fyi, I will take the abuse Options

[dr914@autoatlanta.com]

Hi George, do you have a new 914-613-913-14 turn signal assembly? If yes, cost? Looks like VW is stamped on it so perhaps it's available through them?

Its for a 72 914

Thanks,

Paul

Hi Paul. Yes we have them but expensively as we were taken to the cleaners for the last 50 of them ever to be made by swf. We have a cheap alternative for 49.50 that will work fine though.

Thanks George, I called to talk to you but you were busy. I ordered an OEM style from your gal.

Paul

I do not know what she took an order for but we do not have the oem switch for sale right now. I purchased the last twenty of them for over 165.00 each to have them but will not offer them to the public as the price is just way too much. We find the aftermarket to fit just fine and for 49.50 cannot be beat! The difference is the single copper feeler for the rubbing block for the horn.

OK George, your gal (Kerri) quoted me the price for OEM (since you did not) and I placed the order. I asked 3 times if it was the OEM switch. The order was complete. Now you say it's not. I called back to resolve it but the order is now cancelled. This kind of stuff is why you have a bad reputation in the 914 arena. I thought by e-mailing you direct that these things would be minimized. Apparently not. sigh..... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mad.gif)

We try hard to give people good advice and guidance here whether they want it or not and therefore more than we like get upset. Like you now. I am not one to try to placate the masses by doing the wrong thing and selling a part that is way overpriced and not worth it when there is a perfect substitution that I myself would use on my car. Obviously you (hopefully) mistook our intent and now can join those others in expressing displeasure. (Same as the guy who called the other day and wanted to buy a set of dual carbs for his 914 when I knew that the only problem was a bad pressure sensor. I refused to sell them to him. I will NOT compromise my integrity for the sake of making a sale. Sorry.

[mills914/s]

Hi George, do you have a new 914-613-913-14 turn signal assembly? If yes, cost? Looks like VW is stamped on it so perhaps it's available through them?

Its for a 72 914

Thanks,

Paul

Hi Paul. Yes we have them but expensively as we were taken to the cleaners for the last 50 of them ever to be made by swf. We have a cheap alternative for 49.50 that will work fine though.

Thanks George, I called to talk to you but you were busy. I ordered an OEM style from your gal.

Paul

I do not know what she took an order for but we do not have the oem switch for sale right now. I purchased the last twenty of them for over 165.00 each to have them but will not offer them to the public as the price is just way too much. We find the aftermarket to fit just fine and for 49.50 cannot be beat! The difference is the single copper feeler for the rubbing block for the horn.

OK George, your gal (Kerri) quoted me the price for OEM (since you did not) and I placed the order. I asked 3 times if it was the OEM switch. The order was complete. Now you say it's not. I called back to resolve it but the order is now cancelled. This kind of stuff is why you have a bad reputation in the 914 arena. I thought by e-mailing you direct that these things would be minimized. Apparently not. sigh..... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mad.gif)

We try hard to give people good advice and guidance here whether they want it or not and therefore more than we like get upset. Like you now. I am not one to try to placate the masses by doing the wrong thing and selling a part that is way overpriced and not worth it when there is a perfect substitution that I myself would use on my car. Obviously you (hopefully) mistook our intent and now can join those others in expressing displeasure. (Same as the guy who called the other day and wanted to buy a set of dual carbs for his 914 when I knew that the only problem was a bad pressure sensor. I refused to sell them to him. I will NOT compromise my integrity for the sake of making a sale. Sorry.

George..
Don't take it to bad. There is still some of us that notice your efforts and like your stuff.Im happy with how helpfull your people are and with you.You always have good advise for us and great service from your parts dept.
Thank you!!!!

[Tobra]

Maybe he was an obsessive compulsive concourse weenie who was having a bad day. As bad a things I have read about your customer service, I must say I have always been done right.

Your book still pretty much kicks ass, so you got that going for you...

[PRS914-6]

OK George you want to smoke screen this than lets go.......

My first e-mail that can be read is the part # and a request for a price. You never state the price of the OEM only the aftermarket one. I wanted OEM since the wire colors are different on the "aftermarket" one.

Since you never stated the price I called this morning to ask what the price actually was on the OEM part. You were not available to answer and your staff asked what I wanted. I stated an OEM turn signal switch # 914 613 913 14.

