A Rant About Shipping

[SHG]

Without naming names, since some are vendors or potential vendors of this site, is it just me or does it bother anyone else that some parts sellers can't manage to get the parts to you within the promised or even a reasonable amount of time, but that doesn't stop them from charging you two to three times the shipping cost. And if you say something about it, they act like they are doing you a favor by selling the part to you and then making a few extra bucks on shipping, and you're lucky to get it at all! They may love you when they're taking the order, but they don't know you when you ask where the parts are.

I have this nice long weekend, all ready to do some work on my car, and not a part in sight. So what happened to all those parts that I was told would be here in "a few days?" Well, they're on the way, I'm now told. Be patient, I'm now told. They'll get there. And when they finally arrive, I find out it took them 3 days to get it out the door, I paid 3 times the cost of shipping, and they used the cheapest but most convenient method for them, which virtually guaranteed that I wouldn't get the parts in time.

So here I am, with a weekend all ready to work on the car, empty handed. But my card's been charged. So is it just me?

 

[Bugeye58]

Scott, I've been fighting this battle for what seems forever. I wish I had a good answer to the problem. I have refused to deal with those vendors that seem to be the worst offenders, when possible, but sometimes I have to bite the bullet and go there anyway.
I think the one that ticked me off the most was paying for "Next day air, Saturday delivery", and getting the parts the following <u>Tuesday</u>!
I wish I had a solution, but we seem to be at the vendors mercy. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cryin.gif
Jeff

 

[Keoke]

Well just so you two don't get cheered up, the delivery people are going to raise the rates about the first of the year.---Keoke- /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[Michael Oritt]

See this is where I disagree with Nigel's position (discussed last month) about our not posting of what some might call "negative commentary". I for one would like to know the names of the shipper(s)to whom you refer and would appreciate learning it via a private message.

To keep things positive, I have always had good "shipping experiences" with both Moss and Healey Surgeons and have received shipments when promised.

 

[SHG]

I've had good experiences with Moss and Healey Surgeons as well, but I attribute that to being on the east coast, and Moss has a warehouse in NJ and Healey Surgeons are on PA. So even UPS ground gets there in 2 days tops.

The problem, as I see it, is twofold: UPS ground, the favorite shipper. For less money, they could ship USPS Priority, but then the big truck doesn't show up at the end of every day. The second problem is that it doesn't get into the pipeline for a few days. But the charge goes through pretty quick. It's just the attitude that kills me. You talk to the sales rep and tell them I'm waiting for it. Some nice voice says, Oh, don't worry sir, it will be there. They leave off the "when pigs fly" part. And I'm still sitting here on my duff waiting to work on my car without parts.

 

[Bugeye58]

Michael, you have mail.
Jeff

 

[anthony7777]

hsg,simple salution,you live in "lonk eylant"right?just go over the white stone bridge and go to [sports and classics] in darien ct.youll get much better prices then 'moss' you can get anything you need,and ya wont pay shipping,heck ill meet ya for lunch,take ya over there, and hit ya up for some legal advice!besides youll get to meet virginia,right keoke? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yesnod.gif

 

[SHG]

Now that sounds like a much better plan, Anthony. Wish I had done that first.

 

[Keoke]

Watch out!! SHG if it sounds to good to be true it probably is.---Keoke--- /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/lol.gif

 

[Jerry]

I used to buy a lot from Sports and Classics. Then I found that he charged my credit card, then ordered the parts from England and I waited for 3-5 weeks for the parts. Nice guy but I don't think his system is fair.

Jerry

 

[Keoke]

Well Jerry, lets think about this a bit.For example, if you went in to a local supply house and wanted a part that had to be ordered generally they require you to pay for the part up front.However, the delay in obtaining it will be on the order of a few hours to lets say a day at most. I think the dealers are just making sure that they are not left hanging with items that have low sale rates or that they do not get paid for as the customer might find what he wants at another store and simply does not return to collect the previously ordered but unpaid for items. On the otherhand, I agree that card charges should only be made when the goods are on hand and shipped to the customer.---Keoke

 

[SHG]

It's one thing if Jerry was told up front, another if he wasn't. I think that's the same point. We're a somewhat special market. Would it kill them to play it straight with us? If they can't deliver it on time, then tell us. We don't have BSCs because we had nothing to do on Tuesday; we care about these cars, put a lot of time and energy into them and, let us not forget, support their existence.

