Halfords prepare for battle with Specialized UK.

[Steveb]

Recently Halfords have started advertising low end Specialized on it's direct to the consumer website at a considerable discount to the RRP. In an attempt to pre-empt the kicking it was about to receive from it's dealer network Specialized released a statement clearly saying that Halfords did not get the bikes from them, and that any Specialized sold in Halfords will not come with an official Spesh warranty:

"Any Specialized bikes bought from Halfords.com will come without the original manufacturer's warranty. It's buyer beware." Goes the press release.

So what's going on then?

Industry commentators believe this move by Halfords is just the first salvo in a war aimed at bagging Specialized. When the UK distributor lodges a complaint, Halfords could lodge a complant of its own to the Office of Fair Trading.

Where did Halfords get the bikes? Aggressive, big-box retailers often source from abroad - importing products on the 'grey' market - or buy at retail prices from existing, official stockists of the brand in question and then sell at a loss.

Halfords could have also sourced via its insurance replacements business.

Halfords have now hit back at the Specialized statement Confirming that the boxed Hardrock's and Rockhopper's on its website are part of a campaign to force high-end brands to play ball, Halfords has issued a combatitive statement regarding its spat with Specialized UK. Halfords also widens the offensive to include other premium brands:


"As the UK's largest retailer of bikes, Halfords is committed to making the widest range available at competitive prices to our customers."

"Why should premium bike manufacturers try to operate a pricing cooperative by consistently refusing to deal with major multiples?

"We see no reason why we should not bring Specialized – or any other premium bike brand - to our customers."

[AndyL]

Surely as a customer, your warranty is with the shop you bought it in, not with the manufacturer? (If I'm remembering the consumer act correctly) It's up to the shop to deal with their distributor, so if Halfords warranty the bike, it hasn't got anything to do with Spesh... Or am I way off?

If they are grey imports, then halfords have to deal with their suppliers for warranty issues I'd have thought, tho this would probably mean a pretty drawn out process for a claim!!!

What sort of prices?

[chris_the_sham]

hardrocks tenner cheaper than anyhere else, then add p and p. not a good ploy.

rockhoppers are 100 cheaper i think. mmm halfords or mconveys - tough choice

[andyh]

yeah Halfords haven't got out of their responsibility which basically revolves around sale of good's act, reading above they have said they aren't warrantied by spesh.

Retailers liability is a bit fuzzy because they are only liable for a 'reasonable' period of time, which is pretty grey.

Of course what you do is talk about trading standards and National TV.

It basically comes down to how much the bad PR is worth.

More importantly though, how is this all going to impact the LBS trade ?

[Steveb]

Realistically it won't hit the LBS. They'll bleet their little hearts out of course, but history has shown that Halfords fail time after time to capture the mid to top end, traditionally LBS business.

It will however impact everyone if Halfords are able to push the whole "dealership" program to the point of breakin it, which in this day and age will not be terribly hard being that OFT is pretty much convince that every industry that sells anything over the price of a packet of fags is in someway invloved in price fixing.

The really scary thing is that most of the individuals involved in the OFT really don't understand bikes. They accept that cars are complicated things and so need to set and enforce miniumum standards for car mechanics, but most think a bike is a bike, so can be sold and service by anyone. The reality is of course that in say NI, I'd say it's fairly safe to say that less than 10% of bike shops would know how to correctly set up a front disc brake, so when many are so ignorant to the in's and out's of modern bikes we need tighter legislation to protect the unknowing public.

Of course it's worth remembering that Tescos actually lost the Levi/Tesco case on the grounds that Levi claimed that staff had to be trained to sell their product correctly so thier is still hope for the LBS.

:)

[andyh]

do you think the fact that Halfords are the Governments partner in the Green Transport Plan scheme will influence the OFT ?

Conspircay theorist me ?

Never !

;)

[Steveb]

Do you think government dept's are that organised?

[andyh]

certainly when it comes to big back handers

[the doozers]

all grey imports can be dodgy because the dealer in question ie halfords may not have the resources ie the spares for any warranty claims, they also may give a limited warranty as its there own and not the full manufactures warranty and halfords arnt the most well known for being able to sort out problems

so you could have a frame break after a year and youd be stuffed :eek:

and beyond that mcconveys do a price match anyway

[andyh]

are mconveys any easier getting warranty work done ?

[roryd]

halfords warranty runs for one year, and some of the suppliers add, an extended warranty on parts(usually frames) and basically i think that it is that which specialized are not offering...bummer.