Ordered a set of snap ring pliers. Local company had them for a great price and I've purchased from them before. Got an email saying it would be 2-3 weeks. While I like to support the local guy, I could buy them on Ebay and get them in my hands by the end of the weekish. I called and cancelled and the individual I believe was a manager/owner said his warehouse is absolutely bare and he does everything possible to stay out of it because it is devastating. If I didn't need the pliers "now", I wouldn't have cancelled.
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Felt bad about cancelling an order...
- Thread starter jhelrey
- Start date
slowtwitch73
Well-known member
He should have bought some off ebay and filled your order. Folks are doing that believe it or not.
bsaint
Well-known member
Hey it is what it is. It's why only the strong survive
Don't feel too bad, the market needs to self correct eventually one way or another, sometimes it takes pain to force the correction (not implying that pain needs to be applied to the retailer).
I do refuse to give business to retailers that drop the ball. Recently had an online retailer (shipped from a warehouse) send me completely the wrong tool, I asked for a pre-paid return label and I re-ordered through someone else. Like mentioned above...the strong will survive.
I do refuse to give business to retailers that drop the ball. Recently had an online retailer (shipped from a warehouse) send me completely the wrong tool, I asked for a pre-paid return label and I re-ordered through someone else. Like mentioned above...the strong will survive.
four.cycle
Well-known member
When Mt. St. Helens blew its top in 1980, air filter elements were impossible to procure. There was so much dust in some areas, the filters would plug up after only a couple days.
I was buying them from my competition to try to keep the shelves in our stores stocked.
You do what you need to do sometimes.
I was buying them from my competition to try to keep the shelves in our stores stocked.
You do what you need to do sometimes.
In many ways it's exactly the opposite.It's why only the strong survive
If you needed the pliers “now” there’s nothing really to feel bad about
Those few pennies a local dealers going to make price matching eBay is not going to matter anyway.
Call the local company have gotten another brand might’ve cost more?
Those few pennies a local dealers going to make price matching eBay is not going to matter anyway.
Call the local company have gotten another brand might’ve cost more?
bsaint
Well-known member
As a business owner, only the strong in cash flow, cash reserves, lines of credit, and inventory survive. If you're making it work without inventory or cash reserves and without sales you're dead and to me a fly by night. If my car is broken I'm sorry I'm not waiting 2 weeks for a part or tool just to support local business. Please explain otherwise. How does your business work? How have you been fairing?In many ways it's exactly the opposite.
akasrick
Well-known member
Needed a tire gauge, one store cupboards were bare awaiting stock.
Drove down the street next retailer fully stocked with the green brand, at the register compulsion sale bins full.
Now have 2 that work, 1 in the car and 1 at the compressor.
akasrick
Drove down the street next retailer fully stocked with the green brand, at the register compulsion sale bins full.
Now have 2 that work, 1 in the car and 1 at the compressor.
akasrick
slowtwitch73
Well-known member
I just called the local (overpriced) tool store to see if they had aluminum t track for fixturing and the guy hemmed and hawed and said they were out of stock. No mention of getting more, ordering some in, eta, etc.
Unfortunately in this day and age, you have to be the cheapest AND the fastest (or at least close to fastest WHILE being cheapest) to survive. And if you're not cheap or fast, you better be offering something unique, desirable and not easily replicated.
Weird times we live in, but the rules are pretty easy to see. I wouldn't feel bad about it. Just give him the same chance next time if it makes you feel better.
I think people have this underlying fear that "if I don't support Sam's widget store, pretty soon, NOBODY will sell widgets anymore!". Nope, if there's a demand for widgets, there will ALWAYS be somebody to sell them. And if somebody sees you making money selling widgets, they'll get in the widget business too. Then everybody will be making widgets, the market will saturate, then suddenly nobody can make money selling widgets anymore, the sellers of widgets clearance them all out, and the factories will close. Resellers will buy up all the warehouses full of widget inventory. There will be surplus NOS widgets on the market for years. When those dry up, there's still plenty of nice used ones out there. Then somebody picks up a used one at a garage sale and is like "hey, why don't they make widgets anymore?!" and he opens a new widget factory and they cycle begins again. That's capitalism.
Weird times we live in, but the rules are pretty easy to see. I wouldn't feel bad about it. Just give him the same chance next time if it makes you feel better.
I think people have this underlying fear that "if I don't support Sam's widget store, pretty soon, NOBODY will sell widgets anymore!". Nope, if there's a demand for widgets, there will ALWAYS be somebody to sell them. And if somebody sees you making money selling widgets, they'll get in the widget business too. Then everybody will be making widgets, the market will saturate, then suddenly nobody can make money selling widgets anymore, the sellers of widgets clearance them all out, and the factories will close. Resellers will buy up all the warehouses full of widget inventory. There will be surplus NOS widgets on the market for years. When those dry up, there's still plenty of nice used ones out there. Then somebody picks up a used one at a garage sale and is like "hey, why don't they make widgets anymore?!" and he opens a new widget factory and they cycle begins again. That's capitalism.
Handyandy23
Well-known member
Not a tool, but last year my father in law gave my wife some cash for her birthday and suggested she should buy something local with it, because he was on a "support local business" kick at the time. Wife wanted a fruit bowl for the kitchen counter, so she found a local person that did pottery and said they would make a bowl to whatever size and design she wanted. The bowls cost about 10x what you can get one from Amazon or Walmart for, but they're custom, supporting local business, and the money was a gift, so what the heck.
She contacts the lady, gets a response asking some basic questions. She answers, then nothing. Couple weeks later she messages back again, finally gets a response that essentially agrees on price and what she's making. A month goes by and no contact (she never asked for a deposit or anything so we haven't given any money yet either), wife reaches out, lady says she made one but didn't like how it turned out, so she was going to re-make it (no offer to take the bowl as-is or what was wrong with it). Another month goes by and nothing again, my wife messages again, and no response. So we just gave up.
I'm all for supporting people in the local community, but to me that shouldn't come at the cost of all service going out the window. You can expect to pay more to start with, because the overhead and number of hands a product goes through is going to be greater than a giant warehouse like Amazon. But good service better come along with it to make it worth while.
She contacts the lady, gets a response asking some basic questions. She answers, then nothing. Couple weeks later she messages back again, finally gets a response that essentially agrees on price and what she's making. A month goes by and no contact (she never asked for a deposit or anything so we haven't given any money yet either), wife reaches out, lady says she made one but didn't like how it turned out, so she was going to re-make it (no offer to take the bowl as-is or what was wrong with it). Another month goes by and nothing again, my wife messages again, and no response. So we just gave up.
I'm all for supporting people in the local community, but to me that shouldn't come at the cost of all service going out the window. You can expect to pay more to start with, because the overhead and number of hands a product goes through is going to be greater than a giant warehouse like Amazon. But good service better come along with it to make it worth while.
slowtwitch73
Well-known member
Yeah, there's no excuse for no service. If you don't have the item, its better to say 'but we can get', 'let me call you when it's in', 'we expect more in a week' etc etc.