Author Topic: SUP Demo Fees  (Read 14544 times)

blueplanetsurf

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Re: SUP Demo Fees
« Reply #15 on: July 25, 2016, 03:03:24 AM »
If the board is turning a brand new board off the rack into a demo for you, then $100 is a cheap way for you to try it. 
We feel that demoing is very important and try to make it as easy as possible for our customers to try many different boards without loosing our shirt.
At our shop we offer free SUP clinics where we have over 40 boards available to demo every 6 weeks or so (open to customers that have been to our shop and pick up a "Clinic Pass").  For all other demos we charge our regular rental fees ($29 per day) and apply up to $250 in rental fees towards the purchase of a new board.   We will turn any new board in the shop into a demo with a $75 new board premium (which is charged in addition to rental fees) and apply this as a credit if the customer decides to buy it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enRhpd3MZ70
Robert Stehlik
Blue Planet Surf Shop, Honolulu
Hawaii's SUP HQ
http://www.blueplanetsurf.com

Fog City Rider

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Re: SUP Demo Fees
« Reply #16 on: July 25, 2016, 12:17:37 PM »
I'm curious as the what the common cost is to demo SUPs. Where I live the shops charge $100/day to demo multiple boards (2 or more). Is that an average price or overpriced?
Having to drive 1-2+ hours to a decent shop and then drop $100 every time to demo is getting quite expensive. I still have several boards on my list to demo and it would require going to 3-4 separate shops to make it happen. By the time I'm done, I'll be spending nearly $1000 on travel and demo costs. I've spent way less demo'ing new cars.

This sounds to me like you're not telling the full story.  I know a few shops that do a $100 demo program, meaning they'll let you demo any board in their shop for $100 down on your eventual purchase.  So it's actually FREE if you're willing to commit to purchasing from that shop. 

Typically, shops are happy to let you try boards from their DEMO fleet for free or for a standard rental rate... also typically credited towards purchase if it's within a reasonable amount of time. 

A shop can't afford to let ANYONE simply come in & try an unlimited amount of new boards, potentially getting them scuffed up or worse, without any payment or commitment.  Not to mention the valuable staff time wasted on certain customers who want to try boards and glean info from experienced SUP staff, but have no intention of purchasing & will typically end up buying used or online. 

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digger71

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Re: SUP Demo Fees
« Reply #17 on: July 25, 2016, 12:35:38 PM »
At our shop we offer free SUP clinics where we have over 40 boards available to demo every 6 weeks or so (open to customers that have been to our shop and pick up a "Clinic Pass"). 

Good stuff Robert!  Haven't been to your place yet, but from everything I have seen and read I love the way you guys operate.  Would benefit a lot of shop owners to pay attention.


2Rivers

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Re: SUP Demo Fees
« Reply #18 on: July 25, 2016, 01:50:54 PM »
I want to thank everyone for their responses. Great feedback!
To be clear, all of the stores that I spoke to will credit the $100 towards the purchase. The problem is when these stores only support a handful of brands (at best), but only have 1-3 models from said brands within their demo fleet and none are the models that I'm interested in. Almost every shop I've encountered, this has been the case. A couple of shops did have a model of a board that I was interested in, but they still required $100 and they only had that one model. $100 for a "rental" for less than 30 mins, no thanks!

Out of desperation, I did pay to demo some board "variants" because that was my only option. I was hoping that I could get a sense of the board I was really after. All it did was confirmed that those boards were not right for me and that I still need to demo the boards that are likely to be right for me. Back to square one.

Some stores tried to take a different approach and instead tried to set me up with their rep to demo a board. This has failed 100% because the reps also didn't have the board that I'm interested in (and expected, were not going to get one). I even made a trip up to a race at Lake Tahoe last year and got skunked by every rep there. Not one (including team riders) had the boards I was looking at, so all I could demo was variants (again) instead. It was fun trying out some 24" or 29" or some custom versions, but none where what I was looking for.

