Group purchasing

[Heckler]

To kick it off, how about things like...

Hydrostatic release
Danbuoy
LED nav light bulbs
LED anchor light

??

Just a note of caution.
I stared getting job lots of Crosby joining links. I advertised them on here. I sold lots of them at a minimum price. It was a pain. Most peeps were fine to deal with but there were a minority who werent. If we were to do this then someone would have to order them, sort them, get the money in, post them etc etc. The reason why dealers make a profit is to compensate for the hassle.
Think long and hard about volunteering!
S

 

[CFarr]

Hmmm, sounds a great idea.
I'd really like a chartplotter and boat heater eventually, but costs are prohibiting this at the moment so something like this could be the answer.
count me in if these might be on a list. ooh, Phoenix, I need a Danbuoy too! - And a couple of horseshoes (with lights).

 

[Jim@sea]

If it helps, I have premises which are partly rented out to an Importer if Leather Goods from India (Tack/Saddles etc) he brings in 40 ft containers full of stuff.
The way perhaps to really save money is to import directly from China. Can use my place if needed. (S Manchester)

 

[Spirit of Glenans]

The French have lots of regulations, but if this one is meant to apply to all boats in French waters, as is the case regarding in-date flares, then there is material here for a new thread!

 

[seanfoster]

For big ticket items though, if you end up with a lot of orders, you'd need to move the money management to the vendor i'd guess, or its a big responsibility for the organiser... you could easily end up managing a quarter of a million pounds with the size of some of the deals they've put together!.

How about using an ESCROW service for the financial side?

 

[Roberto]

The French have lots of regulations, but if this one is meant to apply to all boats in French waters, as is the case regarding in-date flares, then there is material here for a new thread!

No, those regulations only apply to French flag boats.
That is (partly, of course) why a lot of people is interested in that epirb group purchase, and as many are thinking about re-registering under Belgian flag

 

[Thistle]

Rather than looking for one of us to do the work and, inevitably to take some risk, what about a tame chandler? You probably wouldn't get the same amount of discount but I'd have thought that quite a number of chandlers might be interested in the chance to move, say, 50 EPIRBS in one batch.

 

[oakleyb]

Go for a high end Anti foul , there must be high demand at the moment - it could be a win win for lots of people. Foulies, i hear the mark up is in the region of 40%

 

[Roberto]

Just a note of caution.
...
Think long and hard about volunteering!

A big +1

I am one of the founders/moderators of that Hisse et oh web site (user number 8 over 60k users) and could observe from the inside the amount of work that the person in charge had to do: it's really, really huge.
Besides, that site is owned by a person and is essentially non commercial; when you issue a tender for 250 liferafts it may be a few months production for the smaller manufacturers, and all the distributors and shipchandler chains in between reacted in several different ways, not all very friendly nor accomodating to say the least.
Hosting a similar operation on a corporate website like YBW forum hmmmm..., IMHO it should definitely be approved beforehand by IPC.

As for payment management, the person in charge at HeO discussed and found an agreement with an online chandler which handled everything formal orders, payments, MMSI coding for epirbs, deliveries etc.
When talking something more than say a dozen pieces, it's *a lot* of work.

 

[Heckler]

Rather than looking for one of us to do the work and, inevitably to take some risk, what about a tame chandler? You probably wouldn't get the same amount of discount but I'd have thought that quite a number of chandlers might be interested in the chance to move, say, 50 EPIRBS in one batch.

I signed up with one of the big wholesalers a few years ago. The margins were at max 20%. Then the terms were onerous, minimum order, they charged an arm and a leg for delivery. The poor old chandelry doesnt make much on ordinary goods!
The talk about importing direct from China is the better idea but! ref my other post, someone has to do it!
S

 

[gregcope]

They way I have seen this work on other forums is;

- someone posts a "bulk buy <specific product> thread with suggested prices and timelines
- people post replies if they want one
- Sometimes a deposit is asked for (for small items usually not)
- someone tracks the interested parties and posts the list
- price is usually upped a little to cover issues, with surplas going to a nominated charity
- at the deal end, all those interested pay the organiser, who then Orders and arranges delivery/distribution

Works best if the organiser is personally know by a few formalites so that there is some trust. I have brought lots of stuff like this in the past.

Works best for common items, that everyone will want, cloths are doable, but faffing with sizes is harder.

Examples of some of the bigger ones;

http://213-04.com/t.asp?Id=75205

http://213-04.com/t.asp?Id=112742

 

[gregcope]

They way I have seen this work on other forums is;

- someone posts a "bulk buy <specific product> thread with suggested prices and timelines
- people post replies if they want one
- Sometimes a deposit is asked for (for small items usually not)
- someone tracks the interested parties and posts the list
- price is usually upped a little to cover issues, with surplas going to a nominated charity
- at the deal end, all those interested pay the organiser, who then Orders and arranges delivery/distribution

Works best if the organiser is personally know by a few formalites so that there is some trust. I have brought lots of stuff like this in the past.

Works best for common items, that everyone will want, cloths are doable, but faffing with sizes is harder.

Examples of some of the bigger ones;

http://213-04.com/t.asp?Id=75205

http://213-04.com/t.asp?Id=112742

 

[nimbusgb]

You need a co-operative website.

People register an interest in a product first.

Someone then does the negotiating once numbers are up to scratch.

Take a deposit against the deal to be 'in'

Then a 'buy online' type transaction takes place no money, no dispatch!

 

[Sybarite]

You need a co-operative website.

People register an interest in a product first.

Someone then does the negotiating once numbers are up to scratch.

Take a deposit against the deal to be 'in'

Then a 'buy online' type transaction takes place no money, no dispatch!

The day before the deadline on the Hisse et Oh site they were at 202 liferafts and nearly 400 EPIRBS.

 

[Roberto]

The day before the deadline on the Hisse et Oh site they were at 202 liferafts and nearly 400 EPIRBS.

Closed today: 614 epirbs/plb; 311 liferafts.

 

[Anchorite]

French regs: an epirb is required for boats going more than 60 miles from a port/shelter.

 

[Sticky Stuff]

Great idea ... works well !
We call it wholesalers, distributors, chandlers ect.
The theory is good but the person doing all the work and taking all the risk ends up taking a cut (which is what you don't like) then you all try to find another cheap supply and leave the risk taker with all the stock and no cash.
Are there any some tax implications on the wholesale buyer ?

 

[gregcope]

Are there any some tax implications on the wholesale buyer ?

If they are not making a profit no.

Most of these I have seen, any surplas goes to a related charity (RNLI?)

 

[Poecheng]

Are there any some tax implications on the wholesale buyer ?

If it achieves anything like 300 liferafts (forget the EPIRBs for the moment) then the turnover will be considerably in excess of the VAT registration threshold

 

[PhillM]

I wonder if the RYA could do this for members?