Amazon price gouging

[J.R.]

Tariff lifted or not my bike cost me $200.00 extra to pay 1/2 of the tariff. Did it go in their coffer or did they pay it to Uncle Sam in tariff fee.
Did the company that supposedly paid the other $200.00 get it refunded by the administration? I have no idea now if they even paid it.
I will try and request a refund but am not holding my breath.

The tariff was proposed and the start date was set. Then a couple weeks prior to the date, it was postponed and the affected industries sent reps to Washington for a series of meetings. The bicycle industry included. New dates were proposed to start the tariffs, that was mostly threats. When the final list of products was set bikes and ebikes were not included. A lot of accessories for the aftermarket remained on the list. This all took about 6 to 9 months. From everything I've read, from bicycle industry news to financial news, no tariffs were ever charged to bicycle manufactures or sellers.

There were a lot of posts here on the forum, including links to the news. It was a heated topic about something that never happened. I'd be shocked to hear anyone paid a tax or fee before it was demanded. I hope you can get a rebate.

 

[tomjasz]

a heated topic about something that never happened.

It happened for motors and kits to resellers.

 

[tomjasz]

When is enough, enough? Bezos is making about $321 million a day,

 

[J.R.]

It happened for motors and kits to resellers.

Those were included in 'after market accessories'. I don't know why though.

 

[harryS]

If you can get past the NYT paywall (try it on a chrome browswr), I enjoyed reading this interview with CEO Bonnie Tu of Giant bikes.

Sorry, the World’s Biggest Bike Maker Can’t Help You Buy a Bike Right Now (Published 2020)

The pandemic has created a bicycle boom — and a shortage. Giant, the Taiwanese juggernaut, is trying to meet demand while navigating the politics of trade.

www.nytimes.com

Any US plant would have no people, just robots. The tariff moratorium on bikes expires soon, and they hope it gets renewed. Giant is not expanding capacity, Booms expire.

Of course, she rides a Giant ebike.

 

[FlatSix911]

If you can get past the NYT paywall (try it on a chrome browswr), I enjoyed reading this interview with CEO Bonnie Tu of Giant bikes.

Sorry, the World’s Biggest Bike Maker Can’t Help You Buy a Bike Right Now (Published 2020)

The pandemic has created a bicycle boom — and a shortage. Giant, the Taiwanese juggernaut, is trying to meet demand while navigating the politics of trade.

www.nytimes.com

Any US plant would have no people, just robots. The tariff moratorium on bikes expires soon, and they hope it gets renewed. Giant is not expanding capacity, Booms expire.

Of course, she rides a Giant ebike.

Great article... thanks for sharing.

"Giant shuttered its Chinese plants after coronavirus infections started spreading quickly in the country, and it kept them closed for a month and a half. Then, when Europe and the United States began locking down, importers canceled orders. American sales started picking up again in March, Ms. Tu said, and today all of Giant’s factories are running nearly at full steam to make up for the lost production.

Despite the rush of first-time bike buyers, she does not plan to “blindly” invest in new manufacturing capacity.

She is not yet convinced the world’s newfound love for two-wheelers will outlast the pandemic."

 

[Ebiker01]

NYT paywall (try it on a chrome browswr),
[/QUO


or Firefox Focus on Phone !

 

[Altaman]

In the market for 26"x 4.0" or so street tires (slicks) so I don't have to listen to the growl from knobbies. They are getting absolutely crazy prices for those - when you can find them!

Here are some that are made by Vee tire:

 

[Gionnirocket]

Have you tried eBay?
I've gotten a few good deals on tires and tubes from local bike shops that sell there.

 

[AHicks]

Altaman - would you agree that 70.00 each is a bit expensive for a bike tire?

Veetireco coming soon – veetireco

veetireco.com

Guys, it's not so much about finding something that would work (though that is an issue as well). The thought behind my comment was what they get for them when you do find something! -Al

 

[harryS]

Veeco fat tires were around $60 each back in 2016, when I bought a set of 26x4" Snow Shoes and and 26x3.5" Speedsters. That's $240. I originally paid $79 for the bike, a Kent from Walmart. However, on the rare ocassions that I look for a Speedster on amazon, there haven't been any,

Tread pattern aside, I also replaced the tubes and there was a significant weight loss in the wheels. Made pedaling w/o power a lot easier.

 

[Gionnirocket]

I've been using Kenda tires for all my eBikes. Typically I could find them for $20-$25 plus shipping. I need a new set and they have doubled in price. Schwalbe alternatives are hard to find in stock. K838 now $5-$60 EACH!

They are down to $40 on Amazon.com now....

