Modern Vespa

Those of you who don't know who I am or what I'm flogging, check out http://www.modernvespa.com/forum/topic53254?postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0.

Okay, you're back from reading that thread? What if I told you - theoretically speaking, of course - that the UFP3 brackets could be made available in Europe, and in a configuration that would require no special modification to fit an MP3 /LT. If you have a Fuoco 500, no modification at all, just plug and play; if you have a different MP3, you'll need to punch two little holes in the floorboard mat; and above all, if you own an LT, you have to punch two little holes in the rubber floormat and MAYBE (still working on this) have to lift the little rubber boot under the brake pedal up above the floorboard mat.

Here are some additional provisos: it'll cost $110 US, not $100*, due to shipping costs; I cannot give you a tracking number to track your shipment, so the brackets will show up "whenever they get there"; and it has to be paid in U.S. funds. Check, money order; no credit cards, bank transfers, or paypal.

Are people interested? It appears that the change to the UFP3 to fit a /LT is actually quite minor, and if there is enough interest, that change could be incorporated into the next batch. If you want to get on the waiting list, PM me.

P.S. a long time ago, a French MV member suggested ordering them in quantity in order to get the shipping costs down. If somebody can arrange the logistics of that on their country's end, I'm all for it!

P.P.S. I *DO NOT KNOW* E.U. motor vehicle laws. I do not, for example, know if adding footpegs to an LT suddenly means you need a motorcycle endorsement to drive it or a motorcycle registration to pass inspection. On the other hand, they can be removed very easily...

*As of this date (4/21/10) the actual price is not yet fixed because I am trying to get the new and improved 2010 model - see the thread for details - but if I cannot get the new bracket for the same price then I will allow the interested members to decide whether to get the new model at X dollars or the old version for the old price.

Last edited by rjeffb on Wed Apr 21, 2010 9:22 am; edited 3 times in total

Yes, very interested. But the above makes it just about impossible, unless you expect me to use Western Union - but they charge an exorbitant amount in fees. Why not Paypal? I've had nothing but good experiences with them over the last few years - and their applied exchange rate is pretty competitive. It isn't easy (to say the least) to pay in USD when one's currency is GBP or EUR - and cheques are certainly out, they have to be made out in the currency of the account - at least mine do, and I have at least one of each.

If you want to sell a product, don't make the customer jump through expensive time-wasting hoops.

Thanks Jim, this is precisely the feedback I need. Not the feedback I *wanted*, mind you, but a frank, objective assessment of my idea is most appreciated.

I won't use Paypal, period. I will not start an OT discussion of that company's pros and cons, but suffice it to say that I personally had a bad experience with them, and the massive number of individual and class-action lawsuits they are facing makes me believe I am not alone.

I am not in this for the money; all said and done, I made about $100 off of these brackets last year. If I were to actually turn this into a for-profit proposition (which based on the rather small number of units sold, I suspect is unlikely), then of course I would need to accept credit-card type transactions. The fact that you, as a UK citizen, cannot create a bank cheque in a foreign currency is something I was unaware of and, while disappointing, is very useful information. I can see this is going to be more complicated that I had hoped.

Can any U.S. readers answer the following question: can an American deposit a check written in Euros into a U.S. bank? Does anybody have personal experience with this, and if so, walk me through the process?

Another admittedly long-shot solution is that a French MV member had once offered to buy brackets in bulk and redistribute on his end. I'll reach out to him and see if he's still interested; but that will involve additional [re-]shipping costs, so it may not be workable either.

Nonetheless, if and when a new batch of brackets are ordered, I will go ahead and trim down the inboard dimension to permit mounting on an MP3/LT, since there is no downside to doing so.

Thanks again Jim for the forthright appraisal.

TEST

Last edited by rjeffb on Sun Apr 17, 2011 10:42 am; edited 2 times in total

I am not a U.S. reader, but I do have some experience in that area since I have lived on both continents. There is no technical reason that an American bank can not accept checks in Euros or Pound Sterling, but most American banks are too parochial to take the trouble. IIRC, Bank of America would do it, but charge quite a bit for the privilege. Another possible difficulty is that checks are not often used here anymore, at least where I live here. I tried to get a check from my bank here to make a payment where a check was desired, and my bank could not do it locally and had to request the check from a district headquarters. Another payment method you could think off is a direct bank to bank wire transfer with a currency conversion, but that usually cost the originator a significant amount.

I almost exclusively use PayPal to make payments for purchases from the USA, but I also maintain a bank account in the USA for payments where only a check is possible, like to the IRS.

in europe you can open a dollar account, i don't know if you can open a euro account in the States asked your bank then it will be easier

in europe all banks don't suply any check's you only can buy traverlers check's over here

Thanks folks, looks like an investigative trip to my bank is in order. That's interesting that checks are now rare in Europe, despite credit cards, e-commerce, and automatic bill deductions, checks are still omnipresent in the U.S.

Thanks again.

I don't think I've even got a cheque-book now. Never a need for one.

FWIW, once you guys figure out the money part it will be worth the effort. The UFP is an excellent addition to the scooter if you're spending much time on high speed interstates and freeways (or even 'motorways' ). I really like mine and highly recommend them.

The money thing would be oh-so-simple via Paypal.

The price could include a consideration for any charges.

I'd be up for it ASAP.

A few years back I received a check in Canadian dollars. It was worth about $12 US. Went to the bank to cash it and the fee for exchange was more than the value of the check.

Jeff it is easy to set up a PayPal account and it works well.

+1 My only regret is I didn't get them sooner. They can drag the ground in a tight turn so be sure to install folding pegs to avoid an unpleasant incident.

Yeah, freeways only. No joy on the twisties.

Of course they're not bad for use when tilt-locked and sitting in the garage going "vroom, vroom" either!!

To chime in from Australia, we are pretty much the same as Europe. I haven't had a check book for around 10 years. All our bill paying is via the Internet and I also use Paypal for the majority of my purchases from individuals in the US. Other than the recent Fuzzy washers, I have had a few small run parts like these for my Aprilia paid for with Paypal.

//Dennis.

Cheques are being phased out in the UK. Almost no retail outlets will accept them and they will disappear altogether by 2018.

Not sure why one would need foot pegs on a scooter, unless one's feet are so big they don't fit on the foot boards...

Just my two-penneth!

if your vertically challenged probably not neccessary, but for most qho are over 5'7" the extra leg stretch room is nice. After sitting on Fuzzys this past weekend I'll get a set or come up with something else soon.

+1. It is not the feet that don't fit but the excessive bend of the knees that gets uncomfortable. I rode over 35,000 miles with feet on the rugs, but I am spoiled now and could never go back.

Thanks Jeff.

A fellow MV member has offered to use his Paypal account as a means of taking payments. Now, since this would involve you paying him, then him paying me, it might slow things dow a bit (couple days to a week) but it is at least an option.

How many EU members would be interested if this option was a reality? I'm still short the number I need to order to get a quantity discount, so this could be a win-win for everybody. You get a bracket, everybody gets a discount. Let me know since one way or another, the order will be going in soon.

Me for one.

Jeff,

Forgive me if I missed something in one of the posts but I have to ask, why in the world would you not want to set up a PayPal account? (If I got that wrong please accept my appology) It's dead simple, totally secure, internationally accepted, and people like Jim can buy from you without delay or issues. Many of us started out using PayPal as a means of payment on EBay and have since expanded from that to all sorts of on-line sources. Believe me, you won't regret it.

LL75

>Many of us started out using PayPal as a means of payment on EBay and have since expanded from that to all sorts of on-line sources. Believe me, you won't regret it.

In point of fact, I do regret it. This is too OT to discuss even in a separate forum, but I have had bad experiences and do not trust them. Once bitten twice shy. If you Google the subject you will find that I am not alone, they are facing massive individual and class-action lawsuits. No matter how good someone else's experiences have been, that's not going to erase the bad experience I had and I won't use them.

A lot of people love American Express, too, but I won't ever have one of their cards again for largely the same reasons.

Jeff, after tonight I'll be away for four days touring in North Wales - so may not be on hand when you finally decide the numbers and subsequent price. Just a heads-up.

Okay.

