Who are your favorite LR vendors?

[jp-]

Hell,

You could even give the catalog a part number and sell it just like any other part.

Might turn a tidy profit... I'd buy one.

[jp-]

Or,

"Buy $100 in parts and get a free catalog."

[TeriAnn]

Gray shapes circle just below the waters as triangular fins cut the surface

Beyond that, we know that a price list does exist. Because every time you call, they are able to rattle off the prices pretty quick. Maybe they have them memorized, but I doubt it.

Of course a price list exists! It is part of the company inventory and ordering software. The unfortunate thing it that the software package is very expensive and does everything well except talk to online databases.

But the price data can be run through another piece of software and transfered as text fields which allows it to be uploaded to a server.

You may have missed the fact that prices are currently available on line in 3 different ways.

1. The complete price list is available as a pdf file at the click of a button. You can see and print out the whole thing.

2. Pages in html format have price numbers that are links to the price lookup window. These include all the off road product pages, the accessory pages and the quick moving service parts pages.

Click on the part number and a small window pops up that contains the current price. Single click current price lookup.

3. Unfortunately Acrobat doesn't support javascript text buttons. You click on the price lookup button to the side of the web page to pull up the small price lookup page. Now comes the hard part that I don't like. You need to read the part number off the pdf page and type it into the price lookup form and click before you can see the price. Its a pain but better alternatives cost well into the four figures to implement and that means significantly higher parts prices to pay for the changes.

I've personally never met an online store software implementation that allows me to find parts easily and data entered into store software to describe the part does not instill confidence that I've fount the correct part. I just don't think the technology is there yet for good intelligent product selection based upon the customer's natural search methods.

I'm not going to recommend that BP toss out their expensive software package for one that plays well with sever side databases and then invest thousands of person hours to write product descriptions based upon todays store front technologies. I'm sure that puts me in your "dumb-ass" category but thats the way it goes.

I've seen lots of really crappy on line stores. I agree with you that a paper catalogue is still the quickest, most natural and easiest way to find a part. But it is also VERY expensive these days and would result in significant price increases.

The best two alternatives are to put all the parts into html pages with free form descriptions, multiple jpegs if needed, part numbers with single click current price lookup OR pdf pages.

I personally believe that free form html pages with good descriptions and single click current prices is the best way to go. But it has drawbacks. It is not easily printable into a paper catalogue. There is a high labour maintenance factor to keeping everything current and there are no BP employees who can properly create and edit html pages. They have always outsourced their web site.

PDF pages are very easily printed if you wish to have a paper copy. People at BP know how to create and upload pdf files. But they can take longer to download and it is a real pain in my book to look up prices. I personally don't like having pdf catalogue pages that do not includes prices. But including prices would double input time and significantly increase the likelihood of mistakes.

That is how the site handles prices and a bit of why they have chosen the pathways that they did. Their customers say low prices & high quality are #1. BP focuses on those at the cost of traditional overhead items such as paper catalogues. Price lists are available in the web site and there is single click current prices for off road gear, accessories & fast moving service parts. pdf catalogue pages are easy to keep current, any customer with a printer can easily print out the very latest catalogue but looking up the prices are a pain.

[TeriAnn]

Hell,

You could even give the catalog a part number and sell it just like any other part.

Might turn a tidy profit... I'd buy one.

Sounds like a business oppertunity. I have a printer and know how to print pdf files. Send me US$20 and I'll mail you a printed version of the BP catalogue.

[jp-]

$20? Too high.

Actually, I don't mind the online catalog so much; I just see a great deal of room for improvement.

And about buying the catalog, it must have both the price and part numbers / descriptions (together!). I know that I can go print out both, but I still have to look back and forth between the two. The whole idea is to offer a catalog with both.

[BackInA88]

I don't mind looking back in forth.
But I don't like looking for a price only to find it is not listed!
I understand the reason for both as the prices change, but to than to turn around and not have the prices for everything in the catalog, that I don't understand.

I wish that there were hyperlinks in the part number that link to a database with pop up window of the price like on the "Service Parts" page.

But I have to say Wise Owl has the worst site buy far.

But than again I've never designed a web site, but I know the ones I like.

.

[giorgio]

Well, for some reason, I have not yet shopped British Pacific.

I have shopped Wise Owl, and their site takes some getting used to, I will admit, but you can find the price once you get the hang of it. It is not listed on the same page as the part, and you have to scroll through several pages of parts prices to find it.

I just visited British Pacific, to see what all of the brouhaha was about.

I am no Internet whiz kid, as I recently proved by stating that there was no Internet back in the mid 1980's

In less than five minutes, on my first visit, I got the hang of the organization of the site, located a clutch/brake fluid reservoir, and found the price. Pretty darned easy, if you ask me.

The Tech Info section looks like I need to return to visit, and print out some of the information contained therein.

I have a 1968 Series IIA NADA 109 Carawagon with the 2.6L engine, and it is hard to find much information on it.

[jp-]

Giorgio,

In all fairness, it really isn't too bad today.

There was a time that BP made it too much trouble, though.

Yeah, the tech section is pretty good.

[alaskajosh]

More kudos to RN: After a misunderstanding on the number of parts ordered Steve at RN rushed the part out, which was nice, but then followed up by phone a week later to make sure everything had worked out! This is outstanding service not often seen in any field.
Thanks!

[siii8873]

I have been doing a restoration of a SIII for 4 years. I have bought parts from a few different vendors. I have the following thoughts on the ones I've used
Rovers North - very good supplier, usually very good with any technical advise. They are great with supplying new available parts. I feel that they are not very aggresive in sourcing parts to replace NLA parts. This may be improving with the new Proline parts but my only experience with Proline was one part which I returned as it was not a good replacement.
Down South Rovers - good supplier with original parts. George has a good knowledge of rovers and can be very helpfull. One thing I like about DSR is that if he thinks there is a cheaper alternative or that you may not need a part he will say so. He has also supplied a few used parts that where not available elsewhere.

[LA3]

RDS Customer Application

Of course, you must first get on Georges approved customer list.