The UK market since 2008 has shrunk considerably with many dealers losing franchises like Honda, Piaggio, Suzuki etc, indeed the big manufacturers have made a cull.ollie wrote:Hi,
I have had a rethink Sym uk, having had three Joyrides over eight years I have been very pleased with the bikes. Initially I bought the brand because it offered what I wanted at a price below the big four but still maintaining a quality build ihmo. My local Sym dealer whilst providing good servicing for the scoots over the years is a multi-franchaise outlet and carries no indication that he is a Sym dealer.
A couple of weeks back I looked at the Sym Uk website and saw that the new 2014 300i Joymax is now equipped with abs and start stop facility so I sent two emails expressing an interest, to date I have received no reply. Since then I have spoken to my local dealer and he gave me a catalogue and said that whilst he will not be having any of the Premium brand in stock he is willing to order in a Joymax for me. Yesterday I visited my second nearest Sym dealer again no obvious indication of being a Sym dealer but again a catalogue was offered, yes they could order me in a Joymax not sure of availability and colour would be compromised and it would be down to what is available, all this with no chance to see the product in the flesh.
Eight years ago I was prepared to to compromise because the price reflected this, at a quoted £4391 for the Joymax you are up against offerings from Honda, Kawasaki and Piaggio which I can see in showrooms not that far from me and these bikes as far as I am aware have less frequent service intervals.
Whilst I appreciate you may have only been going for three years and you are conversing with your potential and existing customers which is to be applauded, Sym have had a lot longer to establish themselves in the uk.
The last time I bought a Joyride I travelled 120 miles to a dealer that carried several of the Sym larger models and bought my scooter there thinking that they were committed to Sym and more likely to be there if I needed them, unfortunately I now learn they have now dropped the Sym brand. So I am now questioning why I would want to spend £4400 on a Sym bike when my local dealers have clearly made little investment in the Sym brand.
We are opening new dealers every week, indeed we are enjoying the repercussions of the, Main Brand' culls allowing us to pick up what they think are dealers unworthy of their brand - but in actual fact they are usually long established and knowledgeable dealers.
MotoGB wholly own no less than ten retail sites, we hold on those sites franchises such as Kawasaki, Suzuki, Yamaha, Victory, Indian.... So yes, I have probably had a far closer look at the new Kawasaki scooter than most people out there. The Joymax 300i does not need to worry! But I will leave that to your decision - not mine!
I would respectfully ask you to go out there and find a 2014 Piaggio catalogue...... Maybe you will get one sometime in June!
It is true that most dealers do not invest in more expensive models, and maybe that is one of our downfalls, but we RESPECT that it is the dealers name above the door and we will not dictate stock levels to them.....
As we emerge from a recession, we are actively looking to support dealers and part of this support other than floor stocking support is a rolling roadshow of demonstrators
Ollie, where do you live?
Thanks
SYMUK
