Helicoil inserts

[BSA Biker]

Well as usual getting things here in Spain can be difficult.  Sent an email to voekel in Germany, they passed it on to Novotools in Spain their distributors as they, and the Spanish one, do not deal direct with customers. Luckily the Spanish chap speaks English, my Spanish is poor to say the least, so at the moment I'm waiting for a reply to see where the nearest stockist is. Probably miles away from me, oh the joys of living in a large country with a small population compared to the UK, and cities far apart.

[groily]

Sounds a bit like France in that respect then  . . .

For thread inserts, I go direct either to Tracy Tools (most imperial stuff) or to Chronos the model engineering people (for BA stuff - but some sizes only).
They both supply happily to anywhere and it's probably quicker and cheaper to deal with them than go through some of the labyrinthine distribution chains of 'nearer' vendors.

[BSA Biker]

Hi Grolly,

Thanks for the info, ordered a repair kit yesterday afternoon from Tracy Tools, very helpful people.  The chap from Novatools in Spain has been equally as helpful but as their so called "local" supplier didn't even stock Voekel products, it would have probably taken longer to get than going to the UK, and I expect cheaper as well, even with UK postage. Local was 11/2 hours away.

 Is the runaround we get here in Spain Europe wide, yes I too have suffered in France in the past, it seems as soon as we are seen, never mind speak, they know that we are Brits and treat us appallingly because of it. Our Victorian ancestors have a lot to answer for with their superior attitudes, the rest of the world haven't forgotten it.

[groily]

Good question BSA Biker.

Best part of 20 years in 'Yrup' tells me the elements of a service economy that I got used to while living in the US of A, or before that in the UK, are quite hard to find.
It's not maybe surprising there are hassles with imperial bits and bobs as there is such a small market. BUT it amazes me it is easier and FAR cheaper to obtain, eg, old series metric threading tackle from the likes of Tracy Tools than it is from here, where the stuff was invented!

I never try to get any British m/cycle parts here, ever. And parts for other machinery are also usually far easier to get, and better-priced, from the UK or the US.

Not sure how other European countries rate. I've had great service from Hungary on occasion, always first-class from Switzerland as you'd expect, and good also from Germany and Austria. I wouldn't swap where I live, no way - but it is frustrating sometimes. Luckily, as an English speaker, with the www at the tips of the fingers, it's not so hard. But for my mono-lingual French friends, restricted to what they can find on the internet in French or with Google Translate, it's harder. Especially for the very many of them who aren't yet used to concepts like PayPal, online payments and banking transactions.

Even within the so-called 'developed' world there are massive differences in approaches to commerce it seems. One hesitates to make any comments about who's ahead and who's behind, but where I am reminds me of 20 years ago, with the exception of having now-reasonable (ie non-dial-up!) internet speeds! All very charming - until you need something!

It's not because we're furriners though I don't think, or not here anyway - it's just a cultural thing maybe.

[BSA Biker]

Hi again Grolly (Bill),

You saying about the area you live in being 20 years behind us, well when we first came over to the rural part of Catalunya, we thought that it was like the Britain I remembered from the 1960's at least fifty years behind us. Except for modern mobile phones etc, but it was the peoples attitudes that were the same as us from that time long ago, however the people who live in Tarragona, ones I've met that is, are like most city dwellers, they think that they are superior to villagers who they rate as peasants. This is unfortunate as these people are very helpful except for when my Spanish is bad and then they have no imagination about what I'm saying unless its pronounced perfectly.
As my house is a masia built on an olive grove Postman Pedro will not deliver direct so I have a Post Office Box in a local town, so maybe by Tuesday when I make my weekly visit the helicoil kit will be there. This is normal in Spain they only deliver to towns and villages, not to individual properties out in the sticks. Like you I do a lot of Amazon and UK orders as its easier that way to get the parts you need, my friend runs a car repair service and general DIY problems etc for most of the Brits in the area, so needless  to say his stuff comes from the UK. Oh the joys of living in the foreign, but who wants to go back to live in England now.

[Black Sheep]

Live in England? Tried it. Happy up here.