every one here encounters problems when we go back for garantee. For my personal experience I had problems due that they wanted money for sending back my suit for repair. So this for me means that when you are going to spend a considirable sum it would be better to buy it online cos the garantee will be the same and for sure you will spend less even with the postage.
The shop is there to sell but like all other busness we give good money so we espect good service. I always went with cash money and for that I hate when someone jokes with me.
Emic, I think you cannot make such blanket statements about shops in Malta.
First of all let me make it clear that i am the beuchat agent and my father and uncle own shops in valletta (expo) and in gzira (aquamarina) so my interest is declared.
There are many shops that are very reliable and trustworthy and always honour their guarantees and their responsabilities. I am a supplier myself and within reason always try to replace faulty items immediately. Of course we depend on our suppliers too. As to buying online there are advantages and disadvantages. I personally prefer knowing exactly who i'm buying from and knowing i can go back when something is wrong or i need aftersales.
The guarantee is not the only thing. You need to consider aftersales service also. Whoever knows us and buys from us or our clients knows that we not only make sure we have all the necessary parts for the items we carry but continue to do so for a long time after the products even stop being produced. We believe in customer service and whoever knows us knows we have always given excellent service. You know very well that this is the case.
Although the customer is always right and you are right in demanding excellent service and products for the money you spend, everything has to be taken in context. If i have a problem with a product i should go to the shop where i bought it and expect the shop to fix the problem. Nobody likes being taken for a ride its true but you also need to understand shops and suppliers. We see many false claims of damages when the damage would have been a result of improper use so sometimes we are over sceptical on the otherhand damages can and will occur and we cannot expect all items to be perfect though we might wish them to be!
From our end we promise the best service and aftersales possible and that's a guarantee!
I didn t ment to make a bad blanket about any shops in Malta. I was speaking about the way garantee needs to worked out. Sorry if there is a misunderstending but I write my english as I feel it to say it in maltese (ma andiex O levels ta l inglis ;) ). Yes there is a lot of other shops that have really good service and this is shown by the type of clients he has. Here I write as I done always (personal) cos where is good I say that is good and where is bad i say that its bad. Im an inporter too and know how things work.
When I advice a thing or a guy I know what I am doing cos I don t like that after I have any words saying I adviced for my personal issius.
Infact last week there was a guy that bought a marlin carbon elite and I had adviced him for the best setup I found on it. Yesturday we meet and he told me that he was not happy for the personal setup he made and I wasn t surprice hearing that. I know that rubber cos I tried it 5 years ago. As for seahunter I put him a good setup and he is fishing with the double barb where he caught even a dentex. He is starting and I like to show what others showed to me.
Anyway, as i said I didn t wanted to make any bad name on our local shops but thats why we have choice from where we buy. Clients fill the shops and the service keeps them coming
Quote from: ctclaude on August 21, 2008, 20:56:52 CET
Emic, I think you cannot make such blanket statements about shops in Malta.
First of all let me make it clear that i am the beuchat agent and my father and uncle own shops in valletta (expo) and in gzira (aquamarina) so my interest is declared.
There are many shops that are very reliable and trustworthy and always honour their guarantees and their responsabilities. I am a supplier myself and within reason always try to replace faulty items immediately. Of course we depend on our suppliers too. As to buying online there are advantages and disadvantages. I personally prefer knowing exactly who i'm buying from and knowing i can go back when something is wrong or i need aftersales.
The guarantee is not the only thing. You need to consider aftersales service also. Whoever knows us and buys from us or our clients knows that we not only make sure we have all the necessary parts for the items we carry but continue to do so for a long time after the products even stop being produced. We believe in customer service and whoever knows us knows we have always given excellent service. You know very well that this is the case.
Although the customer is always right and you are right in demanding excellent service and products for the money you spend, everything has to be taken in context. If i have a problem with a product i should go to the shop where i bought it and expect the shop to fix the problem. Nobody likes being taken for a ride its true but you also need to understand shops and suppliers. We see many false claims of damages when the damage would have been a result of improper use so sometimes we are over sceptical on the otherhand damages can and will occur and we cannot expect all items to be perfect though we might wish them to be!
From our end we promise the best service and aftersales possible and that's a guarantee!
If you want people to purchase from maltese shops you need to make offers like the ones in other countries and internet sites, not keeping high prices but reasonable ones!
An idea is to make sales on older models of wetsuits, spearguns etc. Especially on items made in Taiwan! Products like socks, gloves and some wetsuits. (Hawn Malta hallelin my friend).
