Mini Spare slipping?

[MPlayle]

Is the service at Mini Spares slipping?

In my 67 Moke thread, I noted I am waiting on parts and had not received any tracking information as of Friday (June 9th).  The email saying my card had been charged and parts shipped was received on Tuesday (June 6th).  I sent Ivan an email Friday - no response yet.

I did receive emails from DHL today with the tracking information.  Those emails indicate the shipment was not actually picked up by them until Friday (June 9th)!  That means Mini Spares sat on the order for three days before actually sending it!?!  It also means someone forgot to have email notices sent until today!

BTW: the DHL tracking shows it out for delivery today.

(Edit: fixed Friday's date)

[MiniDave]

Maybe they were all off at IMM in Ireland?   ::) ;D

[BruceK]

It may be isolated.  I placed an order with MiniSpares last Tuesday, and got several email notifications in the days after that. 

It's DHL that is confusing me.  On their site they describe my order, at different times, as being 1 piece or 2 pieces.  Since I'm shipping a pair of windshields I sure hope everything is in one piece.  They say the order will be delivered today, but it's still in Cincinnati right now. 


Edit: Actually Michael, I looked back and I never received a tracking number from MS themselves in any of their emails.  I simply got a text message from DHL with the tracking number last Friday morning.   

[MiniDave]

Yeah, I think it's usually DHL that notifies me, and they're usually one day sooner than they say they'll be IE: delivery scheduled for Thurs comes on Wed. I usually get notices via text, asking me to text back if it's OK to delver without a signature, although so far I've always been here when the guy comes.

But then, I am on a first name basis with my DHL delivery guy!   ;D

Bruce, you're having them delivered to your place, not Dan's? I guess that will give you a good excuse to drive up and check out how your car is coming.

[BruceK]

No, they are going to be delivered at Dan's.

[MPlayle]

Well, my phone does NOT receive text messages. 

Today's emails from DHL were the first notification and the tracking information showed they did not receive the shipment request from MS until Friday even though MS emailed me on Tuesday indicating my card had been charged and the order shipped.  So what happened at MS between Tuesday and giving the package to DHL on Friday?  Should I bother even asking MS what happened?

[BruceK]

Well, my phone does NOT receive text messages. 

So... where would you say are in this continuum?   ;D

[94touring]

I ordered from them maybe 2 weeks ago and shipment arrived today.  I got all the normal emails from them and dhl.  Only other thing could be they are updating their website and maybe that has thrown a small wrench in things.

[BruceK]

 I'm still trying to figure out if one box of the shipment has been lost, or DHL has taped two pieces together.   In any event, they still insist it will be delivered today yet it's not very close to Tulsa as far as I can figure out   

[94touring]

They probably shipped 2 boxes and only one has been processed.  Sounds funny but recently I had ordered new brakes front and back on the rx7 and they arrived days apart.

[94touring]

Or maybe they broke one and said forget it lol.

[MPlayle]

On the cell phone continuum?  I am using a fairly basic flip-phone (similar to the second from the right).  I have kept to an inexpensive voice-only plan.

[MiniDave]

That's what I had ($15/mo) till the wife decided we should BOTH have "Smart" phones.....

Notice, you can always tell when a film is made by the computers they use and their phones - how far they pull up the antenna for instance!   ;D

[BruceK]

On the cell phone continuum?  I am using a fairly basic flip-phone (similar to the second from the right).  I have kept to an inexpensive voice-only plan.

You have more discipline than many people, especially those who view high-end phones as status symbols.

[BruceK]

Or maybe they broke one and said forget it lol.

Don't say that!    :(    Whether the windshields make it through is a bit of a nailbiter

[MPlayle]

Well, it was finally delivered to the private "PO box" I frequently use - just at 6:00pm when they close.  It had only been on the delivery vehicle since 8:10am this morning.

The route driver had to be prompted to get it there before they closed!  At 5:30pm they still had not received it, so I called DHL to find out what was the story and they wanted until 8:00pm!  I told them the facility closed at 6:00pm and their route driver should know that.

At least I can pick the package up in the morning and have the rest of the week to get the engine back together.

[BruceK]

My DHL tracking page hasn't been updated for 9 hours since the package(s) supposedly left Cincinnati.  Still says delivery will be today.   Doesn't look like it.

[94touring]

I get a phone text and email when I receive packages at my building. Definetly didn't get anything today.

[94touring]

Ok here's the glass delivery.  Found in the box was part of a rear tail light lense too.

[MiniDave]

excellent, they made it! What did the shipping cost?

[BruceK]

Shipping via DHL was a very pricey $150.   But there were a few other items in the order too.   The windshields were about $40 each.  So, about $230 for both.  Or, it works out to about $115 for each windshield - including shipping.   

Compare that to Seven Enterprises where the exact same windshield is $309 (after a "Price Drop") plus a $20 handling charge, plus the actual domestic shipping expense, which I'm guessing would be at least $30 or $40.

So, I got a windshield for less than 1/3 the cost of a windshield from Seven.   

It was somewhat risky because I had to acknowledge a glass waiver from MiniSpares that the windshields might arrive damaged.   But, thanks to their good packing, and DHL's handling, it all worked out.

[BruceK]

Dan,  i'm got to ask about that chair behind the box.   Looks interesting - made of riveted aircraft aluminum?

[94touring]

Yeah an aviator chair from restoration hardware. This is the only other view I have from when we first moved in.

[BruceK]

Yeah an aviator chair...

Totally appropriate!

[MiniDave]

Well, it's been a while since anyone posted in this thread, but I have to say I'm not happy with Mini Spares delivery time lately.

Used to be I would put my orders in on Sunday night so they would have it first thing Monday am, and by Wed noon I had parts at my door.

I spend a fair bit of money with them every month, due to my own projects and those I work on for others, I don't know if other small shops spend this kind of money there - I may be naïve in my thinking but it seems like the more I spend the worse the service is.

Since December it has been taking longer and longer to get my parts. Now if I put my order in by Sunday night I get an "order received email, the next day or two I get an "order filled" email, then the next day I get another one, then by Thurs or Friday I may have an email from DHL saying they've picked it up and it's in transit. Once it's in their hands it seems to move along OK, but I have had one or two shipments "held for inspection" in Cincinnati. Bottom line, I'm averaging 10 days or more till I have parts in my hands. Wonder what happened?

My latest order went in Sunday night as usual and here it is Friday and I still don't have a shipping notice from DHL.

I have also found increasing numbers of out of stock items - a lot of them the kind of stuff I would think would be staples. I wonder if this is a precursor to Brexit and from now on it may be difficult to even get stuff from there?