144 replies to this topic

[Buakaw]

I have been happily buying my Brooks online from a company in the US but they are currently out of stock of my size and won't be getting more for about 8 weeks. If anyone knows of a company in the US that sells Brooks online and ships to Aus can you please PM me. I am more than happy to provide the site I have been using as they have excellent prices and ship within a week. Cheers

Edited by Buakaw, 13 April 2011 - 10:32 AM.

[JBee]

Buakaw, on 13 April 2011 - 09:26 AM, said:

I have been happily buying my Brooks online from a company in the US but they are currently out of stock of my size and won't be getting more for about 8 weeks. If anyone knows of a company in the US that sells Brooks online and ships to Aus can you please PM me. I am more than happy to provide the site I have been using as they have excellent prices and ship within a week. Cheers

Hi Buakaw,
I'm after some Brooks Trance 10's myself - and am disgusted with the Aussie price of $269 when they're only USD$140 in the States. I can buy 2 for the price of 1! I've never bought them online though so if you could provide the website you've used so I can check it out that would be great!
cheers
Jeremy

[Pazza]

I usually get my Brooks shoes; Glycerin, Ghost and Summon from a company called xxx in the UK.  Usually priced between $100 to $130 Aussie dollars delivered. Otherwise have to wait for the clearance sports sports here to offer 2nd pair for half price.

[runhard]

I googled xxx in UK but fouind it hard to find any shoe shops!  

[thomo]

runhard, on 25 April 2011 - 08:20 PM, said:

I googled xxx in UK but fouind it hard to find any shoe shops!  

Only you would.   

If Pazza & others who should know better would stop posting their favourite online purchase sites. We would have a better selection of sites.

[Tinitj79]

Hi,
I don't have any advice to give, but would love to know where you purchase. Any site I looked at, after not having any luck getting shops to order in the shoe I want in a 2A width, says US shipping only. Would you be able to provide the website to me? Email me. Thanks heaps
TINI

[Ishtyd]

Hi Guys,

As a starting point please have a look at an overseas website, xxx , Great prices, quick services, free delivery to Aust after a spend (I think) of $80. Don't tick priority shipping as normal shipping only took 6-7 days. Cheers,

[TheRuns]

I don't believe the names of overseas websites are 'allowed' to be published in forum posts. If you can, I recommend you amend your post accordingly.

[Jogger]

From the posting guidelines:

Quote

Please do not specify overseas websites for where to buy cheap shoes. You might find it hard to believe, but various online running shoe websites (mainly in USA) have been leaned on strongly by suppliers such as ASICS as a direct result of posts in CoolRunning. The online stores suddenly refuse to ship to Australia/International. Hence the stance that CoolRunning has taken - we will delete all mention of particular supplier names. If you know of a website that does offer great deals/prices then offer to email or PM the link to interested readers instead.

You need 5 posts or more to be able to use the PM or email system. It works well.

[Ishtyd]

Cheers for the heads up, did not realise it was against the rules, Ishtyd

[thomo]

Ishtyd, on 26 April 2011 - 04:24 PM, said:

Cheers for the heads up, did not realise it was against the rules, Ishtyd

It would of been better if you had actually read my post, just two up from yours. Spells out clearly why we don't want or allow the sites to be mentioned.

First or near first posts mentioning your / their "favourite" online sporting goods overseas site rings alarm bells loud and clear.

CoolRunning welcomes new menbers but please if you want to tell the CoolRunning community about an o/s site don't.

[JBee]

Jogger, on 26 April 2011 - 04:24 PM, said:

From the posting guidelines:

You need 5 posts or more to be able to use the PM or email system. It works well.

thanks Jogger. I also had no idea!

If anyone out there is able to recommend a site who can supply Brooks shoes more reasonably priced than the ripoff Aussie stores, it would be much appreciated if you could email me directly with any details.

Many thanks!

[JBee]

well i took the plunge and placed an online order for a couple of pairs of Brooks Trance 9's, and a couple of pairs of Nike running socks out of the U.S.

First time trying the online thing and not overly confident given the number of nightmare stories out there - but Aussie prices are just insane so worth a shot.

Have to say I am absolutely blown away!

   - placed order Friday night (May 27th)
   - order is shipped by UPS who provide up to date tracking info online.
   - order processed in the 'States Friday 27th
   - order leaves mainland 'States 4:33am Saturday morning
   - order leaves Hawaii at 10:04am Saturday morning
   - order arrives Mascot, AUS at 9:03am Sunday morning
   - order is in my hands, and in perfect condition, 9:18am Monday May 30th!

That is what I call service! I wouldn't be able to purchase online from an Australian store that fast. These have come from another continent and have cost me less than half the price.  

Last time I ever buy shoes in Rebel Sport!!

Blown away...

[Johnso]

jayrbee70, on 30 May 2011 - 10:16 AM, said:

well i took the plunge and placed an online order for a couple of pairs of Brooks Trance 9's, and a couple of pairs of Nike running socks out of the U.S.

First time trying the online thing and not overly confident given the number of nightmare stories out there - but Aussie prices are just insane so worth a shot.

Have to say I am absolutely blown away!

