Club Parts Stock.

[Beaker]

Well members have to buy these parts before they can have them and as such, stock is currently owned by the Club (i.e. Committee). Because people are paid members, it doesn't give them free rights to the stock. A member of staff at a supermarket wouldn't be expected to privately store a load of stock, would they.

Members money purchased the parts in the first place Steve, of course they are sold within the club. If you don't sell them then there is no more money to invest in future items. By purchasing them as members we are putting money back into the kitty for more items and allowing us to expand (space permitting). The club stock is not "owned" by the committee. The committee are just representatives which have been elected by the membership to fulfil certain tasks. This why it is important for members to attend AGMs and voice our opinion on how we would like the club to be managed, or even volunteer for a role.

We should be thankful that Maria and Chris are able to store the parts FOC as if we had to pay for storage then subscriptions would cost a fair amount more.

I just wish members offers of help would be accepted.

[D87SMW]

Quite right re the money issues, but that is stating the obvious.

As a Club, the spares would need to be stored together so that it is easy to manage when it comes to the database and locating the parts when they are sold. I know I can never seem to find what I want, despite my stock being signifcantly less, but stored in numerous places.

If there are members with enough space and time, who are willing to efficiently store some parts, then fair enough.

If it was to come to this, would it be a good idea to store parts in different places according to type? Such as interior parts, mechnical parts, exterior parts..?

[Dave]

These parts are stored in Maria and Chris's personal PRIVATE home.

They are kind enough to store these parts on the behalf of the club for which we are eternally grateful, but I for one will not accept that it is the right thing to do to have strangers in there home. The members are members, and not in the vast majority personal friends - would you open your home up???

The committee will sort through these parts as soon as is acceptable for Chris and Maria, thank you for inviting us into your home!!! To anyone who disagrees, please stop pointing out the obvious; It would also be beneficial for them to knock the place down and build us an automated warehouse. :laugh:

And yes, as stated above, the parts belong to the members & the committee (all of who pay normal membership subs), but are stored and managed by the committee. The committee does not get free access to the spares stock, neither do the members. In the event we decide to wind the club down the stock would be liquidated and the proceeds distributed evenly amongst the members.

Dave

[mgdavid]

These parts are stored in Maria and Chris's ...home. They.... store these parts on the behalf of the club...... members are members, and not .... personal friends - would you open your home up?

Actually, yes I would and do. If you don't want ever to meet anyone new at your home then don't volunteer for a position in a club.

The committee will sort through these parts as soon as is acceptable for Chris and Maria,....
it needs to be acceptable to the membership too, they own them remember

.... the parts ..... are stored and managed by the committee.
ALL the committee?
I assume you are using the word 'managed' rather loosely, how long has this situation existed?,

[matthewsemple]

I assume you are using the word 'managed' rather loosely, how long has this situation existed?

May I point out that the the Parts Day suggestion first came to my attention at the 2006 AGM - so it was an issue back then and probably earlier. I cannot remember who made the suggestion but I am pretty sure it was minuted as a possible future event that members could attend. The committee must understand why people at that meeting and other who read the minutes will have thought a Spares Day was going to occur.

Whilst the club's spares are unavailable to members, the following message from the website could be construed as misleading:

As any car becomes older the availability of spare parts becomes an issue of increasing importance to owners. The Maestro & Montego Owners Club recognised this from an early stage and we are now able to offer our members access to tens of thousands of pounds worth of genuine new Maestro and Montego parts from our own stockpile, which includes all stock remaining following the closure of Parkway Service Station in Ledbury.

People are paying to join to get spares for their cars and then finding they are not available. This is not acceptable to ordinary members who don't post on the forum, some of whom are elderly and are struggling to keep their older cars on the road.

[Dave]

Thanks for you useful input.

By managed, I mean scouring the country for diminishing stocks of parts, co-ordinating there purchase, collection and storage. We have offered apologies for delays in sorting them out, but I consider the collection and storage of the parts of utmost importance, else they are just scrapped by the companies and dealers who are looking to get rid. Lost forever.

I have no quarms with the effort and time given by the committee of volunteers. I for one have had just about enough.

[SimonR]

Actually, yes I would and do. If you don't want ever to meet anyone new at your home then don't volunteer for a position in a club.

The committee will sort through these parts as soon as is acceptable for Chris and Maria,....
it needs to be acceptable to the membership too, they own them remember

.... the parts ..... are stored and managed by the committee.
ALL the committee?
I assume you are using the word 'managed' rather loosely, how long has this situation existed?,

The only reason that I'm dignifying that post with a reply at all is to give a little more background for those members reading this thread. I'm sure that all the reasonable Maestro and Montego-owning people out there will see the problem with inviting crowds of people you don't know into your house all at the same time...