Now I'm starting to get frustrated. It's been nearly 2 years and I've only been able to demo 2 boards out of the 6 on my list. To demo the remaining boards will require traveling some distance (fuel costs), hotel costs, more demo fees, and multiple days away from home because these shops are all in different areas (SF and Tahoe). I never thought demoing a new SUP would be so challenging and expensive. I'm now thinking this sport maybe isn't for me.
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TallDude

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Re: SUP Demo Fees
« Reply #19 on: July 25, 2016, 02:19:00 PM »
I want to thank everyone for their responses. Great feedback!
 I never thought demoing a new SUP would be so challenging and expensive. I'm now thinking this sport maybe isn't for me.
Wow. You must have trouble staying in relationships. I think you are going to have to step up to the plate, and purchase a board that may be less than perfect. All boards are a compromise. I have boards for different conditions, but none are good in all conditions. It sounds like you've narrowed it down enough to take a leap of faith. You can always divorce your imperfect board, sell it, and buy another one down the road.   

It's not overhead to me!
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2Rivers

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Re: SUP Demo Fees
« Reply #20 on: July 25, 2016, 02:28:43 PM »
Remember that if demoing is getting expensive because you're going to 3 or 4 separate shops, that means each shop's chances of making a sale are only 1 in 3 or 4, and that's if you not only decide to buy a board, you also decide to buy it from the shop you demoed it at instead of buying it from another shop or online.  So each shop is using some time, and risking some damage to expensive boards, when even the best odds are that you won't be making a purchase from them.  And you're more likely to buy than the person who's demoing because say, they think they may want a 14' board.  So charging something for demos seems fine.
I agree with this statement. I also think it's fair to charge something for demo's. Even $100 for unlimited demo's is fine with me. The problem is that the shops seem to think that I want to demo as many boards as I can. In my case I know the brand/model that I want to try. I can demo 3 boards in 30 minutes, so charge me for my time, not the gear.
I'm also not a supporter in buying SUPs via the internet and having them shipped, so I will be purchasing from one of the shops that can assist me. Sucks for the shops that are loosing out on a sale, but that's part of the game. If you only support two brands and the customer has five on their list, the odds are already against you as a dealer to close that sale.
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blueplanetsurf

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Re: SUP Demo Fees
« Reply #21 on: July 25, 2016, 02:49:14 PM »
2Rivers, perhaps you should let us know exactly which model(s) you are interested in trying/buying, someone here might have one you can try or can give you some feedback.
Robert Stehlik
Blue Planet Surf Shop, Honolulu
Hawaii's SUP HQ
http://www.blueplanetsurf.com

2Rivers

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Re: SUP Demo Fees
« Reply #22 on: July 25, 2016, 02:54:15 PM »
Wow. You must have trouble staying in relationships. I think you are going to have to step up to the plate, and purchase a board that may be less than perfect. All boards are a compromise. I have boards for different conditions, but none are good in all conditions. It sounds like you've narrowed it down enough to take a leap of faith. You can always divorce your imperfect board, sell it, and buy another one down the road.
Relationships? What are those? ;D
I'm at that point already of buying something sight unseen. That's why I posted about the demo fees. It's getting too expensive and I'm now over it.
However I live by this motto: Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. The problem is when I've purchased something sight unseen, it rarely ever works out for me. I've been fooled well more than twice now.
Lately I've been scouring CL with no luck in hopes that I could find a used one of the boards on my list, buy it, and if it didn't work I could flip immediately and possibly make my money back. So far no luck.
I've actually had some shops show some hesitation of selling me a board without demo'ing it first. They don't want to have an unhappy customer, so I get where they're coming from.
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Quickbeam

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Re: SUP Demo Fees
« Reply #23 on: July 25, 2016, 03:01:42 PM »
I want to thank everyone for their responses. Great feedback!
To be clear, all of the stores that I spoke to will credit the $100 towards the purchase. The problem is when these stores only support a handful of brands (at best), but only have 1-3 models from said brands within their demo fleet and none are the models that I'm interested in. Almost every shop I've encountered, this has been the case. A couple of shops did have a model of a board that I was interested in, but they still required $100 and they only had that one model. $100 for a "rental" for less than 30 mins, no thanks!