Could you pm me the site please?

Edited by Johnso, 03 June 2011 - 09:03 PM.

[aDrain]

Me too please - ie PM to me, don't post it here.

Thanks

[Johnso]

Anyone? please

[megz]

can someone please also PM me some websites for Brooks shoes - i'm after Adrenalins specifically. thanks!

[CoolRunning Admin]

The usual suggestion not to PM such details to new members, who are as yet unknown quantities.

[russell2pi]

I assume it's ok to mention Google Shopping - making sure you're on google.com not google.com.au . (I assume the ban is mentioning particular retailers who will then get shirtfronted by suppliers.)

[WetWeek]

What about PMs to known & established members which have website names deleted and overwritten? (Edit: I assume by moderators)

Edited by WetWeek, 06 June 2011 - 02:48 PM.

[McKnickers]

am I missing something - why couldn't you PM new/old members?

[russell2pi]

I think the issue is the site software automatically changes words in posts and PMs, from the name of a site to "an overseas website, the name of which I am attempting to post in contravention of the rules".

This is done for a reason as I understand it - to protect those sites from the cartel who will push to force them to stop shipping to Aus.

Edited by russell2pi, 06 June 2011 - 06:02 PM.

[WetWeek]

Thanks Russell.  I thought that applied only to forum posts, not PMs?

[Bellthorpe]

WetWeek, on 06 June 2011 - 02:22 PM, said:

What about PMs to known & established members which have website names deleted and overwritten? (Edit: I assume by moderators)

Moderators can't read PMs.

[WetWeek]

Thanks BT.  

So PM-ing someone the address of an O/S shoe site is a moot point if the software automatically edits it out.

Edited by WetWeek, 06 June 2011 - 06:39 PM.

[Bellthorpe]

I'm sure that a little imagination can find a way around that ...

[WetWeek]

Nudge nudge, wink wink, say no more.  Say no moar!

Attached Files

•  nudge nudge.jpg   60.89K   96 downloads

[Johnso]

I don't understand the restriction on PMs but it certainly made for a confusing conversation!

[WetWeek]

LOL!  Sorry - that was entirely my fault.

The background is that I attempted to PM a long-standing CR-er an OS website address, but the PM was "amended".  I assumed that either:
a.) a moderator got to my PM;
b.) I was considered a national security risk and ASIO were monitoring my PMs, or
c.) the software did it.

I was most relieved to discover "c." was the answer.

[Bellthorpe]

Echelon.

That is all.

[megz]

i have a new message but i am not allowed to view it?

[#10227] You are not allowed to use the private messaging system.

i have 5 posts so not sure what the problem is!

[Johnso]

I still haven't got any websites to go to! I guess the system works. Sigh...

[Gone2thepack]

Johnso, on 07 June 2011 - 08:31 PM, said:

I still haven't got any websites to go to! I guess the system works. Sigh...

Persist..... deals can be had.
Just finished reading the Choice report on the markups here and from what i could see, clothing and shoes was at the top of the scale with something like 146% markup.
Hope reports like these do something to address the problem in Australia.
Whilst i really go out of my way to support local (trust me i do)even when i know i can get it cheaper online, some of these companies do support our local races which is well recieved, so i can justify paying that little bit more.
I have begged local companies to drop a few bucks off their prices and compete so i can sleep well knowing i have supported the local economy all to no avail.
To retailers in Australia...Find a happy medium. We talk about store prices and wages etc, thats fine,but when you have a small item and you have to basically pay for it twice to buy it here just to support local, its frowned apon by the average runner. Its offensive, so people will do anything they have to find the right deal.
Would love to get the online deals from an australian seller (which i have at times) and get some of the customers back to australia. And when i absolutely need the advice and assistance, I'm quite willing to pay for it(within reason) from a store.
Anyway you look at it, if you buy 1 pair of shoes per year then i guess you can justify the local store (as a lot of people do),however if it means the difference between $1000 per year  or $2000 per year for good shoes then its just a no brainer.
My advice to anyone out there....Do your own research.. If you find a deal you are happy with either Domestic or Internationally, dont crow it out to the world, just keep it to yourself and close friends so that door stays open.

Happy running

Cheers

Edited by Gone2thepack, 10 June 2011 - 02:55 PM.

[Johnso]

Thanks to everyone who send me messages! Plenty to go on now cheers.

[Johnso]

Sadly none of the websites I tried would ship my two pairs of brooks to me. Anyone had recent luck?

Edited by Johnso, 19 June 2011 - 10:02 PM.

[WetWeek]

The one across the Atlantic does  

[cjr]

I'm fortunate that the company I work for has an office in the US, so I get mine shipped there and someone forwards to me.. It looks like that might be comingn to an end though

What we really need is someone's friend in the US who would like to earn some pocket money, so that CRs can all place orders, get them shipped locally in the US, and the contact can then chuck them all in one box (without shoeboxes even) and ship together (for some compensation of course, I'm sure people would happily pay, but with the combined shipping it would work our cheaper anyway).  Of course it would need someone to coordinate the whole thing and also prob need a different one for each city, and then there is always the chance of payments getting messy. But there are other forums that do that sort of thing and it seems to work well

Edited by cjr, 19 June 2011 - 10:20 PM.

