LHS ripoff

[DolomaticDangles 13]

Im picking up some S15s (my feet are still growing,and if they fall apart, they were super cheap anyway) and I think Im going to replace the stock holder with Tuuk Customs. My LHS said it would cost $100 for them to install them, or $170 if I buy the holders/runners from them. I can get the holders and steel for $60 online, so its a major ripoff. Is there anywhere I can send my skates to get the holders changed, or can I do it myself with a rivet gun?

[Dupes 1]

Over here its like 130-140$ installed when you purchase them at the store.

[DolomaticDangles 13]

If the holders are only $60 though, you're still paying 70-80 bucks for labor. All they have to do is take out the rivets and then put the new rivets in. It probably takes them like 15 minutes. When I got new skates they charged me $40 for heat molding too. And my family bought all of our stuff their up until that pair of skates pretty much.I bought all my gear from when I was 5 till when I was 15 there. My dad bought a whole set of goalie gear, and his skates/player gear, and we've bought tons of sticks. So now i buy everything online haha

[shotty 7]

if you're asking for an alternate location to send you skates to, you should consider posting your location. i can think of a few great places to send your skates in my area, but you might be thousands of miles away.

i think i paid $80 to have C+ installed on my G5s. that included profiling and heel lifts.

[DolomaticDangles 13]

if you're asking for an alternate location to send you skates to, you should consider posting your location. i can think of a few great places to send your skates in my area, but you might be thousands of miles away.

i think i paid $80 to have C+ installed on my G5s. that included profiling and heel lifts.

Im in Wisconsin.

[Demangone 0]

If the holders are only $60 though, you're still paying 70-80 bucks for labor. All they have to do is take out the rivets and then put the new rivets in. It probably takes them like 15 minutes. When I got new skates they charged me $40 for heat molding too. And my family bought all of our stuff their up until that pair of skates pretty much.I bought all my gear from when I was 5 till when I was 15 there. My dad bought a whole set of goalie gear, and his skates/player gear, and we've bought tons of sticks. So now i buy everything online haha

You should buy the labor online while you're at it. You didn't factor in the cost of the replacement rivets and you're making assumptions that it will only take 15 minutes.

[JR Boucicaut 3810]

You should buy the labor online while you're at it. You didn't factor in the cost of the replacement rivets and you're making assumptions that it will only take 15 minutes.

15 min with a rivet gun, didn't you read that?

You don't use guns to rivet skates.

I think there's more to the story. Might've happened after you bought those skates.

[DolomaticDangles 13]

15 min with a rivet gun, didn't you read that?

You don't use guns to rivet skates.

I think there's more to the story. Might've happened after you bought those skates.

I dont even have the skates yet. I simply asked if I could do it myself, I was assuming a rivet gun was what they used. I only started this thread because I thought it was crazy that my LHS was charging $100 for installation.

[JR Boucicaut 3810]

I meant after the baking. Assume you didn't buy those from them.

Regardless, $100 is quite expensive for just installation. But on S15 you have to have the right sized rivets (which most shops don't stock, 5/16") and carbide drill bit.

[ndlancer95 0]

I meant after the baking. Assume you didn't buy those from them.

Regardless, $100 is quite expensive for just installation. But on S15 you have to have the right sized rivets (which most shops don't stock, 5/16") and carbide drill bit.

I got fitted for skates last week but i didnt have enough money, so im picking them up later this week. my lhs said for Reebok 10K's with Tuuk LS2 holder/runner and install would be $525. So i believe thats 400 for the skates, 80 for holders w/ steel and 45 for work. Cant wait to pick em up, but $45 seems reasonable for install.

edit: This is my trusted LHS. Done all my shopping there

[DolomaticDangles 13]

I meant after the baking. Assume you didn't buy those from them.

Regardless, $100 is quite expensive for just installation. But on S15 you have to have the right sized rivets (which most shops don't stock, 5/16") and carbide drill bit.

Correct, I bought the other skates online that were $40 to bake. Anyway, I found this place called No Icing Sports in NH that does it for $28 a skate so Ill just send them there. Thanks

[starsfan71 9]

Correct, I bought the other skates online that were $40 to bake. Anyway, I found this place called No Icing Sports in NH that does it for $28 a skate so Ill just send them there. Thanks

Because buying skates online usually goes so well!

[DolomaticDangles 13]

Yep, when you know they fit you and they are 300 less than retail!

[starsfan71 9]

Yep, when you know they fit you and they are 300 less than retail!

Please don't tell me you tried them on in the store and then went and bought them online.

[DolomaticDangles 13]

Please don't tell me you tried them on in the store and then went and bought them online.

Of course not, my friend had a pair

[Buzz_LightBeer 975]

You bought your skates online, and now you expect your LHS to do you a favor, and give you a good deal on holder replacement? Get real. Have the online shop you bought them from do the work for you. And while youre at it, have them baked, and mailed hot, save you $40.

$70 for holders is reasonable

$25-30 for 28 rivets

Plus labor for the 1 hour minimum it will take to remove, align, drill, and rerivet new holders.

Seems fair enough

[DolomaticDangles 13]

Buzz, they're charging me $100 for JUST the rivets and installation. Im giving them holders to install on them. I wouldnt mind paying $50 or $60, but $100? Its Freds shop by the way.

[ndlancer95 0]

Buzz, they're charging me $100 for JUST the rivets and installation. Im giving them holders to install on them. I wouldnt mind paying $50 or $60, but $100? Its Freds shop by the way.