Out of desperation, I did pay to demo some board "variants" because that was my only option. I was hoping that I could get a sense of the board I was really after. All it did was confirmed that those boards were not right for me and that I still need to demo the boards that are likely to be right for me. Back to square one.

Some stores tried to take a different approach and instead tried to set me up with their rep to demo a board. This has failed 100% because the reps also didn't have the board that I'm interested in (and expected, were not going to get one). I even made a trip up to a race at Lake Tahoe last year and got skunked by every rep there. Not one (including team riders) had the boards I was looking at, so all I could demo was variants (again) instead. It was fun trying out some 24" or 29" or some custom versions, but none where what I was looking for.

Now I'm starting to get frustrated. It's been nearly 2 years and I've only been able to demo 2 boards out of the 6 on my list. To demo the remaining boards will require traveling some distance (fuel costs), hotel costs, more demo fees, and multiple days away from home because these shops are all in different areas (SF and Tahoe). I never thought demoing a new SUP would be so challenging and expensive. I'm now thinking this sport maybe isn't for me.


It sounds to me like you are new to the sport and I am assuming this will be your first board??? In this situation I can certainly understand your reluctance to buy a board without doing a demo. Have you ever thought of looking for a used board? I’m sure that in most cases someone selling a used board would allow a demo. This would allow you to get a board that won’t cost as much as purchasing new, and you’ll also get to demo first.

And after you get some experience, you’ll have a better idea of what you do and don’t like without having to demo. I am a very careful shopper. I always do my research and find as much information, etc., etc., before I buy. For my first few boards I always demo’d them before I bought. Should also note that it just turned out pretty lucky, that any time I’ve had a demo at a dealers, I’ve bought a board from that dealer. In any case, just recently I found myself in a situation where there was a board I was very interested in but there was just no way for me to get a demo. It wasn’t a matter of paying for a demo, there just wasn’t a board to have a demo on. I rolled the dice and ordered the board and was very happy I did. And now I’ve just ordered another board without a demo. Don’t have this one yet so don’t know how it will turn out.

My point is that if you get more experience you will be more comfortable knowing what you want. I would still rather demo if I could, but at least with experience you will have more knowledge and a better comfort level. Don’t let your frustrations on this issue turn you off the sport. It is a great, great sport and I think if you just keep looking you’ll find what you want and hopefully you’ll be glad you stuck with it.
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pdxmike

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Re: SUP Demo Fees
« Reply #24 on: July 25, 2016, 03:12:22 PM »
2rivers--I have some sympathy for you in regard to shops having only one or two of the boards you're interested in.  Even apart from demo fees, it's tough trying one board one place in one set of conditions, then another somewhere else in other conditions.  The best demo is when you can go back and forth between boards in one session.


In my case, my boards are either used, or bought from my local shop (including one used one from there).  Lucky for me, it has virtually any board I'd ever been interested in.  Also,the shop has already waded through what's available and done the editing for me.  If they don't carry a board, it's probably because they have another that's similar but better.  But not everyone has access to a shop like that.


I'd say take blueplanetsurf's advice, and ask people here about the specific boards you're interested in.

2Rivers

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Re: SUP Demo Fees
« Reply #25 on: July 25, 2016, 03:18:32 PM »
2Rivers, perhaps you should let us know exactly which model(s) you are interested in trying/buying, someone here might have one you can try or can give you some feedback.
404 V3
Bark D2
Coreban Phoenix
Lakeshore Stealth (I've demo'ed this)
Pau Hana Viper (I've demo'ed this)
JP Race
SIC X14 Pro

I'm looking for 14'x26-27" boards in the 220-250L range.
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SlatchJim

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Re: SUP Demo Fees
« Reply #26 on: July 25, 2016, 03:21:56 PM »
Wow. You must have trouble staying in relationships.
Relationships? What are those? ;D

Russian Single(fin)s perhaps?   ;D

2Rivers

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Re: SUP Demo Fees
« Reply #27 on: July 25, 2016, 03:43:47 PM »
It sounds to me like you are new to the sport and I am assuming this will be your first board??? In this situation I can certainly understand your reluctance to buy a board without doing a demo. Have you ever thought of looking for a used board? I’m sure that in most cases someone selling a used board would allow a demo. This would allow you to get a board that won’t cost as much as purchasing new, and you’ll also get to demo first.

