Don't you hate when you are taken for a fool???
 

some online "boutiques" are selling the same products as Petedge for more than TRIPLE the price ...

http://www.hautedogboutique.com/Merc...roduct_Count=0

http://www.petedge.com/shopping/sear...ey=slipper+bed


I also have seen ZANY toys selling for $5.99 each when PetEdge sells them for $0.89 each cents .... and the blanket squeezey toy selling for $9.99 when PetEdge has it for $1.89 ... please check with PetEdge first!!! as they say
CAVEAT EMPTOR
The axiom or principle in commerce that the buyer alone is responsible for assessing the quality of a purchase before buying.
[From Latin caveat ēmptor, let the buyer beware]

Those slipper beds are similar but not quite the same. But, Petedge is suppose to be a wholesale distributor site. That is why you have to pay a processing fee in addition to shipping/handling when you order a small amount. I saw that Petedge slipper bed in a local petstore for $59.99 -- that is really a reasonable mark-up. They should be able to at least double their prices in a shop. Course I did not buy it.

Like you, I like to look for places that allow me as a consumer to order at wholesale prices. But sometimes I weigh the cost of everything, shipping and the extra fee and find I can get the product I want for a cheaper total price at retail. Case in point -- Topknot Gel -- Petedge has this for $6.99 -- but then you have to add the $6.99 processing fee and the shipping and handling.....while I can order through another online store for $10.95 with just the actual shipping charge added.

Want to hear something funny? When I just looked at the Petedge site, I have two of those slipper beds sitting in my shopping cart, one in pink and another in blue. When I have more to order at one time, I will get them.

thatz what I would do also ... the $6.99 charge only applies to small orders ... I would weigh the possible charges as well (into the price) ... there are other online stores selling the same 'slipper' bed I just could not list them all ....

ebay
 

I see alot of dog clothes on ebay right out of Petedge for alot more...

The Petedge bed is marked sown to $22.99..compared to $125..same size also...

Actually Petedge is considered a manufacturer/wholesaler that chooses to allow the public to buy thier products at wholesale prices. Before people get mad at small dog boutiques like the Haute Dog for their prices, I would just like everyone to know small dog boutiques get to compete with large companies like Target, Petsmart, etc who have all of their products made in factories overseas in mass quantities and put 500-1000% mark up on thier retail prices. You dont get mad at them becuase you can not purchase from thier supplier. Small dog boutiques pay much much more for their products with a lot smaller mark up and have a high overhead with all sorts of business expenses that I never even dreamed about before I got into this business. Also before judging the haute dog by saying they are tripling the price, keep in mind shipping cost are fixed into thier pricing too (this is a price factoring cost people like to forget). For example, say the slipper bed cost $20 wholesale from Petedge, well because of its bulky size, it probobly cost about $10 to be shipped to the retailer so if they mark it up to $60 this is only a one time mark up not 200%. And then out of that $30 that you think they took you for as a fool, out comes a ton of other business expenses (marketing, rent, merchant credit card fees, storage fees, employee wages, website fees, shipping material cost, and many many more business expenses, etc, etc) and I gurantee the haute dog boutique is lucky to make $5 in the end. Sorry if it was a long post, I just wanted to throw that out there. Petedge does have nice products and I highly recommend :)

Well put, I couldn't have said it better....also, small boutiques cannot order in the massive quantities that Petedge orders so they obviously get charged a lot more! It's like comparing Walmart's prices to a small store down the road. It's just not the same. On Ebay, the sellers do not incure the kind of fees boutiques do. I had to pay hundreds of dollars just to get my business started with the appropriate licenses required. On the other end, small boutiques like mine and Shana's probably much better/faster customer services than these conglomerates that have millions of customers. Just some other things to keep in mind. There's just the personal touch added.

:thumbup: :thumbup: In total agreeance! It should also be mentioned that certain manufacturers who also sell to the public put a minimum retail price on items sold to other retailers. Whereas if you buy from them you have to charge a certain price (they don't want to be undersold and have specific requirements for pricing).

If a business can not triple profit on its merchandise it most likely wont stay in business. I opened a business retail clothing . A wholesale shirt, cheapest I could find $5 plus shipping from hongkong which was usually more then the merchadise total. I found a way to get things really cheap but took alot more work, I still wonder with gas prices etc if I was doing any better. Its good to find a deal but you have to understand that small shops cant buy a large enough amount to sell it for a dollar more then wholesale. Its rough out there...Pet edge isnt doing its wholesale customers any favors by selling to the public, but maybe thats also what keeps them a float. I gave the business I started to my brother & it does well but its a headache. Thank god I figured out how to get our merchandise below wholesale & sell namebrands cheaper or comparitive to walmart cost, you know every stores favorite thing to hear..... "Well I can get that at walmart for $.......LOL I had to start going to walmart and looking at their stuff & prices before I could make a decision to buy anything-damn walmart, lol. But I love the deals & need to save money so i shop there & petedge & ebay , but I never tell a store owner they are to high .

