Who died and gave Ultralightoutdoors exclusivity?

Been away for a while and now got a few weeks off to try and get out on the wet and windy hills, re-establish my relationship with the wild and clear my head. Looking forward to it, it's been far too long.

However, what's happened in the last 6 moths with Golite in the UK?

There used to be several small on-line suppliers I used to get items from and now everyone bar ULO sem to be dumping, or unable to get stock.

This of course appears to gives Ultralightoutdoors total exclusivity, and I notice that the only items they don't seem to be doing their usual hefty discounts on, are the 2012 Golite exclusive items which no one else has?

Have they now got the distribution deal or something? They may be helpful, but with all those new exciting shiney items on the site, surely they can't possibly have the kind of knowledge I want to enable a balanced decision.

Maybe I've missed something, as I've been off grid, but what have I missed?

They've gone over to direct sales only in the States. - no other outlets.  No distribution costs?  

This has reduced costs to buyers there.  

Mole wrote (see)

ed h wrote (see)

Or the fact that Golite are a direct sales US operation at the moment and don't have any firm plans to sell internationally (so I read).

Evening Ian.

Seems to be the case

though they are still claiming that ULOG will satisfy our needs....

I  tried to buy through their Website  this week but it wouldn't even accept a non North American Credit Card even, to ship to someone in the US. 

I emailed them, apparently you may be able to order by phone...

Here is the response:

Thanks for your interest in GoLite.  Unfortunately, we are unable to process international credit cards via the Web.  Occasionally, we are able to process the order via phone for domestic shipping.  Our customer service hours are 8am-6pm Mountain Time (-6 GMT) Monday through Friday.  Otherwise, our largest international retailer is Amazon.EU and in the UK you can visit www.ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk to view GoLite product available locally.  Sorry for any inconvenience.
 

TP wrote (see)

Careful what you say abt folate. There is a guy who works for them who doesn't like ppl saying anything like they are pulling out of UK. He oops into this site too. Got on his bad side once. Now blocked on fb and ignored here. I'd buy another make personally. Their policy works for the us but screw the test of us so screw them. There's better stuff out there these days anyway.

Woooaahh.

WTF?

Well I'm buggered reading  those emails from Golite HQ. So is the product available direct from the US or not? If it is, why is there someone here dominating the UK price such as ULO?

As someone who wants to get some up to date kit in a brand of my choice (which I've enjoyed using since they arrived what 5/6 years back?) so I can stick with and support whichever retailer I choose to buy it from, isn't this effectively monopolising the market place.

Then you're implying some job's worth wants to start picking a fight with consumers who say they can't buy it anywhere?

IF they haven't pulled out of the UK, WTF can't I find it anywhere but in one place? Either this jobsworth is full of shite, or he's talking bo**ox?

Hang on a mo though .... hmmm .... OR he's in cahoots with ULO and collectively they are shafting me the consumer, who has supported the brand with my hard earned readies since they arrived?

Maybe going back off grid is a good idea after all.

an american company selling online to americans - doesn't sound that strange to me. someone in this country to stock it, putting their money where their mouth is, for the sole purpose of ripping people off. as we are all privy to the trading agreement between ULO and golite it's clear that ULO want to set themselves as a monopoly supplier, with the full permission of golite, of all this gear...erm...brand to annoy people.

have i got this confused with rupert murdoch somewhere? i do so miss the news of the world.

I've heard reports that Go-Lite products are now Go-Heavier.  Now that they've become rather mainstream, they seem to have moved away from their founding principles.

Of course, I'm quite happy for anyone to show me that those reports are incorrect.  Nice and politely, mind, as I don't do 'bullied'...

They are supposed to be available from amazon.eu but I've not found them in numerous searches.

 If you don't mind getting last years stock, ULOG have a sale on at the moment.

Beany wrote (see)

Maybe going back off grid is a good idea after all.

Probably. You do seem a tad hysterical.

TP wrote (see)

Careful what you say abt folate. There is a guy who works for them who doesn't like ppl saying anything like they are pulling out of UK. He oops into this site too. Got on his bad side once. Now blocked on fb and ignored here. I'd buy another make personally. Their policy works for the us but screw the test of us so screw them. There's better stuff out there these days anyway.

Ultralight are a fantastic company anyway. Recently returned a hipbelt for a crown for a larger size many weeks after there no quibble period was up. On the phone I was met with a "don't worry about that "

These German people?

In terms of really pure coattage industry, it will probably always be mostly USA just because of the relative populations involved. Unless you allow PHD, which wouldn't be insane.

Anyhow the European main stream companies are genuinely doing a fair bit of pretty dedicated minimalist stuff. Partially imagine due to the overlap with mountain marathon folk. Terra nova for instance almost fanatically so at times, but sundry people have bits of it.

Prone to randomly cancelling them too but at least they do try

Beany wrote (see)

A tad hysterical? LOL!!! That's a bit rich coming from a transvestite I mean to say, you're a guy using a woman's name, who makes and sells outdoor gear to people and use a toy as an avatar? And you expect to be taken seriously? And YOU call me hysterical? You're clearly 'hiding from reality' mate in a BIG way

> I suspect there's a deal been done. Jeeez I bet all the old retailers feel screwed by all this?

Exclusive distribution agreements are nothing out of the ordinary, and fairly normal commercial practice.  It's a business, after all.  If you don't like it, don't buy GoLite, and don't buy from ULOG; that's your choice as a commercial customer, and you're perfectly entitled to it.

I don't own any GoLite gear, and I've never bought from ULOG.

Just to stick up for UOG- they're a great company, super good customer service, bought loads from them. They also bring ULA gear into the UK from the US so there is a precedent for them getting stuff you can only find on the web otherwise. Of course they're a business, so they do need to make money but they're hardly Rupert Murdoch. Someone needed to step up and bring the stuff in, so it might as well be them. Golite has diversified and got heavier, but they still do great packs like their Jam range- I would have been gutted to have to deal with importing stuff in and paying import duty.