Buyer Beware

[bricelythgoe]

Honesty is the big thing here. Make up your own products and don't copy someone else. Be honest about where it comes from and how it is made. Let people decide if they want it or not.

Brice

[Chas]

It has been said that people get the government that they deserve. Is it the same I wonder with other things. Do we get the kilt accessories that we deserve?

Are we the authors of our own misfortune? Is it because we want something for nothing, or at least, if not nothing, 'cheap'? Is it because we are willing to put up with lesser quality?

The question is, to whom is Great Highlandwear selling? They are selling to us. Or people like us. If we did not buy, how long could they stay in business?

It really is no good complaining about the moral ethics of business. Each man must look into their own heart and make a decision - I want a sheriffmuir, do I pay $150 or do I pay $450? Will my 150 keep more people alive in Pakistan than my 450 will in Scotland? Will anybody know? Will anybody care? Will I care?

I do not think there is an easy answer to any of these questions.

Regards

Chas

[NorCalPiper]

I can fill you in on the GHW situation. There is a new Highland Attire store called......Aw man....I can't remember, but its a guy in Indiana who really is trying to gear the FD and PD bands. He has most of his stuff supplied by GHW. He takes the orders through his paypal and then relays them to GHW. He is trying to incorporate GHW into his fold and doing things this way seems to be how they're starting out.

I will say one good thing about GHW. They had a picture of my store's diced hose in their hose selection on their site. I emailed the guy citing copyright yada yada , and he took it down. Very unusual for a Pakistani vendor to respect such a request.

[RockyR]

*** this is not meant as an attack on Chas or anything... just a spirited debate.

It has been said that people get the government that they deserve. Is it the same I wonder with other things. Do we get the kilt accessories that we deserve?

Are we the authors of our own misfortune? Is it because we want something for nothing, or at least, if not nothing, 'cheap'? Is it because we are willing to put up with lesser quality?

The question is, to whom is Great Highlandwear selling? They are selling to us. Or people like us. If we did not buy, how long could they stay in business?

It's Caveat Emptor... do your homework (or just ask ANYONE up here to get a dozen opinions) on a company / product and you'll generally be more pleased with the outcome. If you WANT a cheap sporran and price is your determining factor and you know this going in, then you get what you pay for and that's fine.

It really is no good complaining about the moral ethics of business. Each man must look into their own heart and make a decision - I want a sheriffmuir, do I pay $150 or do I pay $450? Will my 150 keep more people alive in Pakistan than my 450 will in Scotland? Will anybody know? Will anybody care? Will I care?

I think it would be a HORRIBLE world where no one complained about / paid attention to business ethics. All products would simply be cheap immitations of each other and no one would bother to 'innovate' for fear that any money / effort they put into something would simply be copied and stolen. It's a difference of RIGHT and WRONG, simple moral decisions that we CAN easily make. You might not like the COST of that decision, but I didn't say it wasn't going to be tough, only a 'simple' decision.

Also, the company is not giving honest INFORMATION for the customer to make an informed decision... that's a problem in itself.

To alter your question in THIS instance where the picture AND text are clearly stolen: Would the $150 keep more theives alive in Pakistan than your $450 would keep an honest merchant alive in Scotland? Yes, but who do you want your money to go to?

Saying that business ethics don't matter is like saying Bernie Maydoff (spelling?) should have been allowed to get away with what he did... or Enron... or... where would it end?

I will continue to champion business ethics as the issue is this... when it comes down to it, all we REALLY have in life is our word. Once you break that, there's nothing.

[auld argonian]

Point of clarification: We buy NOTHING from them or any company outside North America or the UK. I know you said "retailers like USA Kilts", but I wanted to clarify.

Sorry about that...I guess that I didn't make that clear...as the young people say, "my bad".


Best

AA

[dfmacliam]

I will continue to champion business ethics as the issue is this... when it comes down to it, all we REALLY have in life is our word. Once you break that, there's nothing.

This is everything for me... a man is only as good as his word.. if you cannot not trust that... his value becomes nil.

I agree with the point of business ethics..its a burden on those who rely on their business to feed and clothe their families..especially when others will profit off the hard work others have put forth..

[Cavebear58]

12345

[MacBean]

Don't think this is just highland wear. Imagine car parts. Companies present themselves as Swedish or German and even offer Swedish or German language web pages to look authentic. In fact it is unclear where they are located, but the parts are made in an assortment of cheap places. Major vendors in the US carry the parts and the parts arrive in plastic bags that appear as if they were Swedish or German. Sometimes they are well made, sometimes they are junk. It doesn't just impact the developed world, it impacts everyone.

[Chas]

OK Rocky, I will accept what you say, ethics in business is of prime importance. But I am the customer, how can I influence this? If a retailer chooses to lie to me - what can I do?

There was a retailer in Scotland, who sourced his sporrans from overseas. When they arrived, his staff fitted/attached/whatever the term the snap on the cover and the gold stamp on the back that said 'Made in Scotland'. Under EU and UK law this is legal. The leather and the thread and the metal snaps were all manufactured overseas. The Scottish retailer did the final assembly.

When I said

It really is no good complaining about the moral ethics of business.

I meant it. Unless a business is forced by law to make a declaration as to the origin of their goods, we have to trust them.

Regards

Chas

[NorCalPiper]

I hope this doesn't get pulled for being inciteful-

A question to you all-
Why buy something that represents YOUR DISTINCT CULTURE from a place that cares ABSOLUTELY NOTHING FOR IT. Think about it.

Also-These items are cheap for the simple fact that there is unfair labor practices and regulation. Why don't you all stop and think about that. I cringe when I see reviews of items bought from these vendors because I have been there (Well...India at least) and the condition of workers is enough to make you fell horrible forever. I still can picture a number of mental images that were just horrible concerning working conditions. "The sporran looks great so and so" is mixed with what I have seen to really get me.

It has been my policy to promote companies that are fair trade based (At this point US/UK/CAN). I have absolutely no problem calling Rocky to fill a kilt order if I can't handle it, or pointing those to freedom kilts when the want a camo kilt. The best way to counter unscrupulous vendors is to keep the business within our community. I agree that there was a time of gouging in the highland vendor circle, but I am noticing prices coming down-Sometimes by half! There will always be uninformed ebay buyers, but as highland culture begins to get bigger, the norm will become purchasing from what I call "proper" vendors. Not replica makers. Just my opinion.