Give us your input on our shipping time/costs!

[Luccia at Pelican Parts]

We are always trying to improve your customer experience and would love to get your thoughts on this.

Would you rather have a product ship immediately for a higher cost or wait 4-5 days to ship for a lower cost? Which is more important to you? The cost difference is 10% to 20%. So, it’s pay 10-20% more to ship immediately, or save 10-20% but wait 4 to 5 days before the product ships. Actual ship time would be the same, this is just a matter of when the product first gets out the door.

The way things are set up, it has to be one or the other and we are trying to decide which is most important to you. So chime in and let us know your preference!

*Please complete the poll above*

[rwest]

Lucia,

Many times a wait wouldn't bother me, but when in the middle of a project or getting ready to leave on a trip, would be a big problem and most likely would cause me to buy elsewhere.

I think that if you can only do one, price isn't as important as speed to most people.

Best,
Rutager

[Luccia at Pelican Parts]

Originally Posted by rwest

Lucia,

Many times a wait wouldn't bother me, but when in the middle of a project or getting ready to leave on a trip, would be a big problem and most likely would cause me to buy elsewhere.

I think that if you can only do one, price isn't as important as speed to most people.

Best,
Rutager

Very good input, Rutager. I appreciate the response. If you don't mind also giving your thoughts to the poll above that would be greatly appreciated.

[bpu699]

Whatever you are doing right now, works. I get my orders quickly, and I appreciate that.

If your are asking if I would be willing to WAIT 4-5 days before you drop it off at the post office (or whatever) and then 4-5 more days until I get it... Then the answer is HELL NO.

One of the strenghts of your company right now is your fast delivery times...

Some of you competitors charge less (on several items MUCH less)...

Some have paper catalogs...

Others send out coupons for 10-20% off almost weekly...


Your strenghts are the BBS/fast shipping/and nice customer service... You start shipping 4-5 days later, and you just gave away an edge.

More to the point, you current customers would definitely notice,and like feel disappointed...

Bo

[Matt Monson]

What I think is most important is transparency on whichever it is. On a couple of occasions I have ordered OEM parts that you listed as in stock. But they weren't and had to come in from Porsche in Germany. I can buy from my dealer and get parts not at US distribution. I bought the parts specifically because you said you had them now.

My mistake was not learning the first time and actually doing that twice!

[WPOZZZ]

I waited about 2 months for my parts to ship, eventhough one was in stock when I ordered it. Pelican was waiting for 2 wheels to arrive before shipping the entire order. I asked about why the in stock wheel can't be shipped separately. I was given some BS that I could be charged even more for shipping if they were sent separately. Even more than the $70 per wheel USPS? That doesn't make sense as each box is shipped separately.

Why the extra cost to ship immediately? Shouldn't you ship when the order is received, not wait a few days to pack it, then ship?

[Drisump]

Originally Posted by Matt Monson

What I think is most important is transparency on whichever it is. On a couple of occasions I have ordered OEM parts that you listed as in stock. But they weren't and had to come in from Porsche in Germany. I can buy from my dealer and get parts not at US distribution. I bought the parts specifically because you said you had them now.

My mistake was not learning the first time and actually doing that twice!

Exactly what happened to me, just be up front on the delivery dates and what is actually "in stock".....sending out half the stuff for a brake job to get it to me on a specified date doesn't really help.

[Jrboulder]

Back in the old days I would go on Pelican to get a couple oil filters then I would look around for other stuff I needed and fill up my cart to at least $75 (often times much more) and check out. I would have the parts in 2 days with free shipping. It was great.

When you changed the shipping I took a look at the way I buy parts and started getting common stuff like filters on Amazon Prime and the uncommon stuff through my Porsche dealer. Pelican still has a place and with my 2.7L I'm almost ready to assemble I'm sure I'll be making a big order in a couple weeks.

But still, this is the era of instant gratification. I can order something on Amazon and have it later the same day. I can buy something on eBay and often times the free shipping will get it to me in a couple days. If it takes a week to get my hands on a gasket set from Pelican I think I will at least be looking for alternatives.

[Dpmulvan]

Wait 4 or 5 days? I've never had anything from Pelican arrive in 4 or 5 days.

[theiceman]

personally i would love to be asked if i want all my parts in one shipment. I have no problem waiting and gettting it all in one shipment, sometimes some of the parts ship right away out of one location , then a week or so later parts ship from another location , i pick up my partrs so i just wait for the second shipment to com ein .
Would be nice to have a check box that says " no partial shipment "

[bpu699]

I am suprised that anyone would check that they would wait 4-5 additional days to save 20% on shipping.

For most folks, doesn't that mean your shipping costs go from $20 or so to $16...???

