Any of you guys use Mini Sport "USA"?
"UK pricing with North American service"? I thought their big deal was that they were going to bring in bigger orders of parts to keep shipping prices down or something. I just ordered some panels and it sure didn't work out that way - sure, the price of the parts on their site was way cheaper than anyone else but I just got an email from England saying the order was 'oversized' and would have extra shipping added.
For some reason I thought Mini Sport USA was in the USA... 8.gif
Probably should have used M-Machine but I can't figure out how to see prices on their site - or do you have to call?
Pat
I use them all the time. What did you order that was oversized?
Quote from: 94touring on May 05, 2012, 03:19:54 AM
I use them all the time. What did you order that was oversized?
I got a couple outer sills, rear valence, left wing, and some group 2 flares so I can start using my '65 again (got busted last year for the tires sticking out beyond the fenders). Not sure I understand the banner on their site, 'DHL 2-4 day shipping...' - I definitely don't need that and told them in the order. Oh well...even with the extra shipping it will still be cheaper than Mini Mania or Seven, just not as great a deal as I thought.
Yeah its a balancing act when ordering panels. A lot of times if you add smaller parts in with a big order the shipping cost doesn't go up. I tend to add and drop items to see how much I can optimize my orders through them.
To View the M_Machine prices. Go to the home page , on the right hand side there is a "Download Catalog". Download the catalog it includes all the prices. after you figure out your order you need to call them to find out what shipping will be. Unfortunately they don't have a shipping calculator like Mini Spares or Minisport. I have also not seen much of a difference in ordering from Minisport USA or Minisport UK, But maybe CMU gets a small amount for orders placed through the USA site. But I don't know for sure.
Steve
Looks like the catalog no longer shows prices...at least, I can't seem to find any. I tried downloading it from a few different locations on their site...thought maybe something was getting lost in the translation since I'm not using Windows/Adobe so tried from a different computer. No deals.
Next time I'll probably just give them a call to check first.
I have to apologize. It seems M_Machine has removed their prices from their catalog. It must mean their prices are going up. The catalog is dated 2006. Any way I uploaded a copy of the catalog that contains the prices to the media section here on Restoration Mini. You can get an idea of prices, but you would really have to confirm when you called to order or inquire.
Steve
Sent a request to M_Machine for a current price list. received this reply.
M-Machine
3:34 AM (4 hours ago)
"Sorry I do not have a price list at the moment .
If you need prices please send a list of your requirements ."
Best Regards
Doreen Myers
M-Machine
Unit 6 Forge Way
Darlington
DL1 2PJ
"Sorry I do not have a price list at the moment .
If you need prices please send a list of your requirements and your annual income and we'll come up with a custom tailored list of prices just for you".
Outside the scope of the topic but related I guess...but do you guys use 7 at all? Back in the 80s I only knew of Mini City and 7 (don't think Mini Mania was around then or at least didn't know about them (other than Mini Spares in the UK))...and the guys at 7 weren't all that nice to a young person just learning his way around a garage, so I used Mini City exclusively. They aren't in VA anymore? Did they merge with Mini Mania? Looking at their sales flyer last night and a lot of the parts seemed to also be in the Mini Mania one...
I use 7 ent. Actually the link at the top of the page "suppliers" is who I use. I shop between the group for the best deals.
7-Ent is now out in California. I think the owner of the business when it was on the east coast retired and new management moved it to the west coast. I have been ordering parts from them lately. They have been easy to work with.
I use 7ent for just about everything. Mike K. cam down and had dinner at my place and dropped off a large box of parts that I placed that morning. Nice thing is they carry most things in-stock so it is a rare thing to have to wait for parts.
Seven is where I got my engine from. Michael A. is in Va. and travels to Seven often i think. Good people, good parts.
I have bought almost all of my parts from MiniSport USA. Mike coordinates everything nicely. My big order went direct from UK to Tulsa for consolidation to Bolivia for me. He has had a few small things in stock and sent out to my daughter in Va via USPS and paypal immediately.
He also brings in group orders each month are redistributes. Much cheaper that way.
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http://www.widman.biz/Mini/English/index.html (http://www.widman.biz/Mini/English/index.html)
Richard how often are you in Tulsa?
1958 and 1999
But I buy 4 container loads of products from there every month. When I saw the note on the page about opening a shop there, it made me wonder of there would be used parts available.
Aside from the Mini parts I had sent, I bought the used front suspension form my Corvair from a junkyard in Tulsa (over the internet) and had it delivered to my oil supplier there.
I've been happily ordering parts from Mike Guido for years.
Admittedly I have not ordered anything oversized, but the way Mike has saved me on shipping is:
A) I email Mike at mike@minisport-usa.com with a list of part numbers
Mike has some US stock on hand and can ship immediately via USPS fairly inexpensively
What he doesn't have, he'll tell you and he'll tell you when he's doing his next "bulk" order
So
B) you need to be prepared to wait, but then you'll just pay a reduced part of the UK-to-US shipping to Mike in Florida (your "share") and then he'll re-box and mail your bits to you.
