Anti-competitive practice by Elixir

Subject: Anti-competitive practice by Elixir
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 29 Mar 07 - 08:01 AM

It seems that Elixir prohibit all their US distributors from shipping Elixir string abroad. Typically, Elixir strings are about half the price in the USA that they are in the UK.

This clearly indicates an anti-competitive practice (market partitioning, to keep proces up) of a type that would be likely to be illegal in the EU.

Your views (heric, INOBU, and other US lawyers in particular).....

Subject: RE: Anti-competitive practice by Elixir
From: Midchuck
Date: 29 Mar 07 - 09:03 AM

You guys go broke buying guitars and strings while we get them at a more reasonable cost.

We go broke buying prescription medications while you get them at a more reasonable cost.

It all averages out.

Everybody gets it in some end.

Peter.

Subject: RE: Anti-competitive practice by Elixir
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 29 Mar 07 - 10:16 AM

It's worse than that Midchuck, at age 60 [ me ] all your drugs are FREE.

Having said that I can buy D'Addario J74 mandolin strings direct from the USA at a third of the UK cost, why not Elixir ?

eric

Subject: RE: Anti-competitive practice by Elixir
From: mandotim
Date: 29 Mar 07 - 06:04 PM

Simple answer; hook up with a buddy in the USA, have the strings shipped there, then shipped to the UK. Nothing illegal, as long as you pay any duty due (usually waived if the value is under $30). Any US 'catters want to ship Elixirs to deserving UK players? Not for me; I already have a source...
Tim

Subject: RE: Anti-competitive practice by Elixir
From: GUEST,chris
Date: 30 Mar 07 - 04:18 AM

Don't use Elixirs
chris

Subject: RE: Anti-competitive practice by Elixir
From: George Papavgeris
Date: 30 Mar 07 - 04:54 AM

You mean all those emails I get every day advertising this or that elixir are not for guitar strings? Yet I do remember "g strings" being mentioned. Oh, well, I'd better cancel all those orders.

Subject: RE: Anti-competitive practice by Elixir
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 30 Mar 07 - 05:30 AM

I suppose you have a BIG Songbook now too George...


:-)

Subject: RE: Anti-competitive practice by Elixir
From: George Papavgeris
Date: 30 Mar 07 - 05:44 AM

I wish, Robin, I wish... I just have to do the best I can with what I have :-)

Subject: RE: Anti-competitive practice by Elixir
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 30 Mar 07 - 05:49 AM

Perhaps you need to turn over a new Page, mate....

Subject: RE: Anti-competitive practice by Elixir
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 30 Mar 07 - 07:11 AM

G'day all you pluckers,

Buy your strings ... and post them off safely to your mates in the Old Dart - but don't even think of putting 'em in your hand luggage if you're flying to Australia:

Fear Fiddlers Flying - Jobsworth thread.

Hell! Little Johnnie's jobsworth brigade have to keep Australia safe from terrorists like you!

Regard(fully)...

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Anti-competitive practice by Elixir
From: Strollin' Johnny
Date: 30 Mar 07 - 08:13 AM

Well I've bought them from the US. Is this something new that's going on?

Subject: RE: Anti-competitive practice by Elixir
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 30 Mar 07 - 08:23 AM

I think, Johnny, you have been lucky.

Subject: RE: Anti-competitive practice by Elixir
From: Strollin' Johnny
Date: 30 Mar 07 - 10:55 AM

Or unlucky, depending on whether you like Elixirs or not! I've given them up in favour of the infinitely superior Newtone Masterclass PB Custom Lights. :-)

Subject: RE: Anti-competitive practice by Elixir
From: dwditty
Date: 30 Mar 07 - 11:02 AM

I knew I disliked Elixirs for a reason.
dw

Subject: RE: Anti-competitive practice by Elixir
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 30 Mar 07 - 12:35 PM

Try and you are sure to find someone willing to ship.
A probable is:
http://www.bananas.com/index.asp/category_Guitar/subcategoryid_1
and click on guitar strings. Elixir acoustic strings on sale there.

Also try
http://stringsandbeyond.com/elixir-guitar-strings.html
They ship to UK.

Of course you are aware that your package may be assessed UK sales taxes and customs duties if applicable.

Subject: RE: Anti-competitive practice by Elixir
From: GUEST,Ray
Date: 30 Mar 07 - 01:31 PM

Weren't Elixirs invented in Scotland? I thought they were part of the Gore empire - makers of Goretex and breathable bagpipe bladders!

Subject: RE: Anti-competitive practice by Elixir
From: John Hardly
Date: 30 Mar 07 - 02:56 PM

Elixir -- how my male cat shows my female cat that he likes her.

