Pre-Order this, pre-order that…

[ram2jeep]

Is it just myself or is the pre-order craze in full effect? Just about every item being presented is pre-order only without a projected date of availability or within the next 3 months which then turns into a year.
What happened to having the item’s available for sale when the item is finally ready for the mass population and not, this is important, for the testing group.
This is not a bash on any particular manufacturer but more of a why not just wait until your product is actually ready! Its great to show what’s coming down the road but real expectations versus hopefulness.
If it’s not in stock than NO money, I can wait. I have already waited with the masses for some time now and I still have my monies if the item’s never make it to the shelves…

 

[delooper]

I imagine this is largely driven by current trends. That said, with interest rates going up, it's becoming more painful to take out loans. So manufacturers are perhaps trying to spread-out the risk. But that's speculative.

 

[BeMeUp]

Years ago the bean counters said companies need less inventory because it ties up your capital, and they need to adapt to “Lean Manufacturing” a just in time delivery, so instead of stamping out 100 parts when say 5 are needed a month and keeping the rest in inventory they just make the 5 a month,regardless of how long it takes to set up machine, it could take an hour to set up and an hour to stamp 100 ,but instead have the person spend the hour setting it up then the 10 mins to stamp 5 parts so in the course of a year instead of doing it once now they spend 19 extra hours setting up.

 

[dens228]

Pre-order and pay........free loan to whomever you're paying. That's how I look at it.

 

[delooper]

Years ago the bean counters said companies need less inventory because it ties up your capital, and they need to adapt to “Lean Manufacturing” a just in time delivery, so instead of stamping out 100 parts when say 5 are needed a month and keeping the rest in inventory they just make the 5 a month,regardless of how long it takes to set up machine, it could take an hour to set up and an hour to stamp 100 ,but instead have the person spend the hour setting it up then the 10 mins to stamp 5 parts so in the course of a year instead of doing it once now they spend 19 extra hours setting up.

The "lean manufacturing" idea is a good one if used appropriately. But in a "thin" manufacturing landscape where every manufacturer does only a little bit of value-addition, and you have to layer them all on top of each other, every one doing lean manufacturing, this creates a brittle production line.

Lean manufacturing is perhaps better used on "near vertical monopolies", where you control the means of production of all your most essential goods. Perhaps only industries where you can quickly ramp up everything in the process. So mining, smelting, and metal fasteners, okay. But tarsands oil production or nuclear power plant production, less good.

 

[Calbarry]

Some companies use the pre orders to judge how much product there're going to sell. It's also an easy way for companies to not spend any money for product. The use the money from all the pre doers to pay they'r supplier without using their own money. And, as mentioned, who knows how ling it will take to get the product.

 

[cmatera]

No more pre-orders for me. Tried it once, it was a bad experience. My feeling are if the manufacturer doesn't have enough faith in their own product to take out a loan, why should have faith and pre-order at the full price? Give me 5% off and a cutoff date after which a refund is automatic if not shipped by then and I'd think about it. Just a note on something I learned the hard way: if you pay with Paypal, you have 6 months to file a claim for non-delivery. I trusted a dealer to ship the product even though I let it go past the 6 months. He never shipped and I could not file a claim. If 5 months comes without shipment, FILE A CLAIM. Don't wait and get burned like I did.

 

[Gerry52]

I hate the way companies & vendors are fully taking advantage of us. They hold our hard earned money & accrue interest while we can only sit & wait. Ain't it funny how a 4 week waiting period turns into 6 then 8 then 10 and so on. Went through it when the FX Crown was first released & refuse to EVER do it again!

 

[thumper]

It's also a good way to give the feeling of exclusiveness and make people want to be the first to have the "latest". Hence boosted sales.

Ever heard of a little company out of Sweden called FX Airguns? They pioneered the tactic LOL

 

[Mrmetals]

I tried the pro order thing once. Paid in full for an Impact m3. 9 months later I just paid the difference on price for a new Alkin. That will be the only pre order I ever make. And it sadly left a bad taste in my mouth about buying from FX. But I got a nice compressor. Such is life.

 

[dizzums]

yeah boycott um man .. if people stop playin that crap maybe theyll get their stuff together ..

 

[Ezana4CE]

I’m waiting until February 2023 to hear some reports on these Skout guns.

 

[ram2jeep]

yeah boycott um man .. if people stop playin that crap maybe theyll get their stuff together ..

