Club Parts Pricing Strategy: Please read...

[xvivalve]

I have posted on this matter previously, but cannot find that post.

For the sake of clarity:

The prices of all parts supplied by the Club are published and updated when necessary, though on occasion some costs can rise before the published information can be updated.

The price published is the price you pay, irrespective of whether the parts are posted out to you, or you purchase from the shows we attend, or in rare instances if you collect in person. We strive to keep the prices as low as we can.

Except where specifically listed as an extra or the parts are declared as collection only, the postage is free. There is no reduction for collection, nor is there any reduction for quantity sent in the same package.

When a part is listed as 'collection only', this means collection in person by appointment, or collection from a show by prior arrangement to ensure the necessary part will be at the show. It is not an invitation for you to arrange your own courier (we have no problem organising couriers ourselves!) as the reason for collection only will be because the part is either fragile, or extremely awkward to wrap up to couriers' specified standards, or in some instances, both.

Please remember every aspect of ensuring parts are available, orders taken and parts dispatched is undertaken by volunteers. Depending upon size and weight, parts are dispatched by either Royal Mail on a 'signed for' basis, or with UPS. Royal Mail do give advance warning of price rises, but UPS do not and quite often it is upon sending out an order we find the cost is greater than before and this occurs far more frequently with UPS than the Royal Mail. Because us volunteers have a life, time is precious to us, so we try to limit price rises until absolutely necessary. Therefore, whilst an element of postage is included in the parts prices published, at any point in time that element may or may not reflect the actual costs. By providing 'FREE' postage as described above, it gives us a buffer to both accommodate rising costs invisibly and also maintain static prices for as long as possible; an example is in the 10+ years we've been supplying tandem master cylinders, the cost has NEVER risen.

We simply do not have the time or manpower to individually cost postage at point of order for you. We are not a retailer, there are no paid staff, and no fancy software to work it out for us.

Once in a while, someone will feel entitled to a reduction in cost because they are collecting or ordering multiple parts and feel they are saving the Club money, but in reality, their request is simply starving us of the buffer we need to continue in the same vein we have done so for some 25 years. If you cannot understand this principle and want to argue about it, I politely suggest you do one of two things:

1. Buy your parts elsewhere (and if that is a tandem master cylinder, good luck with that!)
2. Volunteer to initiate and maintain an alternative system of your choice, but that will also include sourcing, collecting, storing and dispatching the parts as well



Oh, and one further thing for you to note; subscriptions have been maintained at the same level for many years. Without the small margin made on parts supply, the Club would operate at a loss and quickly cease to exist.

[sprint95m]

Well said Alun.


thanks
Ian

[Yellow Banana]

Agree - but a bit surprised that some members have had to force you to clarify the spares costing policy. Keep up with the good work!

[Jod Clark]