Policy on Profiteering from Community Bike Shops
I am curious if any of you have had problems with folks using community bike shops to run their own repair business? We currently have some folks who are abusing the privilege of purchasing parts with sweat equity volunteer time and then selling those parts to folks outside the shop. How does your shop police that?
Allen Kirkwood
Yes, we have a policy that people can only take parts related to actual bikes they are building up as part of membership or in our Earn a Bike program (usually ~ 2 bikes/year). We restrict the actual selling of parts without relation to a bike or frame, usually limiting this to familiar faces.
If we notice people taking parts, we track it as part of a trend and address it on a 1:1 basis.
On Mon, Mar 25, 2013 at 10:51 AM, Edward Kirkwood kirkwoodea@yahoo.comwrote:
I am curious if any of you have had problems with folks using community bike shops to run their own repair business? We currently have some folks who are abusing the privilege of purchasing parts with sweat equity volunteer time and then selling those parts to folks outside the shop. How does your shop police that?
Allen Kirkwood
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At MoBo, our policy has always been that folks can only take parts for projects they are currently working on in the shop. So no parts leave the shop until they've been installed on a bike. This seems to have worked well for us over the years.
Policies are important for ensuring fairness and transparency, but remember that it will often take some honest conversation to make sure people are aware of the policy and the underlying goals. People can develop bad habits pretty easily, but addressing the situation openly can often bring them back into the fold.
Dugan Meyer MoBo Bicycle Co-op
On Mon, Mar 25, 2013 at 10:57 AM, Leslie Peteya lesliepeteya@gmail.comwrote:
Yes, we have a policy that people can only take parts related to actual bikes they are building up as part of membership or in our Earn a Bike program (usually ~ 2 bikes/year). We restrict the actual selling of parts without relation to a bike or frame, usually limiting this to familiar faces.
If we notice people taking parts, we track it as part of a trend and address it on a 1:1 basis.
On Mon, Mar 25, 2013 at 10:51 AM, Edward Kirkwood kirkwoodea@yahoo.comwrote:
I am curious if any of you have had problems with folks using community bike shops to run their own repair business? We currently have some folks who are abusing the privilege of purchasing parts with sweat equity volunteer time and then selling those parts to folks outside the shop. How does your shop police that?
Allen Kirkwood
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Bikerowave has banned the practice but doesn't have any established means of enforcement. Folks are told that it is banned told how it hurts the shop and community and hopefully feel guilty enough not to do it.
Enzo Loconte Board Secretary Bikerowave
On Mar 25, 2013, at 7:51 AM, Edward Kirkwood kirkwoodea@yahoo.com wrote:
I am curious if any of you have had problems with folks using community bike shops to run their own repair business? We currently have some folks who are abusing the privilege of purchasing parts with sweat equity volunteer time and then selling those parts to folks outside the shop. How does your shop police that?
Allen Kirkwood _______________________________________________ Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave@bikecollectives.org To manage your subscription, plase visit: http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o...
The bikerowave policy I mentioned is for volunteer-members. For guests we have a policy that parts need to go on bikes, kinda loose on that policy.
Enzo Loconte Board Secretary Bikerowave
On Mar 25, 2013, at 8:15 AM, Dugan Meyer dugan.meyer@gmail.com wrote:
At MoBo, our policy has always been that folks can only take parts for projects they are currently working on in the shop. So no parts leave the shop until they've been installed on a bike. This seems to have worked well for us over the years.
Policies are important for ensuring fairness and transparency, but remember that it will often take some honest conversation to make sure people are aware of the policy and the underlying goals. People can develop bad habits pretty easily, but addressing the situation openly can often bring them back into the fold.
Dugan Meyer MoBo Bicycle Co-op
On Mon, Mar 25, 2013 at 10:57 AM, Leslie Peteya lesliepeteya@gmail.com wrote:
Yes, we have a policy that people can only take parts related to actual bikes they are building up as part of membership or in our Earn a Bike program (usually ~ 2 bikes/year). We restrict the actual selling of parts without relation to a bike or frame, usually limiting this to familiar faces.
If we notice people taking parts, we track it as part of a trend and address it on a 1:1 basis.
On Mon, Mar 25, 2013 at 10:51 AM, Edward Kirkwood kirkwoodea@yahoo.com wrote:
I am curious if any of you have had problems with folks using community bike shops to run their own repair business? We currently have some folks who are abusing the privilege of purchasing parts with sweat equity volunteer time and then selling those parts to folks outside the shop. How does your shop police that?
Allen Kirkwood
Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave@bikecollectives.org To manage your subscription, plase visit: http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o...
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participants (4)
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Dugan Meyer -
Edward Kirkwood -
Leslie Peteya -
wormsign＠gmail.com