Exactly how I feel and exactly what I will be doing. If I still want the item when it is actually released I will buy it but paying for something in advance and not knowing when you will get it is just not for me.
This also has had a negative effect on my confidence with companies as well. I know I have grown tired of companies telling me and other’s, it will be out in the Spring, to only wait over a year and still nothing. Yet, you can pre-order now and you’ll be first to get it when it actually arrives. I’ll wait and maybe during that time period a better product will hit the market from another company. Most, I won’t say all because I don’t know, are not loyal to the customer like customers are loyal to a brand…

 

[ram2jeep]

I’m waiting until February 2023 to hear some reports on these Skout guns.

Definitely waiting until they are out and someone I trust does a review.

 

[ram2jeep]

It's also a good way to give the feeling of exclusiveness and make people want to be the first to have the "latest". Hence boosted sales.

Ever heard of a little company out of Sweden called FX Airguns? They pioneered the tactic LOL

So true, so true to be exclusive and first…not sure of boosted sales figures if none of the customers have the products though…haha

 

[otis1016]

If a seller doesn’t have it in stock and ready to ship I won’t pay for it. If it’s something I want very much I might put a deposit on it, MAYBE But that’s it. Anything else is just an interest free loan. I also don’t have the patience to wait a long time, I’ll just look at something else.

Rick H.

 

[HenryK]

Even for airgun dealers....there is a large push for pre-orders...... this is largely driven by the supply chain crisis and all the container ships floating around the in the Pacific.

When a large manufacturer introduces a new airgun.....they will usually buy container or two of them. When the ship sets sail from Asia they start taking pre-orders in anticipation that the product will take 90 ship, clear, inventory and ship out.

Any delay at the port causes a delay in getting the product.

I had placed a HUGE Black Friday order on an inbound container.....had all the whammy jammy sales set up......the shipment missed the delivery date and the product hit my warehouse on December 28..... that was ugly!

This issue is going be around well into 2024

HK

 

[Chukar60]

With empty spaces on grocery shelves, shortages of basic metal, plastics and other commodities you guys think this is a conspiracy to rip you off?
The guy who has the shop next to mine makes wiring harnesses for aircraft. Right now his lead time is 54 weeks to deliver product. Why? Because he cannot get the wire. Why can’t he get the wire? Because the wire mfg can’t get the plastic to make the insulation for the wire.
I need two new drive motors for one of my pressure washing trailers. Kohler motors is quoting my supplier 02/2023 if and only if they see an improvement in parts availability. I have been waiting for 4 weeks for a burner assembly for another trailer. Call for an ETA and I get “when we get one, you will have one.”
I would hate to live a life where every inconvenience becomes a conspiracy to rip me off or imposition me for some nefarious purpose by powers that remain unidentified and lurk in the deepest of shadows.
I think we have all become spoiled and soft demanding instant gratification for our wants when we should be concerned how the shortages will affect our needs.

 

[CharlieF]

Here is another way to look at Pre-Order ( not attacking or taking away from anything else that has been said). When you pre-order, you lock in the price. In todays world of inflation, waiting to order until it is in stock could result in you paying more. If you pre-order a year in advance, and lock in the price, the vendor eats any inflationary price increase. Look at what is going on the the car industry. Vehicles are selling at above the sticker price because inflation has jacked the price up. Same applies in the airgun industry. Look at how the prices have increased on most airguns and ammo from a year ago. I have stuff on pre-order from major airgun distributors and continue to receive emails asking if I want to cancel. They know the items will be in and that they will have to suck up the price increases. If I really want something, I will pre-order in a heart beat. Again, something else to consider.

 

[ram2jeep]

With empty spaces on grocery shelves, shortages of basic metal, plastics and other commodities you guys think this is a conspiracy to rip you off?
The guy who has the shop next to mine makes wiring harnesses for aircraft. Right now his lead time is 54 weeks to deliver product. Why? Because he cannot get the wire. Why can’t he get the wire? Because the wire mfg can’t get the plastic to make the insulation for the wire.
I need two new drive motors for one of my pressure washing trailers. Kohler motors is quoting my supplier 02/2023 if and only if they see an improvement in parts availability. I have been waiting for 4 weeks for a burner assembly for another trailer. Call for an ETA and I get “when we get one, you will have one.”
I would hate to live a life where every inconvenience becomes a conspiracy to rip me off or imposition me for some nefarious purpose by powers that remain unidentified and lurk in the deepest of shadows.
I think we have all become spoiled and soft demanding instant gratification for our wants when we should be concerned how the shortages will affect our needs.

Appreciate your thoughts on this and hopefully you can get what you need for your trailers, but waiting for several months to a year may be fine for you but not for others. Instant gratification, to me, is going to an atm machine because the bank is closed; waiting for 3 months to a year is just waiting. If you select to prepay and preorder by all means you should.