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  1. #21

    Re: West Marine Owned by International Paper

    I buy most of my boating products through real wholesale and dealer channels.

    I'm a victron distributor.
    A Garmin, raymarine, simrad and others installer/dealer.
    I maintain a reasonable inventory of supplies but buy for almost every installation what's thought to be needed so I don't run short.


    I also spend alot of time with customers selling them systems only to have the idiots at worst morons try to undercut me on the main products with dishonesty and dirty tricks. Then the customer finds out they have to special order it and pay additional freight. And they still buy from them. Why?
    Scott
    41C117 "Hattatude"
    Port Canaveral Florida.


    Marine Electronics and Electrical Products Distributor.

  2. #22

    Re: West Marine Owned by International Paper

    I would rather pay more than deal with an idiot or moron. How is your customer base looking? Shrinking or growing.
    Fred
    31 Tiara Open
    "Escalation"

  3. #23

    Thumbs up West Marine Owned by International Paper

    Quote Originally Posted by Boatsb View Post
    And they still buy from them. Why?
    Because they choose to! Who knows why people make the choices the choices that they do. Who am I to ask? Most importantly, does it matter?
    Hard work pays off in the future.
    Laziness, pays off now!

  4. #24

    Re: West Marine Owned by International Paper

    My customer base is shrinking because of the online lowballers and places like west. They ask for my quote so they can beat it yet won't do the work to survey a vessel.

    I also blame the dirtbag owners who shop this way because they see no issue with screwing a local hard working guy if it benefits them.

    I see too many boatowners that need to be removed from customer pool. When i design a system there are drawings and labels to do it right. Even if I sell to a DIY customer I can get them drawings and labels plus all the ancillary products they need.
    Scott
    41C117 "Hattatude"
    Port Canaveral Florida.


    Marine Electronics and Electrical Products Distributor.

  5. #25

    Re: West Marine Owned by International Paper

    Quote Originally Posted by wpc691 View Post
    I don’t care about Worst Marine’s pricing. My beef is their deteriorating in-store inventory, and ridiculous ordering/reordering policy. They (at least our store) are routinely out of popular sizes of clamps, pins, nuts, fittings, etc. When will they be in? Next Wednesday (the weekly delivery day). Can you order them for me? Yes. When will they be in? Next Wednesday. You’re out, so they must already be coming next Wednesday, right? I’m not sure, but if you order and pay for them, they’ll most likely come in. [Turn around, walk out] Fortunately, I have an independent marine store a little farther away. They’re a little cheaper than WM, but that’s not why I go there. Anything they don’t have, they order, and it shows up the next morning - they call me when they pull it out of the shipment. The counter guys are all hardcore boaters/fishermen, and are a wealth of information. I spend most of my boat bucks there, and I hope they stay in business.
    Exactly.

  6. #26

    Re: West Marine Owned by International Paper

    Quote Originally Posted by Sharon Jean View Post
    A Ruth's Chris steak is not the same as an Outback steak.

    2oz of Marine Tex should be the same product no matter where you buy it.

    This is true. What are you paying for. Are you paying more for the same thing? Is there a reason to pay more? Better service? The right advice? Or are you paying more for less. I feel like whenever I am forced to buy at WM, I'm paying more and getting less. That's not a good feeling.
    Sky Cheney
    1985 53EDMY, Hull #CN759, "Rebecca"
    ELYC on White Lake--Montague, MI

  7. #27

    Re: West Marine Owned by International Paper

    Quote Originally Posted by SKYCHENEY View Post
    This is true. What are you paying for. Are you paying more for the same thing? Is there a reason to pay more? Better service? The right advice? Or are you paying more for less. I feel like whenever I am forced to buy at WM, I'm paying more and getting less. That's not a good feeling.
    Yep, the Ruth’s Chris and Outback analogy illustrate a serious lack of understanding. Apples and oranges.
    Semper Siesta
    Robert Clarkson
    ASLAN, 1983 55C #343
    Charleston, SC

  8. #28

    Re: West Marine Owned by International Paper

    I'll go out of my way to spend money with people that treat me right and don't bad mouth me when out of earshot. It's not always about saving a buck. The local Ace gets my business before a big box.
    West here happens to have a long tI'm friendly crew. It's on the way to the boat. Realy don't care who signs their check. Their all fellow boaters too.
    Fred
    31 Tiara Open
    "Escalation"

  9. #29

    Re: West Marine Owned by International Paper

    Glad to hear there is at least one where the employees know something about boats. Not the case here, and I know that most small cities don't have the variety of marine chandleries that we do in Naptown.

  10. #30

    Re: West Marine Owned by International Paper

    I only rarely buy actual boat parts at WM, it's usually boat shoes and clothes.
    I used to buy parts there, but since the merger the prices went sky high and the quality in the toilet, everything is the shoddiest Chinese junk they could find.
    In addition WM only carries parts for sub 40' vessels (try to Find a 4" seacock or hose there 3/4" is the biggest they carry).
    I don't know about elsewhere, but in San Diego they concentrate on crap for newbie 35' sailboat owners that don't know anything. Folding cockpit tables, ten kinds of things to clamp on the railings, all "accessories" not real parts and all Chinese made.
    I'm lucky that near me there is San Diego Marine Exchange that caters to large boats and carries top quality products, most often for less than WM.
    If need a new electronics package or just a new radar I will hire Seanet Electronics, a small, very knowledgeable local shop that installs and services - and stands behind - what they sell.
    "The older I get, the faster I was......."

    1979 60C "Ohana" hull# 331

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