I agree with this as well! I am in the online retail industry and I have to say it's hard to find things that are rock bottom in prices without sacrificing quality.

Shana is right. I have been investigating opening my own store and you HAVE to mark things up to even cover your most basic expenses. Pet Edge even lists these "suggested" retail prices in their catalog. My only frustration is that Pet Edge has a wide range of quality. Their zanies toys are pretty good, but their clothing is marginal. Loki has a soccer sweatshirt that I've washed 50 times and it's still in good shape. But I threw away a T-shirt and a sweater I bought from there after 1 washing. So while I would have paid $15 for that $5 sweatshirt, the other 2 items were junk. No way would I sell the junk for a huge markup, but I wouldn't feel bad charging $15 for a $5 sweatshirt that I know is decent quality.

thats what sucks about being a store owner...you think it looks nice on the site, buy 1-junk/toss it. They just bought 25-100 & in store you are able to see the quality. Sometimes you can ship back at your own expense but shipping can be expensive. So they try to pass them off & eventually clearance them down to nothing. Good thing we the customer can see it in their stores, decide yea or nea then go buy it on petedge, lol. Its just wrong, but i'm guilty of knowing I saw something at a local business & not buying because of price & then running across it on the net for a savings & getting it. it is very tough for small business & large, the goverment/irs is not nice to small businesses , I will never do it again. The best business you can own is a yard sale in your front yard,lol. I respect but dont envy biz owners, its very hard work.

I wasnt able to get onto to that link yesterday but now I finally could. That is not a Petedge brand bed. The bed that Haute Dog is selling is actually a very expensive slipper bed designed by Pawsitively Posh and has been around for as long as I have been in business (so its been around at least 3 years). Petedge actually just came out with thier slipper beds last year, they actually stole the design idea from pawsitively posh. This is something Petedge has been known to do, here is an article about the celltei design they stole: http://www.celltei.com/si1knbyyope.html

I love Pet Edge and I buy from them all the time. I also shop at MANY other dog stores on-line and in person. I believe if you really like something, you'll buy it regardless of the price (at least that's how it is for me). :D

That is horrible! Celltei must have been livid when they found out. So much of that happens with companies from countries with no copyright protections, but I am surprised about Petedge doing it -- and asking for a free sample to copy is just evil! :mad:
I may empty that shopping cart and forget about ordering "wholesale." Someone always pays......

I fully uderstand. I see things in other online pet stores with a major markup and I think - Hey I could sell that. But then with all the costs incurred. I am staying with things either I or someone close to me makes.
I may not make a ton but I would rather have great repeat customers that refer me. :)
As long as I cover costs and have some fun $.


As far as stealing Ideas. I know of at least one customer that purchased a dress and a few weeks later was selling the same dresses on line :(
Gosh - at least change the pattern to make it your own. :mad:

:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

knock-offs
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shanatink (Post 980433) I wasnt able to get onto to that link yesterday but now I finally could. That is not a Petedge brand bed. The bed that Haute Dog is selling is actually a very expensive slipper bed designed by Pawsitively Posh and has been around for as long as I have been in business (so its been around at least 3 years). Petedge actually just came out with thier slipper beds last year, they actually stole the design idea from pawsitively posh. This is something Petedge has been known to do, here is an article about the celltei design they stole: http://www.celltei.com/si1knbyyope.html

the following websites are for are the same "slumber bed" and the prices are way different ...
Just an observation ....
http://www.kooldawgtees.com/dog_beds_2.html
http://www.petedge.com/shopping/prod...temID=5029&ite

Dog Beds, Pads, Orthopedic Pet Beds, Slumber Pet? Chenille Dog Beds, Fido Fleece Cloud Beds

Welcome to PetEdge - Professional Pet Products & Pet Supplies at Wholesale Prices

There are knock offs in all fields especially in the garment business (hence, "you too can wear the dress Nicole Kidman wore")....
We, as consumers, have the right to decide what we are comfortable spending to get same effect or the same product .... Just my opinion .... I did not intend to step on any body's toes ....

