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............

[Darren C]

Having read this thread, I can sympathise with everyone’s experience.
The main issue I have is the modern world we now find ourselves in.
Vendors advertise and list parts they do not have, own or have no technical knowledge of.
Websites mostly don’t tell you if things are out of stock or back order. Very few flag up an out of stock at check out, others tell you by email several days later, not at all, or only when you’ve chased them as to why your part hasn’t arrived.
It seems to be common place now and I tend to email or phone first to ask the guy “have you got it, can you physically check (go find it in your store & and not rely upon a computer stock list) and is it damaged?
Even then I have the odd occasion when the part arrives wrong, broken or with bits missing.
Gone are the days of storekeepers that are knowledgeable in their wares.
Those following my Build-off Challenge thread will have read about a UK company who have specialised in only Porsche for over 30 years that still sent me Mercedes bearings and Beetle brake rotors that were supposed to be 914 stock. These were advertised on their Porsche website with the correct Porsche part number and 914 description as being available for $116USD each rotor. I paid in full and paid extra for a 3 day shipping service. After 4 months with no exchange parts, they point blank refused to replace the items with the correct 914 parts (unless I paid them a further $205 USD for them to buy from a different supplier to their normal supplier) and told me to go sell what they’d sent me on ebay to “get my money back”. The update is that after several lawyers letters we ended up in a UK courthouse for “Breach of Contract” under the UK “sales of goods act”. They didn’t bother to show at Court so the judge found in my favour. A County Court Judgement was issued and they had 14 days to refund my money for the Brake Rotors plus my legal fees.
Suffice to say they didn’t pay.
I then had to get a High Court Writ (enforcement order) against the company. This was issued and gave them 7 days to pay, otherwise High Court Sheriffs would call on them and recover money or goods.
Guess what….they ignored that too.
Anyway a week last Friday the Sheriffs called on them and recovered my money. Under UK law they also recovered my legal fees and added their labour charge on top!
What would have been a simple “sorry the parts are out of stock” right at the beginning of the saga ended up costing them over $2000 USD for a $230 USD sale.

Now to make matters worse, I get home from work today and open my mail. There is a letter from the County Court. Berlyn Services have gone and logged an appeal against the whole Court Judgement!!!!!
Now I have to take another day of work in 2 weeks time to go back to the Courthouse and fight the appeal…..
In the meantime I still have a very large paper weight in my office that is a box with 2 Beetle rotors in and still haven’t received a penny from the case as my refund is on hold pending the results of the appeal.

And you guy’s think you got it bad…..

All I wanted was the 914 parts I'd paid in good faith for :-(