Archive for May 2012

Annual Forecast and Feng Shui Remedies for 2008 - Yang Brown Earth Rat Year - Rabbit Sign

If you were born in the Year of Rabbit or Hare or Cat (1903, 1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999) as per Chinese Astrology Horoscopes, know your Destiny in 2008 in your Career/Business, Health, Wealth, Harmony, Love and Studies. Be aware of your strengths and be warned of the negative energies that you may have to face, to plan your strategies well ahead. Get to know the Feng Shui Enhancers and Cures that can help you, too.

Annual Forecast & Feng Shui Remedies for 2007 : Year of Yin Red Fire Pig - Rabbit Sign (Chinese Zodiac)

Cycle Trader

The Chinese Zodiac Astrology is ancient, interesting, accurate and loved by millions across the world. The Chinese Zodiac is based on cyclic concept of time : a cycle of 12 years, repeated again and again. The 12 Years are associated with 12 Celestial Animals : Rat (or Mouse on Mongoose), Ox (or Buffalo or Bull or Cow), Tiger, Rabbit (or Hare or Cat), Dragon, Snake (or Serpent), Horse, Goat (or Sheep or Ram), Monkey, Rooster (or Hen or Cock or Chicken or Phoenix), Dog and Pig (or Boar or Hog). The animal names occasionally differ with the Oriental Country they originate. The Chinese Yearly Horoscopes are basically built around these 12 Animal Signs.

Annual Forecast and Feng Shui Remedies for 2008 - Yang Brown Earth Rat Year - Rabbit Sign

Your Chinese Astrological Zodiac Animal Sign is directly based on the Chinese Lunar Year of Birth that you were born. The Chinese New Year is mobile and could start anywhere between 21st January and 20th February, depending upon the year. If your Date of Birth falls into any of the following Chinese Lunar Years, then, because you are born in the Year of the Rabbit (or Hare or Cat), you are symbolically identified by your Celestial Animal, the "Rabbit (or Hare or Cat)" :

From 29 Jan 1903 to 15 Feb 1904

From 14 Feb 1915 to 2 Feb 1916

From 02 Feb 1927 to 22 Jan 1928

From 19 Feb 1939 to 07 Feb 1940

From 06 Feb 1951 to 26 Jan 1952

From 25 Jan 1963 to 12 Feb 1964

From 11 Feb 1975 to 30 Jan 1976

From 29 Jan 1987 to 16 Feb 1988

From 16 Feb 1999 to 04 Feb 2000

In Chinese Hsia Calender, 2008 is the 4705th year and significantly, is also the fifth year of the New Feng Shui Land Luck Cyclic Period 8. The forthcoming new Chinese Lunar Year is from 7th February 2008 to 25th February 2009. The next Chinese New Year, Ji Chow, the Yin Brown Earth Ox will begin on 26th January 2009.

Enjoy the Annual Forecasts and learn about the suggested Feng Shui & Crystal Remedies that you may need for the coming "New Lunar Year 2008 : Wu Zi, Year of Yang Brown Earth Rat" :

CAREER

An year of excellent growth in career, opportunities to learn new skills and budding of new friendly contacts. Blessings and timely guidance from the elderly mentors of opposite sex will help you gain more success. Your popularity is in an all time high and the rapport with your circle pays off handsomely. Your hard groundwork of the previous years bears fruit this year and your every extra effort fetches you proportional reward. Your efforts are not only recognized but you also get to enjoy more autonomy and power. Both the employed as well as the self-employed enjoy equal luck. Team spirit and partnership will take you to dizzying heights. However don't allow success to get into your head. When in doubt, check it out yourself, rather than depend on others. There will be more hurdles in your professional path this year. The blocks will be quite sudden. Your concentration is much lower and the attention you give to details is much lesser. Do not make impulsive decisions but take some time to think over. Don't gossip and ignore rumors about you. Office politics is waiting to gobble you and you will be betrayed more than once this year. Handle the office crisis calmly and rationally. Some of you will be drawn to the court because of professional envy. To minimize all the above negativity, the employed might install the exclusive Sacred Geometry Yantra focused on solving problems related to career and office politics while the self-employed should install the special Sacred Geometry Yantra for solving problems pertaining to business and internal politics, along with an Evil Eye Beads Hanging.

