Could be a scam or made into one

[MuswellMetro]

I cant see anything wrong with the seller.
Regarding his prices:
I supplied a Nuc to a local beekeeper in June who already had purchased a Nuc from a guy in the midlands in may for £240.00.
He told me he had sold out when he contacted him for another ansd said he could not believe my Nuc was so cheap at £120.00

if i had poured 15kg of sugar into an overwinter nuc, thymol varroa treated it, kept it warm, given it oxalic, ,ambrosia, pollen patties, then i would want a higher price

his prices reflect last years and are reasonable for the time when avaibe and a retail supplier look at £hornes and he is cheeper

Prices last year april nuc where £340 (or reported on this forum)

Admin's £120, fits well with prices quoted on this forum BEEK to BEEK

fr, £80 to £100 seems to be local BKA freinds to freinds prices

 

[oliver90owner]

I wonder what the significance of April 18 is. Easter?

And what if they are late? I would want a 'reduction of price per day late' written into a contract at those sort of numbers.

Two people bought for two hundred +, in the poll this year?

And this member only joined the forum this last week?

I think I will stick to splitting my own colonies for any increase I might need. Well look at that, an instant saving of two hundred quid - I'm rich!! No, I think I will split two colonies - now I'm four hundred quid better off. Makes me feel good!! Instant money.

On the other hand perhaps early nucs will be in demand at more than that price by springtime! Who knows. They may be a large, reliable supplier and simply cashing in at Th*rne - 5% prices. Yes, Th*rne are 220 for a nuc with no guaranteed delivery date?

Regards, RAB

 

[BKF Admin]

How much do Thornes pay suppliers ?

 

[Hombre]

I haven't the foggiest to whom you refer, but the following comes to mind.

The terms and conditions are apparently published on the web site. If you go back and make an offer with alternative terms and conditions, then unless your terms and conditions, the counter offer, are rejected then they take precedence. If your terms are unacceptable, then you are negotiating. This is how business is supposed to be done.

In this country we all too often assume that the price shown is the actual sale price. If you are dealing with the boss, then he is able to make whatever deal he sees fit and if you want to haggle, then it's perfectly acceptable. As a nation, we just seem to have generally got out of the habit of doing so.

 

[Tom Bick]

Just looked at the ad and it does read a but misleading at first it looks as though you are paying one price but not the case when you read the full listing.

I think it’s a bit cheeky to say the least to charge the customer if the seller is not able to deliver the goods. I don’t know of any other example in life that this is the case.

People referring to a website but not able to see it

 

[Norton]

If you are dealing with the boss, then he is able to make whatever deal he sees fit and if you want to haggle, then it's perfectly acceptable. As a nation, we just seem to have generally got out of the habit of doing so.

I went to change some money in a bank in South Africa - when I saw the commission the bank wanted to charge me I told them to go and get stuffed! They reduced their charges by a significant amount in the end, after I threatened them that I would go to "The other bank"!!!!
It sometimes does pay to negotiate.
Have a nice day now!

 

[victor meldrew]

The old saying used to be "bees exchanged for money never thrive"
Sounds both illogical and a bit old wivey!
However when money is the prime-mover, the quality of the product suffers, to meet demand, especially right now when demand is so high due to an influx of newbies just right for shafting .
Stick to known suppliers who have a reputation to uphold.
Avoid the quick buck brigade . Easier said than done when new to the game

John Wilkinson

 

[drstitson]

he's probably not a scammer but just doesn't realise that goodwill is important and that the whole point is that for every £220+ nuc you sell you'll have to absorb the "losses" due to non-sales.

Say each nuc costs you £25 in hardware and £50 in feed, treatment and time/effort - cost you £225 for 3 with £300 deposits pre winter (potential sales = £660 minus £225 costs = £435 "profit". after winter you've lost one colony. this happens. so your sales after refunding one x £100 are £440 minus £200 costs (you reuse hardware) = still a £240 decent "profit".

perhaps he should consider running a formal adopt-a-hive scheme instead! (perhaps charging £21 per year!!!!)

