Lotus Europa Community

Lotus Europa Forums => Garage => Topic started by: EuropatcSPECIAL on Monday,January 22, 2018, 02:26:59 PM

Title: Dip Stick
Post by: EuropatcSPECIAL on Monday,January 22, 2018, 02:26:59 PM
I ordered a new dipstick from a well established engine parts supplier. It arrived as per picture. The bag it was sealed in was a tight fit. Had the dip stick not been bent it would not have fitted. I contacted the supplier and they assured me that they would not be as stupid as to bend a dip stick. I arranged to return the item. When I took the dip stick to my local post office to return it I was informed that it just scraped in as a 'small package' any bigger and it would be another £4. When the correct shaped dip stick arrived it was in a bigger envelope and the postage was another £4. :headbanger:
Title: Re: Dip Stick
Post by: 4129R on Monday,January 22, 2018, 02:29:45 PM
I might be asking a silly question, but would it not have been a lot easier to just straighten the bent dipstick?
Title: Re: Dip Stick
Post by: EuropatcSPECIAL on Tuesday,January 23, 2018, 01:21:55 AM
No to be honest, and the point is I hate being lied too. It did not leave the manufactures in that shape and the thing was not cheap.  grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr >:D
Title: Re: Dip Stick
Post by: Bainford on Tuesday,January 23, 2018, 08:59:02 AM
Wow, I'm glad you got it sorted. That's ridiculous for an engine parts supplier to package up and ship an obviously bent dipstick. Weird, really. There must be some sort of story behind that one.
Title: Re: Dip Stick
Post by: EuropaTC on Tuesday,January 23, 2018, 01:13:43 PM
Wow, I'm glad you got it sorted. That's ridiculous for an engine parts supplier to package up and ship an obviously bent dipstick. Weird, really. There must be some sort of story behind that one.

99/100 it'll be down to shaving a bit off the postage costs as EuropatcSpecial has found. Over here our postal service has some strange pricing ideas, the price you pay doesn't always go on the weight of the package also the size can trigger the next level of postage.  Crazy though it sounds, you can end up paying more to send one Christmas/Birthday/Greetings card than another if one is fractionally larger and moves into the next envelope range, even if it weighs less. It won't cost any more to deliver but it'll cost you more to send it.

As for the bent dipstick, I would probably have straightened it out but made a resolution not to trust that particular dealer again. I don't like being spun a tale either and assuming that was one of the £30 items I've seen on sale, I'd also expect it to arrive ready to fit.
Title: Re: Dip Stick
Post by: 2483R on Tuesday,January 23, 2018, 05:28:51 PM
Be sure you check the accuracy of the dip stick. Mine was 1.5 quarts low from the factory.
Title: Re: Dip Stick
Post by: EuropatcSPECIAL on Wednesday,January 24, 2018, 02:07:22 AM
Morning all. I am convinced it was to do with packing and postage costs. When the 'straight' one arrived the postage was nearly the bent one in the smaller pack. The other annoying thing is they assured me that they would not be so stupid as to do such a thing, yet the bag it came in was heat sealed at each end and a straight one would not fit in. Why should we need to straighten parts. I doubt the manufacturer would send them out in that state.  one more grrrrrrrrrrr  >:(