1.5kW e-bike maker FREY to offer free shipping

[FlatSix911]

An interesting promotion for free shipping... and free face masks.

1.5kW e-bike maker FREY to offer free shipping (and free face masks!)

The coronavirus pandemic and its economic impact has affected nearly every area of commerce by now. Electric bicycle manufacturers, especially...

electrek.co

In light of current events, FREY has initiated a new program known as FREY is With You. Due to FREY’s location, they have access to plenty of protective face masks during a time when much of the world is seeing a shortage. So they’ve decided to provide free protective masks to their previous customers and members of the FREY community. Check out their info page to get in touch here.
As explained by FREY cofounder Ivy Wang:

"Due to the current special circumstances all over the world, FREY wants to do something for you, our original and new customers. For our trusted original customers we would like to support you and your family. If you are in need of protective face masks due to local shortages, we will send you protective masks free of charge. Just let us know if you need them and we will reach out to you!

For new customers, we would like to offer a special project. The recent Frey group buy gave us a lot of feedback, people from outside of the US wanted to join, people wanted to participate after the deadline etc. We also understood some people preferred to wait longer and pay less transport costs."​

As a second part of the program for new customers, FREY is offering free shipping for anyone that can wait a bit longer on delivery of a bike. Shipping has long been an obstacle for FREY and other small, boutique e-bike builders located far from their Western customer base. While FREY’s e-bikes usually range from around $2,000-3,000, shipping can cost around $500 by sea or $800 by air. That certainly beats paying $5,000-6,000 for a comparable European e-bike, but it’s still a pretty hefty shipping price compared to the bike’s price.

 

[scout592]

Regarding the extended wait time from that same article.
"As a boutique builder in high demand, FREY already has a fairly lengthy lead time of around two months for new orders. However, in exchange for free shipping, the expected delivery time for this program is 6-7 months. Riders in the EU will have their bikes shipped by rail, while customers in the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand will have their bikes shipped by sea. Riders will have up to 30 days to cancel the order."

 

[PDXzap]

YIKES!
To wait 6 to 7 months I think I would be wanting to consult a crystal ball before making a purchase. As we've all experienced lately... a lot can change in that time.

 

[TMH]

Frey, probably like all e-bike makers in the current market, want to do something to stimulate sales without giving away too much. Discretionary spending for things like new e-bikes will likely be way down for some time.

So the 6-7 month wait not only allows them to get the parts they need from suppliers who may have been recently shut down, but also to fill containers with bikes for the lowest per-bike shipping cost they are giving away. I think, though, that there may be another motive: They want to look like they are helping out their customers during a difficult time (for which I applaud them), but they also want potential buyers to think "I don't want to wait 6-7 months for my new bike. Maybe I'll just buy it normally, pay the d@mned shipping cost, and have it to enjoy in 2 months."

The U.S. was likely headed into a recession in 2020 anyway. With the COVID-19 issues, the recession has now hit, and will likely be deeper (and maybe longer) than was anticipated. We are currently seeing only the beginnings of e-bike (and other discretionary products) discounting which will be required by manufacturers and dealers to continue moving inventory.

 

[xerxez]

I think the economy is bimodal. It has hit some very hard. And these people will likely not purchase bicycles. Others are hardly hit at all. I'm not likely to earn any less money. I am, however, likely to spend less money, as we can't have a fun international vacation this year.

Result: We may spend money on a home project. And it appears a lot of people are doing this. I also have a mid-term goal of buying another ebike. Currently, I want either a FREY or a Hyper-Scrambler. My issue with FREY is that they do not include fenders. And putting on non-custom fenders can be quite tricky on ebikes.... I have learned. My issue with the Hyper-Scrambler is it's currently out of stock. I also don't get to ride as much as I'd like....which is a separate issue.