Thank you for bringing the issue to light. I appreciate your research on alternate pricing, and your decision to post the information here on the forum.

 

Then you've earned that and more. I have the secure seat bolts from Brukus with the torx key. I guess I could have done a little research too but when I saw their website and the product, I just ordered what I wanted. I'll probably but the bolts for securing the bags from them since my interaction with their customer service was beyond what I expected so I show my thanks that way. (probably why I'm always broke)

 

That does seem like a awful high mark up. Why did you do that Brukus? What say you Brukus? Splain yourself!

(I'm going to concede the idea itself is worth something. Also my answer, if I was Bruckus, to my question, might very well be "cause I could"!)

 

because of free enterprise. If the market did not support that price the price would come down or he would not sell enough to keep putting the packages together.

 

That's called a Tamper-Proof Torx. The tools are quite common. They can be purchased anywhere. It doesn't make them special.

 

You can buy the tamper-proof torx sockets at Harbor Freight...

 

As a business owner myself, I can tell you that the price you paid may seem high, it is not the whole story. Many man hours are spent coming up with the right combination of parts, multiple fit checks, writing installation instructions, marketing, paying advertising fees, answering emails & phone calls....and the overhead of owning/running a business etc. Somebody has to do & pay for all of that.

Considering a painted saddlebag assembly is very expensive plus the cost of whatever was inside it.. lets say $450.00 combined. I dont think that $23.20 is too much to pay to secure one saddlebag from getting stolen or keep it from coming loose & go bouncing down the road.

I have no association w/ Brukus M/P but I do understand what it takes to get an idea off the paper and get the final product to the customer.

That $25 HD t-shirt we wear costs the dealer about $9.00 or less

Just my 2 cents worth


Jim

 

While I agree with you to a certain extent, you can't get everything on that $25/$9 HD shirt off the shelf at the local hardware store.

However, I do believe in making money for your ideas.

 

I'm afraid that since the common parts have been posted for all to see, his "free enterprise" experiment may be a short lived endeavor.

 

WOW! We were just made aware of this thread and have to say we were kinda surprised by it for several reasons. Never realized we'd have to be defending ourselves for this particular product pricing, because we get a ton of customers telling us what a good value it is and how much it saved them running around - and how it's not only removed rattles on their saddlebags but has given them tremendous Peace of Mind... BUT - here goes.
1. We don't know exactly what parts our products were compared with, but we don't get our parts that cheaply, so we already know we are not comparing apples to apples. Either the quality of the components in our product are just of better quality - or there are differences there. Of course, we aren't a huge manufacturer, so we're also not buying products in great quantity - so that could be a part of it. Of course, all our other products have custom parts that are specifically manufactured just for us - even our Fender Security Screw. The SaddlebagSecure may not currently be made with custom parts, (we are actually considering this - even to a specifically made screw and tool) but that doesn't take away the design idea which currently has a Patent Pending.
2. Honestly - as a company we have yet to make a profit, but part of that is we are still seeking to identify needs for Harley owners out there - most of which are pointed out to us from customers - to help bikers. Most of our customers are out doing life, going to work, enjoying riding and don't have time to run around trying to figure out how to secure their bags or their windshields or their seats. We get DAILY emails / phone calls from bikers who lost a bag traveling down the road or had their bags and seat stolen at the same time for the FIRST time after 40+ years of riding. If you have never tried to start and run a business before, then you might want to check into what all IS involved in getting a product to a customer before decided how much money is being made. However, after all the work and effort and money is spent - don't expect us to apologize for finally making a dollar. We have employees, need to feed ourselves and do a lot of charitable work, but we can't have the money to do any of that if we don't ever make any money...
3. As has been mentioned above - there is MUCH more money that goes into that final product than just buying the parts. We have EMPLOYEES that expect to be paid for some reason. We have facility expenses where we work. We have insurance - health for our employees and liability in case there's ever a problem with our products. Attorney fees for all the legal stuff - patent filings, contracts, etc. Printing for all material. Packaging supplies. ADVERTISING - several hundred dollars a month to this forum alone. All that goes into the research and development before a product is even available to be out on the market. Website expenses. I could go on and on.... It seems so simple - we just purchase some parts and make money, right? - but it's not.
4. We also sell several other products and are launching a product this week that secures your windshield to your touring bike and uses the same security tool. This product has a custom part designed by us. The package itself will cost more, but we still are not marking the product up any more than anything else we sell. We make a CONSCIENTIOUS EFFORT to keep our prices as low as possible so people never think we're gouging them! I guess we have to consider that we can only do our best...
5. When we sell to a dealer, the price to the dealer has to be considerably less than the suggested retail price so that the dealer can make money. We have currently made the choice to NOT use distributors because our retail price would have to be even higher to accommodate a middle man also making his money.. And yet, at the same time, we can't undercut and be in competition with the dealer with our web pricing or that is defeating to our dealers - most of whom are mom and pop businesses themselves.

6. - AND MOST IMPORTANTLY - our main concern with this particular thread is we have stated all over our website that if you are not happy for ANY REASON - we offer a money back guarantee. Obviously, that would include "I think I paid too much"..... We pride ourselves on our Customer Service and would certainly had rather this situation be brought to us personally and to be given the opportunity to give our side and make things right. And then if you are still dissatisfied or feel you were treated poorly - then you can certainly bad-mouth us because we must deserve it... The last thing we want is our products on someone's bike who is going to think badly of us every time he or she gets on their bike. Our products are designed to help you with your comfort and security - not make you angry.
Thanks for giving us the opportunity to share our side.
Brukus Motorcycle Parts