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Vmo

Mike hemming said:
I buy all my stuff from vmo , reels, lines , hooks trace making bits , headlamps , clothing the lot , I have no need to go anywhere else, incredible service, very knowledgeable staff
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Whilst I agree I also stand with ChesilPete in wanting to see VMO and all other big players like GAC, Gerrys etc actively putting more effort into supporting angling at a grass roots level. These companies make decent profits from us but what do they give back in return? Youth development and teaching? Not that I see. Standing with anglers to protect our sport? Not that I see. All we get is product placement ie sales generating videos. Where is their support on issues like Bass Fishery Policy Management discussions etc etc? Woefully lacking is the honest answer 🙄
 
Topwater said:
Whilst I agree I also stand with ChesilPete in wanting to see VMO and all other big players like GAC, Gerrys etc actively putting more effort into supporting angling at a grass roots level. These companies make decent profits from us but what do they give back in return? Youth development and teaching? Not that I see. Standing with anglers to protect our sport? Not that I see. All we get is product placement ie sales generating videos. Where is their support on issues like Bass Fishery Policy Management discussions etc etc? Woefully lacking is the honest answer 🙄
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Maybe in times such as we are in.. the corporate framework of the company might not contain anglers.. but rather people who have attended business schools.
 
Angrybear said:
Well pre covid I had Exeter Angling Centre which had 2 floors covering anything & everything, so I could buy 98% of what I wanted there,
Unfortunately it didn't reopen post lockdown :(, there's a couple of localish shops but mainly coarse tackle with a bit of frozen bait, otherwise it's a 40-50 mile round trip, so buying online becomes the better option.
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Exeter Angling is alive n kicking on Marsh Barton industrial estate . Still has 2 floors covering all aspects of angling and good selection of baits.
 
Topwater said:
Whilst I agree I also stand with ChesilPete in wanting to see VMO and all other big players like GAC, Gerrys etc actively putting more effort into supporting angling at a grass roots level. These companies make decent profits from us but what do they give back in return? Youth development and teaching? Not that I see. Standing with anglers to protect our sport? Not that I see. All we get is product placement ie sales generating videos. Where is their support on issues like Bass Fishery Policy Management discussions etc etc? Woefully lacking is the honest answer 🙄
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Giving stuff away is expensive, it costs money and that invariably means extra overheads that the end customer has to pay ... then of course everybody moans that said retailer is too expensive or supposedly trying to rip people off or that you don't want to have to pay extra because they offer all this extra support for free.

For me personally I'm sick of people with their hand out who want "sponsorship" but who do very little work in the getting of it, and go to no effort to illustrate what you will get in return for the support, and put zero effort in to showing you what was delivered after the event. I've had everything from people ringing me up and asking for "free stuff" like I am supposed to know who they are to large orgs sending out round-robin generic emails vying for literally thousands of pounds in support.

ALL the outlets you mention have been involved in fairly substantial sponsorship deals in the past (I saw mention of GAC with something just the other day but can't remember what it is off-hand) and I know the likes of Veals give to smaller local sponsors regularly. Businesses have a duty to their employees (and in some cases their shareholders) and I know from personal experience that customers rarely take any of that into consideration when they decide where they shop ... some say they do but I'm totally unconvinced.

As for getting involved in angling politics ... you must be kidding. Given the amount of in-fighting there is present on angling politics it is a very brave (some may say stupid) business that wants to go there. Line recycling scheme .. great, Take a friend fish ... fantastic ... Bass Fishery Policy Management .. not a bloody chance! We have the Angling Trust (and BASS) who cop all the venom and spite for getting involved in that bag of hand-grenades. The old Angling Politics section of "the other forum" should tell anybody how healthy angling politics is for business.
 
I never mentioned sponsorship or discounting Russ. I said grass roots mate. Nothing to do with match fishing or these so called 'brand ambassador' BS schemes. Grass roots teaching and encouraging participation in and learing about angling.....and supporting the sport....
Not one of them do a jot. Nor does the Angling Trades Association from what I can see....pathetic really 👎
 
Topwater said:
I never mentioned sponsorship or discounting Russ. I said grass roots mate. Nothing to do with match fishing or these so called 'brand ambassador' BS schemes. Grass roots teaching and encouraging participation in and learing about angling.....and supporting the sport....
Not one of them do a jot. Nor does the Angling Trades Association from what I can see....pathetic really 👎
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Supporting/sponsoring are effectively the same thing - I didn't say anything at all about discounting if you read the post properly. It doesn't come more grass roots than supporting local clubs which ALL of those you mentioned do. just because you don't see it posted all over the place doesn't mean they don't do it.

What are you doing to support the grass roots just out of interest? It isn't just down to various business to do it all is it?

Oh and before you ask I did my bit big time in the past along with the likes of Concrete (amongst others) at club level.
 
The modern take on sponsorship is sales driving product placement, often under the guise of this BS title of brand ambassador (for which you can read influencer ie salesman). Giving stuff away is surely the biggest discount you can give! All of it is written off as legitimate marketing...

My volunteering time and effort mostly goes to providing free casting lessons and fly tying demos etc to juniors and new starters through clubs, I also clean up miles of river and lake banking, battle invasive species etc and take it on my own back to continually challenge the local IFCA and polluters like UU. I'm quite confident that I put a hell of a lot more back into this sport than the vast majority. Like you I make a living from angling so I feel its right and proper that I do everything I can to support it. It a shame others don't.
 
