What has been your experience buying from Pelican since Phil`s passing?
 

I ordered some things today for the first time from Pelican, since Phil passed away. He was a class act that can`t be replaced.:( sure miss him and you could BS with him about MB cars if he wasn`t busy or other things until he got another call.

He knew where to locate things from his years in the Auto Part business. If he had to search to find something, he would alway get back to you with a call or E-mail.

I decided to order the Prechamber Lock Ring remover tool and the Prechamber tool and some PC Seal rings.

The guy I talked to (nice guy) is a BMW guy and definately not a lover of Diesels. :cool:
I think the only things they know is what is on the computer screen in front of them as far as MB`s go. maybe different if I had a BMW and needed parts for it. since we became part of the Pelican, or actually they bought the Forum, we are the Red Headed Step Child. Or feel like it.

I have purchase things from Phill and Fastlane, Allpartsexpress, and used my credit card. now with Pelican, Iam not in their system and had to start out brand new. evidently the info Phil had never got sent to Pelican Parts.

Now since Iam a new purchaser as far as they are concerned, and I have a PO Box for my CC mailing address, (mainly because the home mail box is down on the County Rd) where the important stuff goes, bills money etc.... (feel free to send all donations to the po box ;)) they would have required me to send them a Fax of my I.D. if it was to be sent to the home address. so the first order is being sent to my P.O. Box.

Any additional orders then can be sent to the home address. this is a first for me, with this order or any other order from whom ever I bought things from.

Have any of you come across this since the take over?


Charlie

I talked to someone (Kevin I think) & he took care of me finding a dealer part for less than the local dealer offered and without the hassle.

I've come into a warehouse of Nissan parts so have been learning the pricing scheme. You should easily be able to purchase online for ~20-30% less than local dealer full retail. I'm in the learning curve but having fum playing with a bunch of trannys, brakes, fenders, alts....the list goes on.

I've only placed one order since Phil passed. I placed it online and it arrived promptly, so no surprises.

I'd expect there to be a settling-in period, and given Phil's depth and experience, that's going to be longer than normal. One would hope that they will be cognizant of such issues and work a bit harder to come up to speed. Otherwise...well, there are lots of places to buy generic parts, right?

I didn't know Phil and never dealt with him so I have no standard of comparison. However, I've placed a couple of orders with Pelican in the last few weeks and all was fine. No issues here. After trying to deal with the local M-B dealer, Pelican is, for sure, a breath of fresh air.

I'm getting the feeling that Pelican bought the parts thing from Phil. Do I have that right? I don't know the history.

Dan

3 orders
 

I've placed at least three orders with Pelican since Phil's passing. I received a $5 discount coupon from my first order which I used last month on my 2nd order (shocks for the "project" car).

Last night, I placed my 3rd order which consisted of:
AC pressure switch
AC temperature switch
Hood Pad
Fuel Return hose/lines ---- I had some trouble finding these, but worked thru it. My search was for fuel lines and.....that's not what it's called.

I guess you can tell I'm planning on driving the 1984 Light Ivory with (Henna) Red interior this summer.:D Last night, the order form remembered who I was.....didn't have to log in....so the Cookies must be intact on my home computer.

All 3 of my orders have been online without a person interaction though. I remain a supporter of this forum when possible.

When I first ordered parts from Peachparts, I was dumbfounded by the personal aspect of the service. It was a big reason why I liked working with Peachparts. Phil was tireless in his fixing of problems and just making things work right.

I've not ordered any parts in the last few months so I have no basis for comparison now. So, I can only imagine the day to day red tape that is not getting cut through.

I just called to see if my order went through, didn`t get a confirmation from them. been 24 hrs. since the tools are a special order will take 6days before the get them and ship them out.

I did order 10 prechamber seal rings with hope maybe we could get this engine back together. I might be able to borrow my Indys lock Ring tool, but w/o the seals.....ooooh welll.

The 888-333-4642 in the Peach Parts site just gets me into a Fax machine. need to use the number that is on the catalog page.

Talked to a different person today, so they must have a bunch of computers and several people looking at a Monitor w/o MB experience.

Not griping or complaining, just posting my experience.

