So I bought my first pair of skates from a LHS...

[jimmy 194]

Not necessarily - is internet beating you on ALL items in your store? Or just closeouts?

Not at all, virtually all my prices in my store are same as internet, except closeouts. Problem is with skates, people are too stupid to realize that the skate prices are higher because of fitting, heat molding, first sharpening and the service that is required after the sale. I will gladly sell any skate for the exact same price as the internet shops if the customer simply tells me what size he wants, he pays me, I give him the box and he walks out with it sight unseen and of course gets no services. I always tell customers that when they mention they can get it cheaper online. But they always want the service part.

[NuggyBuggy 0]

To the guys who seem most upset about the idea of a fitting fee/ service, do you buy your skates from the LHS or online?

I have never bought skates online and do not plan to. I once spent too much money on a top-end pair of skates that misfit me so badly (2+ sizes) that a sharpener could see they were too big for me as soon as I handed them to him. Those skates, by the way, were sold to me by an LHS. I vowed to never get screwed like that again, and one way is to deal only with an LHS I know and trust.

I have also read too many horror stories here about hassles with misaligned holders, etc. that I doubt it would be worth my bother, and even if after all that I were willing to risk buying online, the shipping, brokerage and duties (to Canada) would probably dilute any deal.

That being said, on principle I would not pay a fitting fee unless I had no other options available to me. I am smart enough to recognize the valuable services that LHS can provide in a skate sale, and have benefitted in subtle ways from being known as a good customer at two LHSes in my area, but I am also proud enough to resent being treated under the assumption that I might be ripping them off. And I have not found an LHS that stocks every line of skate.

[DarkStar50 679]

Where were you during the fitting that you bought skates 2+ sizes too big? I am not trying to bust your chops but the customer trying on the skates is ultimately responsible to decide whether or not the skates fit. This is after trying different sizes and widths to determine the skates that fit best. When trying on skates you should eventually try on the pair too small to fit to know that the next size is the one does fit correctly.

BTW, no LHS can afford to stock every line of skates.

[jimmy 194]

BTW, no LHS can afford to stock every line of skates.

Nor every web store either. None that I know of stocks every model, or every size skate.

[TBLfan 25]

To the guys who seem most upset about the idea of a fitting fee/ service, do you buy your skates from the LHS or online?

I have never bought skates online and do not plan to. I once spent too much money on a top-end pair of skates that misfit me so badly (2+ sizes) that a sharpener could see they were too big for me as soon as I handed them to him. Those skates, by the way, were sold to me by an LHS. I vowed to never get screwed like that again, and one way is to deal only with an LHS I know and trust.

I have also read too many horror stories here about hassles with misaligned holders, etc. that I doubt it would be worth my bother, and even if after all that I were willing to risk buying online, the shipping, brokerage and duties (to Canada) would probably dilute any deal.

That being said, on principle I would not pay a fitting fee unless I had no other options available to me. I am smart enough to recognize the valuable services that LHS can provide in a skate sale, and have benefitted in subtle ways from being known as a good customer at two LHSes in my area, but I am also proud enough to resent being treated under the assumption that I might be ripping them off. And I have not found an LHS that stocks every line of skate.

So you wouldn't pay a fitting fee based on the principle that... what?

You're going to be refunded the cost when you buy skates, so you have nothing to lose... AND I'm sure that if you can't find anything that fits you a good LHS will either try to help you find something that will work or maybe refund your skate fitting fee when you buy something else from them(if you can't get the skates you want/need from them).

[Chadd 916]

I was improperly fitted for skates years ago in a LHS that is now out of business, go figure. Having run a shop, I can understand the logic of a fitting fee. As a picky customer, I want to try on everything to see what is going to fit my feet the best. As DS50 mentioned, not every shop can stock every skate. So now I have to go to 3 or 4 or even 5 shops to try on every brand. Am I going to pay $10-$25 at each of them to find the skate that fits me best? The obvious answer is no, I will not. More effective pricing policies need to be in place, like what Graf and Mission do with online sales. Sell them in your shop for whatever you want but don't advertise them or sell them online for less than $X. It protects LHS, the real backbone of the industry, allows online sales and encourages people to visit their LHS to get fitted properly.

As a manufacturer, I would want people properly fitted for my product. It's more likely those customers will be happy and happy customers are more likely to be repeat customers.

[DarkStar50 679]

Based on the shape of your foot, it wouldn't be necessary to try on every brand. Some brands will be eliminated automatically for their inability to fit a certain foot size/shape.

[NuggyBuggy 0]

Where were you during the fitting that you bought skates 2+ sizes too big? I am not trying to bust your chops but the customer trying on the skates is ultimately responsible to decide whether or not the skates fit. This is after trying different sizes and widths to determine the skates that fit best. When trying on skates you should eventually try on the pair too small to fit to know that the next size is the one does fit correctly.

BTW, no LHS can afford to stock every line of skates.

It was years ago when I didn't know much about how skates ought to fit. The guy asked me if they felt OK, at the time I didn't know how they were supposed to feel. They felt like I would want shoes to fit , so I said sure. They definitely felt better than the other skates he put me in. I asked him a bunch of questions and was told that as long as they felt comfortable, they would be fine. He didn't tell me things like my toe should be feathering the toe cap. He didn't do things like move me down one size too small, because if I recall he didn't stock all the sizes. He just told me they should feel comfortable, whatever that meant. I didn't know better and figured I could trust the guy, because hell, he works at a hockey store, doesn't he ? I was a size 7-7.5 shoe and he put me in 8.5 Bauers. Like I said, the skates were so big that my sharpener could tell they were too big before I even handed them to him over the counter. Oh yeah, I was later told the skates he sold me were far too stiff for a person of my skating ability at the time.

