elkparts

UK Value Added Tax change, and your orders with Elkparts

In his Pre-Budget Report on 24 November 2008 the Chancellor announced that the standard rate of VAT will be reduced from 17.5% to 15% on 1 December 2008. This means that for any sales of standard-rated goods or services that take place on or after 1 December 2008 providers should charge VAT at the new rate of 15%.

Only standard-rated sales are affected. There are no changes to sales that are zero-rated or reduced-rated for VAT. Similarly, there are no changes to the VAT exemptions. The 15% rate will remain until 31st December 2009, and from 1 January 2010 it will revert to 17.5%.

So how does this affect your orders with Elkparts?

• Order status "Awaiting processing":
  All orders received after 16.30 GMT on Friday 28th November 2008 will be processed from the next working day, Monday 1st December 2008 at the new VAT rate of 15%.
• Order status "Awaiting despatch":
  Any items that have not yet been charged for and despatched will be charged at the new VAT rate of 15%.
• Order status "Despatched for delivery":
  These have been charged under the current rate of 17.5% and are already on their way to you.

Since 16.30 GMT on Friday 28th November, our secure online store has been displaying prices at the reduced VAT rate of 15% resulting is a price reduction on all standard rated items.

Please note, books are supplied at a VAT rate of 0% and pricing remains unchanged.  These changes affect consumers within the European Union (with the Exception of Channel Islands and Svalbaerd) only.  This announcement is not applicable to customers outside of the EU.

As always, any questions, please ask.

Now's the time for Osram Nightbreakers

On my way back from work, last night, I had a long journey, mostly motorways and some fast A-roads through the countryside.  Given that it gets dark from around 4pm, decent illumination is essential.

So last night really was not the time that I wanted one of my headlamp bulbs to fail!

It was interesting that an eight-year old Saab 9-5 with H7 bulbs can illuminate it's path, even with one dud bulb, noticeably better than some other vehicles on the road. Nevertheless, the bulbs will need to be replaced, today.

I will be going for Osram NightBreaker H7 bulbs, (also available are Nightbreaker H1 and Nightbreaker H4) which provide an additional 90% light output with 10% whiter light (when compared to standard, budget bulbs) and all without increasing the wattage of the bulb.

I thought it would be useful to clarify a few points, about these bulbs, as we often get asked similar questions about them.

Q. Are the bulbs road-legal?
A. Yes, these bulbs carry the E1 code and are fully ECE approved for use in Europe.

Q. They are +90% light output with 10% whiter light.  Can my wiring and reflectors cope?
A. Yes.  These bulbs are still the standard wattage of 55 watts.

Q. So my headlamp reflectors won't melt, then?
A. No, not as a result of using Osram Nightbreaker bulbs. The increased output comes from improvements in technology and efficiency, not the amount of power you put through them.

Q. Bright bulbs burn out and fail faster than standard, don't they?
A. No, not so.  These are standard wattage bulbs, high quality bulbs manufactured by Osram - one of the biggest names in automotive lighting.  This is a quality product that will last just as long as budget bulbs, if not longer.

Provided that you observe a few simple, erm, observations, then there is no reason for these bulbs to last for any shorter time than standard bulbs.  Indeed, bulbs from Osram are likely to last longer than no-name, unbranded bulbs.

Remember, to ensure long life from your bulbs:

• Do be careful when handling bulbs
• Do ensure that the bulb is correctly fitted.  (It is astonishngly easy to fit bulbs incorrectly and this can lead to excessive vibration causing premature failure.)
• Do fit bulbs in pairs at the same time.
• Do not drop the bulb or subject to vibration
• Do not touch the bulb with your fingers (if you do, use neat alcohol to clean the glass)

If you want to know why I suggest these points above, let me know in the comments below.

Given that these bulbs provide increased light output, whiter light and reduced glare and will last at least as long as budget bulbs, I think that they really do make sense.  The increased visibilty after dark for us in the Northern Hemisphere at this time of year, gives us a little more reaction time and that has to improve road-safety.

