PL Products

[Ron Barr]

Lance,  I can say with confidence that PL made no money on the shipping - they billed you for the actual shipping costs supported by invoices from the shipper.

Over the past 5 years, I imported 3 Smaradgs and 4 Partners straight from PL in France.  I used a Houston shipping agent for the last 6 airplanes who arranged airfreight.  PL got nothing from that process.

Prices did go up over the years from two factors:  increase in price as PL products kits got popular, and deterioration in the dollar to euro exchange rate.
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Lance Van Nostrand 
  To: discussion at nsrca.org 
  Sent: Friday, January 07, 2005 10:13 PM
  Subject: Re: PL Products


  Russ,
  OK, but here's how I drew that conclusion: I mailed a plane to Europe using a PL prod box given to me from a friend.  My shipping charges were $100 less than he paid.  Could be other reasons, but it struck me as odd since the dollar keeps getting weaker against the Euro.
  --Lance

    ----- Original Message ----- 
    From: Russell Honea 
    To: discussion at nsrca.org 
    Sent: Friday, January 07, 2005 10:51 AM
    Subject: Re: PL Products


    Lance,

    All good accessments but on # 4  ( We don't charge to make money on shipping, but I'm sure PL does ) my experience in bringing in the PL products to be sold through Pattern Proz was that the shipping cost if they provided it was about the same as what I could find using all of our normal shippers that we have access to.

    Russell Honea
    www.patternproz.com





    ----- Original Message ----- 
      From: Lance Van Nostrand 
      To: discussion at nsrca.org 
      Sent: Thursday, January 06, 2005 10:09 PM
      Subject: Re: PL Products


      I liked Patrick's diatribe, but if you actually read all of it it points out some facts about this business that I, as a one of the hobby's suppliers of kits, can really understand.
      1. We are garage shop small businesses.  People that treat us like deep pocketed corporations don't understand the thread we hold on to keep above water.
      2. Kit making and glass layups is an artform that requires highly skilled technicians.  I like the part where he says finding skilled labor is hard, but finding labor that expects all the entitlements is easy.
      3. We should all be a little in awe of the general quality level we are being provided considering the manual sweat that goes into making a kit.  5 or 8 years ago we were happy to get a fiberglass shape full of pinholes and no primer with a chin cowl that required internal framing and customization to fit.
      4. It's expensive in France to have a business. It's expensive in America too.  AeroSlave shipping costs though, in the US are usually less than $100 but they are about $250 to Europe.  We don't charge to make money on shipping, but I'm sure PL does.

      --Lance
        ----- Original Message ----- 
        From: Grow Pattern 
        To: discussion at nsrca.org 
        Sent: Thursday, January 06, 2005 10:27 AM
        Subject: Re: PL Products


        ---- Original Message ----- 
        From: Grow Pattern 
        To: wouter.vaneck at flyersoft.net 
        Sent: Thursday, January 06, 2005 11:22 AM
        Subject: Re: PL Products


        As an observer and spare time analyst of our hobby and sport, I can only feel sad that another one bites the dust. It does not matter whether it is USA based or not. Pattern is a worldwide community and I, for one, mourn the loss of any supplier.

        I had good and bad experiences with this one but never bad enough to wish them gone. This sucks. Every time we lose one we lose a choice!

        Regards,

        Eric.


------------------------------------------------------------------------

        From: discussion-request at nsrca.org [mailto:discussion-request at nsrca.org] On Behalf Of Verne Koester
        Sent: Wednesday, January 05, 2005 8:13 PM
        To: NSRCA
        Subject: PL Products

        I just heard a rumour that PL Products has gone out of business. Anybody heard anything?

         

        Thanks,

         

        Verne Koester
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