Play It Again Sports

[Jglopez7]

Saw this force3 on their website. Shipping is too high for me $37) or else i’d purchase it. Have at it gents! 

https://www.playitagainsports.com/product/11812-S000140599/used-wilson-f-pro-baseball-and-softball-umpire-equip

[wolfe_man]

Yeah, their S&H prices are terrible and non-competitive.

[SeeingEyeDog]

Yup...here's how obscene that shipping is...PlayItAgain also quoted me $36 for shipping. I put all the data points into UPS.com and they quoted me $14 for ground service.

Obviously, I don't see their P&L so, I don't know what the numbers say about their business but, without being able to evaluate the goods in person, is this mask still a deal at $86? ($50 + $36 shipping) If this mask and harness are a B- then yes. But, the optics of the shipping charge being nearly double retail shipping? That is a huge turn off. It would be interesting to know how much mail order business they do versus brick and mortar. My guess is the bulk of their business is brick and mortar because generally (not always) people want to evaluate used sporting goods for fit, condition and protection. I keep an eye on my local stores and will pop in from time to time if I see something of interest.

Retail globally has seen a tremendous boost in the internet age. In the umpire world, Samurai Gears is a great example. They bring things to the global marketplace that we would otherwise have to know someone reliable in the marketplace to funnel cash to who could then make our purchase and ship to us or have to hop a 20 hour flight to access. I submit as @wolfe_man intimated, that if you are trying to compete in the online marketplace then, your shipping needs to be competitive, too. Maybe PIAS feels there are no other global used sports brick and mortar competitors so, they can dictate terms? Still no reason to abuse customers...tempted to send these data points to them via email but, that's an unresponsive void.

Maybe I am a sucker but, FREE SHIPPING is always a hook for me. I don't always make every purchasing decision based on shipping but, it gets me interested. It doesn't take an advanced degree in calculus to understand that $100 for an item with free shipping is not a better overall price than that same item for $1 with a $98.99 shipping charge.

Ok, that's all for this week's episode of Geo-Political Commerce Weekly...join us next week for a full analysis of 1960s Czechoslovakian tariffs...

~Dawg 

[wolfe_man]

The crazy thing is it’s not every location. Some of the PIAS will have reasonable shipping whereas others have absurd ones. I have not been able to figure out the pattern, but Goodwill is the same way.

I suspect that they prefer to do business the old-fashioned way - but here’s the odd thing.  I’ve bought stuff that PIAS had listed online that was months old (Nike Ti, TW Gold) and it must have been kept in the back of the store, because there’s no way it wouldn’t have sold out front for what I paid without shipping!

[SeeingEyeDog]

1 hour ago, wolfe_man said:

The crazy thing is it’s not every location. Some of the PIAS will have reasonable shipping whereas others have absurd ones. I have not been able to figure out the pattern, but Goodwill is the same way.

I suspect that they prefer to do business the old-fashioned way - but here’s the odd thing.  I’ve bought stuff that PIAS had listed online that was months old (Nike Ti, TW Gold) and it must have been kept in the back of the store, because there’s no way it wouldn’t have sold out front for what I paid without shipping!

They are franchises...and as someone who has spent much of my professional life working in the franchise world, it's very easy to see they need a lot of help in compliance and quality control with how their franchisees are operating their brand. We maybe don't like them as a guest and may choose to make another choice but, nobody does the franchising game better than Marriott. Get a steak and salad at the Chicago Marriott and that salad has 3 cherry tomatoes in it. Hop on a flight to Beijing and that same salad in Beijing also has 3 cherry tomatoes in it. As an employee, it's a blessing and a curse. Not going to lie, it's the biggest challenge in hospitality checking all the boxes on a Marriott QC inspection. It's also not a brand that offers the operator and their employees much opportunity for creativity or innovation. Nothing that happens there is an accident. Chik-Fil-A also does an incredible job with their compliance and QC. Their line workers are incredible...the best.

PIAS? Quite the opposite...I have been in their stores that are as clean and well-kept and merchandised with the best retail operations out there with friendly, knowledgeable employees who are helpful. And other locations that looked like a bomb went off staffed by aloof employees. Very inconsistent brand...but, given the stakes, I keep them on the radar in the hopes I find something unique or special.

~Dawg

[boyinr]

Lock it up @Thunderheads  I bought it. $86.15. The shipping charges chapped me but, $86.15 for that mask? In that condition is still a decent buy. Wilson 4” TG is a bonus. This will be a nice add to rotation. 

[SeeingEyeDog]

48 minutes ago, boyinr said:

Lock it up @Thunderheads  I bought it. $86.15. The shipping charges chapped me but, $86.15 for that mask? In that condition is still a decent buy. Wilson 4” TG is a bonus. This will be a nice add to rotation. 

Wow! Please report back on your impressions after you unbox. Really curious about this...
 

~Dawg

[boyinr]

It was sold before I bought it.  Waiting on the refund. 

[SeeingEyeDog]

24 minutes ago, boyinr said:

It was sold before I bought it.  Waiting on the refund. 

@wolfe_man? Was that you? 🤣

~Dawg

[wolfe_man]

34 minutes ago, SeeingEyeDog said:

@wolfe_man? Was that you? 🤣

~Dawg

No sir, but at that price it's a good candidate for a flip.  It looked new or close to it.