Have shops ever considered following the bigger retailers and offering "interest free credit" I have bought furniture like this and is a easy way to purchase bigger ticket items and as long as you meet the repayment criteria - a cost effective one.
As I would love to get the latest board and sail but don't have that cash around handy ( mortgage, kids, all the other fun stuff) I think a lot of people may consider this option. I do recall reading in one of the OS mags that some shops already do it...
Wadda ya reckon???
To offer "Interest Free" the interest is built into the cost of the item. I would prefer to get the item cheaper and pay the money upfront! At least that way I know I can afford it.
There is no such thing as a free lunch.
JB
More options are good but I guess it would cost the retailer to do this unless companies like GE Money offer this service for free in return for business.
Yes there is no such thing as a free lunch. The interest rates on the loans once over the interest free times are crippling plus there are monthly fees.
They could get on-board with EZI-PAY(certegy), not sure what the costs are but for the consumer you make weekly or monthly payment and after 12 months it is yours. No Interest ever...But I'm sure they add their fees and charges, But unlike the interest free deals you won't get slugged at the end if your slack and don't pay it off. You would think it would be worth it for the retailers as they would move more kit and put the sport in reach of more beginers. I've used it to by a new MTB each year for for the past 3 years and you don't miss the small payments. A lot of sporting equipment retailers use it, I'm sure they'd welcome aboard the windsurfing retailers as well.
Interest free is not really interest free, for example I just bought dinning table and 8 leather dinning chairs ..... Interest free option cost 4k, but cash price .... 3.2k why ? How? The ticket Price effectively factors in interest and credit charges, pay cash and you get it for less. Once retailers start to factor these things in so that people that can't afford it in the first place can buy one now and pay for it forever.... The RRP across the board go up for everyone.....
Bad idea .... If you want one save up and get one next year.
Hmmm, imagine paying a 30 day account for your entire year's supply of NP gear knowing that you're only going to get the money for the gear from your customers in 12-months time :-/
But I guess not everyone would do it, only some? Could be cool.
I raised this on an earliuer thread thread that raises the costs of gear in australia.
I actually enquired with some creditors and a local shop about this and apparently there are administative overheads for this type of arrangements.
This is what is called a trade finance arrangement. The seller accepts a prenegotiated payment for the board from the credit company at a discount whilst you are still liable the entire finance amount to the creditor.
eg recievables finance scenario:
You agree to purchase a board on credit, the seller arranges the credit though finance company so that he can maintain his cashflow and liquidity. The seller gets paid a discounted amount i.e %80 of the value of the creit contract for getting the money up front from the credit company, however you still owe the credit company %100 of the transaction amount, and thats why they do interest free. They alredy make the margin for the credit off the seller. Now a smaller company cant afford to do this so credit companies will not affer their customers interest free. Its just not feasable in a micro economy of windsurfing sales.
Sorry did my homework on this one.
OR.....if you know you are gonna buy from the same shop over and over set up an automatic payment that just carries on...so that when the new gear time arrives you will be in credit at the local windsurf shop.....you may also probably get a better deal if you order and pay for it before it arrives ....works for me !!! 