I understand what you're saying totally. I've been an over spender FOREVER and have just recently seen what a little shopping around can do to make such a difference in savings. I've seen so many of the same products at different stores for vastly differing prices. I don't blame the stores for selling them at different prices because that is their decision entirely.. I've just become a bit more of a savvy shopper :)

On the Petedge site, do you notice the crossed out price -- it says Suggested Retail $54.99 -- same as the other site is asking for it. Petedge is suppose to be a wholesale distributor -- they sell to the retail stores. Retail stores CANNOT sell the items for what they pay for them, they usually sell at the Suggested Retail price. Savvy shoppers can cut out the middle man in some cases and order straight from a wholeseller -- but all of them do not allow consumer purchases like Petedge.

I think we are on different pages of the same book! I was trying to address your original question --"Don't you hate when you are taken for a fool??? " I just do not feel that the small business owners are taking anyone for a fool just because they double their prices. I might shop around and buy from the cheapest place because I need to conserve $$. But I still want to support the small business owner when I can (yes, even if it means spending a little bit more). Why? Because I like having the small business owner around. Small online stores and the "brick and mortar" shops offer a personalized service we will never see at the big wholesale distributors.

Basically I am saying, sure go ahead and shop around but try not to think so badly of the small business person who probably makes a LOT less profit in the long run that that wholesale business.

:thumbup: I agree with what she said. This is basically what I was trying to say and explain too. When I read the title of this thread and read the first post I took it to mean that the poster was saying the haute dog is trying to rip people off, this is why I got defensive.
Yes cutting out the middle man, if possible, will save money and that was a very valid and good point. But what was initially posted and what this whole thread seemed to be based on was two products that are similar but not the same therefore the comparison and point that was trying to be made was not very valid but yet still made the haute dog look bad so I felt I had to defend. The bed being sold by haute dog is the original doggie slipper bed design and yes it cost more but it is made from better materials and built to last and it cost a lot more at wholesale cost than the petedge bed therefore that is why it is being retailed for more, the petedge replica slipper bed is indeed cheaper, but is also not assembled as well, made with lower quality materials, and will not last as long. So its hard to compare the 2 with a statement like "Dont you hate it when you get taken for as a fool?"
88% of the time, you get what you pay for. Occasionally people can get lucky and get an awesome deal on high quality products. But anyways I think I said it better this time and Im sorry if I stepped on anyones toes because I didnt mean to. :)

http://www.kooldawgtees.com/dog_beds_2.html
http://www.petedge.com/shopping/prod...temID=5029&ite
but yet, these are the same exact product ... and yet the price difference is stunning ....and that was the point ... step on anyone's toes??? Didn't I say that???
I believe in free trade, capitalism and competitive pricing Itz just that on line, itz so easy to find the lowest price.
Perhaps I titled the thread incorrectly, my apologies.

I'm a bargain shopper myself. If I see something cheaper elsewhere I will go there. I have however stopped shopping at some places if they have poor customer service.

I do support YT sellers and do atleat 90% of my furkid's shopping here.

I too "bargain" shop....with everything! I have seen toys from PetEdge for sale elsewhere for the price that PetEdge recommends for retailers.....that is fine w/ me....but I buy them from PetEdge for next to nothing first. I have never bought clothes from PetEdge, but I have bought other products and have been happy with them. I am bad about seeing something that I want and then hitting the internet (not really eBay), but other internet sites to see where it is cheaper....isn't that bad. OR if I am in a hurry for the item, I will more then likely pay a higher price for it instead of shopping around.....it too just depends on the customer service and how much they charge for shipping, etc.

It is a dogs market for sure! You make a killing on maternity and children clothing and stuff and dog stuff....the top three sellers anywhere! People will buy what the want and what they need no matter what. Or they can look somewhere else.

What gets me is the gas prices - wow! You want to talk about making some money......those gas companies are making a fortune!!! Gas went up and then finally went back down to right at $2 and now it shot back up to almost $2.50 - that is nonsense!!!

I love a bargain as well as the next customer. Also though, I like doing business with smaller more personable businesses. To me it is important to support a small business person, especially made in America goods, even if the price is slightly higher. Good customer service is worth a little extra and I don't mind paying a marked up (not jacked up) price.

LIke my post said, I am refering to the initial post only (post #1 in this thread).

I asked Pawsitively Posh about this and she told me she read that Petedge has almost a 50% return rate on this bed and she has almost zero. She stands by 100% of all her products. I think it's such a shame that a company like that would take designs from another. The owners of Pawsitively's attorney and Petedge's attorney had to deal with this 'knock off' situation but at the end, their attorneys were no match for their numerous staff lawyers. At the end of the day, it's about the little business that have to compete with the larger,you get what you pay for in terms of all products in my opinion and customer service. I am in NO way saying anything negative about Petedge, just what I've heard.