 

[Hivemaker.]

perhaps he should consider running a formal adopt-a-hive scheme instead!

Looking at his website .....he also does this as well.

 

[Chris B]

http://www.guardian-series.co.uk/ne..._again_farmer_on_bee_keeping_venture/?ref=rss

It's ambitious to say the least. Supplying about 20 nucs and running 76 colonies in 2010 and wanting to expand to 400 and supply 800 nucs in 2011. Hefty deposits will certainly provide the capital to fund the venture, but if it all goes pear shaped will there be any cash left for refunds? Without a track record of high volume production, it might have been wiser to build more slowly. The pitfalls are many.

 

[Brosville]

Just out of interest, I visited the site, and followed the link about sponsoring a hive, and now can't rid myself of the vision of a large "Mr T" lookalike uttering rap "songs" whilst trying to detach an imaginary post-it note affixed to his upheld fist............ "we will of course rap you up safe and sound"

 

[Poly Hive]

If he is planning on expanding from 76 to 400 he is bloody silly selling bees as his ambition is far fetched to say the least.

The normal thinking is to split each year, so 2011 he is looking at 150 with luck and 300 in 2012. But how the capital for the hives is funded begs some serious thinking.

PH

 

[BKF Admin]

I know of a beekeeper who has gone from 4 hives to 200 this year.
All funded with borrowed money.

What is wrong with a slow yearly expansion with zero cost to the beekeeper if they sell a few nucs and some honey.

My advice to him was to double up over the next 5 years but he wanted to hit the ground running.

 

[Adam]

I doubt if he's advertising over the internet, when it's effectively has to comply with the distance selling regulations that keeping any money for a non-supply is legal.

Adam

 

[Tom Bick]

Having looked at the website it looks better than the ad and no mention of a handling fee that just looks bad especially when it is applied if he is not able to deliver.

It all looks ambitious but nothing wrong with that but I do worry that he may be just a bit to late it will take a few years without a big out lay of cash to achieve the aims and then perhaps the bubble may well have truly burst by then.

 

[mbc]

Just checked the site ( weald place farm ) and couldnt find any reference to a handling fee. Maybe this thread has been read and responded to positively.
Still seems ridiculously overpriced for imported bees though

 

[jimbeekeeper]

I wish him all the success for his future business. Remembering it is a business, he is not doing it for charity but to make money.

And as a business, going in on large scale is the whole point, you don’t know who else he has working for him, and as with many good businesses the person at the top does not necessarily have to be an expert at said company production (I.e an expert beekeeper) but simply a good business head. You pay other people to do the areas of expertise that you can not handle.

So what if he puts a handling charge it is quite common in business, and if you don’t like his costs don’t buy from him, but others will.

Maybe if more beekeepers produced nucs the cost will come down, but until then stop complaining and let the guy get on with it…maybe even a bit of encouragement rather than picking over his spelling mistakes, I have seen far worse on large corporate web sites.

 

[Dishmop]

So what if he puts a handling charge it is quite common in business,

Its not a handling charge tho...

The seller changes his mind,,, he cant supply... doesnt like your name, wrong time of the month,,,, and he doesnt give you all your money back....

if the buyer changes thier mind and cancels order then the seller is entitled to charge a handing/cancellation fee....

 

[jimbeekeeper]

Yes it is common in business to clearly state your terms and conditions, which he clearly has...£10.50 handling fee....if you don’t like it don’t buy...simples.

 

[madasafish]

Well he may clealry state his Ts&Cs but his BuyItNow price of £115 is seriously misleading as it is only a deposit. Some people will undoubtedly be stupid enough/in a hurry and not read that..

Not illegal but seriously bad in terms of PR and reputation . As for a handling fee if He cannot supply , that is worse. His Ts&Cs should explicitly exclude that.

Frankly it all looks done in a very great hurry and suggests that possibly cashflow may be a problem. Note my careful choice of words : I am not stating cashflow IS a problem.



If he changed the ad slightly and excluded his failure to deliver from the Amin Fee then I would have no issues... but would not buy from him..

Bee price inflation looks as if bee investment is better than gold!