Date:         Mon, 27 May 2002 22:50:46 -0400
Reply-To:     The Bus Depot <vanagon@BUSDEPOT.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         The Bus Depot <vanagon@BUSDEPOT.COM>
Subject:      Faster delivery times
In-Reply-To:  <21177-3CF06BB5-1285@storefull-2356.public.lawson.webtv.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

> I placed an order last Saturday afternoon, the stuff was here on Friday.
> California to Chicago--order picked wrapped, sacked, packed, boxed,
> labelled, and shipped in one day----4 days to get here---2500 miles
> I have a hard time getting stuff from PA in 2 weeks--500 miles away

> Except for their pricing, they have a great web site.
> I found their prices slightly higher than other popular list vendors.



And therein lies confirmation of the old adage, that you can't get something
for nothing.  Same-day shipping costs money to offer, and is almost always
reflected in the price.

Rather than building it into the price of the parts, I have opted to offer
same-day shipping as an option that you can pay for only if you need it.  If
you're not in a rush, opt for our standard delivery and allow 7-10 working
days for delivery (often sooner, depending on how busy we are; right now
we're averaging around 5-7).  This way you'll pay the lowest possible
delivered price.  For non-critical items, or people who plan ahead, it's the
way to go.

But if you need the part sooner, opt for our Expedited delivery instead.
This is GUARANTEED date-definate delivery.  Your order will receive priority
status, and will be placed in front of all standard orders.  It will ship
the same or next day (depending on how late in the day you order), and will
be GUARANTEED at your door within 1-3 working days (depending on the
delivery option you choose) or you will be refunded the extra shipping cost.

Compare my total delivered prices WITH this service, to other vendors'
prices without it. Often the additional cost of Expedited shipping is
minimal - and is more than offset by my extremely low parts prices.  So you
end up saving money AND getting the parts faster.

To order via Expedited service, best is to call your order in (toll-free if
you have part numbers; via the customer service number otherwise).  We can
confirm shipping cost, in-stock status, and guaranteed delivery date while
you're on the phone, and start processing the order as soon as you hang up.
You can also specify the Expedited option when ordering online, and we'll
call you with the info for approval prior to shipping - but bear in mind
that we process web orders at around 4 pm each day, and UPS picks up at
about 5, so if we don't reach you between 4 and 5 you order won't ship until
the next day.  (On standard ground orders, however, there is NO difference
in processing speed between web and phone orders.)

Incidentally, I am NOT in any way criticizing the particular vendor alluded
to in the above example (Volks Cafe).  In fact, quite the opposite, they are
a well established and reliable shop, and one that I wouldn't hesitate to
recommend.  I visited them myself when I was in the Bay area, and have
frequently referred customers to them for repairs.

- Ron Salmon
  The Bus Depot, Inc.
  (215) 234-VWVW
  www.busdepot.com

_____________________________________________
Toll-Free for Orders by Part #    1-866-BUS-DEPOT