Why don't you make your own site where we can purchase online with reasonable prices! Or make offers for a period of time.
Quote from: Arti2 on August 28, 2008, 00:07:35 CET
Quote from: ctclaude on August 21, 2008, 20:56:52 CET
Emic, I think you cannot make such blanket statements about shops in Malta.
First of all let me make it clear that i am the beuchat agent and my father and uncle own shops in valletta (expo) and in gzira (aquamarina) so my interest is declared.
There are many shops that are very reliable and trustworthy and always honour their guarantees and their responsabilities. I am a supplier myself and within reason always try to replace faulty items immediately. Of course we depend on our suppliers too. As to buying online there are advantages and disadvantages. I personally prefer knowing exactly who i'm buying from and knowing i can go back when something is wrong or i need aftersales.
The guarantee is not the only thing. You need to consider aftersales service also. Whoever knows us and buys from us or our clients knows that we not only make sure we have all the necessary parts for the items we carry but continue to do so for a long time after the products even stop being produced. We believe in customer service and whoever knows us knows we have always given excellent service. You know very well that this is the case.
Although the customer is always right and you are right in demanding excellent service and products for the money you spend, everything has to be taken in context. If i have a problem with a product i should go to the shop where i bought it and expect the shop to fix the problem. Nobody likes being taken for a ride its true but you also need to understand shops and suppliers. We see many false claims of damages when the damage would have been a result of improper use so sometimes we are over sceptical on the otherhand damages can and will occur and we cannot expect all items to be perfect though we might wish them to be!
From our end we promise the best service and aftersales possible and that's a guarantee!
If you want people to purchase from maltese shops you need to make offers like the ones in other countries and internet sites, not keeping high prices but reasonable ones!
As you said
arti i agree with what you said but as you qouated I don t agree with this. It isn for personnal isius but as here is mentioned beuchat I can confirem that prices are very reasonable. Check all around the web and you can find the same prices and sometimes higher too. As for the service I saw their garantee and as me (EDWARD MICALLEF) thats a way how garantee works.
Just last week they showed me a problem regarding a suit. It wasn t a factory defect but still they tried to help as they can.
As for the prices all the members here we have a good discount from them. So if the service and cost are good I will be happy to buy locally.
My problem I had with my suit was about saying that the seller from where I had bought the suit was saying that it wasn t his issue to contact the factory for a single problem. hahahaha........ and after asking them what should I do they stold me "what do you espect me to do, telling them to hurry up, I can t even catch them on the phone cos they don t speack english" (I have things that can conferm this) and for me it was just 10mins to contact them on 3 mobile phones.
Thats a way how to chose a shop from another. And there is the difference from where to to shop from the web, same fins as freediver and bagira had baught at 400euros can be bought at 239euros.
arti your idea is just fine but the problem is that we lack both the funds and the demand to sustain such reductions in prices
Malta is a small country which usually restricts store space.... to get discounts you need to buy in bulk... i.e. you have to make it viable for your supplier to give you discounts.... at the benefit that a higher quantity purchases yields a higher profit to the supplier.
As a supplier i have something to add on the issue of internet purchasing - As in all internet purchases you are buying from someone you have neithermet or know where you can find him except on-line. This means that whilst getting a good price (not always) you do not have the confidence you have in local shops. One must understand that when you walk into a shop in Malta and you find an item you can just pick off the shelve there is a considerable amount of valua added as opposed to something you buy off the internet. How many people use shops just as a showcase - they have a look at the product and when convinced go and buy that same product off the internet - it happens and shops nowadays must accept that however a good and inteeligent customer and a good and intelligent supplier/shop owner knows that it is best to have a good relationship with your supplier/customer as there is nothing better than to walk into a shop and find what you need, have the benefit of aftersales service etc.
I might be exagerating a bit but what if shops stop carrying certain products and we have to buy everything over the internet... dont you think it would not be ideal? We cannot compare prices directly you need to first of all consider exchange rates (where applicable), postage and package and then factor in time of delivery, aftersales service etc.
Guys, create a good relationship with a shop of your confidence and whilst shopping around on the internet is good use that to communicate with your prefered shop so that if possible he can try and give you a better price or at least one which come close. As in everything we are in a market and in a market we haggle. Sometimes you win one sometimes you lose one but keep in mind that without a healthy local market, many of us and particularly the clients will be seriously handicapped.
