Selling gear without actually having it.

[CarlosCabanas]

Does anyone have any experience with selling gear from a resort or dive shop in that the manufacturer would actually send the gear to the person when they arrive at home? Living in a country with extreme customs and duty makes stocking a shop unprofitable/uncompetitive. As well with technology for computers changing I would hate to invest in a line of computers and then have them too long. I recently saw a website from a manufacturer where the company wanted to give credit to which ever company sent them business. As we are a very small dive resort I thought it might be wise to affiliate with one or two companies that could give us a credit or commission when we sent business there way.... any thoughts/experiences?

Cheers,
Carlos

 

[NCadiver]

The two companies I know gives the credit to the store near the zip code of the buyer. You would need to talk with the company about setting up a special purchase site for you.<o></o>

 

[Beyond_Diving]

That's a tough one... I've been in this business for a while, first a dive shop manager and now as an owner, and in Mexico even the distributors sometimes don't carry some items in stock... so you have to special order them and then when they receive them (which could take weeks for that to happen), your customer is already back home and bought the same item for less from their lds or online.. So personally, I only carry things I know I can get straight away (for the most part). Although your idea is really good.. I might look into that. thanks!

 

[rcontrera]

That's going to be kind of tough. Visitors to your resort are having the time of their lives and are more likely to purchase on the spur of the moment. While stocking may be expensive and a pain in the butt to get stuff in, it is going to be your most profitable way of selling "stuff".

Most manufacturers will consider what you are proposing as internet sales or mail order and may balk. I have a similar deal with a shop in El Salvador where I send compressors to his customers and then send him a check. But, then again, when I send him supplies for his compressor, it can take MONTHS just to get compressor oil cleared through customs.

Good luck!

 

[The Chairman]

Cyber shops are pretty common, but the successful ones stock what they sell. I think ScubaLife has a way to do this. You put in their gear as rental, and if people like it, they drop ship it to their homes. I could be mistaken, but I also think that Hog/Edge is trying to do the same thing and their gear and prices are way attractive.