Important : Your Celestial Animal Rabbit is on a "torturing penalty" formation with the Year TaiSui of 2008 (Grand Duke Jupiter). Whether you are a salaried worker or self-employed, you need to not only avoid the wrath but also pacify and get the blessings of the Tai Sui, to avoid permanent damages. For this display the genuine, energized photographs of "Ying Ban, the 2008 TaiSui" and the "Protection Talisman for 2008" in the North and carry their miniature versions in your pocket or purse. Avoid attending cremation rituals or burial ceremonies this year. When traveling, try and avoid going straight towards the North direction as it is the direction of the Grand Duke Jupiter in 2008.

MONEY

Good money flow. Earlier investments will yield results. Unexpected financial transactions will result in surprising profits. Savings is a must. When going in for new investments, special care need to taken to safeguard against frauds. When signing agreements, go through the fine print first, to avoid disappointments later. Those born in 1951 and 1975 may get involved in lawsuits. Hang a Green Dragon Sword near your main entrance to minimize the possibility. Lending money to the dear and near will be equal to writing-off that much money. Some of you will face a peculiar situation where you may end up taking the responsibility of repaying the loan taken by somebody else. Windfall luck is quite high : share markets will fetch you handsome profits. But a moment of indecision or fickle mindedness will bring you crashing down with a heavy financial loss. Display a Double Phoenix Coin Tree and carry a set of 3 Batlock Coins with you. If you are a regular trader of the stock markets, carry a set of three Nanbu Windfall Luck Coins with you.

HEALTH

Adequate rest and regular exercises are needed. Try jogging. Many of you will suffer from headaches and migraines because of work stress. Some of you might attract negativity to their urinary system. Do not over indulge during the festival seasons. Be on guard against sexual diseases. Avoid consuming alcohol and cut down smoking. If you were born in 1939 or 1999, you may have to undergo surgery - if the need is confirmed, it is better that you install a Brass Five Elements Pagoda Tower before the operation. Pregnant mothers may have to cope up with post-natal depression. Place a set of 3 Sau Health Coins under the bed.

LOVE

Singles will keep falling in love many times over. Pause, select and decide on the right choice to go steady - not much chances for a good marriage this year. Married will be torn between the conventional need for harmony with the spouse and the passionate desire for flirtation. An unstable heart and welling emotions will breed illicit thinking. Your Penalty Formation with the Year TaiSui will sow evil thought seeds in your mind. Added to this will be gossips and rumors. Total control is needed to avert a permanent damage in the family. Display the statues of Male QuiYong on Dragon and Female QuiYong on Phoenix in the South West of your bedroom and place a set of three Harmony Coins under your bed, before the problem spins out of control.

STUDIES

Your analytical mind is outstanding this year. Apply your mind, not your heart to the matters in hand. Your charisma is great with plenty of Peach Blossom Luck. You should not allow the unstable relationships around you to influence you nor should you allow your romantic desires to distract you from the studies. If you do, you will get caught in gossips and sex scandals and your grades will slide down drastically. Those born in 1987 may get cheated and should guard against unexpected pregnancy. Control your emotions and dedicate your energy solely to your education. Install the Dragon Head Turtle carrying Pagoda Tower in the North East to instill motivation and concentration in you. You might also want to carry a set of 3 QuiYong Coins with you, to discipline your thoughts.

Compatible Sign for 2008 : Goat

Auspicious Direction for 2008 : South West

Auspicious Colour for 2008 : Grayish White

Auspicious Number for 2008 : 8

Wealth Gods to pray in 2008 : Tai Yin Niang Niang, Zi Wei Da Di

NOTE ABOUT REMEDIES : The above analysis has suggested some remedies/cures for reducing the impact of negative energy and has recommended certain enhancers for increasing and improving upon the beneficial energy of the year. For the remedies/enhancers to be effective, they should be cleansed, energised, blessed and programmed not only for the particular individual/family but also for the specific purpose/problem. They should also be placed in the indicated location, to derive the maximum benefit. Any or all of these remedies can be reused for the forthcoming new years, but they may have to be repositioned according to the specific new year.