I don't expect any shop to be giving me sponsorship (why?!?!?!) or discounted kit BUT I'm glad some do YouTube videos (VMO and Christchurch Angling Centre) because I've learn a lot, not only on how to fish but also on how to "behave", for example Tom (CAC) once asked what people though about maximum (as well as minimum) size limits and that led me to find out that big bass are massive breeders.

And although there can be a cringing amount of product placement (VMO) one could consider the videos as a way of giving back to the community.
 
Reevsey said:
Exeter Angling is alive n kicking on Marsh Barton industrial estate . Still has 2 floors covering all aspects of angling and good selection of baits.
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The shop in Marsh Barton has nothing to do with the old EAC on Smythen street,
I have visited it on a number of occasions & I'd say it it holds less than 1/10th of the stock, maybe 1/20th the rod & reel selection, & I saw no fly fishing section at all, chaps running it seem to be coarse anglers & understandably most of the stock is aimed at their area of choice.

I'm not knocking it or them, I'm simply stating the facts, as they are at the moment,
I'm sure that over the next few years the shop will develop, and stock levels will grow & diversify,
after all I remember when Geoff first started EAC in one of the little shops in the old arcade across the road,
which I see has now turned in to student accommodation.
 
Agree it doesn't do fly fishing and it is smaller but still holds a decent amount of stock . Usually fresh crab in aswell which not many places do
 
What about homeleigh garden centre Launceston, they have a mixture of sea, course,carp and fly gear.
 
Topwater said:
The modern take on sponsorship is sales driving product placement, often under the guise of this BS title of brand ambassador (for which you can read influencer ie salesman). Giving stuff away is surely the biggest discount you can give! All of it is written off as legitimate marketing...

My volunteering time and effort mostly goes to providing free casting lessons and fly tying demos etc to juniors and new starters through clubs, I also clean up miles of river and lake banking, battle invasive species etc and take it on my own back to continually challenge the local IFCA and polluters like UU. I'm quite confident that I put a hell of a lot more back into this sport than the vast majority. Like you I make a living from angling so I feel its right and proper that I do everything I can to support it. It a shame others don't.
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I don’t know what Veals does or doesn’t do regarding grassroots but the ‘influencer’ trend is a massive irritation to me.
Not only VMO, Sakuma, etc etc, they’re all at it.
‘Look at me, I caught a couple of ray in the BC and in return I get a Sakuma beanie and a few hooks’

It’s those people more than the actual companies that annoy me.
The companies get free marketing for minimal outlay while the YouTube and social media heroes are delusional thinking they’re gods gift to angling and they’re going to make a fortune.
I’m sure many are better anglers than me and by all means make fishing videos if it makes you happy, but don’t big it up as something it ain’t.
The market is so saturated with them, they’re more likely to earn more flipping burgers - or cleaning bathrooms in skimp outfits… 👀
 
Topwater said:
The modern take on sponsorship is sales driving product placement, often under the guise of this BS title of brand ambassador (for which you can read influencer ie salesman). Giving stuff away is surely the biggest discount you can give! All of it is written off as legitimate marketing...
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Product placement = advertisement. Brand ambassadeur = advertisement. Nothing has changed things just have different names ... grown ups just ignore it.

Helping fund clubs with either cash or kind = sponsorship (such as raffle or competition prizes). Thats the stuff that keeps clubs running and its the clubs that help further angling for the most part. I fail to see ho you could get any more grass roots than that quite frankly. And yes prizes, donations etc are tax deductable and why shouldn't they be?
 
nearly70ty said:
Geting back the the original topic Whilst VMO acted well after the problem of the loose spigot arose, surely they at least should put the rods together before they send them out it's basic quality control.
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Or should the manufacturer have checked it in the factory? Or maybe the courier should have checked it before he delivered a faulty product?

I'm sure if we look hard enough we can turn every positive into a negative. The important point here is that there was an issue with an order and VMO sorted it without a fuss. Nuff said quite frankly.
 
blakdog is back said:
Or should the manufacturer have checked it in the factory? Or maybe the courier should have checked it before he delivered a faulty product?

The manufacturer AND the retailer should have checked it imo. It's nothing to do with the courier as the retailer is responsible for packing before posting. Products that come from the manufacturer in sealed packaging are obviously different but rods don't and its surprising how many defective sections get through so called QC. If your a retailer who values customers and knows the value of not disappointing then you check before it goes in the tube. Simple
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Reevsey said:
Agree it doesn't do fly fishing and it is smaller but still holds a decent amount of stock . Usually fresh crab in aswell which not many places do
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Well they had very little on any of my visits, compared to old EAC, yes they usually have crab & rag, but don't do lug.
 
nearly70ty said:
Geting back the the original topic Whilst VMO acted well after the problem of the loose spigot arose, surely they at least should put the rods together before they send them out it's basic quality control.
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I completely disagree, QC is nothing to do with the retailer, unless the fault is obvious.
The QC should be done by the factory, all VMO do is sell it, so the items should be unopened as they are sent from the factory.

If the retailer stops the poor quality items, how is the public going to find out that the factory QC is so bad ?
it's public complaints that companies take note of.
 

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