Charlie

I have had but one experience with Kevin and it was positive, he was helpful. I am not trying to put anyone down but we all know that Phil was an original. He took delight in finding your part, and in networking for other customer needs. Several times he asked me if I knew a source for a particular part. Sometimes I could help. But Phil was always a source, and he always called back.
HammArch

Best use the bench mark of a 18 year old air head working the phone at a dealer.
That way you will be comparing apples with apples.
It is of great concern if customer history at peach parts has not transferred over. If PP's VIP customers are not on the system then chances are that DB's that should never be dealt with again will be not noted as well.

I am grateful for the forum but have never been impressed with the parts service. I have ordered several times, the service is slow, shipping costs are high, and half the time they don't have the parts they list on the website.

Pelican is getting better about carrying MB parts, they are the only place I can find that carries Lemforder guide rod and LCA bushings for example. Been buying BMW stuff there for a while, again same place that only seems to carry Lemforder for some suspension bits. The rest is hit or miss on pricing. At least they seem not to carry Uro that I have noticed.........

Some of their shipping is not acceptable and it sends me elsewhere. Sure they had a great deal on W126 front rotors for about $35/ea from Brembo... but after shipping they were more expensive than from The Haus in Arizona for ATEs. :rolleyes:

Tried to order from 'Peach Parts' or whatever it was called once, when I had my 300D, needed glow plugs (one was bad, but replacing all five). I waited a week and they never showed. Canceled my order, bought new Bosch ones cheaper at Autozone and fixed my car immediately. Left a sour taste in my mouth I never ordered from there again.



Nothing will ever be perfect.

Please
 

Let me know what you could not find, I will dig it out and see if it can be added to the catalog.

If you find catalog errors "take a screen capture", send it to me for correction.

You can call me to:
* Answer technical questions.
* Review parts quality - durability options.
* Assemble a parts list, and forward them to sales.
* Roadside repair rescue, I may be able to help.


Have a great day
.

So if I run part numbers on parts that I have and they don't show up, should I send the number to you along with a picture of the part?

I have just done my first inquiry and was sent back an immediate response on whether or not a specific DS support bearing actually had the bearing included and was informed that it was not. So I will order all parts including bearing and boot and inform when i receive it.

I will give them a chance to get the price where it needs to be. Just talk to a live person & say can I have it for $X because Y reason and see what happens.

Some types of businesses ie bodyshops & mechanics get a discount off retail. I'm guessing that online prices are discounted some but there is likely some room for movement. This is especially true when you are buying multiple parts. Their making something on the total order is preferable to making nothing if you go to another source. let them win ties and am sure the owner(s) understand & will appreciate having last look.

I have had 4 orders from Pelican since October. Everything has been delivered promptly..

If I have needed it in a hurry I pay extra for faster shipping and have it when expected.

I never talked to phil.

I figure I am just a regular customer in the heartland and they are on the left coast. It is pretty amazing to get the order in 2 days.

Yes
 

Send me the number and a picture of the part. :D
I will research and get back to you ASAP.

As has always been the case, the catalog is not the ultimate source.
We will always try to improve, but there are limits to what is possible.

.

Starting to get frustrated
 

The catalog is too inconsistent, and I am losing patience with all the errors.

1) SLS struts are not "available" for the 1987 300TD, but they are available for the 1988 TE. I contacted Pelican a week or so about this, but it is still wrong. Also, the 88 TE catalog refers to them as shocks, which is not the commonly used term for them.

2) I couldn't find vacuum pumps for my 87 300TD, but I guess I am supposed to look under Fuel Injection and then Diesel Pumps. Who knew? If you follow the links to Vacuum Pumps, it just takes you to a few gaskets and vacuum lines.

3) If anyone is interested in a cheap central locking vacuum pump, be sure to check out the screen shot attached. What are the odds they would honor that price?

Seriously though, I shouldn't have to go to epc to find part numbers and then enter the part number directly to find the correct parts. I have been going to the competition first these days because I can trust their catalogs more. This is a shame because the forum is great and I want to support it. But only within reason.

Phil was my go-to guy and I believe that he always gave me a good deal. I recently requested a price quote on a few special order items, but found the competition beat the price on every single item. I am now ordering $610 from a dealer instead of $680 from Pelican. I'll keep checking with Pelican, but I don't think I will rely on them as much as before.

That is an interesting price for that pump. wish the main eng Vac pump was that price.

I was searching for sub Frame Bushings for a 84 300D, none show, but they do show the Trailing Arm Bushings.

