Why is life frustrating??

[Dave225]

Life can be very frustrating at times.

 

I want to buy a new awning for my ‘shed’. Anyone can tell me that is easy, pick a maker, pick a style and go order it. The problem is that I want a particular style which is a compromise between a full heavy canvas awning and a simple canopy. These types are very common on outfits in Europe, so I felt should be easy. Wrong.

 

Looked at one of the major suppliers’s website and up came a catalogue. However, they only showed 1 model in the style I wanted. OK, fair enough. However, they also showed in the catalogue a window shade for the front window which I thought would be great as well, as we spend most of our caravanning time in the Med. Looked at the price list and it is not listed, so e mailed the maker to ask how much for the shade. Back comes the answer it is not available in the UK even though it is shown in the UK catalogue. However, if I wish I can buy it through the maker’s dealership in Holland. Out of interest I pull up the same maker’s webpage for Holland. The same catalogue is shown???, but wrong again. Same cover but inside are 28 pages of awning at accessories instead of the 19 shown in the UK one. Looking through this I find several models in the style I wish. Much more interesting. I also find they come as standard with parts that are extras in the UK one. I also find my window shade listed and if I so wished even a matching awning lamp and tablecloth. Just the thing to impress the neighbours. So I e mail the Dutch maker and ask how I can buy the particular awning listed, with all the bits, in the Dutch catalogue. Back comes the answer, buy it through our dealership in Holland, it cannot be supplie4d through the UK side of our business. And there was me thinking we were all part of 1 European Community. If they had supplied ex stock even from Holland I would happily have paid any shipping costs but I now have to try the same thing through a Dutch dealer. OK, I can , and willcombine this with a trip to Holland and have a bit of fun at the same time, but it is frustrating that we cannot get the same opportunities here in the UK as the rest of Europe seems to take for granted.

 

Moan over.

 

[CliveH]

What do you expect when the politicians bend the rules to create the Euro but then allow each country to have its own electical plugs. When I travelled on business a lot in Europe this was a nightmare.

 

Jeremy Clarckson did an article in the Times on this that also appeared in one of his books and when I read it I was laughing and shouting in total agreement at the same time.

 

Joking apart - I suspect the distribution in the UK is probably handled by agents/franchise and a limited list is in place. I am not defending it!! - I have come accross it in other areas - the classic one was car spares. Unavailable in the UK at a sensible price, but i could import them from Australia at a lower cost even with shipping costs.

 

Not true now sady as the Aus$ is high and the GBP is low. But they are at least still available.

 

 

[Dave225]

Yep! When I had calmed down a little bit I did realise that one of the reasons my sunshade was not available in the UK was that UK manufacturers do not install rails above the windows of their products to take such devices. My EU van of course has these all round and i never thought any were different. I also do accept that UK caravanners tend to follow different style of camping to those in Europe and heavy awnings are more the thing they want rather than my sunshade type suitable for the Med.

 

However, it is a good excuse for a short trip to Amsterdam.

 

By the way it is the same Company doing the UK side of things, but obviously do not stock what they feel will not sell. I could suggets maybe try and see but who am I but a mere customer.