RALPH JANNELLI wrote:
<snip>
> The biggest complaint I hear and have experienced myself is backorders. I
> think everybody would be much happier if TRF would be honest in handling
> backorders, if an item is only ordered from a supplier once a year say so,
> some of us will wait other will go elsewhere, but we won't be pissed off.
Seems to me that everyone is assuming that TRF _knows_ the parts won't
be available for a long time. I don't have any inside knowledge, but
... isn't it just possible that they don't know themselves when a
particular part will come in ? My impression is that many of the things
they sell are made by small firms, possibly even only one or two
people. That sort of thing is bound to happen when you search the world
over for the best source of a part no longer made by the original
manufacturer.
Tiny suppliers are simply flaky sometimes. Any little illness or
accident can knock them off-line. And, they usually don't rate too high
with their suppliers, so any problem further up the chain can also cause
them to be extremely late.
Frankly, TRF's backorder policy seems close to ideal to me. They tell
you when a part is going on backorder, and give you the option of
cancelling the order, or waiting however long you are willing to wait.
You get a price guarantee on the part, and usually free shipping. I
personally much prefer to have the control. Moss, OTOH, has cancelled
my backorder and almost the same day sent me a price list showing the
part in stock at a higher price.
I'd also like to point out that having multiple vendors is a big benefit
to us, the consumers. I'm convinced that without TRF, we would be (will
be) paying much higher prices for parts, when we can get them at all.
So, by all means, if you need a part now, and TRF says it is
backordered, but someone else really does have it in stock (as opposed
to just being willing to take your order for it), cancel the order at
TRF and go elsewhere for that part. But, at least give them some credit
for trying to find the part for you.
BTW, I would have to have to rely on the tender mercies of Rimmer Bros.
Their catalog doesn't even acknowledge that my car exists.
Randall
59 TR3A
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