internet policy Dear Valued Customer: It has come to our attention that The Country Woodshop tables are being offered for sale on the internet at prices that we consider too low. This has caused a great deal of dissatisfaction among our customers, because of the inability to have a level playing field. A key component of the success of The Country Woodshop LLC has been a quality presentation of our products and a corresponding sales approach that provides the consumer with all of the information necessary to make a truly informed purchase decision. We have always believed that an essential ingredient of our success is the personal interaction between well-trained sales personnel and the retail consumer. An integral part of ensuring consumer satisfaction is prompt and responsible warranty service. If our tables are sold through the internet to locations remote from that of the actual dealer, the quality of such follow up service usually is inadequate and our image with the consumer could be damaged. It is the dealer’s responsibility to take care of such warranty issues. In light of all the factors stated above, it is our preference that our product is sold in a retail store. However, because of having responsible dealers who sell on the internet at fair prices, we feel we cannot ban internet sales. Therefore, we will require our dealers who advertise our tables on the internet to have no less than a 100% markup (example: $500 x 100% = $1000) on their finished table cost. This markup does not include freight costs, which need to be advertised as such. A CD is available with the required marked up cost. Failure to comply with this requirement risks termination of dealership. Here are a few guidelines for advertising our product on the internet: You may not promote "free shipping." Shipping needs to be an added cost, in addition to our required selling price. You should not advertise that you have lower prices because you have no overhead costs. Any reports of an internet company directing customers to a retail store to see furniture, with the intention of buying via the internet because of price, will result in termination of dealership. We are confident that you will join us in appreciating the long-term benefits of this policy, which is effective immediately.
Sincerely, The Country Woodshop LLC Noah Bontrager
162 | The Country Woodshop