Regards
Claude
Claude, since when do you have permission to insult people who purchase over the internet. It is for the exact reason that I am an intelligent customer that I purchase stuff from the net. The ridiculus marked up prices we are asked from shops here in Malta makes one take the calculated risk of buying over the net. Reputable online stores offer excellent customer value and aftersales service, not to mention that the prices are usually half the purchase price in Malta, and that's after adding CIF and tax. People here, including myself, have had goods exchanged or resent without extra cost or stupid, but albeit probing questions, be asked. Its a very competitive world out there, and Malta businesses should check out there prices before trying to make a quick windfall with :igh percentage markups.
Before the season started i had problems with the trim of my outboard(JOHNSON).I went to check for parts at the local agent here.He gave me a big shock.I had over 500 Maltese liri damage.When i went home i had a look around the net for good prices......which i found.I will make a small summary of the different prices that i found.Trim caps Malta price LM49 EACH--internet price LM13.Pistons LM 150 EACH which i found 2 for LM50.And the most shocking thing the rubber seals.....This is good guys...Malta LM 60---internet USD 8.I finished paying LM105 for 2 trim caps,2 pistons and rubber seals and the total price includes priority fedex courier that took only 2 days to be in malta.All parts were New genuine Johnson not imitation.Now thats what i call a bargain......And you want us to buy from local shops ;)
Quote from: The_Gaffer on August 28, 2008, 18:08:46 CET
Claude, since when do you have permission to insult people who purchase over the internet.
Joe, don't think he was insulting anyone, just expressing a viewpoint!
Sadly many shops do work on the principal of making a quick buck using a high margin strategy because they don't have the volume. This coupled with bad pricing received from manufacturers/distributors because the local market is small (so no volume discounts), plus the overheads of the shop operation and you get the high prices.
It's not applicable in all sectors and across all products, but as The Gaffer points out, some shop owners really do insult us with their prices and attitude. With the current rate of exchange against the dollar being so advantageous for us (at least up till a few months ago), even with the high shipping rates from the US and duty, items like fishing reels still come out at half price!
For me if there's more than a 20% difference I won't buy it locally as I feel that the local advantage has then been lost. Alot of sales people in shops don't know what they're talking about so you no added value there, perhaps even the opposite at times. But yes if you find the right shop/staff and build a relationship with them, this can go a long way to helping.
I think most will agree that if it's a big/bulky/heavy item they probably won't buy it over the Internet and perhaps some people even have a $$ threshold.
Due to my job im an inporter too. A thing that I had to do so was cos of the garantee. I do security systems and the thing of leaving a client without a security system on I cannot stand it,and when I used to buy the staff locally I used to loose a lot of money for giving the garantee instaed of my suppier. Was n t good cos I was paying good money and there was my job involved. From some years I started to inport all my needed staff and with my suppliers I have a good relation which helped me with my garantee and where ever I buy from outside EU they still give me to start 3 years garantee.
well with regards to guarantee, it seems to me that we are by far away from the common European standards. by law, any shop is entitled to give a 2 year guarantee, but if they give you 1 year it is a miracle
CTCLAUDE, i could quite talk against your guarantee in a recent past, if you pm me i show you why... but maybe i should say that in your case the situation changed in positive and the customer service improved a lot at expo
i have to note that i recently bought a very expensive rod from mr fish, and when i asked him for warranty.... not that the rod needs it ..... cause i bought it for it's durability and it is a jdm.... he replied that guarantee does no exist on rods.....
c mon from italy- i bought rods from a supplier smaller than mr fish with better prices (50% lower) and with 3 years guarantee along with the possibility to service my equipment....
in my opinion that's what i call a good service but in malta we live in a jungle
Sometimes there are good prices EMIC but there are also fake items which today you cannot recognize clearly. As I said from particular shops everything you but is made in China and Taiwan!
As for EXPO I had no problems concerning after sales.
Arti2... Nike is made in Taiwan.... Adidas too.... Most major and well known brands are manufactured in China and Taiwan. Some manufacturers are proud to leave the label as is (Made in Taiwan/China) and others have the goods exported to their factories in Europe and affix a made in EU label! Believe me, I know what I'm saying!
The Gaffer, i had no intention of insulting anyone - am sorry you took it that way. the point i was trying to make is that it always makes sense to have a good supplier to customer relationship (even if this is on internet or anywhere else) i was just pointingout that having a good supplier to customer relationship locally is the best option.
