Please assist - Wayne would like some Pelican Parts feedback...

[Wayne 962]

Originally Posted by MikeD94

Wayne,
I'm keeping this brief. I want to thank you for providing parts and forum sites. As for recommendation...this may be too much to ask...would it be possible to show what country the parts are made in?

If I had this data, I would show it. Often the parts are made in China, shipped to Germany, put in a box labeled "Made in Germany", and then shipped to the US. It's the way things are these days, unfortunately!

-Wayne

[Wayne 962]

To address quickly some of the issues you guys brought up.

- There is no such thing as free shipping - it's incorporated into the price of the product. We can give free shipping away, but then we would have to build it into the price of the product - not really fair to International customers. We are able to offer free shipping on drop-shipped items because we cut out our middleman warehouse (Pelican HQ) in the process and saved those costs which we pass onto the customer. For specialty items, there is a *lot* of handling going on behind the scenes and those costs can't simply be "absorbed". What we're talking about here are $2 million worth of actual costs. That said, we will be looking at ways to try make things more efficient and that will be a major goal in 2013.

- As for packaging, the number one goal is to make sure the parts arrive undamaged at your door. You'd be suprised at the abuse some packages take - we want to make sure they arrive perfect, so we make sure they are packed well. Sometimes, this can result in packages looking a bit "overkill". Still, we are currently looking into using more variable-sized boxes in the future.

- With our new catalog overhaul, we have a new search engine. On the Mercedes side (where we have rolled out the new catalog first because it's less complex than our Porsche side), the search engine is much improved.

Thanks again!

-Wayne

[timmy2]

Wayne,
Recently I placed an order and was quoted $6 for shipping a small item.
Your warehouse guys (without any input from me) saw it could be shipped by mail for about $3 and elected to do that and refund me the difference.
Probably cost you more in labor than it was worth but the effort was appreciated.

Looking forward to the changes coming our way. Keep up the good work.

[afterburn 549]

I still say a catalog or at least a "Flyer" would make you $$$$$$
Other then that this is a GREAT Place!

[whiz05403]

Originally Posted by Wayne at Pelican Parts

To address quickly some of the issues you guys brought up.

- There is no such thing as free shipping - it's incorporated into the price of the product. We can give free shipping away, but then we would have to build it into the price of the product - not really fair to International customers. We are able to offer free shipping on drop-shipped items because we cut out our middleman warehouse (Pelican HQ) in the process and saved those costs which we pass onto the customer. For specialty items, there is a *lot* of handling going on behind the scenes and those costs can't simply be "absorbed". What we're talking about here are $2 million worth of actual costs. That said, we will be looking at ways to try make things more efficient and that will be a major goal in 2013.

- As for packaging, the number one goal is to make sure the parts arrive undamaged at your door. You'd be suprised at the abuse some packages take - we want to make sure they arrive perfect, so we make sure they are packed well. Sometimes, this can result in packages looking a bit "overkill". Still, we are currently looking into using more variable-sized boxes in the future.

- With our new catalog overhaul, we have a new search engine. On the Mercedes side (where we have rolled out the new catalog first because it's less complex than our Porsche side), the search engine is much improved.

Thanks again!

-Wayne

Wayne,

Obviously everyone here loves this site and your products/services. Thank God you guys exist or many of us would be lost with our Porsches.

Regarding shipping: Of course there is no such thing as "free shipping", but my beef is that in many places on your site and especially in your magazine ads all say "Free Shipping". I think those misleading statements should be removed from your ads. Many consumers buy from people based on their honesty in advertising. I'm willing to bet many new guys out there have been deep in the ordering process only to see a rather large shipment price added on, get turned off, and cancel their order.

I think your business is amazing, it's just the "free shipping" ads are very misleading.

Thanks.

[signature65]

The whole NLA parts thing drives me nuts. Maybe add an expected date, an unknown date, or we don't expect this item to be carried again. If its not going to be available again maybe just remove it from the catalogue all togerther.

[RWebb]

re the forums - maybe an automatice thing to stop people from quoting a pages long set of photos, and then saying "+1" at the bottom - would save on server space too

also - when the welcome to the Pelican Email goes out to new subscribers, maybe some commonly wanted thread links could be included (an a suggestion to search first...)

one kudo I forgot above is the quick and thorough research into any problems with parts quality - I've found that VW parts are often very low quality and the example of your work on those ball joint pin issues a few years ago kept running thru my mind...

