Vendor Rant Options

[Bulldog9]

I've spent a lot of $$ the last 3 years..... I try to use P car specific vendors, and like most of you have had good and bad experiences, most, especially 914 have been outstanding. I will say though that some need to get their crap in gear. This Monday I ordered 2 parts. 1 from Summit, 1 from Pelican. Standard shipping, nothing special. I receive the part from Summit on Tuesday afternoon and as of 6 pm nothing from Pelican.

This has happened many times from Pelican and though I value their contribution, 50% of the time I order and PAY only to find there is a delay, and it always takes 5-8 days to get the part. Frankly, that's why I dont/wont use them for parts unless necessary. It is unfortunate because they provide such a valuable resource for us.

Why do I only find out the part is delayed until after I pay? Many websites let you know when you order it it is not in stock. BLUF, this is the last time I will order from Pelican unless it is my only option. I understand that suppliers like CFR, Rebel, Original Customs, 914 Rubber etc. are builders and enthusiasts first and suppliers second, but their customer service turn around and response are outstanding..... Companies like Pelican and Summit present themselves as parts suppliers and IMO SUmit is rocking it..... FWIW, I wont order from Rock Auto anymore for the same reason.

rant over............

[whitetwinturbo]

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[somd914]

Had a heck of time with Pelican recently. I ordered Kendal 80-90W limited slip tranny oil for my 911, and with that I ordered an assortment of other parts. When I placed the order, the oil was advertised to be in stock, but for several days the order sat in a "in progress" state. After inquiring with them I was informed the oil was back ordered for three weeks and the remaining parts would be held until the oil came in unless I wanted to pay additional shipping charges. I convinced them to break the order up w/o additional shipping charges.

To make a long story short, the oil order became a several month saga with the back order date slipping and then with Pelican shipping the incorrect oil three times, each time with the excuse that the oil they shipped was stocked adjacent to the Kendal and they kept pulling the incorrect oil - twice it was Swepco 20-50 motor oil, the third time Kendal tranny oil w/o limited slip additive.

Fortunately customer service was on the ball and professional. I've made many orders with Pelican over the years w/o issues, but lately I've seen threads on the Bird and now this about related issues...

As for Rock Auto and Parts Geek, I despise their multiple warehouse system and having to pay multiple shipping charges if you place an order that contains parts from various warehouses., which always seems to be case for me. I've had excellent experiences with Summit.

[914Sixer]

You must remember that this the digital age. Most sellers DO NOT own any inventory. Inventory has MANY costs built into it. There was a time that people only sold what they had. Now you have to wait until the item is shipped to the seller so they can send it to you.

Have you been to FLAPS lately? They are fast approaching this way of doing business too!

[somd914]

You must remember that this the digital age. Most sellers DO NOT own any inventory. Inventory has MANY cost built into it. There was a time that people only sold what they had. Now you have to wait until the item is shipped to the seller so they can send it to you.

Have you been to FLAPS lately? They are fast approaching this way of doing business too!

I agree, but on the flip side for our DDs I use FLAPS more now than I did 5-10 years ago when I relied on internet sites as FLAPS seems to be able to get parts faster than buying from Rock Auto, Parts Geek, etc. And FLAPS don't charge shipping. Case in point, stuck caliper on my son's Miata, started calling around yesterday afternoon, none in stock anywhere in town, but we have one being transferred from another store w/o a charge and w/o us having to drive a few hours to get it.

I also can't think of another vendor who I deal with who holds an order due to a back ordered item or will charge additional shipping to break up an order that contains a back ordered item.

[02loftsmoor]

WOW I was just going to vent about Pelican , need the bits to reinstall my flywheel , they don't have the lock for the flywheel bolts, 20% markup and 8 weeks to pull it out of Germany .

[wndsnd]

Companies like Jegs and Summitt just seen to shine. They pack and ship 24/7 and their freight terms are free or cheap free. I order lots on Sunday Night and with Jegs and Summitt I have on Tuesday. Pelican orders are Thursday or Friday and thats if they have it.

I like Pelican though, they know our cars and generally ship quality OEM or aftermarket parts. However they kill you on freight on small orders, and shims and fasteners that could be put in an envelope and shipped USPS commonly are packed in boxes and shipped UPS.

Some day I will calculate what freight cost me on my restoration. I resist because it will infuriate me.

[Jason74914]

I'm not going to add any comments about Pelican, but I will say that both Summit Racing and JEGS have been awesome in my opinion. They literally ship out the part the same day you order. I've had parts from both show up the next day, with standard shipping.

[BeatNavy]

I generally like Pelican, but I have noticed they seem slower to ship recently. Last year or two I could normally work on the car on the weekend, order the parts I found I needed Sunday night, and reliably have them show up Friday that week for installation on the weekend. I seemed to repeat this cycle a fair amount. Now, it seems to be taking more like 8 to 10 days to get stuff that's pretty routine and should be stock. For those of us that really only work weekends that's killer on our schedule.

But all is not lost! They have job opening (Pelican is Hiring). Someone can join and make a difference.

[rhodyguy]

The good folks at pelican have 0 control over the parts not in stock and shipped by one of THEIR vendors.