Granitu, i do not know your particular case and I hope you have been given the best service possible. Expo is my father's shop and in his over 40 years of service had very few instances where a client was not satisfied. He had a brand which ceased to exist 25 years ago and he is still offering parts and service with the limited parts he has. On the other hand we (and our products) are not perfect and/or infallable so sometimes we have problems too... If you are still unsatisfied about something we will try our best to help - give me the details. I just want to make it clear that my brother Simon and I are now (from this year) the importers/wholesalers of Beuchat Diving and spearfishing equipment and the retail shop Expo in Valletta belongs to My Father Paul.
Skip, thank you i think you understood me very well and you make some very interesting points too. Volume is definitely an issue. Let me give an example - we sell only a few carbon fins and sometimes once a new model is out you get lumped with the old model. Shops are very careful not to load such products with a lot of profit. the old model must then be sold at a loss as just putting the price down to cost is not enough. Some shops opt not to stock and therefore order on a needs basis but thene this gives you little advantage over internet buying!
Back to the internet vs shop issue i think that comparisons need to be put in context. One could easily save a few euros by buying certain things over the net but can you buy everything over the net? When the guarantee is over what will you do for servicing if need be? as you all know it is not always worth it to get small (low-cost) items off the net as postage costs sometimes exceed the price of the object...
I'm not against internet buying and it is a reality that shops and suppliers need to take as a challenge however clients need shops for their day-to day purchases and should not belittle this. Let me give some examples. You might find that buying a harpoon on-line will save you 20 euros after all expenses are included but when it comes to buying a shaft or other related items chances are that you are better off buying them from Malta. A shop in Malta has a number of overheads that he has to cover and hence the profit margin. If the local shop is only selling the parts he will close down leaving the local industry with limited supply. Can you imagine having to buy everything on-line? Sometimes you might need something quickly would one be ready to wait a week or two for it in the peak of the season?
At the moment clients have the benefit of having the internet and the local industry. If the local industry continues to be depleated (as it has in the recent past) there might be shops who will stop supplying for example spearfishing equipment (which is quite a limited market especially the professional sector) and turn to more profitable ventures. Will the internet fulfill the daily needs of the spearfishermen then?
One last example of service - a couple of weeks ago i supplied a suit to Aquamarina (Gzira) who in turn sold this suit to a client. The client had a problem with the suit and returned it. We sent pictures of the suit to Beuchat and they said they would not replace the suit as they said the damage was a result of improper use. If this item was sold via internet it would have stopped there. Because we know the shop and the shop assured us the client used the product properly and is a good client we agreed to changing the product at our own cost (locally) in order to keep the client happy and satisfied and to keep up the goodwill of Beuchat and the shop that sold the product....
Sorry for writing at lenght but got carried away... cheers :o)
too true emic, in USA most things are made in Taiwan, Korea and China but usually are made for an American company that will carry its name and lifetime (not 2 years) guarantee.
I think its a matter of choice, its true there are imitations out there but if u use a good company, for us in fishing there are lots to name a few Cabela, BassPro, west Marine, Leadertec etc, u are practically guaranteed to have a good service and a genuine product. So why shouldnt i save my hard earned cash. A price up of 20% as skip mentioned is decent so i would buy from Malta but more than than i opt to buy off internet.
Hi there
This is of course a nice and interesting subject, but what is for sure, it will bring up various complaints, and viewpoints.
I personaly think that this is subject to personal opinion. There are also people who are born as cheaters (amongst sellers), and others born complainants (amongst clients).
I personally love shopping from the local market, when I find a reputable supplier. But I indeed love finding a bargain on the net and take the advantage. I surely beleive that one has to find a certain balance whilst shopping.
As claude mentioned. I do not know you personally, and I have no personal interest in your company, but what is sure is that years have passed since I bought my first item from your father, and I still recon the smile on your brother's face running around the shop. I still am a good cutomer of yours', and will also travel with your brother to egypt in the close future. I really appreciate the customer care that you have, and when dealing with such persons, one knows that when he has a problem, the person will go to the seller with confidence, because he knows that these will do their best to help. That smile, and little discount (although it for sure is predicted marketing) help a lot. So keep it up......
But not all suppliers are as such. I also had many other good and bad experiances with other suppliers. And I am also sure that the net also helps to clarify some of these issues. I am convinced of the fact that many suppliers cheat, simply because of the fact that it is something between you and him. But when the issue goes on the net,, then...................noeone likes a bad name.
I like it when local suppliers specialise into selling of particular field. You get more knowledge out of it. I personally met other good brands, but for example if you buy a speargun from a pet shop, or a shop selling fishing tackle, you will never get close to cutomer satisfaction, due to the fact that the shop and personell are not specialised in answering your questions.
