In a message dated 1/7/2006 12:57:11 PM Pacific Standard Time,
inua@CHARTER.NET writes:

>>Why does this continue to be thrashed out and beaten to death  on this list.

When you say "this" do you mean tires, leaking heads, prices of Vanagons,
engine swaps, wheel size, brake issues, transmission problems, audio equipment
recommendations, trip reports, camping suggestions, seam rust, parts for
sale, shocks, batteries, break ins, rebuilds, recommended shops, front end
repair, sliding door repair, metal bumpers, fiberglass bumpers, bull bars, floor
mats, suspension, interior swaps, CV joints, glass repair, electrical problems,
redline, roof racks, oil weight, starter repair, problems with a service
garage,  bike racks, MPG, storage, leads on busses for sale, side tents, gas
heaters, pop  top repair, part prices, recommended repair shops, or, I dare say, a
problem  with the vendor?

Everything is thrashed to death on this list. I thought that's why we were
here. Because my friends and family got pretty tired of all the Vanagon talk
about 10 years ago. You folks never seem to tire of it. Well, I mean most of
you.

From my seat I never understand why a listee who posts a problem with a
vendor is often attacked as impatient, crazy, selfish, stupid, boring, new and  so
on. I find information helpful in my daily life, and especially when it comes
 to my Vanagon.

I know the problems Bus Depot sometimes has. I don't agree that getting a
wrong order is acceptable--especially when it's a pattern. Because I really only
 have time to do things once. So returns and returns on top of that don't
necessarily fit into my schedule. Some people probably have the luxury of more
available time than others.

And if I may get political on what may be a much larger scale than we're
talking about here with wrong parts being shipped: Forgiveness may be divine,
but I don't understand why as Americans we feel the need to dole it out at the
expense of accountability.

Anyway, back to the matter at hand, new people join the list and new
problems come up--even if they are the same new problems. The post that started  this
thread was about a specific problem with the vendor. And your "guarantee"
that Ron would get it right wasn't so much fulfilled because Rico, the original
poster, called BD twice and ended up having to go to the dreaded VW Dealer to
 solve his parts deficit. And that's the one thing we're all trying to avoid.

I only respond to this e-mail in hopes of keeping the lines of  communication
open about all the topics we hash and rehash. The down side of  attacking the
messenger is it sometimes impedes others to speak up and there by  impedes
the flow of information. I like information.

And yes, I agree. Problems happen. And that's why I'm on the list. The
generosity of list members sharing their experience with me offers me the luxury
of avoiding a potential problem myself, or solving one, only because someone
has  offered to share their experience.

If there's a problem--one problem--then maybe it's not worth a lot of band
width. But if it's recurring, a bit of a pattern, can't we be alerted to  that?

If you don't like reading about vendors, my advice would be don't. And if
you're comfortable with getting on the phone and returning items and waiting for
 parts, then do. But don't call for a moratorium on information--even if it's
 only on a certain topic. It kind of undermines the theory behind a
community.

That's my two cents.

Best,
Jeff
83.5 Westy
LA,CA