Flexon Supply

[beastie]

I'm going nuts here in Canada trying to support my customer's warranty issues with Nike Flexons. I have sold a ton over the last few years, and I'm getting a fair number back for numerous reasons. I'm ready to lose it on someone higher up in the company really fast.

My rep has done all he can, and I feel sorry for him, because he is great at what he does, but his company is sucking the big one.

How are my American friend's doing with this- do you have back-order issues? If not, I might be willing to buy from you and worry about Marchon later.

Ryancoke

[LENNY]

Its not only Marchone!
Try Luxottica then you WILL see the standart 2 weeks backorder that could last 3 month!

[Johns]

Lenny,



I agree! The NIKE situatioin is deplorable! They sold like hotcakes and then they came flooding back in with broken eyewires. To top it off, they are not standing behind them like they said. I did get the rep involved and he solved the problem of credits, but then you can't get the replacements in.

I've never seen a backorder problem like this before.

And Marchon is (was) one of my better vendors.

[SarahMP584]

Oh man We sell TONS of flexon, and I am always scared to order another color or size for fear of backorder...It has been happening more and more for weeks at a time. AND the clip ons too. I have a guy that has been waiting since DECEMBER! we offered to restyle months ago but he wont have it. Go figure.

[Chris Ryser]

Oh man We sell TONS of flexon, and I am always scared to order another color or size for fear of backorder...It has been happening more and more for weeks at a time. AND the clip ons too. I have a guy that has been waiting since DECEMBER! we offered to restyle months ago but he wont have it. Go figure.

Frame factories very often have lead times of 3-4 month. With the fast times they are changing models, importer and distributors do not want to be stuck with overstocked situations and each has his own system to figure out what is the minum order required to give a decent service to the customers.

If a certain model suddenly sells better than expected they will be stuck with a backorder situation that will go on for a minimum of 3-4 month because that far ahead they have to give their orders.

Besides that in a situation like that, they will favour the customers that are purchasing the stock on those frames and have neglect the ones that use the consignment system, because this is much better for the cash flow.

This is nothing new and has been going on for many years and always happens when you can or could sell " a ton of it"

[misunderstood]

You should check out Konishi by Clariti Eyewear, they offer a far better product at a fraction of the price!!!

[beastie]

I see your point Chris, but this seems to be an extreme situation with Marchon right now. I have dealt with backorders for years and have never seen anything like this. Every company is bound to have backorders, but on every model???

This makes me wonder about the stability of Marchon in general. Are they just having trouble with flexons? Has the introduction of Eschenbach's Titan Flex's affected Marchon's production?

This is all very, very weird.

[CME4SPECS]

One of the best solutions to backorders is of course...sell from your boards! I have gotten to the point that if I have to order a frame from ANY manufacturer, I call and check the status of the frame while the customer is still here. If the frame is on BO they will more than likely choose another frame. I think sometimes we create our own problems, when in fact there are ways to avoid them.

[harry888]

Is the backorder due to them coming from a Moulin contract?


Harry

[cinders831]

One of the best solutions to backorders is of course...sell from your boards! I have gotten to the point that if I have to order a frame from ANY manufacturer, I call and check the status of the frame while the customer is still here. If the frame is on BO they will more than likely choose another frame. I think sometimes we create our own problems, when in fact there are ways to avoid them.





Wise words if it isnt a wty replacement, then what? Sounds like that has been an issue.

Cindy

[impact500]

harry888: <<Is the backorder due to them coming from a Moulin contract?>>

No.

[Lewy]

We have a similar problem here in the UK with Marchon, service is poor, many frames on back order AND quite often never supplying the goods in the first place!! I really feel the products are very overpriced compared with comparable products from other suppliers, if it wasn't for the agent I don't think I would buy from them, as it is we have managed to get extended credit from them. Also the agent that covers their Nuatica range got us to purchase a set of frames on the back of a trunk day several years ago and we have never seen her since.....must be my aftershave!

Ho hum back to the frame catalogues.

Lewy

[drk]

I agree that Marchon has an unacceptable backorder situation since the 4th quarter 2004 (going on one year, now.) We have done heavy business with them with the Flexon 600 series, which I think is absolutely awesome.

Buy it up when you can.

It seems to me that Marchon had better be having a killer year, and that's their excuse. If they are just cutting things close and being cheap, then they are going to pay the price in my office.

I think we will see more and more backorders, in general, from now on.

[misunderstood]

Konishi doesn't have any backorders:idea:

[harry888]

deleted redundant post


Harry

[rep]

Marchon’s exclusive patent on flex metal product expires on September 30.



My company and many others are going to launch flex metal products in Q4.



Signature had flex metal product samples at a recent meeting held on the Mississippi Gulf Coast this weekend. I saw them and they were almost identical to Marchon’s product.



The projected wholesale price of the flex metal will be 40 to 60 percent lower than Marchon’s.



Since this is Marchon’s main cash cow things could get very interesting by year end.



Rep

[Chris Ryser]

Marchon’s exclusive patent on flex metal product expires on September


My company and many others are going to launch flex metal products in Q4.



The projected wholesale price of the flex metal will be 40 to 60 percent lower than Marchon’s.
Rep

Reps statement makes good sense. Once patents expire everybody starts making a good product for less. The patent holder could charge more because their could be no competition.

However the patent holder can also lower his price to a normal non patented level.

However that does not seem to be the reason why Marchon should be in a slow supply mode, specially knowing tha LUX will be jumping in to take away some market share.

[spartus]

My Charmant rep seems pretty excited about it, too. He told me (no idea if it's true) that Charmant actually owns the factory that makes Flexon for Marchon, and the new Boss "Z-Titanium" is pretty neat stuff.

[Mikef]

My Charmant rep seems pretty excited about it, too. He told me (no idea if it's true) that Charmant actually owns the factory that makes Flexon for Marchon, and the new Boss "Z-Titanium" is pretty neat stuff.

That was true. Charmant did make them but they have switched most of the production to China.

[Dot the Eye]

We're already delivering on orders of our Flexit line of frames by Capri Optics. They're awesome. And no backorders!

Dottie

[Johns]

Wow! The rumor mill is sure churning!
I don't think Marchon losing the patent is going to affect their business that much at all. Lux, Charmant (are they still in business?), and the others still won't have NIKE. The teens that are in line to buy the products don't care about the material, or the patents - they want the name.

What WILL hurt Marchon is their inability to deliver product.

As for Charmant...I had a rep stop in and tell me that they owned all the titanium mines, and they controled the world market. I asked them why they still sold frames if they had such control on the titanium market - he said he'd ask his boss.:bbg:

[GOS_Queen]

What WILL hurt Marchon is their inability to deliver product.

This has been a problem for as long as I've been in the business (nearly 17 years). :hammer: