August, 2011 Update:  It's still happening.  Last week we ordered over $5,000 worth of parts.  We received about $250 worth.

May 25, 2010 Update:  We've been told the EPA and Customs are at it again.  While we've been getting parts fairly reliably for the past 6 months or so, we've now been told we can't get any more Hammerhead parts until sometime in July.  The EPA has apparently required that carburetors be completely sealed and absolutely unserviceable, and that is stopping all loads of parts that have been previously shipped.  It may also create a carburetor shortage.

The Problem

Since early 2009, Chinese parts, and parts with Chinese components, have become increasingly difficult to obtain.  This has created upset customers, some of whom think we're just holding the parts for the fun of it.  Obviously, we don't make any money until we sell a part, so that's not the case.  This backlog is consuming much of our time, and we're NOT making money on parts we can't sell.

The Cause

A few news reports have indicated "issues" with trade with the leaders of the U. S. and China.  Industry sources say the U. S. placed more restrictions on imports from China, and then China responded in same.  Not to be outdone, the U. S. responded again, and now it's difficult to get "containers" through U. S. Customs.

One example of this occurred in mid-2009 when ten containers of parts were being shipped to Hammerhead in the Dallas area.  The containers arrived in California and were sent to the U. S. Customs facility in Texas -- less than an hour from Hammerhead.  Apparently, U. S. Customs wanted a "Made in China" sticker to be on every single part, including screws, nuts, and other parts way too small to be labeled.  After sitting for several months, the containers were shipped back to California for further inspection, and then released -- one container at a time -- after Hammerhead paid a fine.  The parts were then shipped back to Dallas.  Meanwhile, thousands of customers were affected.  We can only hope this change will be temporary.

This is apparently affecting parts supplies from Hammerhead, Dinli, and Carter.  Update:  Carter has burned to the ground.

Dinli Parts

Dinli pulled out of the U. S. years ago, leaving their customers with no place to buy parts.  A U. S. company made arrangement to import parts, reportedly paid for them, and never received them.  They sell what parts they have left over and are arranging for some aftermarket items.  We now have an arrangement where we can get parts from China, but it often takes 3 - 4 weeks because of shipping.  However, some parts are being backordered, and we're wondering if it's because of Customs, as well.  We can't seem to get an answer.

Hammerhead Parts

When we first had shortages, we purchased some parts from another supplier who previously imported their karts.  We don't get as good a discount from them, but we were able to get some parts we couldn't get from Hammerhead, and while it took away our profit, it allowed us to fill orders.  Now, they are running out, too.

Occasionally, we'll find another Hammerhead dealer who has a part, and we'll pay retail from them so we can fill an order.  We lose money, but it takes care of the customer.  So, one can easily see this is neither profitable, nor a "picnic," for us.

Hammerhead brings in some crucial parts, such as CDI's, by air freight.  Air freight seems to skip some of the scrutiny of Customs, and arrives within about a week (overnight, but it still has to go through Customs).  Unfortunately, they can only do this for small, crucial parts, as it costs hundreds of dollars to ship a small box overnight from China to Dallas.

Pricing

We don't know if it's caused by the extra requirements from Customs, the cost of fuel, and/or the cost of raw materials, but we get price increases on every invoice we receive.  In some cases, we find we're selling a part for less than it costs us to replace it.  We left prices alone for a while, thinking they would stabilize, but we've had to raise some of our prices to keep from selling at a loss.  If you have an order pending, it will be filled at the price quoted on your invoice, even if the price has gone up.  The only exception is if we have to buy the part from another source, and we'll give you the option prior to shipping.

Credit Cards

Unlike most online stores, we run credit card charges manually and you are not charged until the package is ready to ship.

We're doing our best to locate and provide our customers with parts.  We're spending 3 to 4 times the labor in filling orders, as we spend time with customers regarding the status of orders, and time spent with our vendors trying to beg for parts.

If you desire to cancel your order, we certainly understand.  However, no one else is going to be able to get them any sooner than we can, as we all get our parts from the same place, and we are only an hour away from the warehouse.  Since some of these parts have been on order since February, we suspect most parts that come in have already been sold, so if you place an order elsewhere, you might have to wait for a 2nd shipment, and possibly pay a higher price.

We appreciate your business and patience as we work through this situation.

Take me to the Reliable Go-Karts website.

Take me to the Reliable Go-Karts online store.