Thread: COLT DRILLS – GROUP BUY expressions of interest

It's been a long wait so far, another 3-4 weeks isn't going to make much
difference to me!

I can't help but noticing that at least two of the missing part numbers are for the 5* sets, which would be the last ones I would expect him to be short of! The 10600410 sets make up a fair chunk of the NZ order, so from my point of view there isn't much point in rushing if they aren't there.

My official response to the question is therefore "meh."


I am starting to get the impression that Juergen is a bit of a muppet however...

I'm happy to wait, but majority rules. 'spose I'm happy either way!

No drama.

But if there's a next time with this crowd maybe put the money in escrow.

Keep 'em hungry!

OK, have just sent Helga an email with the delivery addresses, so we'll be getting underway. I've also asked her to tell me which packages are getting the two part numbers that are partially complete so I can work out the Exp.Post bags and get them to the receivers.

Deliveries will be as follows:
Package 1 - FenceFurniture
Orders for Barrie_Restall (on-post), NZStu (on-post), enak (on-post), stevemc32 (on-post)

Package 2 - gidgee_1
wattycoo (on-post), d5k (on-post)

Package 3 - Astrodog
hardwood (pick up), stevew, (pick up), Twosheds (pick up), NeilS (on-post), Tankstand (on-post)

Package 4 - Ross
gimjam (pu), More_Firewood (pu), Sawdust_Maker (pu), RossM (pu), Christos (pu)

Package 5 - thumbsucker
SteveMcM (pu), Ivorbegdick (pu), critterjg (on-post), Talorien (on-post), woodie2 (on-post)

Package 6 - Pops
brunswick1075 (pu), beer_is_good (pu), homesy135 (pu)

Package 7 - Wolften
AJMacca (pu), DoctorBobski (pu), RufflyRustic (on-post), Bushmiller (on-post), TTIT (on-post)

Package 8 - BottleBolt
TermiMonster (pu), bupton (on-post), Groggy (pu), KiwiBrucee (pu), hitch (on-post),

Package 9 - yorki
rsser (pu), Wood_fit (pu), Jack_E (on-post), Rattrap (on-post), hutch (on-post)


Now you might think that some of those groupings are a bit weird, but it comes down to a rather complicated algorithm of freight weight verses keep it under the $1000 threshold.

IMPORTANT:
If anyone wants/needs to change the arrangements from pu to on-post or vice versa then you should liaise with the receiver above by PM. Then, and only then, if the arrangements have changed you must let me know by PM or email, otherwise there will not be an Exp.post bag prepared for you, or you will still pay for one. Receivers that have members picking up from them should send their address via PM to those members. Kindly post back in here when you have done that so that I know it's been sorted.

In a few days I will get Groggy to send me some money to purchase the bags and send them to the receivers. That was a good idea, but even with the best estimate, I still may not know the packed weight for each bag. I'll go back to my trusty spreadsheet and see what I can work out, because there will be quite a few that will be predictable as they'll fall well inside the Exp.Post weight limits.

Watch this space.

Im easy...

Originally Posted by rsser

But if there's a next time with this crowd maybe put the money in escrow.

Keep 'em hungry!

Quite right Ern. I'd have to say that is is likely that there will be a next time (apart from anything else there's more stuff that I want). There was always going to be two learning curves for me - one on Group Buys, and the other on dealing with Juergen. I had only counted on the first.

What I would do now is as follows:

• Run the compaign for probably six to eight weeks.

• As we reached a threshold of ten or twenty kilos, or sub $1000, I would get the order sent directly to me, no more than one parcel per week

• Transfer the funds over to Germany as each parcel is ready to send. There is a fee for transferring less than $10,000 through OzForex but as far as I know it's not too bad (maybe $15 - Groggy?).

• Accumulate the stuff here, use it all to make sure it works, and then post on blunt drills to each member as the orders are filled.

• Members could have the choice of receiving one or more deliveries from Katoomba Nerve Centre, depending upon their needs. For example, Bushmiller (or his son), would probably want to try the big mother Auger on the Didges so that he can determine whether or not to purchase one of the tungsten tipped even bigger mothers from the USA. This would also allow the opportunity for members to place a subsequent order if they desired.

This would be easier for Juergen because he would only have one delivery address and only has to pack one parcel at a time without having to work out what goes where. The obvious benefit is that we start getting drills here MUCH sooner, even though each member's order may not be complete. Looking at the Northern Sydney bunch or the Melbourne bunch, I could send an exp.post bag down as a decent amount of drills were ready and members could pick up from the receiver as many times as necessary in theory.

Not to forget, of course, that all the bollocks with the pricing was actually the thing that held us up the most. It seems so long ago now but I didn't have final pricing until 7th May, and the campaigh started on March 3rd. That's nine weeks.

Another advantage of doing it that way takes a little explaining. Juergen is having great difficulty in keeping up with demand (what GFC?) Clearly, he was not always out of stock of the 10600050 5*s and we could have had a delivery of some along the way. As it stands because our special prices took so long to work out the drills that were in stock at the time were sent to other buyers. Then we send a pretty big order, and more to the point very varied order and it results in some difficulty in having everything in stock at the same time, so by sending the orders over a period of time it would lessen the impact of that considerably.

I strongly suspect that they are not completely out of stock of some of those part numbers, but have allocated them to other orders that can be completed, because ours would be incomplete anyway even if only one part number was completely unavailable. What you have to bear in mind here (and this is why I why so bloody cranky last week - unbeknown to you) is that even though I had said all along that there would be multiple packages, the packing lady had prepared one humungous package to send because she was never told otherwise! It apparently made no difference that I had sent the packing lists three weeks ago, she only saw them when I mentioned it last week. Juergen said "she's going to kill me!". "Sorry, but it has to be done that way, or we'll pay at least 15% when they arrive". I suppose I could have said that if he wanted to give us a 13.5% discount adjusted for the freight savings then that would be ok.

I'd have to say that I would probably do the same under these circumstances (IF it was only one package). Why hold up 5 deliveries when you can send them out and hold up only one of them for another (say) two weeks?

Coming back to your point Ern, I actually don't think that the pre-payment was the problem. All of this is very consistent with the other difficulties that I have had along the way. I know for a absolute fact that there were emails that were not read (or certainly not digested) because there have been a number of ideas that I have sent over (nothing to do with this buy, but rathermore new packaging ideas, new product ideas etc) and when I have mentioned them later it's all news. The best (?) example of this was the results of the 28 question poll. I sent those over and they were clearly not read. So if emails that are going to benefit are not read then.......

I'm easy either way, as I'm picking mine up this end 2 drops don't mean much difference for me.

FF

Happy to leave this aspect to you, although it sounds as though I am probably the least affected (that's affected, not effected. I need to get that straight .) of all.

Regards
Paul

ASTRODOG
GIDGEE_1
ROSS
THUMBSUCKER
YORKI

Please email or PM your mobile number to me urgently. Helga needs it for the packaging, and they are ready to go.

Originally Posted by FenceFurniture

• Transfer the funds over to Germany as each parcel is ready to send. There is a fee for transferring less than $10,000 through OzForex but as far as I know it's not too bad (maybe $15 - Groggy?).

.......

They do not specify exactly, but state it can be up to $15 so I assume it is some sort of sliding scale that increases the lower you go.

PMs sent for package 4

Ross

PM's sent for package 7