His email reply clearly spells out both segments of the shipping as two line item costs, and together they have always been cheaper than ordering off the website.
In fact, that's the point: you don't place the order via the website - Mike does in his bulk order based on your email to him.
And Mike accepts both personal checks and paypal (and is a terrific resource for bouncing how-to? questions off of)
I usually order right from the website. I do pay more to shipping from England, but parts are priced so low that the order totals are usually less than ordering from California. (I live in NH)
I've done both over the past couple of years.
Since I've taken on the support role for all of the KC Mini owners (it seems) plus my own cars, my spending on Mini parts has gone way up. I've done business with Mike and found him to be an excellent resource and a big help, I still buy some things from him but most of my business has gone to MiniSpares, with the prices dropping due to the dollar/pound ratio change it's been worthwhile to stock up on some consumables as well as the stuff I need for the cars I work on. I've found MiniSpares to be extremely responsive and even with air shipping their stuff is still less than half the cost of the US suppliers.
As long as they have it in stock.....but they do run out of stuff from time to time.
Thanks for the kind words. I was the guy buying parts for my Minis and many other cars for 30 years. The last thing I wanted to be in life is a salesperson of any kind. But then this great opportunity came along. So, I do my best to treat everybody the way I always wanted to be treated for those 30 years. I don't consider myself as a salesperson, as much as someone that wants to help keep your Minis going. As some of you already know, I will spend hours on the phone with just one customer if that's what it takes to explain everything and get just what they need. With the expense of UK shipping I feel responsible to get it right the first time.
I am web based, I don't have a store front or warehouse to store a lot of parts. If I did, I would be as expensive as some of the US suppliers, so there would be no point as I would rather go to the beach. I do stock some consumables so you can get great prices and fast shipping. I charge whatever the website shows plus what I feel it cost to get that part here in one of my group orders. As we have just started using FedEx (listed as Economy) our shipping costs from the UK are pretty much unbeatable. If you haven't seen the change, put some parts in your cart and get the shipping estimate. On small orders it is sometimes cheaper to get parts from the UK, than from CA shipped to FL. On big sized parts it is sometimes cheaper if I place the order for you as the website can't figure how our great packers can combine/pack the parts. Let me know what you want and I will give you your options.
Our new lower shipping cost from the UK has become comparable to placing small orders in my group orders, so I'm not doing as much with the group orders... Plus if you order direct on the USA website you can acquire award points and now there's 10% off shipping on orders over $100.
Feel free to contact me via email or a call if you need any help or want some suggestions.
Thanks again!
Mike
Mike, thanks for weighing in.....
When they redid the MiniSport website it was very slow and difficult to navigate, it has gotten better I've noticed.
But, for a while it seemed like Mini Sport's prices were a good 20% higher than Mini Spares - I haven't done a direct comparison in a while but that's a good part of why I started buying there. I'm sure you're on top of that so I'll let you respond.
I know with Brexit and the pound dollar exchange rate improving (for us) I saw an immediate representative drop in my cost so I stocked up on some stuff that I use a lot of.
If you're not logged in the prices will include the 20% VAT as it doesn't know where you are. The USA and UK website are the same, so once the website knows you're in North America the VAT goes away. Pricing between Spares and us is usually a wash as we beat them on some parts and they beat us on some. One thing they had us beat on for a while was the shipping deal they had. But now that has reversed with the deal we have with FedEx. One big difference between us is that they have less selection as they mainly show what they have in stock whereas we will get you what you want. If they offer something that is currently out of stock you have to wait for an email from them and then place another order (more shipping expense). Their way would make life so much easier for me but would cost the customer more money with more shipments.
Mike
I much prefer that the MiniSport site gives you the indication of whether it is in-stock, low-inventory, or out-of-stock. As Mike says, it saves the customer a lot of hassle when locating and ordering parts.
I have now used both, minispares and minisport (the uk site). I recently became aware of the US version, which seemed to be the same just with the prices in dollars. Both experiences were great.
My minispares order had some items listed as low stock. They didn't ship with the initial order but before I could ask the question and get a response they had shipped by themselves at no additional charge. Currently minispares notes on their site things that are low or out of stock.
Minisport(UK) was easy to navigate, but the pricing was difficult for us buyers. Guess I'll check out the US site. Like said earlier once you put it in your cart and it knows where it's going they become clearer. I caught one of there sales and got a really good deal on assembled front hubs for disc upgrade and the complete rear brake assembly with the finned drums. I knew going in these would delay the shipment as they had to be assembled. Only thing was is instead of the 5-7 it was more like 15 business days. They were really good with the communication on the delay. Of course I was in a hurry somewhat as my tower bolts were in the order too, of course if anyone has read my restoration thread those bolts were useless to me. 50.gif
I'll continue to use both, based on needs and current pricing. Will definitely be checking the US site also.
MiniSpares does that too, but they do seem to wait a few days before letting you know on a low stock item whether they actually have it. I ran into that just last week when I tried to order the rocker arm spacer kit - the web page said low stock but it was three days after placing the order before I got an email telling me they were out of stock and asking if I wanted the rest of the order, which I just cancelled.
