Online Shipping

[almonpoole]

I have an honest question. The other day Jim posted on the American Lifan forum asking the question why they have stated on their home page that dealers selling online are basically frauds when they have a featured American Lifan dealers selling online.

Not that I disagree, I wish American Lifan would sell online, but that goes against their dealer network model I suppose.

Well they deleted Jim's question, so then I logged in and asked the same question and had some responses but they really did not answer my question as to why are they allowing this to happen but then telling everyone one on the homepage that online sales are fraudulent and you cannot be registered for a tag or get parts which we all know is not true.

I logged on this morning to find out I had been banned and my post deleted. If they want to do that I understand, I banned Shawn from my forum (for a real reason) and he can do what ever he wants.

So maybe some of the American Lifan dealers here can answer my question? Why does American Lifan have this untrue message on their website and are any of you guys selling online like the featured dealer and motorcycles.pro?

Thanks,

Almon

[Q]

It is interesting that they have deleted 2 threads so far on the subject of drop shipping. The only thing I can figure is that they are looking the other way while some of their dealers do it. They would sell fewer bikes if they actually stopped all dealers from drop shipping.

Q

[culcune]

You're lucky...I have heard that some members have gone missing after asking the very same question!!!!!

(I think A Lifan has "some guys" to help them take care of this problem--you have been warned................. 8O )

[mrhyak]

Every China bike dealer will ship a bike to a perspective buyer (drop ship). Pot calling the kettle black?

[frostbite]

Every China bike dealer will ship a bike to a perspective buyer (drop ship). Pot calling the kettle black?

I'm pretty sure Bruce and Tom won't.

[Jim]

Originally Posted by frostbite

I'm pretty sure Bruce and Tom won't.

Yeah, not all of them will, but anyways that's not exactly how I worded my question, I just asked if they did or didn't and showed the example of the ones who did... I was just wondering...

[mrhyak]

Ok, I'm sure there are some that won't....I shouldn't have used such a blanket statement. I have yet to visit a website of anyone that does not ship.

Even American Lifan sells directly from the company website and ships to customers.....(at least that is what it says)

[ejcycles]

For anyone interested, go here... and see what every page that has vehicles on it says.

http://www.endlessjourneycycles.net/

[RPM]

Frostbite is correct in stating Tom or Bruce won't ship.

I am sure that it all goes back to the green in hand.
I wish that the dropshipping issue with American Lifan wasn't an issue like it was when I started with them about 2 years ago. No company fought harder for integrety and support as they did. I believe they have recently added some "new blood" in their ranks and as Culcune stated, it may be one of those things that they may do for some of their "good" dealers out there, I hate to say.

I know that I was granted this option at one time, but I cannot make myself go in that direction. Maybe the times just haven't been bad enough for me yet, but I have to be sure that every unit I sell is ready for action, just for my own peace of mind. I simply won't settle for an unhappy customer and when you start allowing dropshipping, it's completely out of your hands ... speaking from the dealer's perspective.

Yes, I am sure you can get one online and get a terrific price for one, but be carefull and do your homework on the place you buy from.

[ejcycles]

Originally Posted by RPM

Frostbite is correct in stating Tom or Bruce won't ship.

I cannot make myself go in that direction. Maybe the times just haven't been bad enough for me yet, but I have to be sure that every unit I sell is ready for action, just for my own peace of mind. I simply won't settle for an unhappy customer and when you start allowing drop-shipping, it's completely out of your hands ... speaking from the dealer's perspective.

Yes, I am sure you can get one online and get a terrific price for one, but be careful and do your homework on the place you buy from.

Ditto on this...Completely!!!!!!!!

[theENIGMATIC]

Im not sure does the original Chinese Lifan manufacturer have anything against selling a lifan bike on-line?
Could there be some dealers of Lifan who are not related to American Lifan?