[proffighter]

Originally Posted by Wayne at Pelican Parts

As for packaging, the number one goal is to make sure the parts arrive undamaged at your door. You'd be suprised at the abuse some packages take - we want to make sure they arrive perfect, so we make sure they are packed well. Sometimes, this can result in packages looking a bit "overkill". Still, we are currently looking into using more variable-sized boxes in the future.

I have to disagree here. As I already wrote after delivery, packing was at the lower end. Never something missing or damaged, but could easily be... Knock on wood.

[vytenis]

An east coast presence would do wonders for shipping time to us right coasters.

[Packet82]

What drives me nuts? The times I put through an order and then get an email 2 days later that it's NLA or only available from Germany for a 20% fee. I realize this is difficult, but let me know this ahead of time. I hate the after the fact nickle and diming. Hell, I ordered wheels from you guys and 2 weeks later get a voice mail that you want an extra $35 for shipping after you had already charged my card.

[JeremyD]

Originally Posted by vytenis

an east coast presence would do wonders for shipping time to us right coasters.

+100

[Mothy]

Shipping to the Southern Corner of the world (Australia and New Zealand) is always going to be expensive and delayed - something we take into account every time we look to place an order.

The local suppliers are smart - they pitch their prices for parts around the same or higher than the landed cost here for our orders from you - it's the price we pay for instant supply. We can't change the tax and your shipping probably won't get any faster - nearly all of it comes by Air anyway.

So perhaps we can get smarter about how it's shipped.

How about adding an option for overseas orders to be bulk shipped at the end of month. All these items for a country are picked, packed and held, then on the last day of the month they are all packed onto a single pallet and shipped - the cost of shipping a single pallet of items would be cheaper than the individual package shipping costs. Ship to a trusted destination where the pallet is unpacked and the individual packages put into the domestic post.

Slower than USPS International but should be a lot cheaper. Just needs some willing people to be those trusted with unpacking and putting in the local post. Happy to work with you and John to test out the idea and model some sample 'lots' to see it ifs workable. You should be able to get someone in the UK to model it there as well.

Tim

[mark4ton]

faster servers. sometimes the site lags, lots of users.

[gtihop]

Web certificates for future sales would be a good idea to reinstate. I received one about 5 years ago and have never gotten once since. When I asked about it last year, I was told "we don't offer discounts on future sales via web certificates." I usually order several times throughout the year.

[Rich76_911s]

ditch the pelican parts tape. i swear my wife spots it a mile away

[andyt11]

Pelican (the parts store and the forum) is a great resource and allows those of us in remote places to own these neat cars.

My only minor gripe is when worth while technical discussions get bumped off the first page of the technical forum because someone is chatting about whether to valet park or not.

I can appreciate however that policing the forum and putting things in the proper places is a mamouth task. It's something the users could take care of on their own too if they thought about it a little.

Great site though and I can honestly say there would not be a 911 in my garage right now if it wern't for Pelican.

[andyt11]

Oh and how about a canadian distribution center? Right in the middle of canada in winnipeg?! I could help you with that ; )

[Wayne 962]

Originally Posted by signature65

The whole NLA parts thing drives me nuts. Maybe add an expected date, an unknown date, or we don't expect this item to be carried again. If its not going to be available again maybe just remove it from the catalogue all togerther.

The problem is that if we remove it from the catalog, then people call in all the time to ask for it. Putting it as NLA stops this wasteful process.

-Wayne

[Wayne 962]

Originally Posted by gtihop

Web certificates for future sales would be a good idea to reinstate. I received one about 5 years ago and have never gotten once since. When I asked about it last year, I was told "we don't offer discounts on future sales via web certificates." I usually order several times throughout the year.

We still mail out the WebCertificates five weeks after an order is placed. Unfortunately, the person you spoke with was mistaken...

-Wayne

[proffighter]

Originally Posted by Wayne at Pelican Parts

We still mail out the WebCertificates five weeks after an order is placed. Unfortunately, the person you spoke with was mistaken...

-Wayne

Are these the gifts what you get, when ordering again within 4 weeks or so?

If so, they are useless to me and I bet for a lot other people too!

As many others I sample needed parts and order once or twice a year a big package due shipping and taxes overseas are too expensive for ordering more often.

Will never get any present this way