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What parallax needs is... — Parallax Forums

What parallax needs is...

Kaos KiddKaos Kidd Posts: 614
edited 2006-07-30 09:09 in General Discussion
ELayAway...
That's right... ELayAway.· Avaliable only on the Web.··
Make youy purchase, $15·USD·or 10%·down payment (which ever is larger), 10 weeks to pay it off.·
Tenitive shipping is included in the total cost.
If you don't make it in 10 weeks, you had better call someone, else they re-stock and keep the money.
When the final purchase is made, shipping charges are finilized.
......
Well, It's a thought.·
I know that if they did have such a program, I would have spent a whole lot more money...

/me Sighs... oh well... I'll just have to wait for that inhearentance.... or the winning lottery tickets...



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Just tossing my two bits worth into the bit bucket


KK
·

Comments

  • BeanBean Posts: 8,129
    edited 2006-06-22 02:30
    Nice idea, but it sounds like an accounting and inventory control nightmare...
    Bean.

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    ·
  • Paul BakerPaul Baker Posts: 6,351
    edited 2006-06-22 15:31
    Yeah and a little unfair to those trying to get a quantity limited item such as the Propeller or the Penguin when they have the finances to do an outright purchase only to find it's claimed by a lay-away person. Besides the "pay us on time or we keep what you already paid" isn't Parallax's style. Better to create a savings account where you set aside a little money each paycheck (or each holiday if you're too young to have a regular paying job) to save up for the goodies.

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    Post Edited (Paul Baker) : 6/22/2006 3:35:17 PM GMT
  • Kaos KiddKaos Kidd Posts: 614
    edited 2006-06-22 16:51
    ya, I know it would be a nightmare... but the thought...
    THe Mrs doesnt miss the 10 bucks a week now, but there's not enuff for the stuff that's on sale...
    Oh well, BLNT..

    (umm... Better Luck Next Time...)

    LOL...

    [noparse]:)[/noparse]

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    Just tossing my two bits worth into the bit bucket


    KK
    ·
  • techhead45techhead45 Posts: 2
    edited 2006-07-28 22:19
    Have you heard of www.elayaway.com....my friend sent the link to me and I guess they are generating a lot of buzz about there launch in the retail world????
  • AImanAIman Posts: 531
    edited 2006-07-29 04:05
    If Parallax could work something out with a bank where parrallax customers get an account that can be accessed only to pay parallax or to close the account then book keeping wouldn't be a problem, just access your account when you want to buy, if you sign in like you do for the forum that should be fairly secure...
    Of course it wouldn't be a banking product in the traditional sense, there would probably need to be an opening deposit, zero interest and a min monthly deposit. Most banks in my area do free savings account for 50 or 100 bucks to open with 10 a month to keep it active. So perhaps Parallax could work something out with a bank that would be special for Parallax customers. That way parallax wouldn't need to mess with book work, the bank gets extra money and the customers can squirrel away what they want to purchase something in the future. No debt, no layaway, only real money exchanging hands.

    Just a thought.
  • scary_botscary_bot Posts: 32
    edited 2006-07-29 04:40
    Or a easy pay plan on orders over a set amount. Where the money can be charged to their credit card or bacnk account on a monthly basis. Say orders of 200.00 payed in three payments, three in four,,, or something like that.....
  • Bruce BatesBruce Bates Posts: 3,045
    edited 2006-07-29 06:40
    Gents -

    I doubt that any bank (per se) would be interested, unless a REAL credit card was involved. The credit card would offer the bank protection, and a method of obtaining revenue. Even at that, I doubt they'd want to participate due to the somewhat limited nature of the credit card, and where it could or would be accepted. Said differently, the bank's profitability from such an enterprise would be all too limited for their taste.

    That being said, there is another avenue of approach which might work quite well. Unfortunately one gets out of the relative safety in working with a bank, and into the world of secondary lending. In specific, I'm speaking of finance companies. Finance companies often work with enterprises of limited scope. The reason why this is so is multi-fold, but it includes the following:

    1. Ability to charge higher interest rates than banks are permitted to charge. Ability to charge fees which banks can not or do not usually charge.

    2. Abilty to pick and choose with whom they want to do business. Banks are often saddled with certain customer discrimination issues. Generally this is not true of finance companies.

    3. Ability to (usually) operate in all 50 states unfettered by actual banking laws. Banks can only operate in states where they are chartered to operate. So too, banks may or may not be regulated in certain states. Finance companies may have their finance charges limited (interest rates) but not to the extent that they'd be business regulated or limited, but that's about all the limit they'd have placed upon them. Obviously they'd have to operate within the laws and guidelines under which all businesses must operate, state by state.

    Sadly, the downside for the customer is often much higher interest rates, and a larger menu of possible fees. Just some thoughts about an alternate method of doing layaway.

    Regards,

    Bruce Bates

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  • techhead45techhead45 Posts: 2
    edited 2006-07-29 23:15
    I was hoping it was an electronic layaway system. You know.....select a product....select a payment schedule.....make the payments and the product is shipped. Kind of like a PayPal setup but on a multiple payment basis........Having to pay interest would ruin it though....then I might as well use my credit card.
  • Bruce BatesBruce Bates Posts: 3,045
    edited 2006-07-30 01:38
    techhead -

    Are you suggesting the product would be shipped before the final payment is made? I sure hope not. I can't think of a faster way for any business to go BROKE!

    If I've misunderstood what you're saying, try this. If any business removes an item from its inventory FOR YOU, and doesn't sell it to anyone else, how can they afford to buy new inventory for the next cuzstomer who wants to pay CASH? If they get some paltry interest, there is at least some minor incentive to put it on "hold" for you.

    I don't expect anyone but a business person who maintains an inventory to understand the following, but let me assure you it is 100% true. Merchandise sitting on your warehouse shelves CONSUMES your money just by sitting there, and for every day it sits there, it consumes even more money. The business principal behind this is called "turns and earns".

    What that means is the more and sooner you can turn over your inventory, the more money you will EARN! If you don't believe me for some reason, ask Ken Gracey from Parallax, as I'm SURE he's familiar with the concept.

    Regards,

    Bruce Bates

    Post Edited (Bruce Bates) : 7/30/2006 2:10:04 AM GMT
  • GadgetmanGadgetman Posts: 2,436
    edited 2006-07-30 08:19
    The simplest to understand is the cost of the warehouse itself. The physical building, power, maintenance...

    The other costs can be:
    Depreciation - Goods may not sell, and are eventually dumped at a low price when they become obsolete, and/or to clear the way for goods that may sell better.
    Interest loss - Say you get 3% interest on the money if it's in a bank account(optimistic figure), why should you tie it up in parts in a warehouse where you don't get any interest? (That is why all companies tries to balance the amount of goods in the warehouse up against customer demand. ) There may also be other parts of the company that could use the money in a profitable way?
    Some companies use bank credits to buy parts, then pay it back when customers buy their goods.
    (You don't think a car dealership can afford to buy all the new cars in the lot, do you? )

    Some companies may offer some sort of 'layaway' payment plan, but have you ever read the contracts?
    And they ALWAYS charge you for it, either with a 'fee' up front, or with high interest rates.

    If you want to buy something, save up for it instead.
    Talk to your bank and set up an extra account and an automatic transfer of a small amount every month from your usual account.

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  • willthiswork89willthiswork89 Posts: 359
    edited 2006-07-30 09:09
    i think that they should have this option for things they have alot of stock of... it should be an option on cirtain items more or less then all the items...

    B.O.E Full Kit- *Elayaway Available!*

    im sure you get the point
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