I suspect that leaves one question:

Q. How many bulbs do I need for my Saab?
A. I have detailed this, by model, below.

Osram Night Breaker H1 are suitable for:

• Saab GM900 foglamp - one per side
• Saab 9-3 foglamp - one per side
• Saab 9000CS headlamp - two per side
• Saab 9-5 foglamp - one per side

Osram Night Breaker H4 are suitable for:

• Saab 96V4 headlamp - one per side
• Saab 99 headlamp - one per side
• Saab 90 headlamp - one per side
• Saab 900 headlamp - one per side
• Saab GM900 headlamp - one per side
• Saab 9-3 headlamp - one per side
• Saab 9000 (with single reflector) headlamp - one per side

Osram Night Breaker H7 are suitable for:

• Saab 9-5 headlamp (standard) - Two per side
• Saab 9-5 headlamp (bi-xenon) - One per side
• Saab 9-3 Sports headlamp (standard) - Two per side
• Saab 9-3 Sports headlamp (bi-xenon) - One per side

I hope that you found this information illuminating.  (Sorry!) ;-)

Funky Funk-Is

What on earth is this?  A rectangular piece of perspex (plexiglas) with a hole, a notch, a strap and a one side covered in Sheepskin.  The latest in Swedish design?  A triumph of form and function?

When I first saw this item I had only been given the photo with no description, and I had no idea what it was supposed to be?

All becomes clear when you understand what it is.  A sheepskin handle for comfort and to keep your hand warm, a notch to clean the wiper blades (Don't use the sheepskin for that!), a hole for your finger or thumb to help grip the Funk-Is firmly. A wonderfully over-engineered ice-scraper?  Perhaps.

I picked up on Swade's post, at Trollhattansaab.net, highlighting yesterday's press release from GM on this product.   Where has GM been?  Elkparts has been stocking this product since December 2006 ...almost two years ago.

GM plugging old products as something new ...with an environmental slant, too.  Apparently the Funk-Is helps you to save CO2 emissions. 

Whilst it is an intriguing product, expert in what it does, the kind-to-the-planet spin is somewhat tenuous at the very least. 

At least GM is being good to the environment by recycling old news, I suppose!

Note, you can keep your hands warm and dry this winter if you click here for your Saab Funk-Is icescraper.

Brakes put on 9000 Brembo upgrade kit

This big brake kit from Speedparts Sweden represented astonishing value for the Saab 9000 driver that required better braking performance. 

Big cheese in braking, Brembo, is a well-reputed brake components manufacturer whose products are supplied as original equipment to many prestige marques, including Porsche.

The Brembo calipers used in the Saab 9000 kit were a slightly more compact four-pot design, we believe from the Seat Leon Cupra, that were able to fit under Saab 17" alloy wheels.

Today we have heard that the cost of these calipers has rocketed and, as such, make this brake kit unviable.

Speedparts Sweden is already working on new kits and we will announce those in due course.

Those customers who had this kit on order will have already received contact from us and we apologise that we are no longer able to supply.  We look forward to announcing new brake kits in due course.

Look back in anger on mirror covers

Following contact from Scott, in the US, we listed two new interesting styling accessories from Saab, yesterday.  The model year 2009 aluminium effect mirror covers which can also be retrofitted to all 9-3 sports models from 2003 on.

Well, that is how it stood, yesterday.

Today is a different story, and one that has let down both Scott and ourselves.  It transpires that these accessories have been discontinued even before they have been made available.  Infact, these accessories have been discontinued despite already appearing with part numbers and pricing on official Saab websites and in official Saab literature.

I suspect that current corporate economic conditions have seen a number of projects shelved, and this planned accessory is no different?

Every cloud has a silver lining, though, and this one is no exception. One of our suppliers is investigating the production of a batch of aluminium effect mirror covers for Saab 9-3 models.  First we need to establish whether there is sufficient demand so that we can determine pricing.  If you are interested, why not let us know by voting for it on our feedback page?

Mugged?

Last week we listed some Genuine Saab Accessories that we were able to order from Saab and offer at some recession-busting, pre-Christmas sale prices, and having stocked these before we know them to be of the highest quality.

Two of our shipments from Sweden, last week, revealed that the Saab Expressions Car Mugs were not included.

