Ishibashi stops U-Box

[Roger]

Hi,
I saw this announcement this morning at Ishibashi's web-site ...

DEAR OUR OVERSEAS CUSTOMERS,

OUR INTERNATIONAL SALES DEPARTMENT IS NOW PLANNING TO SELL OUR USED AND SOME BRAND NEW ITEMS TO OVERSEAS CUSTOMERS MAINLY THROUGH E-BAY FROM FEBRUARY 2010.
http://myworld.ebay.com/ishibashiwebshop

FOR THIS REASON, WE WOULD ONCE STOP ACCEPTING ORDERS FROM OUR U-BOX WEB SITE AS WELL AS BRAND NEW ITEMS WHICH YOU USUALLY SEND INQURIES THROUGH OUR INQUIRY FORM AS OF JAN.25 (MON), AS WE NEED SOME TIME FOR PREPARATION IN REDESIGNING OUR ORDER-RECEIVING SYSTEM.

WE WOULD MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT WHEN WE WOULD START ACCEPTING ORDERS AGAIN FROM OUR U-BOX WEB SITE AS WELL AS OUR WEB SHOP INQUIRY FORM. WE APPRECIATE YOUR KIND PATIENCE AND UNDERSTANDING IN THIS REGARD.

BEST REGARDS,

Soichiro Takizawa
Senior Manager/Sales Department
Ishibashi Music Corporation

I think ebay isn't the best choice for us ...
Roger

[ingve]

I had noticed Ishibashi were recently starting to appear on eBay. Their shipping prices (and, to be honest, prices in general) are pretty steep.....

With all the competition on eBay offering more realistic shipping prices and overal lower prices for used guitars, I have to wonder how long Ishibashi can sustain their current prices before they either go under or realise they will have to become more competitive.