One of the reasons I would refuse a fitting fee - besides principle - is that since no LHS stocks every line of skates, I will end up paying that fitting fee multiple times as I shop around the different lines.

[NuggyBuggy 0]

So you wouldn't pay a fitting fee based on the principle that... what?

You're going to be refunded the cost when you buy skates, so you have nothing to lose... AND I'm sure that if you can't find anything that fits you a good LHS will either try to help you find something that will work or maybe refund your skate fitting fee when you buy something else from them(if you can't get the skates you want/need from them).

The principle I object to is that there is an implicit assumption that I may be trying to "steal" from the LHS by trying on skates I have no intention of buying. There have been occassions where I have tried things on when I was just thinking that MAYBE I would buy something if they felt really great on me. I should be able to do that.

Now if the fitting fee is refundable against ANY OTHER purchase in the store, not just skates, I might not object as much. But I have not understood that's what we're talking about here, because that wouldn't solve much of the problem the LHS owners are complaining about. After all, the LHS time is still stolen if I try on skates, buy them at hockey monkey, and use the fitting fee credit which you describe to buy a whack of tape or sticks.

[LoXish 0]

if i were you i would have told him "i didnt plan on ordering online, but njow that you say that, i think i jsut night"

thats what he deserves if he treats a customer like that.

I wouldn't say that, but only because I don't know how to pronounce "njow" or "jsut"

Ace.

[TBLfan 25]

Well like I said, the fitting fee should be more of a if you find something that works/they have what you're looking for than a straight fee that you have to pay no matter what. I understand completely that no shop is going to have every skate in every size. But if the fee is set up right it will just limit the number of people that are buying online and the ones that really want to take advantage of what the lhs can offer in terms of service.

For example:

1) Customer comes in wants to try on skates, is fitted(of course told previously about the service charge), finds something that he/she likes but wants to come back later to buy them. LHS worker rings them up for the service charge and gives them a receipt, writes down the skates, size and name of customer(possibly holds them for him for a certain number of days).

2) Customer comes in and the same thing goes on BUT can't find a skate that he/she likes. In this case the LHS can either choose to charge them, but offer the same reimbursement if they buy something over X amount of dollars at the shop within a certain time period. Or just let them go on without having to pay(like if someone needs a 11.5 CCM skate and the shop has a 10.5 and an 11).

The point of this service charge would be to protect the LHS, not to screw over the customer.

In the end it's really good for the customer, because not only are you getting a skate that fits but because less people are going to waste the time of a LHS they can sell more stuff... and also some people might choose to buy from the LHS than online. If the LHS can sell more in volume then the prices can stay lower for the customer. Which could lead to more equipment sold and even lower prices to possibly match online stores prices.

[Wolfpack_1986 154]

my current skates that have been ordered were a few month long process... i kept kicking around various sizes and models and really couldnt come up with a real descision on what i wanted to do.

Had my LHS charged me a fitting fee, i probably never would have gone back. But, then again most of the guys in there know who i am and know i come to them for stupid things like tape and such(when i can), even though its way out of the way for me (instead of getting my tape at a rink or whatever)

[Chadd 916]

Based on the shape of your foot, it wouldn't be necessary to try on every brand. Some brands will be eliminated automatically for their inability to fit a certain foot size/shape.

I didn't always know that and the local shops didn't tell people things like that. Not to mention that some people may think their foot is wide and it really isn't.

[icefish 0]

For what it's worth and I think it's worth mentioning. I skated on the properly sized and baked Vector 6.0's on Friday, and they were great. These are cheaper than my previously unfit(and more expensive) s400's and flexlite 10 and I like them better because they fit me.

I dont regret my purchase, but there's almost an obligation to prove I'm there to buy something. In the future, I dont want to give the impression like I'm getting skates online if I want to drive to several LHS stores to try on different skates or take a few days to think about it.

[jimmy 194]

For what it's worth and I think it's worth mentioning. I skated on the properly sized and baked Vector 6.0's on Friday, and they were great. These are cheaper than my previously unfit(and more expensive) s400's and flexlite 10 and I like them better because they fit me.

I dont regret my purchase, but there's almost an obligation to prove I'm there to buy something. In the future, I dont want to give the impression like I'm getting skates online if I want to drive to several LHS stores to try on different skates or take a few days to think about it.

It's certainly worth mentioning, after all the goal is to ensure you get a skate that fits you that you like. I don't think any LHS would be upset if they didn't sell the skate that fit you right and you got it at another LHS. I always refer customers to other trusty LHS's if I don't have a skate that fits them.

[TBLfan 25]

For what it's worth and I think it's worth mentioning. I skated on the properly sized and baked Vector 6.0's on Friday, and they were great. These are cheaper than my previously unfit(and more expensive) s400's and flexlite 10 and I like them better because they fit me.

I dont regret my purchase, but there's almost an obligation to prove I'm there to buy something. In the future, I dont want to give the impression like I'm getting skates online if I want to drive to several LHS stores to try on different skates or take a few days to think about it.

It's certainly worth mentioning, after all the goal is to ensure you get a skate that fits you that you like. I don't think any LHS would be upset if they didn't sell the skate that fit you right and you got it at another LHS. I always refer customers to other trusty LHS's if I don't have a skate that fits them.

and that's part of my point about the charge for fitting. A good LHS will understand if you cant find a skate and probably not even charge you... I know that my LHS doesn't mind sewing something for me if I need it because they know that i'll tip them and that I'll be back to buy stuff from them.