Elkparts received the Saab Expressions Flasks, but not the mugs, despite there being hundreds available when I ordered?

At this moment in time I have not managed to establish what has happened.  I suspect that either another dealer has ordered a few hundred mugs (unlikely) or that Saab's stock system was showing an incorrect number (more likely).

To those customers who ordered these mugs, I am investigating what has happened and will update you on your orders in due course.

Just goes to show that you have to snap up offers like this as soon as you see them...!

Does this make me look German?

My next-door neighbour owns an Audi A4 Avant, in dark blue.  Now Audis are not really my thing, but I do not dislike them.  To do so would be foolish.  He told me how much he paid for it and, to look at, it looks like a much more expensive motor.

One of the things that I have always liked about the Audi was the aluminium-style finish on the mirror covers and the roof-rails.  I think that this sort of finish makes a car look extremely handsome, especially on Black, Dark Blue and Steel Grey metallic colours.

Scott, from the USA, recently got in touch with me and asked about a similar thing for Saab 9-3 Sports models (Saab 9-3 Model year 2003 on).  I looked into this further and it appears that an option is now available from Saab.

It looks as though the aluminium-style mirror covers are an option on model year 2009 Saab 9-3 models, and the great news is that they can be retro-fitted to all new shape Saab 9-3 models.

Needless to say, I have got them listed in our online store, so click here for your Saab 9-3 Aluminium style mirror covers.

Service items

Service is important every aspect of our business and personal lives.  The service that we receive from businesses, be they online retailers or bricks and mortar stores, is critical.  It determines whether or not we continue to shop with any particular supplier.

I had my groceries delivered, this evening.  It is convenient for me because it means that I do not have to travel to the nearest supermarket and wander up and down aisles only to forget one or two of the products I specifically went shopping for.

I could say that I am being environmentally conscious and avoiding contributing to congestion and expanding my carbon dioxide footprint.  But I do not subscribe to that school of thought, and perhaps the reality is that I am just a little lazy when it comes to grocery shopping.

For the web-savvy amongst us it is a no-brainer.  Indeed, you don't need to have been on the internet for more than a decade, either.  My parents are silver-surfing their way around all sorts of ecommerce stores spending my inheritance.

Back to my groceries, though.  I had booked a delivery for a particular time slot that suited me, and I was happy with that.  I had received updates before the delivery was sent out and guess what...   They didn't deliver in the allocated time slot.  Oh no.  They delivered my groceries early!  Now that was a surprise. 

Oh, and so was the complimentary copy of The Times newspaper.  That was a surprise, too.

That got me thinking about service.  Elkparts has been in business for around eight years now, but, as a business, we don't wish to stand still.  We have introduced a number of changes to improve the way we work and improve the service that we offer to customers.

So, I ran off a few reports - this evening - to get a snapshot of the service that we are currently providing to you, to our customers.  The results were quite an eye-opener.  Here's a summary:

In the period 10 August 2008 to 18 November 2008 Elkparts resolved 85.5% of all email enquiries within one day.  That is not working day, that is calendar day.  That is to say, the following statistics do not take account of weekends, public holidays or non-business hours.  Here's a further breakdown of our email response times:

• 85.5% of all email enquiries resolved within 24 hours of being logged.
• Of those, 12.9% of all email enquries were resolved within just two hours, and
• 34.2% of all email enquiries to Elkparts were resolved within just one hour of being logged!

When you are shopping on the internet, isn't is reassuring to know that there is a human-being on hand to resolve your questions or concerns?  Isn't it good to know that you are dealing with Saab enthusiasts who want to look after you?  Wayne in Hampshire knows.  He just had an email at 23.00 GMT asking for clarification on products on his order - it means that we will be sending Wayne the correct parts for his Saab, tomorrow.

Whilst I am tooting my own trumpet and, before I set myself up for a fall, I'll mix my metaphors further and stick my hand up and admit that Elkparts does not get it right every time.  We are a small company and sometimes things do go wrong.  Sometimes it is not our fault and sometimes it is, but we always strive to avoid problems.

