Been trying to contact him for 3 months now with no reply to phone calls or email?
Gone elsewhere now but still need other things
Do we have a bug spares system or not
Sorry to have a moan but I think I have been very patient
Sorry to hear of your frustration, and I can appreciate it having been in the same situation myself. However, thanks largely to Karl and to Dave Hemsley himeslf, I've found it helps to first understand "the system" - understand and appreciate where everyone is coming from and things start to make sense, and, even better, you can actually get somewhere
As was (quite forcefully!) pointed out to me when I first joined this Club, Dave Hemsley's spares service is NOT run 'by' this club, or even as part of this club. And you don't get any discount or special treatment by virtue of being a Club member*. So in answer to the question "Do we have a bug spares system or not?" the answer is "strictly speaking, NOT".
However, having said that, Dave is a mine of information, and he and his sons are very active and obviously *highly* knowledgeable members of the Club, so without question a valuable asset to the Club and for us members.
So, if Dave is not a *Club* Bug Spares service, what is he? [Dave, if you're reading this, please don't be offended if anything I say is incorrect, it will be an innocent error.]
As I understand it, as well as a wealth of knowledge, Dave has accumulated a pretty substantial collection of spares for the Bug over the years, and this has evolved into a sort of informal hobby-like facility which he makes available to Club members - and anyone else who wants to buy something.
Dave is NOT a full blown commercial operation, he is not a high street shop open 9 till 5, he is not a B&Q warehouse carrying 25,000 lines all computerised and cross-referenced. He is a fellow Bug enthusiast who has, in effect, a shed load of spares. And when I say "shed" I mean a very large shed. He doesn't stock every part, but if he hasn't got it he knows who to talk to. I believe that he has been involved in the past in getting small batches of otherwise obsolete parts made up.
As I say, Dave is not open shop hours, and he works the way he does - no point in moaning about it, if you don't want to do business his way that's fine, go elsewhere. If you want the benefit of Dave's experience and knowledge, then you have to accomodate the way he likes to work.
And the way he likes to work is - in my experience - by phone. He is a very active club member so he's often out, and being very busy he often doesn't get around to replying to messages left. There's no malice in this, it's just a practicality of life - there are only 24 hours in Dave's day the same as yours or mine.
SO, best to talk directly with Dave, and that means phone when he asks (noon until 9pm), and if you can't reach him then call again. If you don't get him in the landline, try the mobile. And have a pen and paper handy, because if he doesn't have your part, he'll likely give you details of where best to try - so be prepared. Dave's numbers are in the Bug Club magazine, usually inside the front cover as well as in his adverts.
Above all, it's worth remembering that the Spares Scheme, like all areas of club activity, only runs through the goodwill of the VOLUNTARY efforts of the members, and a bit of give and take on all sides.
I hope nothing I have said here causes anyone any offence - none was intended and apologies if any taken.
* you can however get a discount if you join Dave's own Bond Bug Spares Scheme. But note this is not affialiated in any way, as I undersatnd it, with the Bug Club.
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