I've always had excellent customer service from Mike and MiniSport so it's good to hear they have a competitive shipping deal in place.
Mike, if I order on Sunday, I usually have my MiniSpares order on my porch Wed, Thursday at the latest. Will your Fed Ex deal work like this too?
If everything is in stock and you choose DHL or UPS, then yes as shipping with them is 2-3 days average. The cheaper Economy (FedEx) takes about 4-5 days. It's worth the savings if you're not in a hurry. Note, our on site, stock is updated every night and gives an exact count of the stock. Granted if there is just one in stock and someone else placed an order the same day before you, you're out of luck.
Mike
They're cheap and the slowest in shipping hands down. I bought a set of white Cooper S wheels with tires set and it says there out of stock and will have to stock within 9-14 days or something. I purchased it anyway and my money was taken out so fast from my acct then after a week i asked if they can give me a ball park estimate date that way i'd have an idea when to expect it and they couldn't give me a reply. after bugging their facebook and contact us link on their website they were apologizing that their supplier didn't have any and will have to wait at least 2 months. I told them if i knew it would be that long that i wouldn't even order. they got back to me and said they'd like to offer me a set in silver anyway and would be available in a month. Cheapest but slow.
The ETA listed on out of stock items is based on our suppliers having them in stock. It would be impossible to have the stock of each item linked to each supplier to be updated. When in doubt it is best to contact me so I can get a better ETA on out of stock items. Feel free to contact me any time direct as I don't spend much time on the FB page. mike@minisport-usa.com or 321-890-9888 Florida. Unfortunately when parts are out of stock we are at the mercy of suppliers, but when everything is in stock, we're as fast as anybody. Like I mentioned earlier, it must be nice to be Spares and only take orders for what is in stock, everybody is happy for that order. But then you have to place more orders as parts come in to stock.
Thanks but I did not know that. And I wish I have that information somewhere in the website.
I understand every store is different and I was just very frustrated that I even ask to just refund or just have me buy another available item in equal value as I needed other things but customer service chose to ignore that and insisted I wait.. Cant really do anything as the store already got my money. Lucky you guys have no Yelp.
"Cant really do anything as the store already got my money." Seriously not true. If you want a refund or to change your order let me know. My contact information is the only contact information on the USA website under "Contact Us" and my phone number is also on the upper right of every page.
I second what Mike is saying. I have contacted him when a backorder item was taking longer than expected. He is very responsive at trying to get better ETAs from the UK side.
I have not had problems locating the "Contact Us" information (even without logging in to the website).
Oh i have no problem finding where the Contact Us link on their website. My issue was is that I mentioned to just either replace my order or get a refund and they just insist on taking care of it which they did but it's just harder for someone who doesn't know who doesn't have a "go to" guy like you guys have. I don't know the website didn't mention contact Mike for shipping inquiries. if it did then i didn't see it.
I noticed they don't make those cooper S wheel set available anymore at the website like the last time i checked a few days ago. I don't wanna sound like a spoiled brat here. I just don't know who Mike Guido is.
Dennis, give Mike a call and get to know him, he's a great resource for our little cars and he'll be able to help you, I promise! 4.gif
If you ordered the steel Cooper S wheels my understanding is the quality was so low they quit using that supplier and are looking for another. If you're talking about the alloy ones, I hear those are very good.
Yeah i've no choice as i need these stores lol. But seriously the website isn't user friendly to new users. I noticed a splash page where they mentioned to contact Mike and there's also two contact us links which directs to two different contact infos with a form. it's not helpful. I make websites on the side and big factor nowadays is user experience design. if a new user can't find things they need then they go elsewhere hence makes your bounce rate higher on google analytics. Splash pages doesn't help. Why do i need to make two clicks to where i wanna go when you can make it one. So much for my bitch fit. sorry for my long rant. I'm really a good person too.
Are you accessing it from your phone? I always use my laptop......
Doesn't matter where you access it. If the website is built to work on a laptop or a PC and if the website is constructed for mobile use (which it is) then it should work, otherwise they need to hire a new web developer. You can't make a storefront website that appears can be used on all mobile devices not work. I know because I used to do this for a living. I know it can't be perfect but I'd hate to be the guy for this to happen to.
So I end up contacting Mike and it was night and day difference with customer service. He went above and beyond to look at my orders and even pointed out i double ordered on another item. So to conclude this drama episode, I end up finding out from the silver replica cooper S wheels that the difference between that and the original is the bulging reinforced part where the lug nuts would go. Looking at the white set, it's just hard to see those details compared to the more contrast photo of the silver wheels. I end up cancelling the whole set.
I wrote in their contact form I'm building a Monte Carlo rally replica car and it would be nice if someone from the U.K. minisport to inform me that without the hubcaps it will not look right with my car. Don't they have Paddy Hopkirk's rally replica car there????
Excellent, I'm glad you and Mike were able to talk......onward then..... 4.gif
Yes he is very helpful. Thanks for referring him to me.