Annual Forecast and Feng Shui Remedies for 2008 - Yang Brown Earth Rat Year - Rabbit Sign

Posted in , , , | Leave a comment

Philippine Oil Deregulation - A Policy Research Analysis

I. INTRODUCTION

The Policy As An Output

Cycle Trader

Embodied in the Republic Act No. 8479, otherwise known as the "Downstream Oil Industry Deregulation Act of 1998," is the policy of the state that deregulates the oil industry to "foster a truly competitive market which can better achieve the social policy objectives of fair prices and adequate, continuous supply of environmentally-clean and high quality petroleum products" (Congress 1998).

Philippine Oil Deregulation - A Policy Research Analysis

With deregulation, government allows market competition. That means government does not interfere with the pricing, exportation, and importation of oil products, even the establishment of retail outlets, storage depots, ocean-receiving facilities, and refineries.

It has been a decade ago since lawmakers made a proposition that deregulation would secure the Philippines from the vulnerability of oil price shocks due to its heavily dependent on imported oil. But it is now increasingly apparent that many are calling to scrap the law as six out of ten Filipinos favor the repeal of RA 8479 (Somosierra 2008).

The Policy As A Process

When President Fidel Ramos started his administration in 1992, the country had already started feeling the effects of power supply deficiencies, with major areas already experiencing power interruptions. The power crisis caused a slowdown in the national economy for nearly three years and prodded the government to initiate major reforms in order to rehabilitate the energy sector (Viray 1998, p.461-90). In response to a power supply crisis, Ramos revived the plans to liberalize the oil industry that were cut short during the Aquino administration due to Gulf crisis.

The government's efforts to enact an oil deregulation law were also intensified in 1995 when the Oil Price Stabilization Fund (OPSF ) started to threaten the fiscal stability of the economy. Deregulation was thus seen as the solution to the recurring deficit.

The problem of the OPSF deficit was in part related to the highly political nature of oil prices, which encouraged government to defer price increases as much as possible in order to avoid public protest even at the expense of incurring a fiscal deficit. However, government mismanagement of the fund also included using it for non-oil purposes such as financing other government projects or the public sector deficit when it was in surplus (Pilapil 1996, p.12).

At the height of a strong lobbying effort for deregulation by oil companies and despite the loud opposition of militant groups, the industry was eventually deregulated in 1996 with the enactment of RA 8180 (the Downstream Oil Industry Deregulation Act of 1996) in Congress.

However, Supreme Court declared in 1997 the unconstitutionality of RA 8180. The Court decision stemmed from three provisions in the law that were deemed to inhibit free competition and therefore, violated the anti-trust mandate of the 1987 Constitution (Supreme Court 1997). But administration Congressmen quickly re-filed the oil deregulation bill leading to the new oil deregulation law. RA 8479 was then enacted to pave the way for the full deregulation of the oil industry. Since then, government has no longer control over the industry. What it can do is only monitoring.

Applicable Models

The policy model that best describes the policy process is Vig and Kraft 1984 model where policy stages/phases are characterized by five elements: 1) agenda setting, 2) policy formulation, 3) policy adoption, 4) policy implementation, and 5) policy monitoring.

On the other hand, the model that best describes the policy approach is Mixed Scanning because the Ramos administration resorted to rational planning process and incrementalized on liberalization plan of the Aquino government.

II. THE POLICY IN THE CONTEXT OF THE POLICY SYSTEM

The Policy Environment

Identified policy environment includes the regime characteristics of Ramos Administration, socio-economic structure in 1990's, and the prevailing international financial influence on the country's economy and politics.

The Policy Stakeholders

Identified as stakeholders in this policy are the Filipino people, the President, Legislators, Supreme Court, DOE, DOJ, DTI, NEDA, the oil companies, NGO/advocacy groups, and media.

The Interrelationships Between Policy Environment And Stakeholders

Despite a strong opposition coming directly from ordinary people, transport groups, and NGOs, the oil deregulation policy was still pushed through. It was formulated and instituted under the regime of President Ramos who, in his flagship program called the Philippines 2000, envisioned to make the country globally competitive by pursuing the thrusts of deregulation, market liberalization, and privatization. The media then exposed the fact that the biggest factor that influenced the formulation of the policy was the perceived eventual bankruptcy of the Oil Price Stabilization Fund, which had been originally established by President Ferdinand Marcos for the purpose of minimizing frequent price changes brought about by exchange adjustments and/or an increase in world market prices of crude oil and imported petroleum products.