 

[GenXrider]

The tariff was proposed and the start date was set. Then a couple weeks prior to the date, it was postponed and the affected industries sent reps to Washington for a series of meetings. The bicycle industry included. New dates were proposed to start the tariffs, that was mostly threats. When the final list of products was set bikes and ebikes were not included. A lot of accessories for the aftermarket remained on the list. This all took about 6 to 9 months. From everything I've read, from bicycle industry news to financial news, no tariffs were ever charged to bicycle manufactures or sellers.

There were a lot of posts here on the forum, including links to the news. It was a heated topic about something that never happened. I'd be shocked to hear anyone paid a tax or fee before it was demanded. I hope you can get a rebate.

Regarding tariffs, I posted a new thread last night in the Ride1Up section of the forum because the owner of Ride1Up said there would be a 25% trariff on e-bikes from China beginning Sept. 20 if nothing changes.

Price increase - 2021 - 25% Chinese Tariff

Kevin Dugger of Ride1Up stated on FB today, "China/US Trade War: E-Bike Tariffs of 25% are scheduled to return Sept 20th. Prices will be rising if nothing changes (for all companies). " Reference: https://www.facebook.com/groups/264729534163214/permalink/639820253320805/

electricbikereview.com

 

[J.R.]

Regarding tariffs, I posted a new thread last night in the Ride1Up section of the forum because the owner of Ride1Up said there would be a 25% trariff on e-bikes from China beginning Sept. 20 if nothing changes.

Price increase - 2021 - 25% Chinese Tariff

Kevin Dugger of Ride1Up stated on FB today, "China/US Trade War: E-Bike Tariffs of 25% are scheduled to return Sept 20th. Prices will be rising if nothing changes (for all companies). " Reference: https://www.facebook.com/groups/264729534163214/permalink/639820253320805/

electricbikereview.com

That's the kind of statement that caused all the drama last summer of '19. Yesterday it was announced trade talks with China are resuming. As of today there are no tariffs. Tomorrow may never come. Sellers shouldn't stoke fear to sell ebikes.

 

[tomjasz]

They are down to $40 on Amazon.com now....

Went Schwalbe. $45/pair

Schwalbe Marathon HS420 GG Black Reflex 26 x 2.00

Thanks for the find!


$40 is still overpriced for that Kenda tire.

Thanks for the find!

 

[Alex M]

I believe Amazon has a "Float Pricing" algorithm based on inventory, availability, recent sales,

Yes, and it's probably seller-specific. I sometimes see an item selling for, say, $500 while there are other sellers still selling it for the usual $50, and am very tempted to email the guy: "you are selling it for $500, would you like to buy one for $300"? ... Of course nobody would buy it for $500, this is what happens when algorithm misfires. Computers have no brains, you know...

 

[Altaman]

Altaman - would you agree that 70.00 each is a bit expensive for a bike tire?

Veetireco coming soon – veetireco

veetireco.com

Guys, it's not so much about finding something that would work (though that is an issue as well). The thought behind my comment was what they get for them when you do find something! -Al

Well when you look at 26*4 fat tires the price is up there no matter the manufacturer. Most likely this is due to the lower sales of this size tire and also the size of the tire uses more material. The price of molds is very expensive...Back in the day (about 20 years ago) a mold for making phone shells was $250,000, can imagine that a bike tire would be as much or more.

 

[Gionnirocket]

I've been using Kenda tires for all my eBikes. Typically I could find them for $20-$25 plus shipping. I need a new set and they have doubled in price. Schwalbe alternatives are hard to find in stock. K838 now $5-$60 EACH!

Hi Thomas
I know that you already purchased tires but I just got what I think was a good deal on a pair of eBike rated Kenda K1216 tires, so I wanted to share the info.
I purchased them directly from Kenda and got the pair for $52 delivered.
It was free shipping, no tax and $5 off each when I purchased a pair. Plus I used a coupon code JENNIFER25 for an additional 25% off.
Another Coupon code is WELCOME15 and that should get you 15% off. These coupons may expire but from what I understand new ones can usually be found doing a google. Coupons
I'll add that they only sell thier premier tires on the site but they are of much higher quality than the mass produced K847 I was buying for just slightly less. I don't think you'll find the K838 there as they fall into the same category.
Also shipping was fast, 3 days order to delivery using Fedex.. OH to NY. And lastly they used a big box so the tires didn't arrive tied in a knot or distorted.
Anywho... another option when that time comes around again.

 

[tomjasz]

I purchased them directly from Kenda and got the pair for $52 delivered.

VERY NICE!!! "The Kwick Drumlin Cargo was specifically developed for cargo e-bikes. A special 4-ply construction and a sub-tread puncture breaker result in a load capacity of 150kg/tire and an increase to overall durability."

 

[Gionnirocket]

I went with the standard version, not the cargo.. an even opted for the thinner 3mm KS shield flat protection over the thicker 5mm KS+ as their rep said it would have a better ride and is still eBike rated.
I can't say enough about how much I like these tires... The handling is superb and the quality difference over the same 60tpi K847 is quite noticeable.