Date:         Wed, 10 Jul 1996 13:45:20 -0400
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         BusBoys@aol.com
Subject:      Re: Rear Window Seal Backorder

Ron Van Ness writes:

<< So if RMMW had them backordered since November I can only assume that the
 reason they offered them for $9.95 in the February sale (regular price $30)
 was so they could increase the volume of their pending order to get a better
 price from Brazil?  I could understand them running out of an item in their
 catalog and having to place it on backorder (though that happens too often
 as it is), but to place an item on sale that's been backordered for three
 months already with six months more backorder to go can try the nerves of
 any happy go lucky VW owner. >>

In the case of importing stuff from Brazil, Germany, even Mexico, the lead
time of awaiting the product(s) to arrive can try the nerves of even the most
patient purchasing agent.  Big outfits like RMMW and WCM do try their best to
time their advertised specials to the projected arrival of such product(s),
but even the best laid plans of mice and men (and women) can go wrong.  In
many cases, advertised specials in Hot VWs and VW Trash (I mean Trends) often
have to be at the magazine's office for typesetting at least 3 to 4 months in
advance of the publishing date.  In conversations with RMMW's purchasing
folks, they are realizing the hard way that they will have to re-think their
purchasing resources and the fact that they can be backordered themselves for
quite a long time, depending of course on the product.  This is something I
learned and lived with for the past 20 years of being in the VW Biz.  Example
- I've been waiting for 68-72 battery trays for the past 9 months outa
Denmark - when are they coming?  Who knows.  Another example are Brake
Hardware/Spring Kits.  The importing agent bringing them in for us has gone
belly-up I found out yesterday.  And I just shipped my last 71-79 Rear
Hardware Kit.  I have no idea when or where I'm gonna get back on track for
re-supply out of the maker in Europe - I may have to go direct - regular
sea-going freight takes 3 to 4 months to get on my shelf.

Jim / BusBoys@aol.com