Hear hear John!
Its a well known fact that all suppliers everywhere make mistakes now and then.
But if it weren't for the suppliers we have now, Rimmers, TRF, Moss, VB,
Spitbits, etc our cars would be sitting up on blocks or else in the scrap yard.
I've had bad luck, or incorrect parts, or missing parts from everyone of the
suppliers I've dealt with and so far its everyone on the list above. That
doesn't stop me from ordering from them again if/when I need that next part.
If we don't support them we won't have cars to drive down the road (pun
intended and I know, not a very good one!).
For the most part I've been quite satisfied with the parts from all suppliers.
There are exceptions and I've learned which parts NOT to buy from which
supplier.
Further more I've learned to use the delete key any time I run across a bashing
thread that gets out of hand, which so far has been everyone of them.
Having as many suppliers as we do helps keeps the costs competive and the
supply of new parts flowing. I'm just now finding out what its like to try and
buy parts for a car that is NOT supported by any of the vendors. How many of
you have ever tried to buy a replacement bumper for a Mayflower? Probably just
one or two of you. Heck, I'd settle for a poorly chromed or a thinner metal
one considering my other option is NO bumper at all. Or I guess I could use an
old Chevy bumper like Andy's Mayflower came with. Not the best solution but
when there aren't any parts to buy you do what you have to do. (No that wasn't
Andy's solution, his came that way!).
I'm guilty of bashing the suppliers myself. But I hope that I've learned
something over the last couple of years and I plan on doing my best to keep my
mouth closed the next time I'm unhappy with something a vendor did or did not
send me. Mainly because the alternative is definitely so very much worse.....
So the next time you want to Bash a vendor, do so at your own risk. Because
your actions could cause untold problems for all of us down the road....
Just my $0.02
Johmac wrote>
>I was delighted to see Richard Sharp's recent response to an earlier post
>which presumably
>was critical of the service offered by Rimmers.
>My association with the firm is only as an entirely satisfied customer - but
>this thread
>of parts supplier 'bashing' seems to come up with all too much frequency. I
>find it hard
>to believe the list does not have subscribers (in 'lurk' mode) who work for
>parts
>suppliers themselves. Equally, I feel there are some listers who are very
>'close' to such
>individuals and who would relay to them the complaints that are periodically
>aired.
>Surely, the majority of listers are broadly happy with parts supply and I for
>one would be
>delighted to see these companies (whichever one is in for the bash of the
>week) to break
>cover and put their viewpoint. This can be done without any risk of breaking
>customer/supplier confidences and showing some teeth does no harm at all. The
>TRF saga of
>a few weeks ago, seemed to rumble on for ever and why no-one from TRF took the
>bull by the
>horns and responded seemed odd to say the least. Perhaps there was a response
>and I missed
>it?
>The bottom line would appear to be that the majority of us are glad these
>firms are there
>to support us. Sadly, there is a minority whose assessment of service supply
>rates from
>these marque dedicated specialists suggests they have an order fill
>expectation not too
>far removed from standing at a counter and asking for three Big Macs and
>double fries all
>round. The parts business for a current production car is a little more
>complex than that,
>while catering for vehicles that have been out of production for thirty years
>or more
>while still turning a profit and meeting current financial returns is even
>more demanding.
>The term, "Get Real" is not too misplaced. So, for the future, when someone
>starts
>slagging off Rimmers, TRF, Moss, VB or whoever - a reply from them to the list
>would have
>the refreshing charm of novelty and I would e delighted to see what it is.
>
>Jonmac
>
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