Then I search for the same thing for a 77 240D, and nothing shows up.:confused: It is the same Chassis.
searching for Trailing Arm Bushings, nothing shows, but it says, customers who searched for this item also serched for w111 yada yada yada and w111 bla bla bla. what that have to do with a w123?


Any who, I started this thread because I thought it was strange I had to start off like a new customer, and give them all my info, when I had been buying parts from Phil. And that they couldn`t send the package to my home address because the P.O. Box is the address on the credit card. from now n they can send it to my home address.

I got no confirmation via E-mail like I would from Phil. called and talked to a 2nd person, and they said the order went through.

Didn`t hear anything, and clled a 3rd time. this person said the parts were sent on March 8, I called on march 12th. my wife drove up to the P.O.Box (13 miles from the home address) and picked up the package the next day.
The reason I didn`t get any E-mail info is, the original person that took down my E-mail address, added an extra "L" to the name.

The third person told me that they all work from their homes, not in an office.
Dang, I had visions of Porch and BMW Elves running around doing chores and a shop with bmers and those other things up on Lifts. :D


Charlie

I have ordered parts about 4 times since dealing with Phil. I normally just look up the part numbers and order over the phone. It has worked out good, but still not the same personal service. However, I have been getting the parts the next day and that is great. It helps to be less than 100 miles from the warehouse.

Most time i would get the parts the next day from Phil if I ordered early enough. usually around 10 to 10:30am.
Helps to have the wearhouses close by in the Bar Area up here too..

Charlie

Thanks for all the feedback and comments from everyone here. Phil had 35+ years in the Mercedes Benz industry and he will always be impossible to replace. We have a new fellow manning the phones, Daniel, who also has about the same amount of years experience with Mercedes Benz. Not Phil, but pretty darn good.

We do have all of the previous customer information stored and integrated within our systems - I think that some of our salesreps may not be adequately trained on where the lookup screen is located, if they are asking you for all of it again. I will address this with them tomorrow.

I just checked the number and it worked fine from inside our office. But then I checked it from my home and cell and it did not work! (fast busy signal). GRRR - I am on the phone with our phone company right now.

Nope. Peach was owned by Bill Wood. We bought the company and the forums about a year ago. In general, the company was not doing very well. Pelican on the other hand has consistently grown about 20% per year over the past decade or so, based primarily upon our attention to our Customers. Phil wholeheartedly supported our Pelican "mantra" and was very excited about being a part of our team because we had improved upon many aspects that the "old PeachParts" hadn't really grasped. We also lowered our pricing about 25% when we took over too.

I looked you up in our database, and I see that you ordered only from the "old Peach Parts". I invite you to try Pelican, as we are very different from how things were run in the past. I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

We're still working out some of the kinks in the new catalog. It's pretty much in "beta" right now, and I've had to stop working on it because there were a few other things that got in the way. But starting in April, it's back to working on it full time!

Our new "Super Catalog" has been rolled out exclusively on the Mercedes side of things. This catalog integrates all of the parts from the "old Peach Parts" and Pelican, along with a bunch of other new parts. I'm pretty confident that the catalog is actually the most comprehensive catalog of OEM Replacement parts for Mercedes on the Internet (we've checked and compared). In addition, we just hired two more "catalog guys" to assist with adding even more product.

Thanks again for everyone's feedback and continued support!

-Wayne

I have never ordered anything from phil or pelican (i don't think, anyway) Phil sounded like a great guy. I have a couple guys like that for my other hobbies, but not for the MB side of things. I am impressed that the CEO stopped by and answered/addressed some of the questions. Stuff like that makes me want to buy from them. I've bought things at a higher price before because the company has treated me so well and their competitor with the lower price has treated me like a number. I've been coming to the forums for a while, but just signed up a few days ago. I keep looking through the catalog and will eventually order something from them though.:)

I ordered a few weeks ago.....I don't think that was the "old" anything. Twice in a year I have cancelled my order when days after paying I was informed that the parts were unavailable. My hobbie is keeping my car running not spending hours hunting down parts only to be told later they are unavailable and that the refund will take a week....

Not having what is offered on the web site is frusterating...I'll pay more at the competition, or dealer, so I can get the parts I need

With the exceptions of a few glitches in the catalog listings (to be expected when you merge two different systems) I've been satisfied with Pelican's service. The folks handling the phones don't have the knowledge of the specific Benz stuff as Phil had but they are helpful, friendly and easy to work with.