Your staff quoted me under $100.00 to ship the part to me and said they were in stock. I ASKED 3 TIMES IF THIS WAS AN OEM SWITCH After 3 yes's, I said I'll pay the extra and take the OEM. She takes the order, my credit card # and gives me a order confirmation #189135 I assume it's a done deal.

Later, after I PM a "thanks" you say "I do not know what she took an order for but we do not have the oem switch for sale right now. I purchased the last twenty of them for over 165.00 each to have them but will not offer them to the public as the price is just way too much"

So you do have it and you quoted the wrong price. The fact that YOU would use the aftermarket piece does not mean that I want to use it. It's MY choice

Bottom line.....

1. Your staff quoted the price
2. Your staff confirmed the sale
3. You realized there was a mistake
4. You backed out of the deal to save your "integrity"?

Hey no problem on my end. Deal cancelled but your integrity was not the reason you cancelled. Money was.

[jonferns]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/popcorn[1].gif)

[dr914@autoatlanta.com]

OK George you want to smoke screen this than lets go.......

My first e-mail that can be read is the part # and a request for a price. You never state the price of the OEM only the aftermarket one. I wanted OEM since the wire colors are different on the "aftermarket" one.

Since you never stated the price I called this morning to ask what the price actually was on the OEM part. You were not available to answer and your staff asked what I wanted. I stated an OEM turn signal switch # 914 613 913 14.

Your staff quoted me under $100.00 to ship the part to me and said they were in stock. I ASKED 3 TIMES IF THIS WAS AN OEM SWITCH After 3 yes's, I said I'll pay the extra and take the OEM. She takes the order, my credit card # and gives me a order confirmation #189135 I assume it's a done deal.

Later, after I PM a "thanks" you say "I do not know what she took an order for but we do not have the oem switch for sale right now. I purchased the last twenty of them for over 165.00 each to have them but will not offer them to the public as the price is just way too much"

So you do have it and you quoted the wrong price. The fact that YOU would use the aftermarket piece does not mean that I want to use it. It's MY choice

Bottom line.....

1. Your staff quoted the price
2. Your staff confirmed the sale
3. You realized there was a mistake
4. You backed out of the deal to save your "integrity"?

Hey no problem on my end. Deal cancelled but your integrity was not the reason you cancelled. Money was.

Wrong on that one! I had no idea that you saw the ninety something file price when you ordered! We have to, via legal agreement with Porsche, use their price tape. 190,000 parts prices and thousands with wrong prices because of obsolescence! One says that the 911 2.7 piston and cylinder kit is .03 cents and we have had orders for it demanding the price.
One pays what ever it takes to get obsolete parts, as the unavailable is the unavailable and if you are the nutcase 914 enthusiast I am you do not care about the price for unobtainium, so that eliminates that argument. However when there is a dr. 914 recommended substitute at a reasonable price, who could turn it down.
Please remember that I am the biggest 914 nut case! I would like to meet a worse one! Please call me personally if you think you are!
Bottom line the 45 buck swich is good enough for me and the originals I have here on the shelf I will keep to look at twenty years from now when I am crawling to the pisspot.
Anyone have a new 914 dash available? I will buy it!

[Root_Werks]

As our little cars continue to return to the earth, people (including Porsche) understand the slowing demand for parts for the remaining soon to be piles of rust/dirt. Miss-communications suck, been there, done that. I have no valuable opinion on anything here, where's my beer? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/WTF.gif)

There it is. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/boldblue.gif)

Fun read though. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/aktion035.gif)

[PRS914-6]

Sure, I have a new dash in the box. I'll sell it to you but after you order it, I'll "save" you and cancel since there is dash covers available that are so much cheaper and they are a perfect substitution and my integrity will still be intact....... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/av-943.gif)

[Ferg]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/av-943.gif)

[PeeGreen 914]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/popcorn[1].gif) play nice guys.... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/clap56.gif)

[dr914@autoatlanta.com]

Sure, I have a new dash in the box. I'll sell it to you but after you order it, I'll "save" you and cancel since there is dash covers available that are so much cheaper and they are a perfect substitution and my integrity will still be intact....... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/av-943.gif)

Please how much for this nice piece...your price not the file price

[jonferns]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/av-943.gif)

[SLITS]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/yellowsleep[1].gif)

[Marlow]

Dr,

Are you sitting on the last 20 so you can sell them for $300 in 10 years???

