A moment of ranting...

... about suppliers of Supra parts. Any one know of any suppliers of Supra parts who actually deliver the parts by when they say they will?

So far I have been fairly unimpressed with the delivery and timing aspects for parts that I have ordered for my Supra. I'm not going to go into naming them out as I have or will be having words with them offline. I understand that delays happen, sometimes parts have to be ordered in from external parties, etc... And I wouldn't mind so much if I knew about this delay, but usually it's a case of me waiting for the delivery on the expected day and then it doesn't arrive, and it's me on the phone chasing things. The thing that has annoyed me the most is the complete lack of feedback from suppliers, it's always me that's doing the chasing, finding out when I will get the parts, whether they have been shipped, when I expect to receive them etc. It would be nice if they would let me know in advance if there is a delay or a chance of a delay, rather than me finding out on the day when the delivery doesn't arrive.

Rant over. Thanks for reading.

Depends on what the problem is dude, sometimes suppliers dont always inform the trader etc. Also hard to chase sometimes depending on whether it's America or Japan that need to be spoken to. I know from experience that Larry at Sound Performance is impossible to get hold of, does the job once you get him though!

True, know what you mean by the exactly what the problem is. And I do understand that sometimes there are comms problems between supplier, trader, etc.

The problem comes in when I have needed the parts urgently, have explicitily stated this to the suplier and have been told that the parts are in stock and they should be with me by when I need them. And then it's a case of me chasing, hearing that the parts will be shipped on say Monday, come Tuesday nothing, call again to be told that they weren't shipped and will be shipped tomorrow and I don't ened up getting them by the latest date I needed them. It then messes up the whole schedule, I may have booked the car in for the work, which I then have to reschedule, or I may have set aside time or even taken time of work to install the parts, so hence the annoyance.

Sometimes it's a case of some of the parts are in stock, some need to be ordered in, which is fine, so in these cases I don't mind them being shipped separately and paying for shipping twice. Yet still delays and no feedback. By feedback, I'm not expecting a phone call everyday with the full status report, just a quick PM or email would be nice.

True, know what you mean by the exactly what the problem is. And I do understand that sometimes there are comms problems between supplier, trader, etc.

 

The problem comes in when I have needed the parts urgently, have explicitily stated this to the suplier and have been told that the parts are in stock and they should be with me by when I need them. And then it's a case of me chasing, hearing that the parts will be shipped on say Monday, come Tuesday nothing, call again to be told that they weren't shipped and will be shipped tomorrow and I don't ened up getting them by the latest date I needed them. It then messes up the whole schedule, I may have booked the car in for the work, which I then have to reschedule, or I may have set aside time or even taken time of work to install the parts, so hence the annoyance.

Sometimes it's a case of some of the parts are in stock, some need to be ordered in, which is fine, so in these cases I don't mind them being shipped separately and paying for shipping twice. Yet still delays and no feedback. By feedback, I'm not expecting a phone call everyday with the full status report, just a quick PM or email would be nice.

I totaly agree with you mate,I've spent months waiting for parts when i did my soop up.It sometime pays off to wait until you got the parts in your hand before booking the car in for work.However my part supplier clearly stated the time it would take for the parts to arrive,but still a PITA waiting around for bits.

Make sure you use the trader feedback system on this bbs to reflect your dissapointment. That's what it's there for...it's not there to just congratulate them when they get things right!

I totaly agree with you mate,I've spent months waiting for parts when i did my soop up.It sometime pays off to wait until you got the parts in your hand before booking the car in for work.However my part supplier clearly stated the time it would take for the parts to arrive,but still a PITA waiting around for bits.

Yeah, sometimes once must learn the hard way. I now have some parts sitting in my garage and waiting for a few other bits and pieces, only once they all arrive will I book my car in. As for suppliers quoting delivery times, I don't mind long lead times even months as long as it is made clear from the beginning, I am yet to receive any of the parts I have ordered on the day (and in most cases week) I was told I would receive them. My main issue rather than the delay is not knowing there is a delay.

I just got my licence back on Friday after a 4 month ban and so needed a few things for the Supe to arrive before the big day or even on the day would have been fine. I was really looking forward to a bit of driving this weekend. Tonight I am off to Africa on business for 2 weeks, so have to wait that extra bit longer...

Africa eh?Bring us back some sunshine please

Bon Voyage.

Well done on serving the time Irfan, that went quick.

I know what you mean. If i have to wait for items then so be it, but i would like to be told this to start with. Traders need to state that the items are out of stock and will be back in how ever many weeks. I sometimes have gone and paid a little more for an item just so i can get it quicker.

Africa eh?Bring us back some sunshine please

Bon Voyage.

Cheers! Will be chilling by the beaches of Lagos harbour!!

In fact may even get to experience the solar eclipse on Wednesday!

Well done on serving the time Irfan, that went quick.

 

I know what you mean. If i have to wait for items then so be it, but i would like to be told this to start with. Traders need to state that the items are out of stock and will be back in how ever many weeks. I sometimes have gone and paid a little more for an item just so i can get it quicker.

'That went quick' ... That's the first thing everyone says to me, if i had a penny for everytime I heard I'd have a nice pile of money to spend on goodies for the Supe. Just glad to have my independence back, it's funny how you take little things like going to the corner shop to pick up some milk and bread for granted... in a car it's a 5 minute job... no car and you're looking at around 30-45 mins!

I have / having very similar problems Irfan, in my case still waiting for a supplier to complete my order after close to 9 weeks.