[somd914]

The good folks at pelican have 0 control over the parts not in stock and shipped by one of THEIR vendors.

I concur, but have read several threads about the same experience I had, on-line inventory shows it's in stock, and only after placing the order and seeing it in limbo for days with no explanation is not acceptable. I've had this happen twice - I had to initiate the discussion to find out the item was back ordered.

However, despite this I support Pelican given their parts selection, their knowledge of our cars, their forum, their tech articles, and the few times I have had issues customer service did a great job.

[carr914]

I think the Issue with Pelican vs Summit/Jegs is that Pelican Stocks a small percentage of Part and they haven't figured out how to ship. Having one location and having all their Sales personnel (many work from home) in California, they lose out on the Eastern US morning hours.

Summit & Jegs statistically stock parts that are very big sellers and they have a good Drop Ship program. Free Shipping on orders over $100 even if it is Huge. When they have Sales/Coupon Codes they often make mistakes that you can really take advantage of. Don't like a part, call them and they send you a Return Label! They have multiple Warehouse Locations, so when you order something, the order goes out of the nearest regional warehouse and you get it quick. They get Huge Discounts from Suppliers & Shipping companies!

[carr914]

The good folks at pelican have 0 control over the parts not in stock and shipped by one of THEIR vendors.

They have some Control as they dictate how things ship. And they screw it up.

I bought a Part and they get it from another Parts House (Automotion/Eklers) which is on the East Coast of Florida. What did Pelican do? The Part shipped from Melbourne FL to Pelican in California and then to me in Tampa, FL. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/screwy.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/headbang.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)

[rhodyguy]

They should hire an early riser, 4am almost daily, that lives in a state other than California.

[struckn]

Agree to a degree. I think it's more a matter of Supply and Demand especially when talking about 40 year old 914's, that are few compaired to say Mustangs. To stock new parts that may not move off the shelves for months, or years is futile.

I did have this situation occur with Pelican and after placing the order and finding out the lead time I cancelled it. As an alternative I went to dc Automotive, one of the Recycling facilities advertised in Panorama. He says he is the largest indoor warehouse for Porsche parts in the USA. I called them, they checked inventory called me back and gave me a great price, shipped in a couple days. Told me they have several 914's in inventory to pull parts from.

[Amphicar770]

I order a lot from PP, usually with no problems.

My pet peeve with all vendors is what wndsnd mentioned. I was going to order two shift bushings from JWEST but not at $8 for shipping what could be placed in an envelope.

Being on the East Coast, if I need something quick I generally order from AA or even Jim Ellis. I know there is a lot of hostility toward AA but my own experience has generally been that they have what I need, deliver it quickly, and resolve any issues when something goes amiss.

If they happen to have what you need, Amazon Prime, Summit, JEGS, and even RockAuto are often next day.

[rhodyguy]

Don't be so cheap. You're choking on $8 for a quality part that works? I paid far more than that for 2 roll pins and 2 of the cover plate gaskets for the rear of a side shifter. Shipped in a box that would have fit a IDF carb. Then the 'handling' charge on top of the 'actual' shipping was WAY over the top. Total shipping that cost about 4x the part costs. Those parts were over priced as well.

[r_towle]

Most mainline autoparts houses use WorldPac as the distributor and the east coast warehouse is in NJ.
It's all drop shipped now.
We use Amazon prime a lot cause it's free shipping and we can watch lots of TV shows on Roku for free.


I needed a part for my truck and the local guys wanted 4 times what I got it from from Amazon and it was here the next day, never left the couch.

[mepstein]

We are lucky to be able to order from worldpac. They have multiple warehouses all over the country and deliver to our shop 3 times a day. I often get orders a couple hours after I order or at 8am if I order the night before. No shipping charge either. They don't have everything but they are my first go to.

[ConeDodger]

I've spent a lot of $$ the last 3 years..... I try to use P car specific vendors, and like most of you have had good and bad experiences, most, especially 914 have been outstanding. I will say though that some need to get their crap in gear. This Monday I ordered 2 parts. 1 from Summit, 1 from Pelican. Standard shipping, nothing special. I receive the part from Summit on Tuesday afternoon and as of 6 pm nothing from Pelican.

This has happened many times from Pelican and though I value their contribution, 50% of the time I order and PAY only to find there is a delay, and it always takes 5-8 days to get the part. Frankly, that's why I dont/wont use them for parts unless necessary. It is unfortunate because they provide such a valuable resource for us.

Why do I only find out the part is delayed until after I pay? Many websites let you know when you order it it is not in stock. BLUF, this is the last time I will order from Pelican unless it is my only option. I understand that suppliers like CFR, Rebel, Original Customs, 914 Rubber etc. are builders and enthusiasts first and suppliers second, but their customer service turn around and response are outstanding..... Companies like Pelican and Summit present themselves as parts suppliers and IMO SUmit is rocking it..... FWIW, I wont order from Rock Auto anymore for the same reason.

rant over............

Original Customs is almost exclusively a builder only. He has had group buys for parts he's designed, but Mark has almost a years worth of projects at his shop right now.

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