[Bellthorpe]

Oh, just like PriceUSA, which a number of CoolRunners are already using?

[cjr]

Yes, but don't they charge a fortune??

[Bellthorpe]

Not really. 5% of the total order with a $15 minimum.

Seems pretty reasonable to me.

[WetWeek]

Bellthorpe, on 20 June 2011 - 04:44 PM, said:

Seems pretty reasonable to me.

Indeed.  When you consider in many cases one is saving up to 100% on Aus RRP, 5% is neither here nor there.

[Johnso]

I have finally managed to find the shoes I want in my size and made a purchase at a significant savings (two pairs for less than the price of one). Thanks everyone who offered advice.

Edited by Johnso, 20 June 2011 - 10:14 PM.

[Bellthorpe]

PriceUSA charges are perhaps a little misleading. The '5%, minimum of $15' figure is quite prominent.

But preparing to order, I've read more closely:

Quote

For direct debit payments my fee is 5% of this value. My minimum  fee is A$15.

    For credit card or paypal payments (only available for orders under $4000) my service fee is 10% with a minimum fee of A$20

Now in context, this fee might still be OK. But I, for one, only buy on the Internet using PayPal or credit card, for my own protection. That is, to all intents and purposes, the standard way of paying. Therefore, PriceUSA should quote that as the standard fee.

[cjr]

I have no experience or reports of Priceline specifically, but I have heard and read on other forums of people being stung by these type of forwarding companies with hidden charges, or the cost increasing due to the way the goods are packaged. For example I have purchased shoes from the US where the shoebox was placed inside another large box filled with packaging material. Some of the forwarding companies charge by dimension as well as weight, so your shoebox ends up being a much bigger parcel than you calculated. Some will repack but then charge another fee for this.  
This is why I have tried to avoid them.

[robbo2006]

Hey all,

Is anyone able to PM me any OS sites to buy online shoes. Would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers

Des

[Zentropa]

Similar request - need some new Brooks.

Ta.

[jimmyp]

If you are buying a fair amount, one way of doing it is to use one of the shipping companies which combine purchases in the US and then send on here. Google it. NB: If someone gives me valuable advice at a store I always - always - buy from that store at least once, no matter what the price differential is.

[Curreo]

jimmyp, on 26 October 2011 - 12:49 PM, said:

If you are buying a fair amount, one way of doing it is to use one of the shipping companies which combine purchases in the US and then send on here. Google it. NB: If someone gives me valuable advice at a store I always - always - buy from that store at least once, no matter what the price differential is.

I think that is definitely the right thing to do. If you use their time and resources you should pay for it. Once you know your size you can buy overseas.

I do think the Aussie retailers are going to need to look at this more closely moving forward. Retail is struggling and it will only get worse. It is tough as costs are higher here but they will continue to lose business at these prices.

The problem is that the more runners buy overseas the more they need to keep the prices higher for their normal customers that may only only buy shoes once a year. They can't just go and slash prices by 50% across the board as they wouldn't stay afloat.

I think they should look to incorporate a premium member service similar to say frequent flyers system that they can pitch towards runners in particular. One that encourages loyalty by providing discounted prices or special database only offers. If you run regularly you may own 3-4 pairs of shoes and you may replace these once or twice a year. Some more and some less. If you buy 4 pairs a year you can save potentially $400 every year buying overseas. It is easy to see why people do that. These people will increasingly be unlikely to buy here.

If they could receive a special say 'buy 3 in a year get your 4th pair for free' or heavily discounted (or something similar) I think more people would buy here. Sure the Aussie retailers make less margin but they would be making nothing on these customers now. If they make $80 a pair in margin now then under this scheme they make $240 per year from this customer minus $120 cost of free pair rather than $0 now. Not the full $320 but better than nothing! Also under a scheme like this they only provide the free or discounted pair after 3 full price purchases. Some people may only buy 1 or 2 (particularly if they are injured) so they don't give away the free ones these times. For us if the cost of a pair of shoes is $200 here but $100 overseas, four pairs for $600 ($150 average as one pair is free) is a good happy medium and a good reason to support the local retailers.

Other things that could be added in could be money back guarantees if shoe fit is not ok after first run (encourages good service to get right fit first time and customer feel confident in their purchase). If you buy overseas and get wrong fit then the cost of shipping back and reordering starts to eat into the discounts you get from buying there in the first place.

Other special offers for members etc. I know some do this already. So much more could be done IMO to stem the tide of overseas purchases...

Edited by Curreo, 26 October 2011 - 03:34 PM.

[stevef]

Hi,
Could someone please PM or email me details of US online stores that will ship Brooks to Aust.
All of the ones I used in the past no longer ship outside the US
Thanks

Not sure why my profile is coming up as "Newbie", when Ive been a member for some years now???

[lyricnz]

stevef, on 19 January 2012 - 08:34 PM, said:

Not sure why my profile is coming up as "Newbie", when Ive been a member for some years now???

It's based on the number of posts, not the duration of membership.