Anyway good luck to all buyers net or local, and hope we all get a good service from all of our suppliers
Hi mates,
since I am an importer I just would like to say something.Since I am importing fishing goods mainly for fishing from land and for boats that don't go that far out for trolling and bottom fishing I would like to add something to what Baghira said.I only import tackle that I know how to advise someone about its use.For example I talked a little to skip about trolling in open waters but since I never experienced that type of fishing I just cannot import items to satisfy those type of clients since I cannot give them advise and I don't know what are their needs.What I mean is that if you want to sell you need to give good advise or the clients will not come back and you never need to push someone to buy something he needs to choose you just have to explain the items use.
Hi all
i am not a frequent contributor to this forum but i follow the articles daily. I wish to say somehting regarding buying locally. I used to pratice spearfishing however ihad to stop fo an indefinte period of time due to ear and sinus complications. As a result i decided to dedicate some time on fishing mostly trolling with the coast. To start with i went to a local tackle shop to buy my first trolling rod and was disapppointed on how the salesmen are so eager or 'trained' to sell you things in such a way that they put you off, like; this rod is good for you even this so why don't you take them both and switch over from one to aonthe to see which fits you bet. Me being so new to this typr of fihsing will start to feel confused and i end up looking at everything with no specific idea what to buy.
Would like to thank spitec for his help and advice he gave me. Bought a rod and reel and some tackle from him at extra ordinary prices which one would never dream of buying at that rate from local shops. The qulaity is very good and very value for money. Apart from the prce i like a lot that relationship between buyer and seller and the honest advice being given on what is good or not for that particular kind of fihsing. Thanks spitec highly recomended
Barbun
Yep, I like the end....................that's what we like to hear...............
I must admit, it appears the shops in Malta have very little to purchase unless I have been to the wrong ones. GPS, fishfinders allready rigged longlines and buckets so far have been nowhere to be found, they only seem good for reels, lures and sinkers. As a result it looks like rather than spend the money in Malta it goes to the UK and Spain
last week I bought some things from Greece due that could nt find them locally. even I paid 40euro for the shipping but I had 4kgs of weights, a belt, and some other staff.
When I opened the parcel all the staff was there but the belt was nt the one I have ordered (to fit to my custom-made weights) so I sent them an email telling them my problem. It s not for the money spent on the belt but I needed it. In less then 24hr they replied my mail saying that they already sent me another one and to keep even the first one for free.
That what we I call customer service at 5 star
148148 it depends on what longlines you need.
For bottom longlines send a pm to ganni on the forum he might help you out.
For surface longlines i would go down to gorg in marsaxlokk or ernest and they will guide you. I have heard of someone with the name of patist who does longlines but i do not know where he is situated and if he is still alive. But Id pop down at marsoxlokk and even speak with profsessional fishermen.
We do all our longlines ourselves
Quote from: 148148 on July 18, 2009, 10:32:43 CET
I must admit, it appears the shops in Malta have very little to purchase unless I have been to the wrong ones. GPS, fishfinders allready rigged longlines and buckets so far have been nowhere to be found, they only seem good for reels, lures and sinkers. As a result it looks like rather than spend the money in Malta it goes to the UK and Spain
GPS and Fishfinders you're going to the wrong place mate!!!
For Raymarine - www.rlryachting.com (Ask for Matthew)
Garmin/Furuno/Simrad - www.medcomms.com.mt (Ask for Mark)
Lowrance/Koden/Eagle - www.caruanamarine.com
Humminbird - Camilleri Marine http://www.ellcee.com/f you look in the relevant section of the forum, Engines/Drives and Electronics you would have seen who gets what locally and members comments on the equipment, failing that the search bar is your friend :)
We are about to go to the market at Marsaslok, at the begining of the market, there is usually a guy selling fishing gear, has anyone purchased anything from this guy, or should I stay clear of him.
I am not being funny, just thought I would ask if the gear he is selling is worth buying.
Thanks
Captain Gus
for the time being you've got quite a selection, however.... let me know what he's got and maybe we'll go down for a quick drive to see what he's offering early next sunday if you're up for it....
Just been to Ta'Bormla, in Mosta, for the first time, thanks to recommendations from guys on the forum.
Bought myself a few lures and some other stuff.
The staff in the shop could not have been more helpfull, they were very friendly and once I had explained what I wanted, they went out of their way to make sure that I was buying the right gear and gave me plenty of advise on how to use gear correctly.
A definate 5* for the staff and the shop, I shall be going back to shop there, whenever I need any fishing gear.
captain Gus