I dont know it can be frustrating especially when you know you can make a product of similiar or if not better quality. Making a purchase for something I know I can do myself is based upon a few things.
Firstly time management, and secondly how much is your time worth.
This is coming from someone who is now wating on a cold air intake where the funds are now been in the vendors hands for since the 11th. Someone parts I could put together myself and send out to chrome would probably take about the same amount of time. The end result would probably be better and as funtional.
I like paying for what is the best for what I can get. Making a purchase takes countless hours of research and if not weeks of research as to components, or the products in question. I suppose with all the time invested in the research of the products and or their components you could quantify the costs based upon keeping track of your time consumed. It is never that cut and dry especially when you enjoy spending the time to do the research.
So waiting for the best or what you have researched as the best will make you not want to pressure the vendor. I suppose this could add to the frustration when you yourself work for clients who put strict deadlines upon your work. Working in the power generation industry when a client has an issue with a time overrun on a schedule they are the ones who pay the costs. Not only do they get penalized for going over schedule and not being back on the grid they continue to pay till the job is done.
That is why there is considerable costs for instant gratification. Then there needs to also be the consideration of other key features such as customer support, the benefits of a superior or better value for not having a big brand name attached to it. All of these decisions can weigh in on the purchase.
Here is an example placed an order the 6th funds electronically clearedthe 9th and was told on the 6th the product "should" (not shall, or stronger suggestion) be out the door for shipping in 7-10days. So I chose to go with a lesser name even though purchasing a trans from say TCI would probably alredy be in the vehicle if not at the shop being instaled already. The pitfall of going with a smaller shop who offers a superior product at a compareable price.
The only frustration added to the situation is I now own a full teardown manual and DVD so I can rebuild the original transmission when time allows. Aready seeing how simple the transmissions are I could upon having all the parts complete a full teardown, inspection, and rebuild in probably less than 16hours. This would be contingent upon no major parts being worn or of questionable inspection. This would be upon doing my first transmission the ones to follow would take considerably less time if not half the time once the process is fresh and repetitious.
Time consumed on waiting for parts especially when you do not have them handy or in stock only makes the entire process take infinitly longer. And the costs associated when adding time pressure scheduling will only make the price tag double if not tripple in the end. A prime example would be having a LP rotor weighing 120tons ordered to cast. The casting of the turbine from GE would take a year just to get the casting rights. If you wanted one tommorow the cost would be exponential.
I do not have a problem waiting on good products, but products that require misleading modification under the premise of not having the pecifications available from their manufactureres. An example would be from a well known vendor who sells oil air cleaners for the passenger side valve cover. The directions specifially mention (loose but close quote). "Air cleaner should have 1/2" cut off from cleaners neck so as to not bottom out on the baffle inside the valve cover"... "The manufacturers do not produce them in the modified state".. The reality of the situation was the small air cleaner would not clear the bracket for the turbo charger due to the arc radius and clearance of trying to install the cleaner impossible. After cutting 3/8" off the neck the air cleaner just barely fit in. I am not a big fan of having to modify a part that should be plug and play to begin with. The product does look good but having to perform the modification only removed my option of returing the product. As for the manufacturers not being able to produce the product with the specifications I call Bull-roar.
So here I still wait patiently when not enjoying the beautiful weather in the GN. The nice thing with beautiful weather is that there are many options such as the boat, the beach and bikinis over the car.