Shop charging "destination" fee for in stock bikes?

tonyride

Don't piss off the red guy
My neighbor was looking for a bike for his son and he bought one from Walmart. While I was helping him with some electrical work at his house he told me he bought a bike for his 5-year-old son and asked me to do a once over for him because he just didn't feel right about the bike. He knows I'm a bike nut which is why he asked me. Long story short I told him to return the death trap to Walmart and get a real bike from a real bike shop. So he did and yesterday he calls me from our local bike shop and asked if the bike the shop recommended was the correct bike for his son and if it is worth the price ($389). I reassured him that the price may seem high but it is worth it because after a year or two when his son out grows the bike it will actually have some real resale value as opposed to the disposable bike they sell at big box stores. Then he texted me and said they're charging a destination fee so I thought they didn't have it in stock and will order it for him but even if that was the case it seemed unusual for that fee. He bought it anyway and his kid loves his new bike and was riding around the neighborhood all afternoon. I took a quick look at it and I knew it was put together right so the shop did its job but charging a destination is news to me. Is this a new thing that's happening now? I'm not naming the shop on purpose but I'm just wondering if anyone has ever heard of or paid that fee for a bike they bought from a shop that was in stock? I've purchased many bikes from many different shops and none of them ever charged a destination fee.
 
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JDurk

Well-Known Member
A teammate of mine just got a gravel bike, brand is G*&^t. He shopped on the website, located 1 at a shop in VA. Ordered it and had it shipped to the LBS here who is also a dealer.

Just my opinion. Probably paid for a destination fee.
 

Norm

Mayor McCheese
Team MTBNJ Halter's
In the year 2022 no fee of any sort surprises me anymore. If I get slapped with a "we decided not to pour gas into your window" fee next time I fill up, I won't be surprised.

In the end these shops & service providers are trying to survive. These same people are going to the store paying $3 for an avocado that may or may not taste like garbage. It's just the way things are now.
 

tonyride

Don't piss off the red guy
Yeah, I get that small businesses are hurting which is why I advised him to return the first bike to Walmart and buy a real bike from a local shop instead of ordering one online. He didn't question the fee and just paid it but was something unexpected to either of us. I'm encouraging him now to get a bike of his own. Let's see how this works out.
 

jackx

Well-Known Member
Yeah, I get that small businesses are hurting which is why I advised him to return the first bike to Walmart and buy a real bike from a local shop instead of ordering one online. He didn't question the fee and just paid it but was something unexpected to either of us. I'm encouraging him now to get a bike of his own. Let's see how this works out.
At least some Walmart locations are good for having Haas avocados for $0.98 each.
 

jdog

Shop: Halter's Cycles
Shop Keep
First let me say that we aren’t the shop charging these fees.. yet anyway.

Some of the bikes on our floor cost us as much as $150 in shipping to land at the shop. That’s before we pay someone to build it, the lease to be in the shop, the credit card processing fees, the insurance fees and the free follow up service.

I understand that these are indeed the costs of doing business, but at a certain point these costs will all carry over to the consumer in all shopping experiences.


It’s very likely that in the next few years, many or most consumer goods will switch over to a system where the price marked on a product does not include a destination charge, an assembly fee, convenience fee and / or a cc processing fee.

That said, yesterday Pivot released a new $12,000 ebike, and many people called to ask when we will have them.
 

BPaze

Well-Known Member
It is worth noting that Avocados can be frozen and are still good (or so I have heard)
 

jackx

Well-Known Member
Tell me more about these $0.98 avocados.
The Walmarts that have large grocery/produce, dairy, bakeries, etc. seem to be the Walmart stores that sell avocados. I have seen them priced at $0.98 or $1.17 each for example.

So you can pick some that are almost ready to eat, and some that are a week or so until ripe, instead of having to buy a multi-pack where they are likely all the same ripeness.
 

The Kalmyk

Well-Known Member
It’s very likely that in the next few years, many or most consumer goods will switch over to a system where the price marked on a product does not include a destination charge, an assembly fee, convenience fee and / or a cc processing fee.

I have high expectations when dealing with my lbs but i also know that there is risk and money involved on their end. More collaboration and less back and forth goes a long way.

Id stay far away from itemizing fees that are inherently assumed to be a business responsibility as it can create talk that is unnecessary. Build the fees into the cost. And it is my position that service is a great way to cover your charges and not have the customer feel like you took em for a ride.

Service service service!! Its the differentiator!

And the lbs ability to negotiate with their partners.
 
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