Yes, we mean 'managed' in the most literal and strongest sense. The current situation occurred within the past couple of years, when the club acquired the entire stock of parts from Ledbury, when they wound up their bit of maestro business.

As a committee we were left with two choices:

1. Risk this over-crouding problem which could affect spares suply to members in the short to medium term

or

2) Allow all these parts to go to landfill.

I think we chose the right option and now are making the best possible effort to deal with the consequences.

We appologise that this is taking longer than we thought but unfortunately we're not made of money or time!

[matthewsemple]

I consider the collection and storage of the parts of utmost importance, else they are just scrapped by the companies and dealers who are looking to get rid. Lost forever.

I agree. Yesterday I discovered that X-Part had scrapped the remaining stocks of BEP716 - the plinth below the headlights and grille on a Maestro. It is important to save these parts.

However people are finding they have to scrap their cars because parts are getting too hard to source. It is now the supply of these parts are needed. We have to be careful that these spares are made available whilst there are still some cars left to which they can be fitted.

[Dave]

... and we're trying. We really are. What more can we say?

[matthewsemple]

As the issue is likely to rumble on, perhaps it should be approached as a project with a target date set in the future - say Autumn 2009 - when an ordering system will be in place.

Details of this could be placed on the main website and replace the pages that suggest that the parts are currently available. This would reduce the levels of frustration and give the committee space/time to sort out the problem.

In the meantime, perhaps this thread should be laid to rest now as I have no desire to be embroiled in protracted arguments that could harm relations between committee and members.

[D87SMW]

No-one can deny the efforts that have been made by the committee in acquiring all these parts. The basic problem people are finding though, is that they aren't receiving any parts because they have not yet been organised. I'm not going to moan about how Maria is coping, as the Spares Co-Ordinator. I'm not going to suggest open-days for everybody and anybody to come into her home.

I just think more people (committee?) could be put on this role. Is Mal's barn full? Is there anyone else with space and time for these parts? I'm not in a position to, as I've barely got enough room for the cars and bits of cars that I have already.

I'm sure we appreciate what Maria has done, it's just got to the worrying stage that people are unhappy with the service from the Club and are not joining/renewing membership. Hopefully after Maria's post people will be more understanding of the situation...

[E_T_V]

Sorry I wasn't intending inviting a whole load of people over to Chris and Marias, to tramp around their castle. I was thinking of when the garage is done, having maria or chris bring a box of spares out of their place into the garage where people will sort, photo, and stack spares into suitable places. Say 2 or 3 boxes of parts, then a tray of drinks/munchies etc. Repeat until we either explode or get too bored.

I wasn't saying it should be an event now, it needs to be when there is suitable space available.

[Guest]

Everybody else in the club (I'm not and don't plan to be) - why are you letting the above situation, why should Maria live like that, why should her dad have to spend his time and money building the storage?
James

As you're 'not in the club and don't plan to be', I would politely suggest that it's probably better not to tell club members what they should be doing about a situation most of them knew nothing about.

I assume I am being spoken to by a paid up club member?

I am sorry if I've spoken out of turn but when I saw those pictures after reading several posts about poor service I was horrified. I am still shocked and to be honest I am suprised nobody else is.

I am not a club member because I see no value to myself, I've been a paid up member of several car clubs over the years and each time I have had no real benifit.

I am a member of this forum as I felt I could add value to it by adding my experience, however if "the club" want me to keep my thoughts to myself I shall. After all I have lots of knowlage to share, I'm sure it is appriciated else where. Good luck solving your parts problem, I've enough of my own to keep me going.

Good night.

[Beaker]

I am sorry if I've spoken out of turn but when I saw those pictures after reading several posts about poor service I was horrified. I am still shocked and to be honest I am suprised nobody else is.

I am not shocked, I know of a few other club members houses the same including our own

In our bedroom we have 3 headlinings, two rear quarter panels and some inner wings. Then in the middle bedroom we have three new doors.

Not to mention what is in the loft, 2 double sheds, one garden shed and a double garage.

[SimonR]

I assume I am being spoken to by a paid up club member?

I am sorry if I've spoken out of turn but when I saw those pictures after reading several posts about poor service I was horrified. I am still shocked and to be honest I am suprised nobody else is.

I'm afraid that it's an unfortunate side-effect of being on a forum and not speaking face to face - it's too easy to take offence when none was meant.

I think that this sort of problem accounts for about 99% of arguments on forums!!