Influenced by the International Monetary Fund, Ramos administration argued that there was a need to deregulate the industry because under a regulated environment, prices are not allowed to rise and fall with market levels. This means that when prices went up, government had to shell out money to subsidize the difference between the old and the new price.

According to the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), had the government opted not to deregulate, OPSF obligation would have ballooned to at least P8.3 billion in 1998. The P8.3 billion is equivalent to the construction of more than 4,500 kilometers of provincial roads, 51,000 deep wells of potable water, 25,000 school houses, or free rice for 20% of the poorest Filipinos (Bernales 1998)

The Supreme Court in 1998 ruled in favor of the constitutionality of the Downstream Oil Industry Deregulation Act of 1998. Since then, it has been the policy of the subsequent administrations to deregulate the industry. DOE, DTI, DENR, DOST are agencies mandated to serve as the monitoring-arm of the government.

Is The Policy Working?

The answer is obviously "No." IBON Foundation reported that the Oil Deregulation Law has further strengthened the monopoly of the big oil companies as automatic oil price hikes are allowed. Consequently, other oil companies took advantage of the policy, hiking pump prices of all petroleum products by around 535% since the Oil Deregulation Law was first implemented in April 1996 (Bicol Today 2007). The policy is also unable to solve or, at least, mitigate the effects of global oil crisis.

III. THINKING ALOUD

A. Repeating The Process

a.1 Problem Definition/Structuring

It has been recognized that the problem with oil is far from over as deregulation policy fails to meet its goal to foster a truly competitive market and reasonable oil prices. The current president herself, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, acknowledges the fact that the oil crisis is threatening to erode the very fiber of the Philippine society.

Unlike in 1998, the crisis today seems to be more irreparable as the United States is facing what many economists describe as the worst economic crisis in its history, triggering unstoppable skyrocketing of oil prices and prices of foodstuffs around the world. As already stated, the oil crisis is a global one and has to be addressed not only at the national level, but at the international level as well.

But why is the oil crisis a global crisis? Is it really beyond the government control?

The Philippines, like many other nations, buys the oil at the spot market. By "spot" is meant, that one buys the oil at a market only 24 to 48 hours before one takes physical (spot) delivery, as opposed to buying it 12 or more months in advance. In effect, the spot market inserted a financial middleman into the oil patch income stream.

Today, the oil price is largely set in the two futures markets: London-based International Petroleum Exchange (IPE) and the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX). Here, traders or investors buy or sell certain commodities like oil at a certain date in the future, at a specified price. Basically, traders invest in the futures market by buying futures contracts called "paper oil" or simply paper claim against oil. The very purpose of buying oil is not to wait for the actual delivery of the physical oil in the future, but to sell the paper oil to another trader at a higher price. That's how investors engage in widespread speculation; and it is becoming a viscous cycle. Almost all countries, including the Philippines, buy the oil at the spot market where the price is already at its peak.

In a year 2000 study, Executive Intelligence Review (EIR) showed that for every 570 "paper barrels of oil"-that is futures contracts covering 570 barrels-traded each year, there was only one underlying physical barrel of oil. The 570 paper oil contracts pull the price of the underlying barrel of oil, manipulating the oil price. If the speculators bet long-that the price will rise-the mountain of bets pulls up the underlying price (Valdes 2005).

This only disproves the popular assumption that oil price hike has something to do with the "law of supply and demand." In fact, as much as 60% of today's crude oil price is pure speculation driven by large trader banks and hedge funds. It has nothing to do with the convenient myths of Peak Oil. It has to do with control of oil and its price (Engdahl 2008).