Forgot to mention, I went to both of my banks re. the Euro thing. Not just outrageous, but outrageously inconsistent. Bank 1 (who advertises "no fees") wants $17 per check, and it must be over $100 equivalent, and it must be under $250 equivalent (I guess more money for bigger checks). Bank 2 charges a flat fee of $75 for as many checks as I can cash, which I guess if sell 200 brackets at a time isn't so bad...

...what an eye-opener. I just assumed you could cash a check in any major currency like it was in dollars and maybe pay an exchange fee like at the airport. Live and learn.

That is why pay pal is so popular

Morning, Or Evening or whatever time it is there

This is just a thought, what if someone came over for say, a holiday and you sent the pegs to that person in his or hers hotel and in turn that person took them home to distribute them among the fellow riders of great Britain
How will it work with import duty? I understand that a tourist is aloud £150 in gifts and if that person is traveling with a friend that person too could have £150 worth of pegs
would you do a Cash On Delivery service so the courier collects the CASH when dropped off and the person could then deliver or post the items this side of the pond........for a small fee or postal cost to the buyer

As said before,,this is just a thought as I travel to the USA [Phoenix] a lot and for an arm and a leg I could offer this service

Well - you know how we attaboy those folks that have a crash and get back on? I dislike PayPal intensely and object to most of their "policies" and the way they act. BUT - the bennies outweigh the boners. Get back in the saddle man.

+1 I have had my share of bad experience with PayPal too, especially when I first moved from USA to Germany. BUT, like BubbaJon said the benefits far outweigh the few problems they have caused, even though the problems were quite painful at the time. PayPal is one of the few places where just about any currency can be used.

+1 on that, or if you're dead set against it maybe you could appoint someone as your "distributor" and let them worry about the handling, shipping, & the money, etc. It's not difficult to do, just provide them with a bit of margin to work with and all you have to do is design and build. Like a real business, eh?

LL75

Fast Edit: Or if all else fails you could work through an established scooter supply dealer, like someone located in central Florida for instance?

So, if you fall off a horse and discover it's because the horse is diseased, had been shot, and is actually a mountain lion that somebody put a horse disguise over, and the reason you fell had nothing to do with your level of expertise, attention, or planning and therefore you have no way to use the experience in order to eliminate or reduce the possibility of falling again, you'd get back on? Sorry, I don't buy the analogy. I believe that expression deals with events from which you can learn from and thereby reduce the possibility of a re-occurence. No amount of bad experiences with Paypal is going to change the likelihood of being negatively affected by their policies, which in turn the only way I have available to affect is to dney them my business. I realize that is unlikely to force a change, but at least I know I did not contribute to their, um, wickedness.

To Larry: somebody has volunteered to let me use their existing Paypal account for EU customers, and I think that's the best solution.

Ummmm paradox alert.

Not at all. Somebody else is volunteering to deal with the problem if it should arise and that person is already a member. For me, I'll continue to take checks, including from the member taking Paypal.

So if I hire a hitman to take someone out this rationale isolates me from the event? Fascinating....

Sure, if the Hitman was already going to be shooting his gun in the general direction anyway.

Wow rjeffb, whatever happened between you and paypal must have been pretty bad. Sucks that happened. I havn't had problems with paypal but I mostly use it only for buying and selling on ebay.

Hi Mate,
I am new over here. I want to ask if you still produce those footrest brackets?
I live in Slovkia and I have big interrest to buy it.
Can you tell me more please?

And does rjeffb (retired bracketmeister) still hate PayPal 11 years later. Inquiring minds want to know.

He's not posted since 2014.

However, I despise Paypal for sending money to other people, especially if there's a currency conversion involved - they rake off a *huge* amount. Transferwise is far preferable - if the recipient also has a Transferwise account then there's no charge for sending the money, and it's immediate, to almost any currency worldwide. If not, you can send them the money for a small fixed charge, and the exchange rate is the mid-market rate at that time. The transfer is immediate unless the recipient is in the US, which is 25 years behind the times...

e.g. I can send money in GBP from my UK bank to Transferwise, and have it available on my debit card in USD in a few seconds. Sending £1000 to (currently) $1368 costs just $1.40. With Paypal I'd get less than $1310.


That said, as most people seem to have a Paypal account, it is convenient in many cases especially if there's no currency exchange involved.