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Re: How much should I charge this guy?
We have had a few of those back room/garage room shops in our town also. I
guess there are always a few in any town. Our wholesale policy is, trade
prices are extended to full service legitimate, licensed sign shops. We offer
them a true trade price, and, for long term / in good standing customers, we
also keep them abreast of changes in the code, and will help them solve
installation problems that they have come across. The garage shop guys get
neon priced at least 50% above our wholesale prices, with no advice or imput
on installation or materials to use. Pricing will vary according to the
history we have with this guy. Newbies, without license get charged full
boar, and are always on a cash only, 50% down basis.
It always amazes me how a guy can come to you, order neon, and then turn
around and ask you how to install and wire it! (Oh yes, I always want to give
away, for FREE, hard earned knowlege to a competitor! They never have
supplies, so all that stuff goes at full retail.
These guys get the jobs because they low ball the work. They do shoddy
installations, burn down buildings, bounce checks, go out of business, change
their names, or skip town. They give the industry a bad name, and imply that
the rest of us are blatently orcharging the consumer, regardless of the
quality of our product, safety of our installations, or assurance that we
will still be around next month or next year, should there be a problem. They
convince their customers that purchasing neon should be no different than
buying a vynal banner. (Any Joe can do it, Right?!) They can do all this
because they manage to convince benders to sell them work at a reduced price.
I get offended when I hear that a fly-by-night sign guy can buy glass to
bend. Aren't distributors supposed to be selling to licensed sign shops?
Isn't that supposed to be our edge. We get product at a "wholesale" price
becaused we are an OEM or reseller.
I for one would like to see these guys controlled by olny selling wholesale
work to licensed legit sign companies. At least thats how we handle it.