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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE IN OEM AND "AFTERMARKET" PARTS? (SEE ALSO: ABOUT US) ANSWER: (PRICES) OEM PRODUCTS ARE IMPORTED FROM JAPAN AND SOME EUROPEAN COMPANIES--- BY THE MAJOR COMPANIES THAT YOU KNOW AS HONDA, KAWASAKI, SUZUKI AND OTHERS. THESE PARTS ARE SUBSTANTIALLY MARKED UP BY THE GROUPS AND SOLD TO ITS AUTHORIZED DEALERS, WHO THEN MARK THEM UP FOR THEIR OWN PROFITS. THE SAME THING HAPPENS IN AFTERMARKET PRODUCTS, EXCEPT THAT THERE IS NO CENTRAL CONTROL IN THE DISTRIBUTION TO THE DEALER. HUNDREDS OF AFTERMARKET (RATHER THAN 4 OR 5 OEMS) DISTRIBUTORS BUY FROM VENDORS IN JAPAN AND IN THE USA AND SELL TO THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE LIKE US (JUSTATV AND CYCLEWAREABLES). EACH OF THESE AFTERMARKET DISTRIBUTORS ARE IN PRICE-PRODUCT COMPETITION AND THIS LOWERS THE COSTS TO THE AFTERMARKET DEALERS. THEY THEN PASS THIS ONTO THE CUSTOMER. ANSWER: (PRODUCTS). MANY OF THE AFTERMARKET PRODUCTS COME FROM THE SAME JAPANESE MANUFACTURERS AS WITH THE OEM DEALERS. THE DIFFERENCE IS THAT AFTERMARKETERS DO NOT GET SUPPLIED WITH THE FULL PARTS PACKAGES--ONLY A RELATIVELY SMALL AMOUNT OF THESE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT PARTS ARE AVAILABLE AS "AFTERMARKET". DISTRIBUTORS OF AFTERMARKET JAPAN PARTS HAVE TO NEGOTIATE INDIVIDUALLY WITH THE MANUFACTURERS. OTHER AFTERMARKET PRODUCTS ARE MANUFACTURED AND DISTRIBUTED IN THE UNITED STATES. FOR OEMS, THIS PRODUCT LINE IS MAINLY IN THE FORM OF ACCESSORIES. FOR AFTERMARKET, THIS SAME MANUFACTURED SOURCE IS SUBSTANTIALLY EXPANDED SO THAT ACCESSORIES ARE A FAIRLY MINOR PART OF THE WHOLE. AFTERMARKET PRODUCERS MANAGE TO SUBSTANTIALLY IMPROVE UPON ORIGINAL PRODUCTS AND DRASTICALLY CHANGE PERFORMANCE AND QUALITY OVER OEM DESIGN. AFTERMARKET PRICE AND DESIGN ARE SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS TO THE ORIGINAL DESIGN AND MANAGE TO TO IT AT SUBSTANTIALLY LOWERED PRICES. THIS IS BECAUSE THE AFTERMARKET PRICE AND PRODUCT ARENA IS CALLED AN "OPEN-ENDED" DEVELOPMENT AND IS COMPETITIVE WITH EACH OTHER. THE CHARACTER OF THIS SYSTEM IS THAT IT "DEMOCRATIZES" PRICE AND PRODUCT TO THE CUSTOMER. OEM DISTRIBUTION IS A "CLOSED" SYSTEM AND IS NOT COMPETITIVE (EXCEPT WITH UNIT DESIGN AND PRICE), EXCEPT AT THE DEALER LEVEL. THE DEALER IS "FRONT LINE" AND MIGHT PROSTITUTE ITS PRODUCTS AND COMPROMISE PROFITS FOR SAKE OF "MOVING" A PRODUCT LINE, DESPITE PROFITS. A CLOSED SYSTEM IS CHARACTERIZED BY REFUSAL TO NEGOTIATE WITH THE DEALER IN TERMS OF DESIGN NOR PRICE. CLOSED SYSTEMS DETERMINE WHAT IS "BEST" BY DETERMINING HOW BEST THEY CAN PROFIT WITH RELATIVELY LITTLE EFFORT. THE CHARACTER OF THIS SYSTEM IS THAT IT FORCES PRODUCT AND PRICE TO THE CUSTOMER. THE CUSTOMER EITHER ACCEPTS WHAT IS OFFERED OR WALKS. THE OEM DEALER CAN CIRCUMVENT THIS BY OFFERING AFTERMARKET PRICES AND PRODUCTS. BUT TO STOCK AFTERMARKET AS WELL AS "OE", STRETCHES HIS OFFERINGS TO A SMALL PORTION. TO MYSTIFY THINGS FURTHER, OE DEALERS LAY CLAIM TO "INFERIORITY" OF AFTERMARKET PRODUCTS--IN GENERAL. BUT WHAT IS MORE FUNDAMENTAL--HE HAS LITTLE TIME TO SEARCH THE BEST FOR HIS CUSTOMERS. IT IS MUCH EASIER TO STAY WITH THE MICROFICHE AND FORGET ABOUT WHAT IS IN THE BOOKS. PROFITS ARE GOOD WITH THIS SYSTEM AND IT IS FAIRLY EFFICIENT. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THIS SET-UP NEGLECTS TO OFFER WHAT IS "BEST" AND IN THE CUSTOMER'S INTEREST. THE BEST OUT OF THIS BOX IS TO EMBRACE THE CUSTOMER IN DIFFERENT WAYS--AWAY FROM THE CLOSED TO THE OPEN BOX. TO BE TRULY COMPETITIVE IS TO HELP LEAD THE CUSTOMER TO HIS BEST INTERESTS. QUESTION: WHY DOES IT TAKE SEVERAL DAYS TO GET MY ORDER? ANSWER: MOST ALL DEALERS GET THEIR SUPPLIES WITHIN 3 DAYS FROM THEIR STANDARD SUPPLIERS. IF YOUR ORDER IS COMING FROM A 300 MILE RADIUS, THEN THIS WORKS. IF THEY ARE COMING FROM ONE COAST TO ANOTHER, THEN IT TAKES 2~3 DAYS LONGER. ---------------------------------------------- |
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----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- GO TO LAWS PERTAINING TO FRAUDS AND SWINDLES YOU MAY USE THE STANDARD (PRE-ORDER PAGE) PAGE (FOR THOSE PAGES WITHOUT OR YOU MAY USE THE SHOPPING CART (SC) (ONLY ON PAGES THAT HAVE A SHOPPING CART) BY CLICKING ON "ADD TO ORDER" |