In its recent statement, IBON Foundation cited a study conducted by the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, which revealed that 30 percent or more of the prevailing crude oil cost is driven only by speculation. IBON further cited that speculation adds about to a barrel of crude oil (Martinez 2008).

a.2 Developing Alternative

In the face of the alarming oil price hike that threatens the survival of ordinary Filipino people, a number of stakeholders call for alternative solutions: 1) amendment of the Oil Deregulation Law, 2) scrap/repeal the law, 3) removal of 12% vat on oil, 4) seek alternative sources of energy, and 5) engage in country-to-country oil agreement.

a.3 Options Analysis

1. Amendment of the Deregulation Law

As the public continues to hurt from surging oil prices, many policy makers call to re-examine the Downstream Oil Industry Deregulation Act of 1998. One of whom, is Ilocos Sur Rep. Eric Singson who has sought several amendments in the said law to ensure transparency in the pricing of oil products and encourage greater competition in the retail industry, which has been under the influence of giant oil companies. He cited the need to amend Sections 14 and 15 of RA 8479 to strengthen the powers of the Department of Energy (DOE) so it can effectively carry out its mandate to inform and protect the public from illicit practices in the oil industry and to provide more financial assistance for the establishment and operation of gasoline stations, which will encourage investment and fair competition (Malacanang 2005).

2. Scrap/Repeal the Oil Deregulation Law

To many, amending the law is not enough to rectify the skyrocketing prices of oil and oil-based products; they demand for the repeal, instead. A lawmaker from the Lower House, Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez filed House Bill 4262 aiming to repeal Republic Act No. 8479, arguing that instead of fostering a competitive market, the law has only strengthened the oil cartel in the country and brought the oil prices up. The bill also seeks to re-establish the Oil Price Stabilization Fund. He articulated that dominant oil companies still dictate the price because even new oil industry players get their supply from the giants (Sisante 2008).

Militant groups and other non-government organizations have staged rallies and strikes all over the country in opposition of the deregulation policy. Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), one of the country's prominent labor groups, contested that cartelization still exists amidst deregulation. In its recent statement, KMU articulated that with recent Dubai oil prices pegged at per barrel (as of 3rd week of September), local price of diesel is at P49/liter; while when Dubai crude was at /liter on Nov. 6, 2007, diesel in the Philippines was sold only at P37.95/liter, or P11.05/liter lower than the present rates (GMANews.TV 2008).

3. Removal of 12% VAT on oil

Senator Mar Roxas said that government must heed calls to remove the 12% value-added tax (VAT) on oil and oil products as prices continue to go up despite the lowering of oil prices in the world market. Roxas had filed Senate Bill No. 1962. However, in her eighth State of the Nation Address (SONA), President Arroyo, stated that it will be the poor who will suffer the most from the removal of VAT on oil and electricity as this will mean the loss of P80 billion in programs being funded by her tax reform (Arroyo 2008).

4. Alternative sources of energy.

While many have engaged themselves in the long-running debate about amendment vs. repeal of the law, a number of stakeholders argue that Philippine government must, instead, focus on alternative sources of energy to rectify the heavy dependence on imported oil. Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri, now considered "Father of the Philippine Biofuels Bill," has hyped biofuel as the miracle product which can lower oil prices. But more and more scientists are worried that focusing on biofuels could jeopardize food production.

The Philippine LaRouche Society, an increasingly emerging think tank organization in the country, says that biofuel advocacy is a losing proposition as it competes with food production for human consumption. The organization calls, instead, for the revival of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) as soon as possible to provide the population with a cheap, reliable, and continuous source of power to subsequently free the people from dependence on oil. The organization further articulates that since that will require huge financial requirements, the Philippine government must, therefore, declare a moratorium on foreign debt payments-since much of which are onerous and merely product of "bankers arithmetic" (Billington 2005).

5. Country-to-country oil agreement

The Philippine LaRouche Society has long been proposing to the government to initiate immediate steps to establish bilateral contract agreements with oil-producing countries of not less than 12 months' government scheduled deliveries at reasonable, fixed prices. Government can also enter into commodity-swap agreements with oil-producing countries.

As a member of the United Nations and other intergovernmental associations like APEC and WTO, the Philippine government should join the growing worldwide call for a fair and honest oil trading by de-listing oil as a commodity traded in the futures market.

a.4 Deciding the Best and Most Feasible Option

It must be known to all the Filipino people that oil deregulation, as a policy, has failed to foster a truly competitive market towards fair prices and adequate, continuous supply of environmentally-clean and high quality petroleum products. Proposed solution # 2 (scrap/repeal the Oil Deregulation Law) is therefore a better option. But repealing the Deregulation Law is not the ultimate answer to the rise in oil prices. Even if the law is repealed, the Philippines will still be subjected to the same factors-a rise in oil prices in the global market.