I'm not into naming and shaming as I believe in my case it's my suppliers contact has let me and them down repeatedly, so not worth slagging my supplier off for their contacts failures.

Shaun.

I'll name and shame. I've been waiting since early November for my T67 DBB off Kean Wang from BoostLogic. I ordered it on the day they were announced, paid up front. So far it's been 6 weeks from order date, Then January, Then end of January, then February, then end of February, then March, It was supposed to be on a pallet going to Terry S, it was supposed to be with Terry the end of last week for absolute definite this time around. But it isn't. I think I've been patient enough, four months + when it was supposed to take six weeks.

Poor Terry has been the middle man with this, he's the guy who has to break the news to me every time as Kean won't reply to my email... The tale of woe about suppliers won't wash as he's been supplying US domestic customers with these turbos and yet I ordered mine on the day they were released - hmmm, why am I apparently so far down in the queue then? Why keep telling me it's going to come when it blatantly isn't?

He's been told end of March or I'll have my money back. The deadline is looming.

-Ian

You'll have your money back and still get the turbo i hope

Note to self, check status of Irfan's harness tomorrow

It never ceases to amaze me how businesses manage to survive whilst giving piss poor service. Is it down to complacency because they feel they have a captive audience? Is it because they may have other businesses and use the Supra sales as a sideline? Or is it because we sit back and allow it to happen?

I know something for sure. If I ran my printing business in this manner I would fold very quickly.

..., have explicitily stated this to the suplier and have been told that the parts are in stock and they should be with me by when I need them. ...

I really hate it when they lie like this.

Once I've had to ask the trader to go and physically grab my part and read out over the phone the numbers on it.

Yes he did pretend to be going through the motions, and NO the part didn't arrive next day, or even next week.

He was full of it and it cost me the inconvenience of an official dispute with the CC company involving me cancelling my credit card for good measure. (Not supra-related, but the UK motor trade is full of such specimens)

And I thought I had calmed down too, thanks for kicking me off again.

Not suppliers, but as CJ says, any business giving PP service.

Ordered a Taxi this evening to take me to the station.. Sooned I get the Exhaust sorted the better.

Time comes, no Taxi.. Call after 5 mins, says it's going to be another 5. No good I say, I'll miss my train. Which I has explained when I ordered the cab.

Oh well is the reply, no apology of anything.

I was soooo angry...

Only cab office in Billericay, so can't really avoid using them, but just to make my point, walked to the station in the rain...

Oh... grrrr

I just checked, it was 1st November, so that's coming up to five months now instead of 6 weeks. Useless.

-Ian

i agree with some of the things mentioned,

i enquired from a trader on her re a set of vielside wheels and i am still waiting for him to get back to me on them and its been 2 months maybe, unless that trader has something that i cannot get from anywhere else then they have lost my trade for good.

i am a pretty easy going guy and i dont care if it takes a while as long as i am well informed.

i understand the concept of delivery and if there is a few thousand miles of a difference then there is gonna be delays, but the person should be kept informed at all times

2 final things i want to say, its all good people complaining about delivery etc which i think they have a right, but they try doing it a bet its hard

and traders should follow a basic retail rule:-

"if you piss off one customer they will tell 10 potential customers about being pissed off, but if you satisfy one customer they will only tell 2 people"

but on here it is a captive audiance

i dont mind if something

I'm pretty easy going when it comes to delivery times. If something I've ordered is going to be later than expected I don't mind as long as I'm kept informed.

So far, so good.

I agree.

In any other business this would NOT be acceptable.

If I supplied a graphic to a client 1 day late i would be in major do-do!

As this is a "none essential service" any time will do which is wrong

Only person i have delt with without ANY delays and unforeseen circumstances was Nic.

I think we should name and shame, maybe then they'll pull their arses into gear!

I'm very laid back when it comes to things not turning up on time. I plan for it and frankly expect it. What I hate is people saying "it's on it's way" and "it'll be there next week" when they haven't fucking posted it at all, it's not a 'problem' it's 'lying'. Especially when it goes on for months...

Nic is brill Terry is good too. Phoenix do stuff on time, so does Les Bedford's body shop in Norwich. Dusty at MVP has delivered good service for being the other side of the world, delivering in a timely fashion.

-Ian

I think we should name and shame, maybe then they'll pull their arses into gear!

Only person i have delt with without ANY delays and unforeseen circumstances was Nic.

Thanks Ed and Ian

Being on the other side of the world, I know I'm never going to be the fastest service, but I do try to be the cheapest and give the best service I can. I try to be as realistic as possible with delivery schedules up front, most of the time my deliveries are there or there abouts I believe, there are occasions though that I have let customers down, usually due to unforeseen delays with getting the parts from Japan (ie. parts not in stock, so product needs to be manufactured to order), or with the postal service taking longer than anticipated. In such circumstances I'm up front and try to do as much as I can to recify the problem.

I've lived in the Far East for over 10 years, so know how difficult it can be at times dealing/communicating with suppliers here. It is very different to doing business in the West and you really need to have a lot of experience to know how things work.

One thing I am guilty of at times, is not being able to get back to customers as quickly as I would like to with answers, or keeping them sufficiently informed about deliveries. As a one man band, it can be difficult sometimes overseeing everything and things can get overlooked, all I can do in these situations is apologise and try to put things right.

The trader renewal and customer feedback (whether by pm or on a discussion such as this) is always useful, the smart companies will take note and try to improve things.