Date: Thu, 19 Oct 2006 17:30:00 -0400
Reply-To: Greg Potts <greg@POTTSFAMILY.CA>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Greg Potts <greg@POTTSFAMILY.CA>
Subject: Re: A RANT : Westy Tires in Canada
In-Reply-To: <f06230901c15d3ee45d46@[192.168.1.101]>
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Hi David,
I don't quite understand why you are going through this much trouble.
By the time you go through 5 different variations of runaround you
should be able to form up a picture of how things are:
1. Vanagons aren't ordinary. Tires for a Vanagon are no longer "Off
the shelf" commodities. This is not a service issue... this is how it
works when you drive a non-standard vehicle. Most VW dealers
abandoned the vanagon a long while back... so unless you find a
retailer with a similar interest in vanagons then you're going to see
this a lot. The exception to this is with specialty retailers like
BusDepot, GermanSupply.com or GoWesty, who chase a highly specific
market segment.
2. Modern retail organizations (Including those mentioned in the
previous sentence) make $$$ by selling inventory. They stock the
inventory that sells the most, and they promote the brands that have
the largest profit margins. (Or else the best "Spiff" offered to an
individual sales associate.) Doing anything different means taking a
hit on the bottom line, and their bankers aren't going to like that.
The more often they flip that inventory, the more profit they take home.
3. 185R14 is not a common size in the current market. Just be
thankful that since it is also used in commercial vehicles (post
office, military, etc) it will (hopefully) remain in production for
quite a while yet.
All of the above considered; in a market like Edmonton you might be
better off to consider switching to a 15" rim.
Happy Trails,
Greg Potts
1973/74/75/77/79 Westfakia "Bob the Tomato"
www.pottsfamily.ca/westfakia
www.busesofthecorn.com
On 19-Oct-06, at 1:17 PM, David Etter wrote:
> WARNING:: THIS IS NOT A THREAD ABOUT BRANDS OR SIZES OF TIRES......IT
> IS A RANT ABOUT DEALER SERVICE OR THE LACK THEREOF.
>
> OK! You've all been there... a little nagging feeling every time you
> go past your van... "Gee! I really should get a new set of tires,
> those are starting to look a little scary", or perhaps you've just
> bought an older vehicle and have determined that you are in the
> market for a new set of 185 or 195/75-14 'D' rated tires.
> Well I am there now, and have been for most of the summer and
> I am p_ _ _ed off with the reception I have been getting here.
> As you go up to the order desk and approach a disinterested
> face who couldn't care less; I have heard it all before........
>
> .."Oh! I don't think we sell enough of those to warrant getting them
> in and the fella who knows about those things is out on break and
> will be back after dinner". (so with 4 sales persons standing around
> and a shop full of workers, nobody else knows anything- jeesh?)
>
> or
>
> .."Hey George.. what are we using now for a substitute tire for a
> Van-a - what did you say and how old is it?"...
>
> or
>
> .."Yeh we can get 'um but it'll cost you an arm and a leg and take a
> couple of weeks, so we recommend ya da - ya da - ya da and we can
> have those by tomorrow."
>
> or
>
> .." OK! Let me see now.... Oh Yeh... we have one only in stock in a
> bigger size but can order more if you want to pay a deposit. "
>
> or
>
> lying through his teeth with .." Nah! They aren't making those any
> more (or that size) and everyone is switching to brand X or Y."
>
> Then there is the price. It is consistently much higher and
> sometimes double the price normally found South of the border.
>
> The following is the result of my sporatic research here in Edmonton
> Alberta for 195/75-14 8 ply tires.
>
> Hankook RA08 = $600.00/4 that's if they can get in touch with the
> distributor, maybe...and...
> Continental Vanco = $717.00/ 4
> Michelin Agillis =$800.00/ 4 (185 series)
> Cooper Tires .. so much higher that I threw away the quote when I
> left the shop
> Vredestein Tires.. just try and find a dealer
> and finally...
> Nexon = $525.00/4 sounds good but I have never even heard of them,
> has anyone else.
>
> These prices may or may not include tax, installation and balancing;
> the dealers were so disinterested in helping me that I was not always
> able to determine whether or not those fees were included.
> Now to be fair to Edmonton dealers, there is a booming oil
> industry right now along with all the related business, so they are
> very busy and they really don't have time to fart around with stupid
> requests for a 25 year old VW camper.
> Still in all... it's a task I haven't finished and one that I
> can only face after time has healed the wounds of derision and when
> fortified with a rebuilt sense of self worth.
> What ever happened to those dealers who knew their stuff,
> genuinely cared and weren't in the business of extortion.
> `I can remember my neighbourhood service station where I
> lived as a kid. They had a soda fountain where you could buy a banana
> split for 25 cents and if you couldn't finish it there you could take
> the dish home and bring it back the next day. The owner and his wife
> ran the station and soda fountain and had two swell guys with
> families of their own tending the pumps who would fix your bicycle
> tire for a quarter. When someone came in for gas they got full
> service with a oil check and even a tire check if it looked like it
> needed it.
> They always seemed to have the tires you needed and always
> had a smile and the time to talk. Not only that, the weather was
> always sunny and warm too.. Sigh!!!!
>
>
> Aghhhhhh! David (dsl82westy)
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