If someone is willing to pay your $165 + profit for the OEM switch why not sell it to them?

I don't get it, your reasoning that "they're too expensive to sell to the public" doesn't make any sense to me.

[PRS914-6]

George, this subject drifted OT and I didn't help that much but let's put things in the proper perspective and stick to the issue.

You are in the parts business. You clearly have a lot of knowledge on 914's and I think everyone would agree.

The issue is business practises. Lets skip all the other BS about price lists etc.. On this issue the part retails for $75.26 quoted right from Porsche. However, it really doesn't matter.

Your company quoted me a specific price for this NLA part. I accepted the price and you took the order. 25% more for a NLA was fair I thought. Where the deal goes bad is hours later, you change your mind. The reason really doesn't matter. My opinion is.....suck it up and follow through with your quotation. Just about any business would. If you lose money then at least it preserves the customer relationship for the next order.

I don't need anyone telling me that a substitute part is what I ought to have just becasue YOU would use it. That's infuriating and in my opinion it's insulting as well. Some of us do know how to build a car. It's OK to suggest but give the customer what he wants whether YOU like it or not.

Bottom line......When you discovered the error you should have called me, apologized for the error and try to work it out. If we couldn't work it out you should have stuck by your quoted price. Instead, you come here. The time you spent typing here you could have called and preserved your customer. Now what do we have? A bunch of hard feelings, dirty laundry, and a lost customer. Why?

I don't get it George but it is your business to do as you please. I stand by what I said, these types of issues is what hurts AA when they could be easily resolved.

This is just my opinion George and I am not trying to offend you. I'm just trying to get you to see the customers view point. We do have a choice where we spend our money.......and these kind of issues are what makes us call you first when we need parts or call you last.......

[akellym]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif)

[sww914]

There are times when only the best will do. On a racecar that I work on, I needed a part for the accelerator linkage. My supplier talked me out of a new $65.00 and gave me a used one for $10.00. It broke. I again asked him to order a brand new one and he insisted that I take another used one, even better than the first, from a 25,000 mile car, just as good as brand new, for free. The new one still hasn't arrived and the 2nd used one is still alive, but I still want the super expensive new one because if my customer spends $2000.00 to go to the track and $1000.00 for me to get him ready to go he'll be mighty pissed if the used part breaks again and he has to come home early.
His argument to me will be- thousands of dollars spent to get there and I have to push the F%^&!#& car on the trailer over a $65.00 part.
I'd be pissed too.
Sometimes it's completely worth the extra money so that you never have to think about it again.
Sometimes the customer actually knows what they want.

[thomasotten]

Well, it sounds like there was communication on both ends, so I don't see what the deal is.

[PeeGreen 914]

I don't think there was miss communication on both side at all. I think all the communication errors were on dr914. I think in his business he should have resolved this the best he could with his customer to help his company thrive. I have heard a few other instances of this which is why I try to go anywhere else I can to find the parts I need. I admire and respect AA for having everything they have, but their service just out right sucks.

[John]

It's really none of my business, but that hasn't stopped me so far...

So here is how the company that I work for operates:

The company that I work for sells things (big things, but things none the less).

Salesmen quote prices to customers on these things.

When a salesman quotes a thing to a customer, the salesman is supposed to quote a price that is our cost plus a fixed markup. The markup is supposed to cover the cost of doing business.

When the customer accepts the pricing from the salesman, a purchase order is placed. The placement of the order is a contract. If the price the salesman had quoted is found to be less than what it was supposed to be, it is the responsibility of the salesman or our owner to resolve the price difference by contacting the customer and working it out. Sometimes it means that we eat the mistake, other times the customer approves the difference in cost. Still other times, a mutually agreed to settlement is made. The order is simply not canceled. It would still be up to the customer to cancel if that is the resolution they wish to accept.

We try to work with our customers to resolve issues because we value our customers. Because of this value, we have customers that are loyal to us.

This is simply the way we do business.




As far as I know, every sale is a contract. One party offers goods or services for a price, and the other party agrees to the price. When that happens, both parties have entered a contract.



These are my opinions....

and that is all I have to say about that.