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RE: my kingdom for a backorder (longish)

To: Triumphs <triumphs@autox.team.net>
Subject: RE: my kingdom for a backorder (longish)
From: Randall Young <ryoung@NAVCOMTECH.COM>
Date: Wed, 24 Oct 2001 14:17:09 -0700
Jim :

Yes, TRF has been having a pretty severe cash-flow problem for several years
now.  I don't have it handy, but Charles Runyan (owner, CEO and probably
chief bottle washer of TRF) printed a letter to that effect in one of his
past catalogs or newsletters.  The underlying cause was apparently a
combination of an accounting SNAFU, and Charles siphoning off funds to spend
on the Coventry Inn.  The Coventry Inn drain has been plugged, the
accountant has been fired, and hopefully TRF is slowly finding it's way back
to financial health.  They are currently in the most unenviable position of
having a large inventory of obscure and unpopular Triumph items, but being
out of stock on many of the most popular items, and short of cash to
replenish the stocks.  They do receive shipments all the time, most of my
backorders have been filled reasonably promptly.  (In fact, I've had
"non-backordered" items from other vendors take longer than some of my
"backorders" from TRF.)

I sincerely hope that TRF "makes it", so they are still receiving most of my
business.  I fear being left to the tender mercies of Moss, I think it's
clear they are in business to make money.  With effectively no competition,
they're free to charge whatever they want.  Yes, there are lots of good,
smaller suppliers around, and I don't mean to be knocking any of them.  But
in general, they just can't afford to be reproducing NLA parts.

Also, I feel TRF has done a lot over the years to help all Triumph
enthusiasts, both by directly having NLA parts reproduced and indirectly by
showing other vendors that there was a market for them.  Overall parts
availability (especially accurate reproductions) is much better now than it
was 20 years ago, and TRF has had a large hand in that.

I will also suggest, from personal experience, that if you really have an
urgent need for a part, ask for John Swauger and explain your problem.  He
will do everything he can to help.

Randall

>
> Has TRF been experiencing a problem over the last year?
> Cash-flow problems?
> Disgruntled employees?  Flat tires on their delivery trucks?  Anything???
> Or are they now running a business model based on just-in-time (i.e. ASAP)
> delivery to themselves after an order has been placed?  It seems
> that for the
> last year (at least) almost every item I have requested is
> backordered.  You'd
> think that a parts warehouse would actually *have* some of the stuff they
> sell.  I'm running well under 10% success rate on finding items in stock.
> Is this a "feature" now of the entire LBC parts industry?

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