehouse as AG, but I can get it cheaper and with an extra applicator just from ordering online.
To all of you saying "I've never had to pay shipping." "order more and stop complaining", well you must all be idiots if you think it can work like that for everyone. I want one bottle of wax. That's all I want. I don't want a $125 order. That doesn't mean I won't ever come back with a big order, but I don't want it now. Now since I had a good experience ordering from Amazon, next time I want something else I'm most likely to go check Amazon. That then means I'm exposed to their advertisements for similar items and such and somewhat likely to buy more.
What Autogeek should want is to have people buying from their site, not from them on amazon. If I buy from the AG site, I'm much more likely to buy additional items from them and not whatever other random company may be offering products on Amazon. How do you get customers to buy from your site? Well, they are doing alright with the customers who are here for large orders, but they don't cater to customers who want small orders. Maybe that's not who they're targeting, so maybe they just don't care. If they did want them, they would have to figure out a way to reduce shipping costs.
This annoyed me. For one, I am one of those Harbor Freight Meguiars Ultimate idiots. I come on the forums to read and learn. That will in turn introduce me to better products that I'll likely have to buy from AG. AG should want to invest their time and money in the forums and in me to educate us on the best products, techniques, etc so we are a better informed customer. An additional benefit of having an informed customer and member of the forums is that that person offers free advice to others with less knowledge. That could be a friend, family member, client, or AG forum member. That creates more sales.
Your idea of us owning AG something because they have a forum, videos, giveaways, and promotions is ridiculous. Consumers have the power, they are simply trying to get us to spend money with them. This is some basic economics.
I don't get it, it's sold and shipped from the same warehouse as AG, but I can get it cheaper and with an extra applicator just from ordering online.
To all of you saying "I've never had to pay shipping." "order more and stop complaining", well you must all be idiots if you think it can work like that for everyone. I want one bottle of wax. That's all I want. I don't want a $125 order. That doesn't mean I won't ever come back with a big order, but I don't want it now. Now since I had a good experience ordering from Amazon, next time I want something else I'm most likely to go check Amazon. That then means I'm exposed to their advertisements for similar items and such and somewhat likely to buy more.
What Autogeek should want is to have people buying from their site, not from them on amazon. If I buy from the AG site, I'm much more likely to buy additional items from them and not whatever other random company may be offering products on Amazon. How do you get customers to buy from your site? Well, they are doing alright with the customers who are here for large orders, but they don't cater to customers who want small orders. Maybe that's not who they're targeting, so maybe they just don't care. If they did want them, they would have to figure out a way to reduce shipping costs.
This annoyed me. For one, I am one of those Harbor Freight Meguiars Ultimate idiots. I come on the forums to read and learn. That will in turn introduce me to better products that I'll likely have to buy from AG. AG should want to invest their time and money in the forums and in me to educate us on the best products, techniques, etc so we are a better informed customer. An additional benefit of having an informed customer and member of the forums is that that person offers free advice to others with less knowledge. That could be a friend, family member, client, or AG forum member. That creates more sales.
Your idea of us owning AG something because they have a forum, videos, giveaways, and promotions is ridiculous. Consumers have the power, they are simply trying to get us to spend money with them. This is some basic economics.
Dogfather
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- Sep 7, 2012
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I must assume Swanic's definition of cheap is someone with a nice savings account. Just want to make sure he's not referring to someone like me.
jankerson
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- Oct 13, 2013
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Not really sure how people would ever come to that conclusion, but some do I guess.
AG is a business and to stay in business they need to make money and show a profit just like any other business.
So if they give things away and or take a loss on the products they wouldn't be in business for very long...
Does the customer owe them anything?
No, of course they don't, AG earns their business just like any other business has to.
Sometimes the lines do get blurred between a business and a said customer or customers. In the end though they are the business and the customer is the customer, the business is selling and the customer is buying.
Customer loyalty is important to the business for various reasons so if they can build a loyal customer base that is a good thing for the business.
BUT...
The customer doesn't owe the business anything for that business selling them products.
If anything it's the other way around, the business owes the customers for buying stuff from them.
It's not like they are supporting the customer with products for FREE as in a package that just shows up when they need it for nothing.
I agree completely.
swanicyouth
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- Mar 3, 2011
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If consumers have the power, then why are you complaining?
Just buy your stuff from Amazon, Harbor Freight, or wherever. AG's business model seems to be working for them, as the lines and inventory are ever expanding. If it wasn't profitable, they wouldn't be doing it. If the consumers weren't happy, they wouldn't be buying it. That's basic economics.
What most of these people really seem to be saying is that they want all the sales, selection, BOGOs, & samples they can get from AG from Amazon. They want to order a single $16 bottle of wax, and have it packed securely and shipped across the country for like $3. If it leaks or the label has a crinkle, they want someone on the phone ASAP to replace it, like YESTERDAY, (for free, of course) - and if they can't figure out how to use it, they want help with that as well (free again).
