Scooterotica

What's done is done up to the individual who they buy from competition is good for the consumer.

Think AF were a bit out of order on this..........shame really, they're tarnishing their good name for a few pounds worth of profit. The sales of the heads won't generate a fantastic income but a good reputation is priceless..............,

ducksta wrote:What's done is done up to the individual who they buy from competition is good for the consumer.

I think the AF heads are dearer than the Avanti's........where's the benefit to the consumer ? That just means a bigger profit to AF

mick1 wrote:

ducksta wrote:What's done is done up to the individual who they buy from competition is good for the consumer.

I think the AF heads are dearer than the Avanti's........where's the benefit to the consumer ? That just means a bigger profit to AF

So Ron should not be worried then?

ducksta wrote:What's done is done up to the individual who they buy from competition is good for the consumer.

Although the deed is done the adage that it's good for the customer is not is not always true. To manufacture even in a cottage industry such as ours there has to be a reasonable margin especially if you produce parts in the UK.

The irony is that if this type of local skill and manufacturing is forced out by low cost or duplication of manufacture ultimately the quality will suffer when manufacturers aggressively compete. If the quality suffers the customers will suffer also, ultimately it's about trust and consumer confidence. It's also about constructive co-operation (not cartel-ing) between suppliers. From what I understand from this thread, the price is the same so even in this instance of competition I don't see what was "good" for the customer.

The important thing that sets the vintage Lambretta scene apart from normal FMCG or white goods activities is that we require longevity (no one is planning to trade their Italian Lambretta for a Chinese twist-and-go because it's 1/10 the price). We want our scooters to have reliability, quality and also legacy (be it the history, provenance of parts or passing on to your kids). This is why we go to extreme lengths to preserve the marque and it needs (IMO) to be a holistic approach from root to tip.

I think this is more about morals and principles.

There is no great fortune to be made from selling the heads, maybe a few hundred a year are sold, so no ones going to be retiring on the profits.

one last question on this to ron- was this a complete suprise the AF head when it appeared or did you know it was coming to market?.
If not i can see the moral argument as you have traded with AF.

You can just imagine the scene at AF. Don't answer that phone. It might be Ron.

mick1 wrote:I think this is more about morals and principles.

There is no great fortune to be made from selling the heads, maybe a few hundred a year are sold, so no ones going to be retiring on the profits.

True, you won't sell any more TS1's