Dang, are you giving them the steel too? If so, in the holders or are they putting the steel in for you?

[DolomaticDangles 13]

Dang, are you giving them the steel too? If so, in the holders or are they putting the steel in for you?

Im buying Custom+ holders with the steel on the internet. a pair for 60. So all they have to do is take the old ones off and put the new ones on

[Buzz_LightBeer 975]

You bought skates online, and now want the LHS that you're "such a good customer of" to do customiztion work for you. Why shouldnt they charge you for heating? The shop owes you nothing, and they have every right to make money on work like this.

Ask yourself how much its really worth to you to have Custom Tuuks on a 3-4 year old pair of skates, then decide if thats what you really want. For all you spent on this debacle, you probably could have found a pair at your local shop that would suit your needs, and labor charge becomes a non issue.

[DolomaticDangles 13]

First of all, I am a good customer, We've spent a ton of money in that store. I started playing hockey at 5, I bought all my gear there up until this high school season. We bought my sisters two full sets of good gear, my dad bought his goalie set, and player stuff there, we've bought a ton of sticks there. I didnt say they shouldnt charge me for heating. But I called around and everyone else charges around $15-$25 for heating. Its a new pair of skates BTW. Im not rich I cant afford $600 skates, Id rather have a pair thats top of the line for $180. They're still the lightest skate ever made.

If you dont think $100 is a ripoff to install holders then...

[Buzz_LightBeer 975]

I understand that not every high school player can afford $600 skates, but few high school players actually NEED $600 skates. Any decent shop has the capability to fit a player in the proper size, with the proper skate, within a reasonable budget. You lose all basis for argument with that shop when you take your business elsewhere, then bring them the pieces to put together a frankenstein skate.

I know the exact shop you speak of, and they are more than capable of satisfying the needs of someone who says, "I'm looking for X Y Z, and my budget is This." Perhaps theyre not EXACTLY what you want, but beggars cannot be choosers. Did it never cross your mind to ask them how much it would be to do this work prior to internet shopping?

[vek 0]

Maybe its the shop's way of saying that they don't want your business for some reason.

[Viking 1]

First of all, I am a good customer, We've spent a ton of money in that store. I started playing hockey at 5, I bought all my gear there up until this high school season. We bought my sisters two full sets of good gear, my dad bought his goalie set, and player stuff there, we've bought a ton of sticks there. I didnt say they shouldnt charge me for heating. But I called around and everyone else charges around $15-$25 for heating. Its a new pair of skates BTW. Im not rich I cant afford $600 skates, Id rather have a pair thats top of the line for $180. They're still the lightest skate ever made.

If you dont think $100 is a ripoff to install holders then...

You may spend a lot of money in there, but you still have to consider what you look like walking into the store with a new pair of skates that you bought online, and asking them to bake them, install new holders, and do the first sharpening on the new steel (which by the way, you also need to consider when you think of how much of their time/labor you're getting). First - I know you said you didn't do this, but you look like you tried the skates on in their store, and went home to buy them online. You also look like you're another one of the customers who goes in there for tape and skate sharpenings, and then hits hockeymonkey when it's time to make an actual purchase.

And regardless of how much stuff you've bought from them in the past, they can't be changing prices/policies based on that. You (or more accurately, your parents) are not the only person who spend a lot of money there - if they gave you, and all their other customers like you different prices than everyone else, they'd be out of business. Goods and services cost money - it's nothing personal against you, but the store isn't a charity, and it has to make money. You may think that $100 to install your holders is a "rip off," but that's what it costs. They're right to charge you a premium for time/labor to service a piece of equipment that you bought from the internet to get a cheaper price. It's not in the store's best interests to provide you with a price that acts as an incentive to buy your skates online, instead of at their store. They're not making any money from you buying skates, so they have to make their money from providing the services that the internet can't.

Also, if you got the skates for $180, but have to pay for baking, new holders, installation of those holders, and sharpening; you're probably still getting a pretty good deal. If you don't think so, then you don't have to get new skates. You also don't have to get new holders/steel installed. Have you actually skated on the Easton holder? A lot of people swap them out without giving them a chance (I guess because NHL players do that, so it looks cool), but I've heard more good than bad about them from the people that actually bothered to skate on them before forming an opinion.

[jimmy 194]

I have to say, it's not a 15 min job. Heck, just unlacing the skates takes a few minutes and removing the old holders is not always easy, especially since the last yahoo teen to put on the holder used all copper rivets that have to be dug out by hand. The job is not simple. Even replacing a holder with the exact same model holder takes time and can have it's challenges. Yes, sometimes it can be done quickly using existing holes, but the holder still has to be checked for alignment after each rivet is installed. If not done correctly, you get to skate on nice bent blades. A job that involves putting on a different model holder that is not designed for that model skate (like Tuuks on a Easton) is a lot more work. Aligning, drilling new holes, selecting proper rivet lengths, drilling hardware access holes, etc. You also have to install the new steel on the holders, and I don't know about you but where I come from new steel doesn't come sharpened. That has to be done as well.

I won't go into the cost of rivet machines, that has to be recouped. But as for labor....I just paid $85 an hour to have the Honda dealer clean carbs on my bike. 4 hrs for 4 carbs. Yikes. But, I want it done right with the right tools and by someone who knows what they are doing. Labor is not cheap, not at the veterinarian, not at the auto dealer, and not at the LHS. Why so many think LHS's should sharpen, heat mold and make repairs for hardly nothing is beyond me.