Quote:
Originally Posted by
bespoken4me 
Well said, now carry some damn size 12UK!!! Love your store and know you have a few 12UK's as you kindly responded previously to an email. Are Europeans really that much smaller in stature that NOT ONE end retailer generally carries any real stock and variety of that size? Alden, AE ( I'll take Carmina every day) are always flush with every model in that size. I will never get it. You have great models and styles, and as much an eye for the more handsome Carmina as Armoury, maybe better. Yes, I am a kiss ass when suits my purpose
I'm a UK 12 myself, so I hear ya, but we get very few Carmina requests for UK 12. Northern Europeans are actually the tallest people in the world (statistically). Sweden comes in second place (average height for men: 5’11.5”), followed by Danes, Norwegians, Estonians, Finns and Germans. The tallest people on the planet are actually the Dutch. For some reason we have a much larger demand for EG and G&G in larger sizes than Carmina. Send me a PM with your e-mail if you want me to put you on the waiting list for 12's. I think we actually have some UK 12 in stock, and a few models coming in (i.e. 80092 Brown Calf/Snuff Suede, 922 Brown Calf, 923 Burgundy Cord.).
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Gdot
Perhaps the boots are similarly priced. But shoes are 3400 sek which equals 518 dollars from Skoaktiebolaget, Including VAT. Deduct VAT and you get about 425 USD. Direct from Carmina 275 Euro excluding VAT = 362.00 dollars. Thus the difference is about 63 dollars or 18% more.
Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)I don't call that insubstantial in that $63 worth of extra customer service would equal an hour or two of time per pair of shoes (including overhead).
Now, I will be the FIRST person to go to a store to try on shoes. And if I am going to make use of the retailer's services I feel absolutely obligated to purchase through them. Not interested in ripping anyone off.
But, if I have no local retailer and can save that much on a mid range shoe by dealing with the factory direct I'm happy to assume a little more effort on my part might be required. And that minor compromises might be required. Afterall, one presumes that there is both value and cost to the services of the retailer, no?
I'll admit to being a little overly sensitive to the manufacturer's side of the equation. As I am in the business of custom design. I cannot tell you how often I encounter clients who expect to first negotiate a rock bottom price and then insist on receiving nothing but the highest quality of services and perfect end products. Needless to say, those who insist on the lowest price, do not, in fact, get the same service as those who pay for it. Business people don't stay in business for long if they are stupid enough to fall into that trap.
So - for me - when buying middling quality shoes direct from the factory in little old Inca Majorca I'm willing to accept the charmingly lax attention to time and a few little imperfections here and there (after all - they'll be imperfect after a dozen wearings anyway. Conversely, when buying G&Gs from Bespoke England I expect nothing less than elegant service and immaculate end product (which I receive).
To each their own. Given the description Moo gave of the 'problems' with the shoes I'm pretty sure I would have pulled out the plastic and happily proceeded on with my new shoes. I would have thought hmmmmmmmm.......I just got paid 64 dollars to pull a little plasitc out of a shoe. Cool. Some things in life are just not worth getting unhappy about, IMO.
To each their own.........
BTW - Carmina should have refunded 100% of Mr. Moo's costs - that part I don't understand, at all. Better to take that hit than ruin one's reputation
With today's dollar exchange rate a pair of oxfords at Skoaktiebolaget are about $490 ($392 ex VAT). That's about 10%, not 18%. And in my opinion we have a better selection of models. The US Dollar exchange rate is very bad to the Swedish Krona now, so I'm confident prices will improve for our US clients over time.
Our short boots are 3600 SEK while Carmina charge about 3750 SEK, so we are actually less expensive than Carmina on these. At this point, we charge 3600 SEK for high boots as well, and Carmina does not carry these, but they would be about 4000 SEK if they did.
Carmina charges a 50% surcharge for MTO, we charge 40%.
Mr.Moo, I was not referring to your post when I mentioned that Carmina should not be compared to EG or G&G , and I did not quote you either. I was referring to another member. I should have been more clear.