Nobody offers all that, because it's impossible. If someone did offer "all that" - these people wouldn't be here whining, they would just buy stuff from that magical place, then come here to post and keep their mouth shut about where they got it.
Nobody has actually said that, but you just have to read between the lines. If not, why would they complain? They would just happily order from Amazon. But Amazon doesn't have everything - they don't have 20% off sales, BOGOs, samples, giveaways, Mike P, etc... And "everything" isn't free. It's like cheapness is a disease - AND THERE IS NO CURE.
It's not about us "owning" AG anything. It's just about a super convenient way to get whatever you want under one roof with great customer service and no risk. If it costs 4 lousy dollars more to ship something - so be it.
I don't think OP was originally complaining. I know I wasn't. My example is that I bought the product from PBMG through Amazon and saved money plus got a foam applicator. All of this would have cost much more if I bought it through Autogeek. I don't understand why and I'm just curious what the reason is. It doesn't seem to make sense to me.
jankerson
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- Oct 13, 2013
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Forums are what they are and yes it's a good thing that AG has a forum with I am guessing Employees on the forum Modding it.
The forum and customer service are all part of AG supporting the products that they sell and that creates a loyal customer base.
I for one like it here, and I like AG so in retrospect I post on the forum and buy products from AG.
But that is my choice...
Am I loyal?
I dunno, I wouldn't go that far, but I do as I said in the last sentence because i choose to.
The forum is a great source of information and also a place for like minded people to get together and talk and show their work.
It's also a good source to attract future AG customers.
AG is a great place to shop because they have pretty much anything one could want and the information on how to use the products that they sell.
Harry Da Hamster
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- May 13, 2013
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You're forgetting that USPS ships for the exact same price to Hawaii as it does to California and New York whether its a 46 cent postage stamp or a regular sized package (but not an oversized package); first class, priority, parcel post, or flat rate priority.
I shipped a Rupes 15 polisher recently and it weighed ~10lbs. USPS.com says shipping from HI 96825 to my sister in CA 90025 would cost $36.50. USPS.com also says shipping from CA 90025 to NY 10017 is also $36.50.
Besides. Why would we pay FULL price, when they have a free shipping promotion? If they refuse to use USPS, therefore they would see increased shipping prices, why can't we at least get the same subsidy?
Perhaps Autogeek is a franchise of PBMG?
KS_Detailing
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- Aug 13, 2013
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I spend $4 on my coffee & bagel in the morning. I don't like to spend more than I have too but if $4 means I can sit at my computer, order supplies and get it shipped to my door in a few days and not go into a brick & mortar store, than Ill spend $4 extra. I'm from the NYC tri-state area, its $13 to cross a bridge
Ride the train lately or park your car?? I guess I'm just used to being squeezed..Well PBMG (Palm Beach Motoring Group) owns Autogeek, Autopia Car Care, Wolfgang, Pinnacle, Diamondite, Marine31, DP, Blackfire, and imports Cobra Microfiber towels. So it's the same company, but the costs are different from one site to the other.
Harry Da Hamster
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- May 13, 2013
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It's sorta like Proctor and Gamble. Go to your local store and look a the back label of the laundry detergent, dish soaps, and cleaning chemicals. Chances are it'll say Proctor and Gamble. They own:
Tide
Downy
Dreft
Ariel
Gain
Bold
Cheer
Daz
Tip
And this is only their laundry soap lines.
Mikas46
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- Aug 27, 2013
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- Thread starter
- #80
I'll tell you a little story-just a couple years ego we had a great company for my business. They have great service, best product and knowledge employees-name of this business Armatos. They sell and service everything for photo and video professionals. They had even they own shows with representatives from Sony, Panasonic, JVC and ect. Store was on all block everybody who been in this business new Armatos. And then came Ebay and Amazon and Armatos went ded. Store now size like your garage and only 2 employees left.
PBMG charge only half shipping trough Amazon because of competion and not because of Amazon's rate. If i want to buy staff from Pinnacle
line or Detailer's Pro i have to buy from them and nobody else-Amazon or not. And employee from PBMG who do reviews of THEIR products get paid for that. And this is OK. I'm glad i found this webside and now i know what is the different between polish and wax. I guess they don't care where little guys like me will buy their bottle of soap and this would be very sad if this company disappear like Armatos did
PBMG charge only half shipping trough Amazon because of competion and not because of Amazon's rate. If i want to buy staff from Pinnacle
line or Detailer's Pro i have to buy from them and nobody else-Amazon or not. And employee from PBMG who do reviews of THEIR products get paid for that. And this is OK. I'm glad i found this webside and now i know what is the different between polish and wax. I guess they don't care where little guys like me will buy their bottle of soap and this would be very sad if this company disappear like Armatos did