Hang Gliding - FAQ - What's needed?
You don't have that new glider that you ordered yet, because . . .
If you plan to buy a brand-new glider, there are still a few things that you should know. You *could* give the glider company all of the money, up front. If you do, you may wait a good long while to get your glider. If you only give them only enough deposit money for them to start working on your new glider, then they have a serious incentive to get your glider to you. Give them a check or money order for your deposit, not a credit card, so there will be no surprises. Then, depending on the company, it is sometimes helpful (in terms of waiting time until delivery) if you go and sit on their front steps, waving all the rest of that green money (or the credit card) at them every day, as they come to work. Once a company has payment in full, you have no way to motivate them to deliver your glider any time soon.
To save the manufacturers some valuable time, I have here a list of the usual excuses that you get, when you don't get your glider on the promised date. Now they can just tell you "Excuse #3", or whatever. Send me the best excuse that you've heard, if you get one that's not on the list yet.
7. "Our supplier is out of (tube, cloth, cable, or bolts) right now. Call us next week."
6. "The shipper seems to have lost your glider. If we build you a second one now, before their insurance pays off, and the first one gets there next week, will you pay for both gliders?"
5. "We wouldn't send it out, without test-flying it first. The weather here has been terrible, but it should be tested and shipped this weekend" - and the glider finally arrives with cables for the smallest version, so your new glider cannot even be assembled, at all. Nobody ever test-flew this unit.
4. "Sure, we got your glider all finished now, but there are three other gliders heading for the same retailer, and if we ship them all together, it will cost you less for shipping." - you will get your glider when the *last* pilot who ordered one lately gets theirs.
3. "Your sail order slipped down behind the sewing machine, but we found it there on Tuesday and we just ordered your beautiful colors today."
2. "We just hired a new test pilot, and it's a long story, but we will build you a whole new glider, no sweat. . ."
1. "Yeah, we got your order done, and shipped it last week, but it went to Montana by mistake. The guy there likes the sail colors that you picked, better than what he had ordered, and now he paid us and won't give the glider back. We started your glider again yesterday."
:-)
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