And after you get some experience, you’ll have a better idea of what you do and don’t like without having to demo. I am a very careful shopper. I always do my research and find as much information, etc., etc., before I buy. For my first few boards I always demo’d them before I bought. Should also note that it just turned out pretty lucky, that any time I’ve had a demo at a dealers, I’ve bought a board from that dealer. In any case, just recently I found myself in a situation where there was a board I was very interested in but there was just no way for me to get a demo. It wasn’t a matter of paying for a demo, there just wasn’t a board to have a demo on. I rolled the dice and ordered the board and was very happy I did. And now I’ve just ordered another board without a demo. Don’t have this one yet so don’t know how it will turn out.

My point is that if you get more experience you will be more comfortable knowing what you want. I would still rather demo if I could, but at least with experience you will have more knowledge and a better comfort level. Don’t let your frustrations on this issue turn you off the sport. It is a great, great sport and I think if you just keep looking you’ll find what you want and hopefully you’ll be glad you stuck with it.
Actually I've been a avid paddler for almost 7+ years now. I used to be a big proponent of iSUPs, so I've been using them all of this time. I realized about 2+ years ago that I wanted more than my iSUP could deliver. First I figured out my ideal board volume for my weight to get a benchmark for what I should be focusing on. Now board shape and how that translates to feel and performance have been my main focus moving forward.
What's been frustrating to me is trying to finding out the differences in the shapes and how that effects the ride. I could go buy any 220L+ board and it may be ideal for my weight, but I may hate the glide or the balance of the board. Volume is only one component of the story. Unfortunately there's no calculator for finding the best shape. That can only be done by demo'ing.
« Last Edit: July 25, 2016, 03:54:51 PM by 2Rivers »
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2Rivers

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Re: SUP Demo Fees
« Reply #28 on: July 25, 2016, 03:50:06 PM »
I'd say take blueplanetsurf's advice, and ask people here about the specific boards you're interested in.
I've already tried that. Check out all of the responses I got:
http://www.standupzone.com/forum/index.php/topic,28040.msg294453.html#msg294453
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Easy Rider

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Re: SUP Demo Fees
« Reply #29 on: July 25, 2016, 04:36:10 PM »
I'll toss in my 2¢ as a shop owner. 

I have approximately 30 boards in my demo fleet - that revolves constantly.  All boards are different (no two the same). 

Due to my insurance - we only do "demos" where I bring the boards to the water and you come try them out. 
As mentioned - we "charge" $10. per person for this - and then donate that to a local charity. 
These sessions are 90 minutes to two hours long.

Because of how we do this, we get a large percentage of beginners, so the majority of boards we have are geared towards that - but still includes All Around boards / Hybrids / and Touring boards.   
My "demo fleet" is in excess of $30K - at dealer wholesale.

We don't have any true race boards in our demo fleet as the percentage of race board sales is so small that it doesn't make sense. 
However, we do stock race boards - and if you want to "demo" a brand new board - fresh off the shelf - we do charge a minimum of $50. (which can be put towards the purchase) for this - - and I then meet the customer at our local paddle lake for them to try it. 

I paddle with them - and talk about the board.  I do also tell them that every hard paddle whack costs them $5.   ;D

It works well for us - and so far have only had 1 person not buy the board they tried - we then discounted that board by the $50. the person paid.



So before you jump on shops for charging for demos - realize that as soon as the leaves the shop and gets paddled . . . it is no longer new, and can not be sold for as new prices. 



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My name is Warren Currie . . . and we SUP Surf indoors . . . in a shopping mall!

 


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