Proposed solution # 5 (country-to-country oil agreement) can address the issue of the oil crisis at the international level. How about the efforts to solve the crisis at the national level?

The Philippine government must revive the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant to provide the population with a cheap, reliable, and continuous source of power to subsequently free the people from dependence on oil. As proposed, government must direct enough funds, instead for debt servicing, towards the revival and upgrade of BNPP. Removal of the entire E-VAT, not only on oil, must also be taken into consideration to ease the pain of the Filipino people. By moratorium, government doesn't have to extract a pound of flesh out of every Filipino to have the means to fund its programs.

B. Why seemingly "better" options are not adopted? The Peculiarities of the Philippine Policy System

From the standpoint of the present administration, amending RA 8479 seems to be difficult to adopt because re-regulating the oil industry would mean subsidizing oil prices-something like OPSF. To many, this does not work in an era of rising crude prices because it would entail government resources. This is where debt moratorium comes in as an effective fiscal strategy. But moratorium, to many skeptics, is unwise because they fear the blackmail or retaliation of the multinational creditors. Our leaders must learn how then President Nestor Kirchner of Argentina defied the predatory financial institutions, averring that "There's life after the IMF."

On the other hand, many leaders deem country-to-country oil agreement impossible to implement as the giant oil companies have still strong influence on the policy-making process in the country. On the part of the oil companies, it will be a huge loss if government will assert its power to have a bilateral agreement with any of the oil-producing country. Also, many leaders consider the Philippines as a small nation with no voice in the international assembly. But it is a matter of having "big balls," to put it in a figurative language. After all, they are the leaders and are mandated by the Constitution to protect and promote the general welfare.

Another peculiarity of the Philippine policy system is the negative perception towards nuclear energy. BNPP has been stigmatized as being environmentally dangerous and as being associated with "corruption." The fact of the matter is, the technology has already evolved and been modernized. The Philippine government spent .3 billion to build BNPP without generating a kilowatt of electricity. It is high time to revisit the old strategy to finally free the country from dependence on imported oil.

It is worth mentioning that the International Atomic Energy Agency inspected the power plant in Bataan early this year and reported that this could be rehabilitated, in full compliance with high international safety environment standards, in at least five years at a cost of 0 million (Burgonio 2008). The Philippine LaRouche Society emphasizes the importance of declaring debt moratorium as a fiscal strategy to start the rehabilitation. The organization argues that the Philippines is servicing the debt over US billion per year, which is more than enough to start the full operation of BNPP (PLS 2008).

IV. INTEGRATION AND RECOMMENDATIONS: TOWARDS A BETTER PUBLIC POLICY SYSTEM

With the recognition that oil crisis is a global oil crisis, affecting the lives of all inhabitants of our planet, it is incumbent, therefore, upon the leadership of the Philippines to immediately take the following steps:

A) To immediately repeal the oil deregulation law, for the government to assert its sovereign power to have control over the oil industry and economy as a whole.

B) To propose at any international summit or assembly that oil, being a commodity, critical to the continuation of human life, be de-listed as a commodity traded in the futures market, thereby escaping the clutches of unscrupulous people and speculative financial institutions.

C) To initiate immediate steps to establish bilateral contract agreements with petroleum-producing countries of not less than 12 months' government scheduled deliveries at reasonable, fixed prices.

D) To design a comprehensive energy development program, such as nuclear power plant being the most cost-efficient source of energy to date, for the purpose of freeing our country from complete dependence on imported energy sources. To this end, moratorium on foreign debt must be taken into account as a paramount fiscal strategy.

The crisis, which we now face as a nation, requires understanding of the problems through diligent study and concomitant courage to do what is right for the benefit of the present and future Filipino generations.

Philippine Oil Deregulation - A Policy Research Analysis

Posted in , , , , | Leave a comment

Seized Motorcycles - Find A Cheap Motorcycle At an Auction

There are a lot of dealers across the country who can give you great deals on used motorcycles. But another option that you could do is go to a seized motorcycle auction event and bid for a motorcycle that you like.

