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For six years I used the same speed shop in town out of a sense of duty and subscription to the "support your local speed shop" credo. Then, largely because I got lazy and hadn't been shopping around, I found out I was being hosed for parts -- never really big bucks but always enough to tick me off and make the local big box auto parts store (the enemy of the little guy) look attractive.
Well, the local big names pretty soon pissed me off -- suffering from all the usual problems, mixed up orders, crappy return policy, bad attitude if the part doesn't fit or function as advertised, high school kids behind the counter who don't know a cotter pin from a camshaft. So I was down on them.
After much reflection I placed my first mail orders with Jegs and Summit. It's been positive, although because I live north of the border I have to drive down to the UPS Store in Ogdensburg to make pick-ups. This allows me to avoid the exorbitant Cdn broker fees. It's only an hour drive and heck, if I go early enough on Sat morning when the customs guys and gals are a little hung over sometimes I don't even have to pay the federal sales tax.
Last year I was lucky enough to come in contact with a new speed shop in town, run by a car guy with a good head on his shoulders and a desire to do right by his customers. He'll match any Jegs or Summit price, all in. So now I deal with him unless he absolutely can't get something through his national distributor -- then its back to mail order. I've told him this and he isn't fussed, just as long as he gets first refusal.
So, my question is, WHEN & FOR WHAT REASON DO YOU CONSIDER MAIL ORDERING PARTS TO BE A VALID OPTION? NEVER, SOMETIMES, ONLY IN EMERGENCY, ALL THE TIME.
Well, the local big names pretty soon pissed me off -- suffering from all the usual problems, mixed up orders, crappy return policy, bad attitude if the part doesn't fit or function as advertised, high school kids behind the counter who don't know a cotter pin from a camshaft. So I was down on them.
After much reflection I placed my first mail orders with Jegs and Summit. It's been positive, although because I live north of the border I have to drive down to the UPS Store in Ogdensburg to make pick-ups. This allows me to avoid the exorbitant Cdn broker fees. It's only an hour drive and heck, if I go early enough on Sat morning when the customs guys and gals are a little hung over sometimes I don't even have to pay the federal sales tax.
Last year I was lucky enough to come in contact with a new speed shop in town, run by a car guy with a good head on his shoulders and a desire to do right by his customers. He'll match any Jegs or Summit price, all in. So now I deal with him unless he absolutely can't get something through his national distributor -- then its back to mail order. I've told him this and he isn't fussed, just as long as he gets first refusal.
So, my question is, WHEN & FOR WHAT REASON DO YOU CONSIDER MAIL ORDERING PARTS TO BE A VALID OPTION? NEVER, SOMETIMES, ONLY IN EMERGENCY, ALL THE TIME.
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