On Mon, 3 Oct 1994 TVRVixen@aol.com wrote:
> Here is my question (I am not trying to start a flame war):
>
> I have seen a number of posts indicating that US owners of British cars have
> been ordering some of their parts directly from England. As I have had real
> good experiences with US companies selling British parts here, I wonder why
> bother?. I see the following problems with ordering from England.
>
> 1. Customs, I had to get a customs broker once and it was expensive.
When items were small enough for delivery by mail, customs has been
moderate. In fact, about half the time the post office has not bothered
to collect.
> 2. If you get a wrong, defective or inferior part, returning it is a problem
>
True; it has to be worth the risk either because you are saving money or
because you have no choice (see below).
> 3. Telephone charges. No 800 numbers.
>
> 6. The language barrier, I don't speak English english. I had a professor
> from England once and I did not do well in his class, I couldn't understand
> him.
>
After hanging on the line several times while someone went off (at a
dollar a minute) to check parts availability, I have solved 3 by
communicating by FAX. Very cheap (which us University types appreciate).
I have no trouble with 6, but FAX would solve this as well.
> 4. Time lag. I am impatient and don't plan ahead well.
>
A problem.
> 5. Payment. What is a Barclay card anyway?
>
Everybody I have dealt with has been happy to accept VISA.
> What circumstances have made it necessary or advantageous to bypass the US
> companies? Of those of you who have tried it, was it worth the effort?
>
> Don
>
It generally saves money, sometimes lots of money. More than that,
though, it often is possible to get stuff in England that just isn't
available here at any price. For example, I could only find Bugeye
upholstery kits in red and black here--which probably explains why so many
bugeyes have (incorrect) black upholstery. All original colors were
available in England. Similarly, I could not get a bugeye trunk floor
here, but could get a beautiful reproduction from England. There were
many other parts I could only get in England. (Before anyone says it, I
know VB offers a bugeye trunk floor, but they did not when I restored my
car, and if the floor they now sell is indeed like the illustration in the
current catalog it isn't correct.)
Ray Gibbons Dept. of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics
Univ. of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, VT
gibbons@northpole.med.uvm.edu (802) 656-8910
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