raider copies?

[setthehook]

I noticed some raider and laser copies are available through kmart. Cant rem the name of the raider copies but the lazer copies were called phasers. Whats the deal ?
Did someone get there lure copied and ripped off or was it a brand name change? If they were a rip off of the oridginals i wont be buying any, but thought id see what others knew first.
Cheers Rob.

[DaneCross]

I've seen them aswell Rob. I rekon they're copies/rip-offs of the real thing because I still see the Lazers/Raiders for sale too :-/ Go the Lucky_Phill Mackmauler slugs anyway ;) (Another endorsement for you Phill ;D)

[agnes_jack]

Wilsons have just released a whole range of raider copies.
They go under the name of checkmate.
I believe this was because of the continuous price rises.
There has been a whole range of lures being copied in recent times, including copies of rapala shadraps,tail dancers,magnums etc etc etc.
Most of these copies are selling for less than half the price of the original models.
Good from one point of view! Bad from another!
Some of the others are: Lasers instead of lazers, flasher spoons instead of Flasha spoons, Cobra's instead of Taipans
The list is now endless!!!!!!!!!

Regards, Tony

[Beersy]

The Raider ripoffs....there was an ongoing dispute between the manufacturer and Wilsons, the distributors. I'm told Wilsons were going to loose the distributorship for several reasons. They did a sly deal with Surecatch, sent samples of the entire raider/sniper/maniac range to China and ripped off the entire range. Theft is a low act. I won't touch 'em. cheers, Beersy

[agnes_jack]

Beersy
Yeah Know what ya mean. Unfortunately its happening more and more everyday.
A new example is the enviro nets, You can now buy one from jarvis walker for well under half the price. Same as crab pots in fact most items you can name.
Personally I have no objection if the original item has been charging rip off prices!
But overall it's not good ethics.

Regards, Tony

[Beersy]

G'day Tony, I think it's usually the distributors who make a killing on these things. Usually the manufacturer is doing whatever he can to keep costs low. In the case of the Raiders the company moved the manufacturing offshore in an effort to keep his costs acceptable. Didn't stop the distributor continually jacking up the price, did it? The current low prices are a result of the market share battle between the original manufacture and Wilson's Surecatch ripoffs. I wouldn't expect it to last more than 12 months but ya never know. I reckon there's a few companies out there that have yet to of ethics.....Wilson's are only one of 'em. cheers, Beersy

[dfox]

Its stupid how something as sucessful as raiders became so expensive, looks like pure greed may cost them, you'd stock both types then tony?...foxy

[agnes_jack]

Foxy
I guess I'll let my customers make the decision. If they demand the originals thats what I'll stock. I do know from experience that more people buy on price than on loyalty, thats for sure, provided they do the same job :-/

Regards, Tony :-/

[setthehook]

Well i suspected it to be a rip off deal, Not to mention i noticed poorer quality hooks etc on the copies too! I will not spend a single cent on the copies!! Beersy will the raiders be still getting produced?
Cheers Rob.

[agnes_jack]

Set
The raiders will still be produced, although they may not be as easy to find as the new distributer has a lot less outlets than wilsons, where before they were distributed to nearly all tackle shops. :-/
I have just organized to continue with the original raiders!!
Regards, Tony

[Heath]

Well i suspected it to be a rip off deal, Not to mention i noticed poorer quality hooks etc on the copies too! I will not spend a single cent on the copies!! Beersy will the raiders be still getting produced?
Cheers Rob.

You're doing yourself a disservice if you use the original hooks on most slugs.

I change all mine to VMC.

[flattymattyb]

Hi all,

It is about time someone did somthing to bring the price of slugs down I say. I have a background in the manufacturing industry and if a packaged 20grm raider costs the manufacturer more than $1.50 at the most it would be more like $1.00 or less per unit he wouldn't be doing it so somewhere between us and the manufacturer there's a lot of money being made. How many tackle shop owners you see driving BMW's Tony? I don't think so. So that can only leave the distributor, the same distributor that has control of the new "cheaper" ripoffs. What hope do we have. Gunna have to check out some of these mackmauler slugs who's the blood sucking distributor of them ;D ;D ;D

Cheers
Matty