Thread: Masters no more

Originally Posted by Mike B

So much incorrect information here. Products bought and sold in Australia are covered under the Aus Consumer Guarantee.

According to Masters website Woolworth will continue to honour all warranty's, etc, until the stores close and then setup a new entity to deal with further warranty claim.


Peter.

I have been disappointed too often in the past to make a farewell trip to Masters. More satisfaction driving past them to Bunnings where I am likely to get what I went in for.

Oops, i completely missed the 'masters no more thread' with three pages of similar stories and much more detailed information on how this whole debacle has developed. By the way there was one good deal in Masters which was the 500g gram 'black finishing wax' for about $20. I've just bought 200g over the net for $25.
As for Fair Trading I am sure they are across this stuff but will they take any action? probably not...budget cuts.

You encountered two GOOB tactics.

First, advertise "10% off everyday. 10% today, plus another 10% tomorrow, . . . ."

Somewhere around 30% off and in the middle of the night most of the good merchandise is removed and replaced with junk that hasn't sold in the last six or eight GOOB sales run by the liquidator. Usually it is the kind of junk that you wouldn't buy at 95% off.

Second, entire stock sold to a liquidator. The liquidator comes in during the night, raises all the prices to about 20% over MSRP or full retail price. Then they "discount" everything 10%. The liquidator will operate the store for, at the most, another month. (Depending upon the lease and what part has been paid by the GOOB.) Then the store is gone, closed forever. The liquidator will allow any and all advertising to run under the GOOB name. Yes, false advertising but the store isn't in the GOOB name anymore. It doesn't matter what the sign on the building says. You don't even get so much as a F Y very much.

The terms here:
MSRP - Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (Mainly applies to vehicles but an accurate description)
GOOB - Going Out Of Business

I encountered a similar situation when Circuit City went out of business.

We needed a printer. CC had one on sale for 50% off, but it was in their GOOB newspaper advertisement.

At CC I find a printer, put it in a shopping cart and go to check out.
The clerk rings the printer at 10% above MSRP.
I object. The clerk says "That's the price."
I say this is the newspaper ad. The clerk says, "We are mumble, mumble name. We don't honor any CC advertising."
I say the sign on your building . . The clerk says, "We are mumble, mumble name."
People in line behind me are getting irritated. I look at the clerk and say, "Put it back on the shelf." Then I leave.

I went a few doors down and asked what Staples could do on the printer. They matched the price AND loaded the printer in my pickup truck for me.

There are sleaze and even more sleaze but the GOOB liquidators are the ultimate in sleaze.

Just my experience. I went in to buy some 100litre storage boxes off Masters on Monday (have bought them before and needed a five more). Shelf price was something like $33 no discount listed. I didn't care too much about the price as I needed them anyway. Got to the checkout and scanned them out, roughly $10 off each box. Bonus

This will be interesting to see

https://www.facebook.com/realcommerc...38083329623094

And now this

https://www.facebook.com/realcommerc...38083329623094

I was not having a go the regulator I just know how long the process takes as for Woolies Masters would be a separate company and I very much doubt that Woolies will have guaranteed liability

Originally Posted by Simplicity

This will be interesting to see

https://www.facebook.com/realcommerc...38083329623094

Chinese trying to purchase more of Australia????

Originally Posted by crowie

Chinese trying to purchase more of Australia????

More to the point
You can rest assure what ever you buy there will be 100 percent Chinese made.

Originally Posted by crowie

Chinese trying to purchase more of Australia????

Chinese wanting Australia to purchase more Chinese.

I'd be very surprised if Masters were sourcing their Bessey products through Horden & Co. The huge discrepancy in prices between Masters and other outlets carrying these products is a pretty fair indicator that Masters had a much more direct path to the factory.

When left without any effective competition Bunnings offer a very second rate service and buying experience. It would have been nice to be able to experience Masters on more than a very occasional basis without having to make a 3 hour round trip before they pulled the pin. Being in the situation of having no alternative to Bunnings in the general hardware field constantly encourages me to support the local tool specialists, timber suppliers and fastener specialists in the area. If I'm unable to get what I want at those local specialists and am unhappy with either the price or choice at Bunnings I order online. Recently I bought 1,000 SS decking screws and a P & N countersink tool at a 38% saving (delivered) on the price for the same thing at Bunnings. Sorry, that's not strictly true, the screws I bought weren't branded 'Zenith'.

Almost any business competing with Bunnings should be encouraged at every opportunity. Believe me it is a sad situation when there is no alternative.

Originally Posted by aldav

Being in the situation of having no alternative to Bunnings in the general hardware field constantly encourages me to support the local tool specialists, timber suppliers and fastener specialists in the area. If I'm unable to get what I want at those local specialists and am unhappy with either the price or choice at Bunnings I order online.

LOOGXERRY! All I have is Home Hardware, and no local specialists - if you think Bunnings are useless.......