Buy Jaguar parts at the price you decide! Not.

[No Quarter]

Hi, this is not about vendor bashing, but this is so strange, I’ve never even heard of business methods like this. So I’ll share, then the administrator must decide if it’s not for this forum.

Last weekend I received an interesting offer from where I buy parts from my 07 XKR and 85 XJ6, Limora in Germany. See text below. Besides free freight the offer was that we could choose our own price! First I thought, can this be true? On the other hand I’ve heard about restaurants that let customers decide what to pay, and that works fine, most people are willing to pay for something good, and don’t take advantage. And as we probably all know, when you can buy a water temp sensor for €50, it probably costs €3-5 to produce, so this could work out for both parties, also maybe clearing their excess inventory that was going to the trash? I don’t know, but I looked at the offer in front of me, in black and white, and believed they meant it. So I spent 1-2 hours putting together an order list, some stuff I need now, some stuff I’ll need within maybe 6 months, and lots of stuff I would never have bought at full price. So the campaign worked for them I thought. The prices I was willing to pay were around 1/3 of list price, which would leave them some margin on most parts. A local Jag-friend did the same.

However, Limora did not live up to their campaign. They sent a counter offer to both of us, with prices about 20% below list and with freight charges. WTF? It’s as if their marketing people and order people never spoke! I wrote back, that I was willing to remove some parts from my list, but that I expected the rest to be at the prices I wrote to them. They refused. Simple fraud IMO. So now I’m looking for another vendor, no way I’ll support business methods like that.

Have any of you had similar experiences?


“From 25. October up to and including 27. October: The Limora special-price weekend.

Choose the right price for yourself for a long weekend.
In this period we ship all your orders free of shipping costs within the whole of Europe.”

“replenish their stocks of wear and tear or consumables at the special price they require, or to buy an interesting, much sought-after tool.
Please understand the campaign as a heartfelt thank-you for your faithfulness, loyalty and devotion for so many years...!”

“the special price weekend from today, 25 October up to and including Sunday, 27 October 2019.
Choose the right price for yourself for a long weekend!”

[Fraser]

"Choose the right price for yourself for a long weekend." - the supplier
and
"Besides free freight the offer was that we could choose our own price!" - you

Maybe you need to do some more English classes ! OK, I'm joking, but an Englishman would never take that as you choosing your own price. Basically, all they are telling you is that you can submit a list of parts you want, and they will quote a price for them in total, with maybe/probably a discount, rather than you picking each one off their website and totalling it up to get a price. It doesn't sound unreasonable to me.

[No Quarter]

"Choose the right price for yourself for a long weekend." - the supplier
and
"Besides free freight the offer was that we could choose our own price!" - you

Maybe you need to do some more English classes ! OK, I'm joking, but an Englishman would never take that as you choosing your own price. Basically, all they are telling you is that you can submit a list of parts you want, and they will quote a price for them in total, with maybe/probably a discount, rather than you picking each one off their website and totalling it up to get a price. It doesn't sound unreasonable to me.

Well, other Englishmen agree with me. And Limora never told me or my Jag friends that thought the offer was as I describe that we read it wrong. They simply ignored it.
Either way, the worst marketing campaign in history, we don't use that vendor any more.

[Neilr]

Well, other Englishmen agree with me. And Limora never told me or my Jag friends that thought the offer was as I describe that we read it wrong. They simply ignored it.
Either way, the worst marketing campaign in history, we don't use that vendor any more.

I would also agree with you but if this page is the one that was displayed: https://www.limora.com/en/company-profile/news

it does say "Our commercial customers are invited to replenish their stocks of consumables at the desired price or to buy an interesting, much sought-after tool."

So it depends on the definition of "Our commercial customers", I guess.

[No Quarter]

So it depends on the definition of "Our commercial customers", I guess.

I was sent an email with this offer. Text below. Tell me how this is not a "set your own price"? Some restaurants do it, and it works.People are fair about it.

"Ladies and gentlemen, dear customers,
A cold winter, dark days and the classic car stands alone in the garage.All this is coming soon. There is is no reason for a bad mood!
We have something to make you smile here: an extraordinary but not indecent offer: the special price weekend from today, 25 October up to and including Sunday, 27 October 2019.
Choose the right price for yourself for a long weekend!
As our customers, we always see you as a partner, extremely fair and equitable. It happens that a part gets into a package inadvertently too much and without calculation, never before has this simply been kept, often even returned free of charge, at this point many thanks for that!
So let us know your wishes: Article number and special price"

If other people read it differently, I don't care. I felt cheated and wanted to warn others...

[Neilr]

I was sent an email with this offer.

Then you would expect that they honour the offer, agreed.

Strange offer though as you could suggest 1 cent for each item and they couldn't really be happy with that. Sounds to me that they just wanted to find existing customers that were looking to buy some stuff and would in the end just make a counter offer to suit themselves. Possibly more underhand than "fair and equitable"