Thank You for the feed back Wayne.

When you get the guys start upgrading the MB catalog, you need to add the Subframe Bushing kit for the W123. 123 350 01 75 doesn`t show in the suspention section.

Also called a while back for the rear window seal. shows URO, Meyle, Lemfoerder and MBZ. Lemfoerder and Meyle were not available in any wearhouse. those maybe NLA ? looks like MBZ is the only option. say no to URO>

Charlie

When this package arrived, one end of the box had a hole in it and the tape holding the top on was barely intact. I received a link about the next order and added my comments about the shipment and how I thought there should have been more tape on the box.

A friendly customer service representative called and asked me some followup questions, so that counts in my book.

I'm getting ready to place another order, so we will see if the packing/taping improves.

The packaging isn`t from Pelican, I think that is the sending wearhouse, the same as when we had Fastlane.

You do have to take inaccount for the Oranatangs handling things along the way. :D

Charlie

I found your order, under a different email than you used with the "old Peach". We checked with the entire US-dealer network - the special-order parts that you ordered are unavailable from the dealer, and unavailable anywhere in the world, as far as we can tell. As soon as we found this out from MBUSA, your card was refunded the same day.

I would love to sell parts to everyone, but if something is unavailable from the MBUSA network, and they are the only ones who ever had it, then there's not much I can do?

Thanks for your continued support,

-Wayne

If you have tough questions, then Daniel should be able to help you out - he's not quite as experienced as Phil was, but he's pretty close.

He can be reached at 1-888-280-7799x260.

-Wayne

I'll have Scott add that to the catalog today. If you PM me the part number on the rear window seal, I can look up the stock. I can look up the PN from our catalog, but I find it always pays to make sure we're talking about the exact same part.

Thx,

Wayne

I have added the Suspension Subframe Mounting Kit with Brackets.

The part number is: 123-350-01-75-INT

It will show up tonight after the catalog regenerates...

-Wayne

I was thinking don't offer the part on the website and save us both some time. Not trying to be snarky but of the places I buy parts you guys make it hard to likeya....

FYI
 

There are many parts in the MB database that show valid, with a price...

But when you try ordering MB informs you it is NLA, and not worth their time/money to update/edit the master price list. :eek:

Unfortunately, we can only edit when we find them through the course of business. :(

:( Sorry: :(
We don't have resources to check/verify millions of MB part numbers to eliminate a few thousand of their internal "Daimler Corporation" errors.



.

The only problem I've had with Pelican is that their stated ship times for a part are grossly innacurate at times.
Example: 1238328494MBZ; this is a small hose from the block to the heater core{85 MB300TD}. If you click on the part and "add to cart"; it says ships same day or next business day. Well and good because this is a reasonable time to have a part shipped for a repair on a car.
I ordered this part yesterday and AFTER checkout; I get a message saying it wont be shipped until March 27th! Thats 12 days later than indicated when I was adding it to my "cart"!
Make your ship dates more accurate so that a person has the ability to go elsewhere for the part if the ship time is too long. My car will now be down for over 2 1/2 weeks. I could have ordered this from an online MB dealer and had it in 2 days for the same price. I like to support Pelican but this kind of service makes me leery of ordering parts in the future.
Thanks
John

What has been your experience buying from Pelican since Phil`s passing?
 

Aha! I was looking for some contact info for the new parts guy. This needs to be displayed at the top of the page so we can contact the same person every time if possible.

I have not ordered anything since Phil passed but I have been working on a list of parts which I need to order soon. I have been shopping around for some of the parts and I must say the prices here are much more competitive since Pelican took over way back when.

Answer
 

Right upper corner of ALL website pages. :)

and

In my signature.. :)

ask for Daniel, and they will transfer you.


.

Unfortunately, it's either offer up the entire MB catalog with their semi-inaccurate data, or don't offer any of those parts at all. We chose the former...

-Wayne

The MB dealers get the parts from the same MB USA network that we get them from. So unless they have one in stock on the shelf, it's all coming from the same place. Minute for minute, we're much faster at processing than the dealers. That said, the time to ship should be more accurate. I will take a closer look at that - it should be set to say a week or so, I think...

-Wayne

Thank you for noticing and pointing that out. :)

-Wayne