One of the reasons I decided to start this rant is in the hope that some of the vendors would see this and appreciate that their buyers, us, don't like getting jerked around, not to mention gouged, on shipping. One of the vendors I bought from is an advertiser here of a specialty item. I made sure he knew that I saw him here, so he would know that his ads here were paying off. He charged a VERY big number for shipping, plus he didn't honor the price in USD for the item (he told me the ad had to be updated and the price increased! I told him that wasn't a good way to do business). I went for it anyway, but even with a shipping charge that should have been enough for him to personally come and bring it to my front door, I still don't have the item. WHY? Does this vendor really have that many people buying his wares that he can afford to be so cavalier about it?

I respect the fact that this is Basil's home, not mine, and I will be a good guest while here. But I would really like to name names in the hopes that people selling to us get the message that we notice what's going on, we support them and we want to be treated better.

 

[anthony7777]

jerry,i know that if parts had to be ordered from england or any place else john would have told you up front, thats how the transaction would go down!he may have taken for granted you knew that,for anyone to think one vender has everything you might need at any given moment is not realistic,lets face it these parts are not pulled out of ones- what ever,johns been in this business a very long time he knows exactly what bugs guys like us when it comes to obtaining what we need and has always been sensative to this,im sure there was a slight missunderstanding as to how the process in your particular transaction would accure,as for charging your card,ive never ever heard of him doing that without informing the customer,i suspect youd probably done business with him previously and he thought you knew how the process worked,ive never known him to be deceptive in any way.heck i bought and returned some stuff one day and he insisted on giving me the $0.08 differance,i personally know of instances when he got stiffed for the tune of several thousand dollars when not charging in advance.were would his protection be?go into the store on any given day and youll see parts that were ordered sitting on the counter for weeks months and even years waiting for someone to pick them up,i own my own business and i couldnt survive running it in this fashion [my wife would kill me befor i starved to death]i dont know the exact details of what happened in your case,my assumtions here are speculative of course,what ever happened i feel sorry for both of you,,but ive always found the folks at sports and classics to be curtious,forthright,knowledgable and helpfull.ive known john for thirty + years,he tries very hard to keep it together for everyone.anthony7777 1963 bj7 3000 M.K.II /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hammer.gif

 

[anthony7777]

shg,my friend keoke is a bit jealous, he cant just traverse the whitestone,needs an airplane,lives on "wrong" coast.what can ya do?to bad cause he probably needs a lot more legal advice than me! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/lol.gif

 

[Bruce Bowker]

[ QUOTE ]
...and Healey Surgeons are on PA.

[/ QUOTE ]

Not nitpicking here but they are in Maryland. Unless they ship out of PA?

Bruce

 

[Jerry]

Well, I would not say that I would never do business with him again. But he was not always clear about how long it took to get some parts. I will admit he gave good "free" advice.

To put it back on the positive, I discovered BritishPartsNorthwest.com and started ordering from them for most of the engine and brake parts. They are great to deal with and buy in quantity from England, sell at a good price. And more important, they are based in Oregan that does not have sales tax.

Overall, I would have to say that most vendors we can buy from do them best job they can, but the low volume of our business limits the labor they can throw at an order. The fact that we can buy replacement parts is nice, the alternative is rebuild everything which would price many of us out of the hobby car market.

Jerry

 

[Keoke]

HI SHG, do you know that the local US shippers put a surcharge on packages that cross between the US and Canadien border.??--But them great parts HUH---Keoke /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[SHG]

Not that big. And then, there's alternatives. But it wouldn't be as easy as waiting for the big brown truck to come. But hey, isn't my buying all about their convenience?

 

[Ed_K]

I also want to " rant " on this subject. I had the entire week of Thanksgiving off of work, with the idea that I would get a chance to work on my car. However, the part that I had ordered from a well known vendor in the UK did not arrive in the one week estimate that I was given. When two weeks had gone by without seeing the part, I emailed this vendor. This was the 1st part that I ordered from this vendor so I didn't know what to expect. You all use this vendor so perhaps I am not being patient enough. There was no extra charge for shipping so I guess I got what I paid for. I would be willing to pay more for shipping if that means I can predict when a shipment will arrive! ..... End of rant

 

[anthony7777]

jerry,im pleased to see that youve found an alternitive your happy with,in fact i might give the afor mentioned a try, they sound like a good deal,im 54 years young,and been bangin on these forsaken things since i was 16 years old,ya think ida lurned something by now!in that time ive seen about every slick trick in the book,[including the guy i bought my pres. healy from this past may]ive delt with most of todays venders,and maybe all those that no longer exist,it doesnt take long to discover the outfit that will promise the world and never deliver,the stuff we are after is rather specialised making thier procurement a torcherous task at times.believe me when i find a bum "i dont need no stinkin forum to beat my drum in",nah just kiddin basil,ya know i love this place!just remember the most powerful weapon we have as a consumer,is the ability to turn around and walk away! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif