Fed Up with Vendors

We could make a game of this and each try to put a vendor name to each episode.

Those are pretty typical for me, but at about 2X the normal rate. BTW, your Inglisch is gooder than most. I suspect you just need to lower your standards more.

Vendor 1- I order a small part with 3 day express and get it in 11 days
......... He did ship it express, but it took him the other 8 days to get from another vendor what he said he had "on the shelf". He never said it was HIS shelf.

Vendor 2- I order headers and tailpipes (second set) and the tailpipes don't fit
......... Ah, the old..."These are hand-made cars and nothing fits all cars the same" routine.

Vendor 3- I order 7 parts and 4 of 7 are missing or wrong.
.......... What were you thinking!!?? It is hard enough for ONE item to be processed correctly, and you ordered SEVEN at the same time??!!

Vendor 4- I email twice and phoned once for info on crate shipping dimensions. Response? Zero.
.......... Well doh... He is obviously busy trying to get the previous orders straightened out.

You think parts are a problem? Then don't ever think of leaving your car at a vendor for repairs.....

Larry (Read my avatar)

Will,

I slightly edited the title of your thread. Some of the vendors lurk here from time to time, I want them to see this thread. Your complaints are legitimate.

I appreciate you not naming names. The goal is not to impact anyone's business, the goal is to motivate them to improve.

My two cents on the issue, the vendors who I know pesonally are genuinely good people. The issue is business practices.

cowboy from hell

quote:

the vendors who I know personally are genuinely good people. The issue is business practices

True. Quite true.

But many of us only share a table and a drink with them once a year in Vegas.

The rest of the time it is business, and many are often seriously lacking in business skills.

Sort of makes it hard to be buddies in Vegas when you're treated poorly the rest of the time.

Larry

quote:

Originally posted by 4NHOTROD:
Does everyone have the same (bad) luck with vendors as me? In the last few weeks...
Vendor 1- I order a small part with 3 day express and get it in 11 days
Vendor 2- I order headers and tailpipes (second set) and the tailpipes don't fit
Vendor 3- I order 7 parts and 4 of 7 are missing or wrong.
Vendor 4- I email twice and phone once for info on crate shipping dimensions. Response? Zero
Maybe I'm no speak Inglish well?
Frustrated and Pissed off.
Will

For what it is worth, I have been buying Pantera parts for over 30 years now. How would you like to get nothing for your money as has been the case with me before? Some of the vendors that I had a major problem with are now long gone from the Pantera business because I was not the only one that got nothing for their money except excuses.

None of these vendors are perfect, but some are much worse than others about getting orders incorrect. When you start to purchase custom parts for these cars, not every part is going to fit perfect because these cars are not identical. I found out what the meaning of hand built was and it is not that great.

I am waiting for some parts right now, but at least I was told it was going to be a while before they had them. I will deal with that issue and if it takes a few more days than I was told, then that will be ok for now since I don't have any reason to drive the car now. We are a captive customer base and that is the way it will always be.

In the vendors defense through out the years I have had only one issue. Perhaps I am an exception, but for the most part my orders were timely and priced accordingly.

Yes Will,
This seems to be a problem,
1) I tried a while back to get sway bars that were chromed, paid a premium because they were for a Pantera and received the bars with poor welding of the washer stops and some of the crapiest chrome I'd ever seen, sent them back & ate the cost of shipping,not to mention It took 2 mos to get my money back.
2)Another vendor, I bought an air cleaner, and some breathers , I had to finish machining the Air cleaner. Found some of the parts later and there was a 500% markup!
3)A third vendor I purchased from sent me a Master Clutch, the resevior cracked due to poor workmanship, his answer was use the old parts. WOW!!!!
4)A fourth sent me a chinese made throw out bearing @ twice the cost of a good US made bearing and was peturbed I was questioning him about this, also I received sway bar that were suppose to be chrome, another very poor chrome job.
I personally believe they are gouging the owners & I will go to great extents of finding ,refurbishing,building and learning to do what I can to keep my Pantera reasonable.
I have personally posted some of my repairs and finding's to help others curtail the High Cost of parts . Any additional info posted on others experiences would perpetuate the education on these cars so as not to be taken advantage of.

My 2 cents, Mark

this post has been moderated. George

My experience with vendors have been pretty good with the exception of shipping. I've been charged some outrageous shipping costs, u 4X + what it would cost me to ship. I guess that they make money off the shipping. If I could find a vendor who would ship at reasonable rates (USPS flat rate, etc) I would be ordering everything from them and also more stuff that I put off ordering. I find that all that I have purchased from gouge me on shipping. I have heard similar stories from others.

Sorry to agree but yes I have had ver slow responses from USA Pantera vendors. But I must admit I also get very slow responses from Majority of USA vendors.
Perhaps we aussies have high expectaions and are spoilt 'down under' !
However I must say Summit racing have always been awesome ! even when they sent the wrong items they have been great and speedy. I call them today and less then 7 days it is on my doorstep. I was going to buy my Pantera from a Pantera vendor, but it was all soo slow.
I must say Hall Pantera, once you call them ( Tara ) they were good. and their pricing was acceptable.
I tried vendores on the west coast, the east coast, and central USA and all were not really interested.
sorry to ramble on, just my 2 cents worth !

The problems get amplified if you live out of the US. You wait forever (not the vendors fault)to get the wrong or missing parts. We have to pay inflated shipping AND brokerage fees to only pay to return them.
I fully agree that they are great people. Their business practices lack at times, though.
I've had a real bad string of luck lately with every order from almost all the vendors.
I've had real good luck with some of the vendors (Tara and Becky), but they don't have enough mechanical experience to recommend certain products.
Simple things like the vendors not calling/emailing back with the total billing amount when requested (so I can know what to see on my Visa) bothers me. Am I being too picky?
Will

I don't think you are being unreasonable at all. Instead of a call-back with final pricing, I would ask you for an email address, this would allow me to time shift, to contact you late at night.

The issue is people are trying to run their businesses with too few people, therefore they take on too many responsibilities themselves, and don't have time to do them all.

This is why the damn magazine hasn't been produced, I'm guilty of the same thing. I'm in the process of training somebody to take that job over. I can't speak for every vendor, but for the club its a money issue. We don't make enough to hire a full time person to produce the magazine. I had to wait until the right person in the right situation presented themselves.

Just a modern fairy tale ...

MODERATED, off topic.

I've never responded rudely in a private message to anyone as was suggested. Since membership dues are billed with the magazine, nobody has been billed since the last magazine was delivered. The club is still serving the hobby day by day, existing out of my pocket.

Roland, you would go on a forum provided to you for free, and publicly scoff the person who provides that forum to you, a person who has shown great patience to you time after time in private? This says something about your lack of manners.

Peculiar, in Roland's last private warning, which occured a while back, he was informed that if his deriding remarks about other members happened again he would be banned. I had no idea at the time the remarks would be made towards me.

I feel I would be a fool to allow myself to be derided on my own forums. If nothing else, I would be encouraging more of the same type of comments in the future.

with a heavy heart, Roland's membership on the forums has been terminated - George

It's good to see you're still alive and kicking, Roland!

Although I like George (and I don't see that changing), Rolands words have a ring of truth to them.

I miss the magazine, and lament it's demise. I will gladly renew when it reappears.

Michael

I would like to address both points:

1. I haven't joined because I understand there is no magazine.

2. I am done with Pantera vendors as much as possible. The moderator can change this post as they see fit as I am naming names.

I purchased a clutch master cylinder from a vendor not too long ago. My mechanic installed it and found it was leaking internally and defective. I called the vendor and repeated the comments from my mechanic, and then put my mechanic on the phone when I didn't understand the vendor's response. Turns out their response was to rebuild the new clutch master cylinder they had just sent. My mechanic said that isn't his job and asked if the vendor was going to pay the labor. Obviously the answer was no.

I was in a hurry, so my mechanic got a hold of another master cylinder, but tore apart the one from the vendor to see what was going on. It had bad seals and surface rust on the inside rod (I don't know all the correct terms). My mechanic said they basically sold me a used part.

I got busy and never sent the part back to the vendor so they could give me their side of the story, but I don't care. I won't purchase from them again.

I have compared notes with two other Pantera owners with similar problems. One of which was only solved with threat of bodily harm - which I don't condone. I won't repeat these stories from my friends, because that would just be hear-say.

R.

Robert - I did moderate the names. Again, our goal is not to impact somebody's business, but to motivate them to improve. It would seem from everyone's stories some vendors are impacting their businesses badly enough on their own. - George

quote:

Originally posted by 4NHOTROD:
The problems get amplified if you live out of the US. You wait forever (not the vendors fault)to get the wrong or missing parts. We have to pay inflated shipping AND brokerage fees to only pay to return them.
I fully agree that they are great people. Their business practices lack at times, though.
I've had a real bad string of luck lately with every order from almost all the vendors.
I've had real good luck with some of the vendors (Tara and Becky), but they don't have enough mechanical experience to recommend certain products.
Simple things like the vendors not calling/emailing back with the total billing amount when requested (so I can know what to see on my Visa) bothers me. Am I being too picky?
Will

After I acted like it was fine to have to wait for a left side axle shaft, the wait seems like it is going to be much longer than I expected or was lead to believe it would be. I am only purchasing an OEM part, so I don't understand the delay, since I suspect it is coming from another vendor and then being shipped to me. I guess I will see how this plays out before I get too upset about it, but I can understand people not liking getting used parts or short orders. We are paying very good money for these parts and you should at least get your money's worth.

Vendors that take a long time to return your call is a problem also that I can relate to. I don't know how to change that because we are all at their mercy at some time.

quote:

Originally posted by RobertVegas:

1. I haven't joined because I understand there is no magazine.

I'll take that as a challenge!

When the magazine gets back under production I'll PM you about joining.

This thread is about problems with vendors. I don't want to take it off topic by explaining what's happening with the magazine. Later tonight, when I get home, I'll post a new thread in the club news forum and update you guys what's happening behind the scenes, since I've actually got good news.

I have posted my thoughts on vender's before. I think they could do a much better job. I have posted why I feel this way so they can do a better job. My goal with vendors is that they do better, become more successful and serve the industry better.

I know Pantera's are different then MG's but I have a $10,000 MGB in which my running total has exceeded $35K. DO NOT KEEP RUNNING TOTALS!!!

The main catalog vendors have it so down pat we have it spoiled. 95% of the parts are not only available, but a point and click away set up very similar to say Jegs or Summit. These people have it figured out.

The Pantera vendors are all kind of stuck in the 1980's mom and pop. Some people say well they do it for fun don't knock them. Well that's fine but we WANT the next level and I think most are willing to open up their pockets to the first vendor who really steps forward and becomes a a vendor for the era.

Gary

I'll take credit for the dispute with ROLAND ... I;m not a grudge type of guy ..but I think he threatened because of my rude comments .. you know what life is tooo short to pout ..I love you Roland !

The vendors run there business like I run mine.. too much to do with too little employees .. but I demand service and juggle manpower like a circus clown with 5 balls in the air .. its some thing I learned working in NYC and its an ART ..it can be done but efficency and drive VS. time and profits.

Be patient the vendors and the magazine will figure it out ... the vendors are battling with importing parts at higher prices, manufacturing parts in the US with shrinking labor forces due to cut backs and ( as George says ) finding the right employee for the right sitaution to produce a magazine at a reasonable cost on a shrinking budget .... you think I;m babbling ... I run an HVAC business and deal with economic issues all day long ... HVAC equipment they say is made in TEXAS ( its MEXICO ) UNION guys that want 4.00 hr raise and they are UNEMPLOYED ... and a goverment that wants to send me a check for 600.00 so my wife can PISS It away on rising food prices ... boys be patient !!
Ron

In twenty years I have purchased parts from Hall (the majority), Pantera Performance Center, Precision profrmance, Steve Wilkinson, and Larry Stock.

All are exceptionally helpfull and would tell me on the spot if the parts were backorderd, etc.

The only complaint about any of them is that Steve doesn't like to answer his email. Steve, I can live with that. You always say to call anyway.

I am fishing a little but the problem with Mr.Jackle may be that he seems to be at a price disadvatage to US vendors.

I don't think that he liked me posting that new ignition switches were available from the Capri dealer new for $85 and he wanted $300.

Now maybe a vendor doesn't appreciate that but certainly the members here do. I'll point out that Hall gets $150 for the same thing. So I wonder exactly who was being unfair to who here?