To this end, you can email Elkparts or you can respond to this blog post by leaving comments below.  I have also set up an Elkparts feedback page where you are welcome to post suggestions, ideas, general questions or respond or add to those that others have posted.  (Please note, for specific questions about your orders or pre-sales or post-sales advice or support, please email Elkparts instead.)

The next time you are buying that Saab item of undetermined provenance from another vendor, perhaps an ebay seller who may or may not be there tomorrow and if he is seems to have never heard of the relevant legislation that applies to online retailing, then think again as to who is going to be able to help you if something does go wrong?  Often people only discover how good the service actually is once something has gone wrong. 

Elkparts has never claimed to be the cheapest, but we have always claimed to offer great service and good value for money... and we answer our email enquiries pretty quickly, too: 85.5% resolved within just 24 hours!

Fantastic new turbo-inspired alloys from Saab

What a fantastic looking set of alloys for the new 2009 model year Saabs - we were tipped off about these a little earlier and we think that they look simply stunning - a great way of conveying Saab's turbo-charged innovation and heritage.

I've had our tame Saab dealer doing some investigation on this, today, and he was surprised that we had found out before he had.  At the time of our enquiry there was no pricing at all set on these, so they had to come up with some.  I also had our contact in Sweden look into this for me and between them they came up with the information that we need.

The alloy wheel is 17" x 7.5" which means that the tyres will look plenty wide enough on the car and will give your Saab a meaningful and purposeful stance on the road.

As they are genuine Saab alloy wheels, they are going to be top-quality and so much better than any aftermarket offering both in design and engineering.  I guess that is a personal opinion, but I have yet to find any alloy that betters the Saab or Hirsch designs.

The thing that stunned me about these alloys was, for a 17" Genuine Saab alloy, the price.  I could not believe what great value these alloys are from Saab! I have a sneaking feeling that Saab will, in their next pricing update, realise that they have priced these 17" alloys too low and will increase the price - especially if they are as popular as I expect them to be!

My advice is to get some at the current low price whilst you can as I am sure a price rise must be imminent. These ALU81 are much better value for money than any of Saab's other 17" alloys!

Click here to be the first with the new turbo-inspired ALU81 Saab alloys on your Saab.

Back to feeds and feedback

Elkparts started out in business almost eight years ago because we wanted to offer an interesting range of value for money and performance products, for Saab owners, all in one place.

And we've had terrific support from you on our journey ever since.

Some of you have been kind enough to provide feedback for us on what we do, what we do well and what, perhaps, we could improve on.

We would like to think that, no matter how good we are, there is always room for improvement, and we are enourmously grateful to our customers who have provided us with feedback so far.

For those that have not yet done so, we have set up a feedback page where you can make suggestions for new products, ideas or features.  You can comment on existing product and feature ideas and you can all vote on those that you feel carry more importance.

That way, we can all see the areas in which we can help ourselves to help you better than ever before.

If you have any suggestions, ideas for new products or new features that you would like to see Elkparts provide, then please pop along to the Elkparts feedback page and leave your ideas.  Even if you don't have an idea right now, pop along and see if someone else has come up with any ideas that you like.  You get ten votes that you can apportion to different ideas and we will do our very best to implement or act on the best or those with pressing need.

We are looking forward to hearing all of your good ideas.

Please note, if you have a specific query about an existing order or a specific product query, we recommend that you use our knowledgebase and helpdesk - we aim to respond to enquiries quickly and every email is logged with a unique ID that you can track.

Feed me!

To help you keep up to date with information from Elkparts, we have set up some RSS feeds from our websites.  You can subscribe to RSS feeds using your browser, google or an application such as 'FeedReader'.

If you want more information on RSS and why you should be using it, please leave me a comment on this blog post.

In the meantime, these are our current RSS feeds:

• Get the RSS feed for posts from this Elkparts blog:
  http://feeds.feedburner.com/elkparts
• Keep up to date with new entries in our knowledgebase:
  http://feeds.feedburner.com/elkparts-knowledgebase
  
• Keep up to date with the suggestions and ideas on our feedback page:
  http://feeds.feedburner.com/elkparts-feedback

Remember to let me know how you think we can improve Elkparts to serve you better!