Auctions are a great place to find cheap motorcycles. Armed with the right knowledge about motorcycles and the bidding process, dreaming of cruising the highway on your very own bike will not be that far off.

Motorcycle

Now, let's begin with the reasons why motorcycles in a seized motorcycle auction are offered so cheap. Most of the units sold in these kinds of auctions were repossessed or seized by the government from owners that were involved in illegal activities. Some of the units came from old stocks of the government agencies. Old police motorcycles and such are sometimes put up for bid especially if particular law agencies have decided to upgrade their motorcycle patrols.

Seized Motorcycles - Find A Cheap Motorcycle At an Auction

Another reason is that, since the government was able to get the motorcycles for free so they can actually sell them at really cheap prices. The government is also keen on cashing out on these motorcycles since storing them is much more expensive in the long run plus as the years go by the value of the bike will depreciate more and more. That's why the government often times hold seized motorcycle auction events and tries to get as much money as they could from the sale.

However, precisely because a seized motorcycle auction offers cheap units, you really need to be careful in joining any kinds of bids. You need to inspect the merchandise thoroughly first. Here your knowledge or expertise will help you determine if the motorcycle is worth the advertised value and how much the maximum bid for it should be. It is common in a seized motorcycle auction that bidding wars ensue because of emotions getting in the way.

Never ever join in a bidding war even if you like the bike so much. You don't want to end up paying more for a motorcycle than what its worth. When you go to a seized motorcycle auction you need to set a ceiling or a maximum bid for yourself and learn to stick with it. You're goal is to find a perfect motorcycle at the lowest price possible and not the opposite.

There are also some things that you need to watch out in a seized motorcycle auction. One of which are phrases that at first glance are not that important but later on proves to be crucial especially when filing claims of refund, warranty and misrepresentation of the merchandise.

The word "As Is" is a great defense for any claims. Most motorcycles in a seized motorcycle auction are sold "As is" with not as much as a 30 day warranty in any parts of the bike. Sellers also tend to exaggerate and promise a whole lot of things during the events. Without any written contract or agreement it is very hard to prove that they promised this and that when they were auctioning off the bike.

So in a seized motorcycle auction your instincts play a little bit when bidding on a product. If you feel that there's something wrong with the motorcycle or with what the seller is saying, it is best to avoid it and move on with the other bikes for sale. Be wise with your purchase.

Seized Motorcycles - Find A Cheap Motorcycle At an Auction

Posted in , , , | Leave a comment

Motorcycle Brands - The Top Three Most Known

Everybody who owns a bike has a favorite brand of choice. This brand of choice has created some memory in your head and has also created a backing in order to keep you coming back. When you choose the accessories for your bike there can often be many available brands that you may have never heard of. But, unless it's the only option available, a consumer is more likely to stick with a brand they know. This reason alone has provided a need to look at the top three most known motorcycle brands.

3. Yamaha
Yamaha is a motorcycle company that started out by making small yet highly impressive super bikes. This company is known without a picture needed because of the impact they made both off the road and off. Everybody who has ever owned a bike has run into either an actual or almost actual purchase of a Yamaha product. Yamaha is just one of many motorcycle brands that is not going to go away any time soon.

Motorcycle

2. Honda
Honda is a well-known multinational corporation that has been known as one of the best for quite a while. Honda is actually the world's biggest bike producer and has helped make many contributions to motorcycling as a whole. When an individual thinks of Honda, they know they are getting the backing of a company who prides themselves with good product. When you are talking about the most notable companies in the biking world, Honda is sure to come up.

Motorcycle Brands - The Top Three Most Known

3. Harley Davidson
There is no doubt that you had heard of Harley Davidson if you're a biker. Harley Davidson is an American company that is all about bikes and accessories. This "motorcycle goddess" is not only known for bikes and accessories, but there actually is a vast selection of available bikes that will keep any rider happy for months. Looking at Harley Davidson and not recognizing the logo is an impossibility. For this reason, Harley Davidson is the Virgin to the motorcycle world.

Motorcycle Brands - The Top Three Most Known

Posted in , | Leave a comment