Commerce Via the Internet, a Long, Strange Trip

With a Happy Ending

  • Date: 2 March 1997
  • To: vw@toast.ml.org
  • From: (Ryan Young)
  • Subject: [fs]warnke propeller
  •  
  • When I bought my engine, it had a Warnke prop on it thatŐs not suitable for my Sonerai. ItŐs a 56 X 39, and would be great for a WWI replica, a Cygnet, or a Kitfox using a VW conversion. ItŐs been very lightly used, the engine only had 3 hours on it. I refinished it, but it needs to be balanced before being used. Yours for $150 plus shipping.

    • I had to figure out how to ship the thing, rec.aviation.homebuilt came to my rescue:

  • To: (Ryan Young)
  • From: (S2H)
  • Subject: Re: Shipping Propellers
  • Hello Ryan
  • We make composite props for Formula 1 and Pitts aircraft (visit http://www.ddg.com/nemesis/). For a reusable box we modify a "ski box" which is available from a local shipping supply company. The box comes 10 x 5 x 83 and is open at both ends. We cut it to 60 inch length (plus end flaps), slit it along the long side and glue the ends up so the top opens up. Then we line it with white beadboard polystyrene foam (in our case 2 inch thick along the 5 x 10 and 5 x 60 inch sides and 3/4 inch thick on the 10 x 60 sides. The prop goes inside and is padded with foam peanuts and the top is taped down. We have never had a problem with FedEx and spend the extra 2.5% for insurance. UPS trashed one of our props and will not guarantee anthing even with insurance.
  • Good Luck
  • Steve Hill
  • VP Owens Composites, Inc.
  • (Steve Hill)

    • A Canadian from New Brunswick replied, and we made the deal after a series of e-mails and a few phone calls. He sent me a postal money order in US dolars for $150, and I ate the shipping. I was to send the prop to his ex-wife's in Florida, he'd pick it up on his way to Sun & Fun. He'd avoid duty this way. It took me a while to pack up the prop and send it. Ex-wife decided to move, and left the day after I shipped the prop. I tried to redirect it en route with no luck.

  • From:
  • To: Ryan Young
  • Subject: Prop shipment saga
  •  
  • Greetings Ryan, I don't know if you would like to continue this from your end, or whether it would do any good, but the saga continues thus; UPS dropped the prop off last Wed on Shedule. No one was home, it is a "secure" area, so they just left in in the screened entrance-way. My stepdaughter, <>, called the 1-800 number and they said no problem, we will pick it up, but a week went by with more calls from Bev. They left a note today (and the prop) saying they could not re-route out of state, that Bev should call the local super and arrange forwarding. This is all very reasonablle except we were told by the internet and 1-800 people that it could be re-routed. Who is right.""" Maybe a blast from your end would help. The Ft Pierce office obviously doesn't know what they are doing. They called to confirm the Myrtle Street address for a delivery a week after the delivery, and then said they could not pick up and deliver at the same time. Hope you are well!

    • Plan B - Send the prop to Calais, Maine. Given the oversize parcel, the only way they would pick it up and send it to Maine was 2 day air, which was nearly twice what it cost to send it to Florida in the first place.

  • Date: Thu, 17 Apr 1997 03:52:49 +0100
  • From:
  • To: Ryan Young
  • Subject: Prop Saga
  •  
  • Hi Ryan. Apparantly the prop was picked up (hopefully by the shppers) but has not yet arrived in Calais. It should be here tomorrow, and I would let you know if I was going to be here but must be out of town for 2 weeks, leaving early tomorrow. I'll contact you later. My wife will pick up the "box" in the meantime when it arrives.
  • Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 21:07:01 +0100
  • From:
  • To: Ryan Young
  • Subject: Prop Saga
  •  
  • Hi Ryan, Its beautiful! My friend picked it up and dropped it off about 10 days ago but I just got home last night and opened THE BOX! Alls well. Thanks for it all.

    • All's well that ends well. I guess. Notice how long this transaction took.

    My mistake was sending the prop to Florida. I had a sense the ex-wife was going to bolt before the prop got there, but the buyer really wanted to do it that way, and I caved in, good little co-dependent that I am. Nevermore - both parties need to be comfortable on an internet deal like this.

    Your mileage may vary...