What do you do when your product is knocked off?

[70rs]

Your quality parts and customer service will win in the end.
Good luck with this.

[HRBS]

We ONLY use Ring Brothers Hinges because along with a Quality Product, you get Quality Customer Service !!!
FYI.... While in Columbus we noticed our hood was not fitting as it should. Mike jumped in, brought me in the trailer and searched thru boxes for a "softer" piston that would work perfectly. Then on top of that, he walked over to the car in the middle of his BUSY day to check it out and see how I made out.
THATS TOP NOTCH SERVICE RIGHT THERE !!!!

[dhutton]

I'll probably get flamed for this but this is what I posted over on the other site:

I've spent over 30 years in product development/engineering and although it seems unfair this is just normal product life cycle. When you first introduce something new and innovative profits and margins are high (at least they should be). Eventually competition comes on board followed by price erosion as each tries to maintain/gain market share. The best way to survive is to find lower cost ways to manufacture the product to help maintain margins. That and moving on to the next great new idea which starts the cycle all over again. In essence this is what you did when you introduced your geometric version. No one can expect to have a market all to themselves forever. Sooner or later someone notices your success and wants a share.

I know this is not what you are wanting to hear but this has been my experience/observation.

Don

[XcYZ]

Originally Posted by dhutton

I'll probably get flamed for this but this is what I posted over on the other site:

I've spent over 30 years in product development/engineering and although it seems unfair this is just normal product life cycle. When you first introduce something new and innovative profits and margins are high (at least they should be). Eventually competition comes on board followed by price erosion as each tries to maintain/gain market share. The best way to survive is to find lower cost ways to manufacture the product to help maintain margins. That and moving on to the next great new idea which starts the cycle all over again. In essence this is what you did when you introduced your geometric version. No one can expect to have a market all to themselves forever. Sooner or later someone notices your success and wants a share.

I know this is not what you are wanting to hear but this has been my experience/observation.

Don

Don, this isn't flaming you or argueing your excellent points, but rather my take on it...

This is no different than if I took a Hermance Design rendering, changed the color, added my logo, then started selling it. Just looking at it, you know it's a Hermance product. In this case, Fesler changed one design element, added his logo, then started selling it.

[Ringbrothers]

Don- I hope no one flames you (not sure what that means). We do understand the process this was just too much of a sting to not say anything. I don't want this to be a hateful thing. I just want for once to be clear on who is who and what is what. I wanted to say it many times before but the boy's would have fired me.

Staci

[XcYZ]

Originally Posted by Ringbrothers

Don- I hope no one flames you (not sure what that means).

Meaning that he will get piled on for offering a different view/opinion. (I like differing views, that's how we learn. We certainly can't go through life with blinders on).

[96z28ss]

Originally Posted by XcYZ

If I were a photographer, and somebody blatantly photocopied my work and started pumping it out for a profit, I'd be PISSED.

If I were a artist creating renderings, and somebody blatantly photocopied my work and starting pumping it out for a profit, I'd be PISSED.

If I were a wheel designer, and somebody blatantly photocopied my work and started pumping it out for a profit, I'd be PISSED.



This is no different. Fesler did nothing but photocopy a Ringbrothers product and start pumping it out the door. Ringbrothers have every right to be PISSED.

You can be pissed. However pictures and art work is totally different.

You brought up a perfect situation. There are a ton of wheel manufacturers out there and they all have similar wheel designs. Some of them are almost exact copies of each other. Its just part of doing business.

I go to Sema every year. I walk the entire show, up and down every row, every building. Looking for new trends, see what competitors are doing, to help the company I work for to stay the leader in the industry. Every year I see knock offs of what we make.

I have Ringbrother, Fesler, and Marquez stuff on my car. I'm not taking sides one way or the other.

[Ricochet]

There is no question from the "Mass" production side of the house that Fesler has the market. For those that have compared their products to the innovators, whether it be hinges (Ring Bros) or tail lights (Marquez), there is no comparison when it comes down to the overall quality, fit and finish.

That just my .02

[XcYZ]

Originally Posted by 96z28ss

You can be pissed. However pictures and art work is totally different.

How is it different? It's still a product, not a service.

I see using a photocopier to copy 2D products the same as using a rapid prototyping scanner to copy 3D products.

[skatinjay27]

be carefull staci, last time they were called out there was almost a physical fight at the marquez booth...lol unfortunatly its their M.O. and their just gonna keep doing it. They have done it to pasqual with so many many products I can't even imagine how he feels...