Integrity of hockeybranch.com?

[madness 0]

Does anyone know of the integrity of hockeybranch.com? There is not much on their site that they are revealing about their company. Have any of you purchased from there before? They are cheaper than normal, so I'm kind of skeptical.

[JR Boucicaut 3797]

The guy came on here and spammed.

[madness 0]

can you elaborate?

[JR Boucicaut 3797]

He signed up and tried to talk up his store, then listed a bunch of product for sale. Big no-no on MSH.

[madness 0]

is the thread still there?

[JR Boucicaut 3797]

No.

[Chadd 916]

After he did it the first time, I asked him not to do it again. Then he did it again.

[shute 4]

i got my CCM PF10 skates from them and i got nothing but great service all the way. can't go wrong with the prices and free shipping either.

[freakonaleesh 0]

I ordered a pair of 950's from them yesterday and requested next day air and got them. No complaints. Will go back.

[ExitTwoEighty 7]

looks like mission or someone contacted them. The 950's are at 399 now.

[freakonaleesh 0]

Yea thats what I paid for them. They also gave me $30 off towards next purchase which is really SWEET! Customer Service there is good. Plus cant beat the free shipping on all there products.

[ExitTwoEighty 7]

that's pretty freaking sweet of a deal. I'm gonna order there next when i need stuff.

[#96 0]

The prices on their site were changed because SOMEONE on HERE complained. Talk about about being a baby, what's the deal if a company wants to sell below a specified MSRP. It's their loss if they want to sell at a certain price, knowing they could/should be charging more. SOMEONE really blew for the buyers on this site, and it's not cool. Babies...

[Chadd 916]

The prices on their site were changed because SOMEONE on HERE complained. Talk about about being a baby, what's the deal if a company wants to sell below a specified MSRP. It's their loss if they want to sell at a certain price, knowing they could/should be charging more. SOMEONE really blew for the buyers on this site, and it's not cool. Babies...

Whenever someone mentions a price on here, manufacturers see it. If those manufacturers have policies regarding online pricing, they will most likely enforce them.

[#96 0]

What was wrong with the pricing? Were they breaking a law? I don't get what the big deal is for them to sell so low? Are they supposed to wait and not blow out competitors or something? Isn't that the nature of Capitalism? If they are told to sell at a certain price by manufacturers, isn't that PRICE FIXING? A big no-no...

[mik3 1]

I'm sure they know of the fact mission has a lowest price available to sell online.

And, undercutting is shoddy business practice.

[#96 0]

If there is an agreement to sell at a certain price, then that's the deal. I have no problem with that. But "undercutting"??? You must be aware of Price Fixing, and how illegal it is. However, it still occurs. It's a nasty practice. I saw how people undercut on a daily basis though, it happens, and it is BETTER for the consumer. Also, manufacturers, believe it or not, do speak to each other, and although price setting is illegal, they all agree not to go below certain price points on some items, so as to not cut short each other's possible sales numbers. It's really disgusting that they get away with it, cuz in the end, the consumer gets screwed. So when a good deal comes our way, I hate to see it get ruined. That's all.

[Chadd 916]

What was wrong with the pricing? Were they breaking a law? I don't get what the big deal is for them to sell so low? Are they supposed to wait and not blow out competitors or something? Isn't that the nature of Capitalism? If they are told to sell at a certain price by manufacturers, isn't that PRICE FIXING? A big no-no...

No, you can sell at whatever price you want. You just can't advertise a lower price.

[JR Boucicaut 3797]

Most mfgrs make you sign a document concerning online pricing. Obviously they have violated the agreement.

[#96 0]

Well that's all I needed to know. If there are agreements or contracts, then they should uphold them.

Thanks JR/Chadd for clearing it up. They obvioulsly broke some agreement, cuz they changed the price.

The price was sooooo good though :(...Chadd, if I get you correctly, they have to advertise a certain price online, magazines, etc..but if I were to call them, and smooth-talk them down, I could get them to sell much lower, and it wouldn't be violating any rules?

[Chadd 916]

I saw someone with actual pricing on eagle gloves the other day. I was told we couldn't do it. It's just hard when some guys play by the rules and others don't.

Chadd, if I get you correctly, they have to advertise a certain price online, magazines, etc..but if I were to call them, and smooth-talk them down, I could get them to sell much lower, and it wouldn't be violating any rules?

As far as I know, that is correct. I haven't read the agreement in a few months so I can't tell you exactly what it says.

[shute 4]

well i don't want to be kicked out of this board so i'm not going to make any comments. but i'm sure you can e-mail this website and swing some kinda of discount.

[#96 0]

You shouldn't have to worry about getting kicked off the board for making comments. That's the whole purspose of this board, to post your opinions...although I think we are supposed to keep it just about hockey :). But the topic did kind of upset me that there might be a snitch on here, but both JR and Chadd were very upfront, and I kept respectable, didn't use foul language, and they kept it going. That's they way it should be done. I'm very happy with the outcome.

[JR Boucicaut 3797]

There is not a snitch. You have the senior product manager for Mission as a registered AND participating member, plus you have a lot of other employees at Mission reading this board.

Mission's policy is that stores that have an online presence MUST sell their top-end skates at a certain price. It helps the smaller stores because they do not have to worry about online stores undercutting the price. Obviously this Hockeybranch guy violated that agreement, which could result in his account being terminated.

Shute - people like you piss me off. You go and say that you got great service. What did he do for you? NOTHING. You knew what you wanted, he just happened to have the cheapest price. There wasn't any interaction between you and him other than just whipping out the credit card and calling it a day. I would love to be the LHS you visit when your boot falls apart or have any malfunctions with the skate. If I were that store, I'd laugh you out of the shop.

#96 - It IS a good thing. It allows your LHS to stay on an even playing field. For instance, back when I ran a store, when it came to Mission, based on the price that they gave online stores to list, we were able to go LOWER than that, and not have to hear the customer go "Well, I saw it on Hockeybranch for this price, can you match?" I could tell them without a doubt in my mind that I was lower than online. The result? Great service from me to the customer, the customer is assured a great fit, and he gets the skates instantly. A win-win situation in my book.

[zingbergeur 0]

I just have a few comments as an econ major. The reason these price floors exist is because of the predatory pricing of places like hockeybranch. It is really too bad that some places try to sell below cost for the sole purpose of wiping out competition. In the short run, maybe you can get a good deal on a pair of skates, but in the long run(if this type of behavior is allowed to continue), you will be paying more than the MSRP because many LHS's and other online retailers will be forced out of the market. The cost of re-entry is relatively high, and you'll be left with less online retailers and LHS's....which would be terrible for the consumer.