Saving $4 and waiting an extra week seem like a poor compromise?

I could see if your shipping bill went from $500 to $400... Perhaps then this would make sense? That would take one heck of a large order...

Is it the international folks that are thinking this would be beneficial? Would the 20% savings apply to international shipments?

[Jesse16]

I vote NO on extra days. Rather pay the shipping which I find reasonable. I do not see significantly better prices or service elsewhere.

[Drg mule]

Originally Posted by Drisump

Exactly what happened to me, just be up front on the delivery dates and what is actually "in stock".....sending out half the stuff for a brake job to get it to me on a specified date doesn't really help.

I agree, If it is in stock ship it. if is isn't in stock let us know that prior to placing the order. I often buy from Pelican because it is a one stop shop... if it is in stock.

[Hoppe]

I voted ship immediately because I don't want to wait 4 day for a ground order to ship and then get the product 4 days after that. Honestly, I don't know why shipping fast will add extra cost. If everything always ships in 4 days then spend some extra to get caught up and then ship everything in stock in 24 hours. All things are relative, you would still be shipping the same volume each day after you absorb the change.

I work for a national commercial distribution company. If we receive an order, it will typically ships same day as long as the order is in by 2 pm, regardless of shipping method. We have good systems, well trained people and fairly high stock levels. Shipping everything 4 days later would not impact our cost. Also, our customer base expects it but they are generally working to jobs and schedules and would not accept much less on a consistent basis.

[WPOZZZ]

Originally Posted by Dpmulvan

Wait 4 or 5 days? I've never had anything from Pelican arrive in 4 or 5 days.

I've gotten some stuff from Pelican really fast, 2 or 3 days fast. However, I think those orders were drop shipped from SSF Imported Auto because I recognize their part # tags. I do know that SSF supplies Pelican with some of their parts.

If something is out of stock and you place an order for it, I wish Pelican would send you e-mails regarding status. I ordered a service cover for my brother's birthday gift and I assumed he received it by his birthday. He did not and I had to get customer service to track it down at the manufacturer. Another time I ordered a heater block off plate for my build and it was charged, but never sent. Followed up with CS and they tell me it is no longer available.

[MDamen]

The quick shipping is one of the reasons I keep coming back to Pelican. Maybe I am lucky being on the West Coast, but I can rely on getting my stuff quickly and I really appreciate that, even for a little extra cost.

[JJ 911SC]

I won't vote because I might be missing something... So if it is in stock, wait 4-5 days to ship???

When I first start shopping @ PP 6 years ago, for a $75 order put in on Monday morning EST, it would get delivered to New York on Thursday night.

About 2 years ago I told Wayne that either the Shipping Calculator was off or he was getting chip by FedEx as it started to be delivered on Friday or Saturday.

Now the free shipping order is at $150 and the transit time to New York is at 6 to 7 days, you want to introduce a 4-5 days delay before shipping... Really

[JJ 911SC]

And now its remind me of why I get P.O. at people selling part at $xx.xx + PayPal + Shipping + My time to Package...

I don't want to know how you are S.M. just post the the delivered price and I'll decided if its worth it or not.

[RSBob]

The paradigm appears to be changing. As mentioned before with Amazon Prime (for a subscription fee) shipping is immediate and received very quickly. With some of your competitors, orders over a certain dollar amount automatically qualify for free shipping. Speed and low or free-ish shipping seems to be the new horizon. So how do you make a profit? Squeeze your suppliers, work on faster receivables, better efficiencies....

[Mike-S]

I'm not sure how much gear PP ships overseas, whether it's my location (Australia) or what, but PP's shipping rates are beyond reasonable, which is a shame as the choice of parts is impressive. I recently needed to order a load of small bits for my 87, price of the parts was excellent but when it came to shipping it was ridiculous, so I deleted the order and bought everything from a UK site. Ordered on a Thursday, arrived on Monday and postage was 25% that of PP. Reading posts on this thread if it's taking a few days for parts to cross the US, seems odd that I can get stuff from the UK all the way to Oz in the same time or faster, something isn't right with your postage there !

I'll give you an example. DME relay on PP is $28.50US, postage options $38-$75. I know I'm a long way off and the "Australia Tax" comes into play, but damn, that's a bucket of cash for posting a small box. With the quantity of parts PP must ship, surely there's a good deal of leverage to get better shipping rates and times? Never mind delaying it for a few days.

Just my 2c. I'd love to use PP, it's a very easy site to navigate and the parts prices are very good, but your shipping kills it stone dead. Friends here have ordered stuff from the site and it's taken 3-4 weeks for stock items to arrive. Someone needs a kick in the nuts for that!