Subject: RE: Anti-competitive practice by Elixir
From: Big Mick
Date: 30 Mar 07 - 04:03 PM

John ...... your cat didn't come up with that. It's how I got my second wi........ never mind. Bad Mick.

Subject: RE: Anti-competitive practice by Elixir
From: John Hardly
Date: 30 Mar 07 - 04:09 PM

Mick ..... Most wives come with strings.

Subject: RE: Anti-competitive practice by Elixir
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 30 Mar 07 - 05:00 PM

Well pro tem I have just put some Newtones on my second best Hagstrom, and I don't like them as much as elixirs. Too smooth. Not enough bite

Subject: RE: Anti-competitive practice by Elixir
From: Strollin' Johnny
Date: 31 Mar 07 - 02:40 PM

No accounting for taste! LOL!

Subject: RE: Anti-competitive practice by Elixir
From: jacqui.c
Date: 31 Mar 07 - 03:09 PM

I do the transatlantic hop on a regular basis and my daughter is coming out to Maine in July.

If anyone wants to order these and have them sent to me I'm pretty sure my daughter can take them back in her luggage.

PM me if you're interested.

Subject: RE: Anti-competitive practice by Elixir
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 31 Mar 07 - 03:58 PM

Numerous kinds of technology are subject to export restrictions by the US, and to import restrictions of various kinds by other localities.

It's also possible that the mfr has been threatened with suits over a mfg process for which a patent is claimed somewhere but isn't valid/recognized in the US.

Taxes/duties, etc., may just be too much a hassle for the company to want to mess with them.

It's also fairly plausible that a seller/distrubutor might claim that it's a manufacturer's policy to prohibit something that the distributor doesn't want to be bothered with doing.

A manufacturer might also not want to export a product to a countries that fail to support their own US patents or copyrights, or that support/permit counterfeit production.

Most likely, if this export limitation actually exists, is that the manufacturer just doesn't like you. Perhaps you should give some serious thought to what offensive things you have done to provoke them to this attitude, and should take steps to improve your image - or at least to dissociate your country/region from more obviously objectionable ones with whom the company might have categorized you.

Quite obviously there is a need for an investigation, and quite possibly for the consideration of international sanctions to encourage treaties/amendments to facilitate more open trade. Have you contacted the UN?

John

Subject: RE: Anti-competitive practice by Elixir
From: 14fret
Date: 31 Mar 07 - 04:43 PM

Could be British distibutors have asked them not to?

Subject: RE: Anti-competitive practice by Elixir
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 01 Apr 07 - 02:18 AM

You are all being very silly

Subject: RE: Anti-competitive practice by Elixir
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 01 Apr 07 - 05:46 AM

What? us, Silly?!!!

Subject: RE: Anti-competitive practice by Elixir
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 01 Apr 07 - 06:40 AM

Stop this NOW, it's getting very silly. off you go, your'e not even a proper woman

eric

Subject: RE: Anti-competitive practice by Elixir
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 01 Apr 07 - 05:13 PM

No more silly than what has been reported in the original post... :-P

Subject: RE: Anti-competitive practice by Elixir
From: GUEST,Black Hawk
Date: 02 Apr 07 - 07:45 AM

Around 9 months ago Elderly Instruments told me they were not allowed (by Elixir)to ship to U.K.

I changed the order to D'Addario.

Subject: RE: Anti-competitive practice by Elixir
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 02 Apr 07 - 01:49 PM

I don't like the D'Addario EXPs - they seem to die just as quickly as(but more expensively than) uncoated strings.

Subject: RE: Anti-competitive practice by Elixir
From: Pete_Standing
Date: 03 Apr 07 - 10:27 AM

I agree Richard. I tried the EXPs and thought they were no better than the uncoated strings.

I'll continue to get my Elixirs from the local music shops. More expensive I know, but I get a friendly service and sometimes some deals because they know me and value my custom.

Subject: RE: Anti-competitive practice by Elixir
From: John Hardly
Date: 03 Apr 07 - 10:48 AM

to each hizone, I guess, but I love the EXPs and don't find them dying fast.

Subject: RE: Anti-competitive practice by Elixir
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 03 Apr 07 - 11:30 AM

I'd really like to support my local music shop, but he used not to stock elixirs, and is now charging £15 for a set when, if I can get them from the US, they are half that.

Subject: RE: Anti-competitive practice by Elixir
From: GUEST,Frug
Date: 01 May 07 - 01:20 PM

Stringbusters offer elixirs at £10.40 plus a small postage charge

www.stringbusters.com


Frank