Dave P wrote:
Thanks Guys,
Simon K; can I ask if it was that much hassle why did you go to them? Was it cost or just that they had the parts you needed?
Thanks
They're the only ones who do the parts I needed - I did some reading on the mk1 (UK) forum first and people were saying the same thing, excellent quality, but let's just say that service isn't what the current internet ordering age has trained us to expect. We want to click a button and have stuff delivered the next day - they don't work like that. Doreen says she has literally thousands of emails to wade through and prioritises emails from people she's expecting to hear from - meaning people who have spoken to her in person or over the phone, or maybe regular wholesale customers.
I was wrong yesterday, I didn't phone them initially, I emailed a parts list and then followed up with a phone call the next day. Doreen was able to find my email as soon as I said my name, so she must have some kind of system, even if it's just an email inbox sorted by name. I received everything I ordered, excellent quality and perfect condition. I'm not sure if my regular phone calls sped up the process at all, but I remained polite and appreciative which shouldn't have done any harm. I think some of my stuff was made to order as well.
That said, I rang and emailed about 2 weeks ago looking for a freight quote on another $1000+ worth and haven't heard from her. I'm not worried, once I've done my tax return for last year and know if I can afford it I'll ring and order, I'll wait however long it takes and I'll be happy when it gets here... I need a whole assembled floor pan for a traveller which will need to be made to order so if it takes till Christmas then so be it.
People might get uppity and say "well if they want my business then they've gotta do better, this is 2020 not 1950" - I don't think it concerns them, they seem to be doing fine. They could streamline their business by putting in an internet ordering system that automates the jobs sent to their pressing room, creates shipping pick lists and all the rest of it and Doreen could put her feet up instead of answering the phone all day, but maybe she's happy the way it is...
With your door skins, don't expect m-machine's shipping to be any cheaper than from anywhere else, they all use fedex/DHL etc. Shipping from UK is just f*cking expensive and that's all there is to it... It's only economical to buy from UK when you're spending a lot. The Australian based retailers do charge a fair markup, but some of it is justifiable. Maybe the $275 minisport AU is asking for a door skin isn't too bad - they buy it, freight it, pay GST and customs duty, stock it and pay wages... is that worth $130-odd? dunno...
Sorry for the long story...
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