[ejcycles]

Hi theENIGMATIC
Sure there are a few that sell on line that sell Gray Market Lifan Motorcycles. They are made in one of Nine of China Lifans Factories. They are made to the importers specs and the importer does not carry parts or honor their own warranty {most don't}. This is over as of this year though according to Chongqing Lifan China. Open and read this link to their site.
http://www.lifan.com/en//corpnews_li...5&parentid=358
http://www.lifan.com/en/index.asp

I hope that this helps...there is a lot of discussion going on about this in other threads.

[almonpoole]

This is not over yet. I know for a fact some of the larger importers have stopped buying from China Lifan and China Lifan is freaking out about it.

The larger importers do keep parts, while the smaller ones sometimes do not.

This is going to be a cost to Lifan. I think this is how it will go though,

China Lifan has alienated their own customer base and they will lose this business in 2008 for a few reasons.

1) They are not treating their larger customers well, how would you like to spend 50k a month with Lifan only to have your name put all over the web as some kind of fraud when this is not the case.

2) Lifan has had it good these past few years but there are many, many new epa/dot and carb China bikes coming that are larger displacement in 2008, and they are working out dealerships with existing Direct Importers.

3) Say what you will about Tank but they are getting their act together and importing the Taiwanese Xi series of motorcycles that put Lifan bikes to shame, at least the sports bike anyway.

What everyone will be left with is American Lifan offering a 2k plus 200cc sport bike by the end of 2008. Why not add 1k to this and buy a Ninja 250 or a larger displacement China bike (and folks they are coming in waves)?

As I have said before, buy from who you wish it is your decision, I don't care who anyone buys their bike from, I have also said in the past that their is a market for online sales for the tech savvy and a market for brick and mortar sales for the non technical buyer.

There are really good direct import dealers and really good American Lifan dealers.

China Lifan is taking choice away from the consumer with these moves after the market has already established itself. Time will tell how this works out.

Things are about to get really interesting for Lifan in this country at least.

[ejcycles]

Hi Almon
You are 100% correct on "This is not over yet". There are tons of issues that should have been worked out before this ever happened. I can only state what is current fact. I'm not and didn't say all of the importers where bad, but as you know too there are a handful that are. This could be a common place for American Lifan and every other importer that buys from Lifan China to make it & make a living "Fairly".
Another problem I can see happening will be EPA issues, OMG! here it goes!
EPA and it's licensing issues could be a problem as we have seen in the past with SunL and one of it's importers. SunL was buying from a company that "one {guy} importer" had an EPA License for his bikes and the Chinese co. was selling the bikes to SunL with the same EPA license. This is illegal for the importer to do. SunL was not really at fault, as the Importer was. The Importer was fined by The EPA and not allowed to sell that particular vehicle to any company but to the importer that held the license.
As for as Xi, with The T/Yank interest, it may work it may not. T/Yank sports buys Redcat atvs from an importer and I personally know the owner and his right hand man {as I'll put it}. The owner has told me and other Redcat dealers that T/Yank Refuses to purchase parts when they purchase quads so this is why we can't get Warranty parts from T/Yank Sputs. T/Yank has an "F" for a BBB report that goes back over Three years. The General manager of T/yank tries to tell them what they need to be doing here in The USA but they just don't listen. They had a big Dealer meeting at The Dealer Expo... Mr. Ji left the meeting and left his son in charge because he didn't want to hear The Truth from The Dealers.

[mrhyak]

Originally Posted by theENIGMATIC

Im not sure does the original Chinese Lifan manufacturer have anything against selling a lifan bike on-line?
Could there be some dealers of Lifan who are not related to American Lifan?

Of course the original Chinese Lifan manufacture has nothing against selling online since they do it. As far as this statement of all other Lifan's other then AF being Gray market, that is BS. The chinese company now slaps additional stickers on the bikes that go to the other importers so they are not "American Lifan", but such as the bike my co-worker has who just bought his "Skygo Lifan" from Hooper. The bikes come from the same place but have different decals on them. Hooper sells the GY2 style instead of the GY5 but it is still a Lifan none the less and NOT gray market.