Placing Test Orders?

[VtheGNMan]

I'm not sure if this is posted in the right place or not as it didn't fit criteria for Vendors Section post either. But I am curious if anyone else does what I call Test Orders with companies? By that I mean before ordering a larger dollar order, I'll place a smaller dollar order and see how it goes. Its funny how quickly you can identify a good company to do business with.

Just curious if I am the only one.

 

[SHADOWII]

Others have used the same practice, but most of us just wait to see the outcome or word of those who go before us!

 

[VtheGNMan]

I can see how the vendors and feedback sections here are a valuable tool. Before I discovered this forum I was testing waters now I don't have to. Funny but I weeded out a couple vendors using this method and then came here and discovered that with some it didn't matter how big the order was, they still were terrible. This forum seems to give a good medium, telling good and bad. Sometimes all you read is the negative stuff all the time and that's not right either.

 

[earlbrown]

I do that too. Learned my lesson about one vendor early on.

 

[TLIMITED]

Too bad Poston didn't make it and shut down as I always placed large orders with them and got orders within a few days and every order had the right parts in the boxes.Have had the same outcome with Highway Stars but they do not carry quite as much as Poston did.

 

[TRICKSIXPA]

This strategy I don't believe works anymore. So many of the vendors now drop ship and the quality and consistency of the part your ordering is not in their hands. I believe the best thing we can use as a gauge is Customer service and order resolution if a part doesn't arrive or breaks later on down the road. How does that company deal with it. Many of the small parts we see on the web site are usually in their inventory. If your going to judge a vendor on how fast they get a part out to you. You might just want to scratch a bunch of our vendors off that list right now. I've learned to look for, do they have a phone # do they always answer the phone when you call? They have an email do they respond within 24-48 hrs to a question. If you leave a VM do they call you back the same day?


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[VtheGNMan]

I can definately see your point. I dont believe it works anymore either but it is something I will still do if I am uncertain. There does seem to be an ever growing diff between our great vendors and the bad ones! It seems the bad ones even stopped trying to achieve bad status.
Here I thought someone would chime in that there are no low dollar items for our cars!

 

[SHADOWII]

I can definately see your point. I dont believe it works anymore either but it is something I will still do if I am uncertain. There does seem to be an ever growing diff between our great vendors and the bad ones! It seems the bad ones even stopped trying to achieve bad status.
Here I thought someone would chime in that there are no low dollar items for our cars!

That's because "low dollar" is relative and not compatable w/TR's! lol

 

[GNRick]

I've done that with mechanics. Gave them something easy to work on and see how it went. Lately I've been doing more of the work myself though.