Thread: Fake Leupold scopes

your better of to buy a niko stirling nighteater if you only have a small budget for a high powerd scope rather than buy a fake knowingly, because you still get some sort of warranty and those mark 4 fakes look nothing like a mark four to me?IMO

Originally Posted by Clint Ruin

A corolla model !

These looked like the real thing but were not the real thing. serial numbers didnt exist and were very different internally to the real thing. Thats what we got told by the NZ agents.

Nice

Originally Posted by Clint Ruin

300 us or thereabouts would scream fake to me . The big mail order firms in the states have prices around the 1400/1500 us price for those scopes .

Lot of different models of these scope ,1400/1500 US is lot cheaper than 2.5k NZ for the same scope I reckon .

"Happens with parallel import power tools as well trying to claim warranty on genuine imports" I'd wonder on the CGA, it says you can take the seller or the maker to court. IF its the real thing but parallel imported I dont see why the CGA doesnt apply...but then Im no lawyer. For insrtance lots of stuff has or had an international warrantee....maybe they dont do that anymore. I know with an expensive HP printer my boss bought one in singa and brought it in, it failed. So he rang up HP NZ and asked about buying one, they said no problem HP has an internatioanl warrantee, he got them to email him that and promptly took his in for repair...they didnt want to do it but caved when the email was presented.



regards

Dunno about 500% mark up but 50%~100% seems more realistic ...bear in mind the quantities imported though, eg I know of 1 savage 12 palma for sale in NZ how many in the USA? They have to eat and pay over-valued rents...dunno how much paper work is involved in exporting from the US bet its shaed loads...all added to a few guns and not hundreds,

Originally Posted by Chris

Lot of different models of these scope ,1400/1500 US is lot cheaper than 2.5k NZ for the same scope I reckon .

I just looked the first page on one of the big mail order crowds sites. No matter how good a deal they have going you wont get a scope that has a normal retail around 1400 for 300 odd.

The bigger mail order crowds etc make their money on high turn over low margins and in most cases are dealing directly with the makers of the products . I have worked in the mail order biz for a few years and the margins are in the single digits but because they are selling 1000's of units a day they make money that way.

A lot of gear that gets to NZ has gone through a few hands before it hits the retail shop and everyone who handles it gets a bit of money and it all adds up.

Retail shops will try their best to be price competitive but some times the price that we pay to the NZ importer is more then the mail order places.

Why all the middle men? can't you cut them out and get the product yourself?

@clint R yeah my experience has been the importers seems to be making a very fat margins at times with the retailer either not much or only allowed to sell at the retail price...

regards

Originally Posted by Toby

Why all the middle men? can't you cut them out and get the product yourself?

Volume .
Nz shops dont sell enough to make it viable for a individual shop.

Also you get the warranty issues PLUS the same importers that bring in the scopes also will be bringing a ton of other stuff you buy from them. Cut them out by brinigng in their scopes they may tell you to get stuffed when you need all the other stuff they sell.

To many tight arses in NZ that want everything for nothing, they would hate you to make a dollar from them.just get them out of the shit, makes you appreciate your good customers and you need a list of the ones that want all your expertise for nothing, and add a bit more margin to their purchases.
I get really frustrated with these tight bastards

Originally Posted by Toby

Why all the middle men? can't you cut them out and get the product yourself?

Exactly Toby ,I've got a budget like most people & if it makes stuff affordable I don't see a problem .

If retailers want to tell me to get stuffed that's fine too .It works both ways though .

Thinking I really need a new pair of Binoculars at the moment

Any retailer who tells you to get stuffed needs their heads read.

We know that often we can not compete price wise on some items. There will always be someone somewhere willing to to sell a scope for $20 mark up ( Been in the mail order biz so I know the amounts )

The best we can do is give you the best service on the product you will buy locally. Retailers bear the brunt of being " price gouging pricks " but its far from the truth .
We are here to make money as is every business whether its a shop /factory/farm . Some things we make more on some things we make sod all on.

I do however know of a few importers who wont do a thing for any imported product service or warranty wise . You import it your problem is their stance. I can sort of see their point as imported product is taking away from their livelihood.

Found this for sale - almost tempted although it doesn't appear to be labelled as a Leupold.

3.5-10X40 Sf Ir - Sold. - Optics and Night Vision - The Hunting Life

I have just ordered another Mueller scope from Ken at rountrees.com ( aka Digit ) on the forum. They are chinese made as well but the big difference is they are spec made. I like others are on a budget too and the price was brilliant and the scopes themselves are very highly thought of. Its going on the new Marlin xs .223 I bought the other day which came with a Hawke scope.

Led lenzers are a nother to steer clear of.
if your gunna buy one check serial number. if its neat and tidy its a fake,
get the shop keeper to open it and show you the co2 markings inside with ruff looking solder points. if not fake
make got one from H&F that was a fake.
So idd guess a few slip thru