Helmet Decision

[Brett76]

So I am in the market for a new lid & cannot help but be frustrated by the lack of choice. Looking at the manufactures global site compared to what is available here in a specific model underlines the limited choice we have. Of the 13 styles available on the global site the importer only carries 7. The importer kindly replied to my email querying the lack of choice with the same old story about cost of inventory etc.

Surely if a helmet is an approved model there must be another way to source the one I want rather than continue to support a system/importer refusing to update their business model to provide consumer choice, it is 2013 after all...

[Wells]

So I am in the market for a new lid & cannot help but be frustrated by the lack of choice. Looking at the manufactures global site compared to what is available here in a specific model underlines the limited choice we have. Of the 13 styles available on the global site the importer only carries 7. The importer kindly replied to my email querying the lack of choice with the same old story about cost of inventory etc.

Surely if a helmet is an approved model there must be another way to source the one I want rather than continue to support a system/importer refusing to update their business model to provide consumer choice, it is 2013 after all...

Looks like you're about to pull a thread that starts with the vendor and ends with us all being annoyed about AS/NZ 1698 requirements when they could just bloody accept SNELL or DOT... blah blah..
http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/roadsafety/motorcyclesafety/motorcyclehelmets.html

[Brett76]

I would be happy to stick with an approved model - I just want more colour choices within that & would expect a retailer to see that as a reasonable request. When a manufacturers web site indicates that a model is approved in Australia I should be able to walk into a mcas & pick up the one I want.

[Wells]

Not sure if you're after a discussion or you just wanted to vent.
If it's the latter, then skip this post.




So you're saying the issue is with Cassons (or someone) ? I see where you're coming from (I think) but I'm not sure that I agree.

Given the market size factors of:

• Australian Population
• Motorcycle Riders
• Willing to pay a certain amount (possibly for a premium product)
• Specific Brand
• Specific Model
• Specific Design
• Specific Head Size

I think they'd be crazy to carry much stock at all... In fact, I'd probably say that the traditional retail model for almost all of this stuff is dieing, if not already dead... but that's neither here nor there.

One way around it might be the distributor putting in a special order. But that assumes that the model/design has already been explicitly approved or can piggy back off the certification of a different design but same model's AS/NZ 1698 certification and I'm led to believe that's not always the case. - and the distributor might want to charge a premium.

I really feel that the major issue here is that you're effectively limited to one distributor because of the AusStandards stuff. There's probably a supreme court case in here somewhere regarding anti competitive practices.


Anyway.... Is it worth investigating some alternative approaches to get your desired colour/design?
https://www.google.com.au/search?q=helmet+design+australia
http://www.bunnings.com.au/products_category_other-paints_1603.aspx?filter=categoryname--Spray+Paint