So, this Saturday is my first opportunity to meet the members of the Ottawa MGB Club at their first post COVID club Ride. I have had my new (old) MGB for a couple of weeks now and have enjoyed the ride while I get to know the car personally and create a “To-Do” list.

From my previous blog entry, I have 4 borrowed wheels and tires from the Sports Car Factory (thank you so much) and had ordered new Minilites from Moss Motors. During the check out they offered USPS Air Post or for additional money plus a brokerage fee UPS Shipping. I totally assumed that UPS would be faster, more reliable, better equipped to handle large heavy boxes, and that I would have my wheels and tires on the car before this Saturday’s MGB Club Ride.

As you can see, they were shipped on July 20th, 2021. They shipped two boxes. The first box had the MG logos, Lug Nuts and two wheels. The second box had two more wheels. On July 27, 2021, they cleared customs and arrived in Toronto (Concord) and were planned to be delivered the next day. But only box two arrived with only two wheels and quite frankly, the box was in poor shape. You can see the details at the very bottom of this article after the poll.

I waited a few days since the status online kept saying “On the Way”. But after waiting three days I called and finally they opened an investigation. On the tracking that is referred to as Information, Ottawa, ON, Canada.

I tried following up, but they told me that these types of investigations take between 8-10 days and they will send me an e-mail with one of two outcomes, Lost or Found with a scheduled delivery date. I imagine there may be a third option such as found but damaged. I say this only because of the condition of the box that I did receive.

Today will be nine days since it was shipped. So immediately after ordering the wheels I decided to order a gas tank. This is Big and Heavy. I decided to try their suggested USPS air and I fully expected it to arrive far later than my wheels. They shipped the gas tank on July 27th, 2021, it cleared customs on August 3rd, 2021, and is in the hands of Canada Post scheduled to be delivered this Friday, August 9th, 2021.

I understand that during COVID 19 there will be delays, no guaranteed shipment dates and such. However, loosing a huge box that was shipped together as box 1 of 2 seems odd.

Now I am not a patient person. I also always stick to a plan. So, when they told me that my wheels would be delivered on July 28th, 2021 I had made plans. I called the Sports Car Factory and had arranged with my wife to drive there and pick me up since I was planning to drop off the car with the wheels to have them installed. In fact, I was leaving the next day to Guelph for a couple of days. Of course all these plans quickly faded away.

Now I am told to hurry up and wait. It seems like I may receive the gas tank with no broker’s fees in advance of the wheels which cost me a premium to ship plus an additional $ 117.00 brokerage fees.

Today is Wednesday and since Monday I wake up hoping that there is still a chance that they sent me an e-mail saying they would be delivered tomorrow. No such luck and there is no use calling for an update. Perhaps they were shipped to Peterborough, Cobourg, Montreal or somewhere else. I read an article that often they declare them lost, pay out, find them, and then put them for auction. People have found items that UPS lost for sale on E-Bay months later.

Frustration Plus 100

To bring the Frustration to a NEW level is quite simple. Due to COVID, Moss Motors does not have any more wheels to sell. They are all back ordered! I can only sit here and pray that they find my wheels because if they do not, I will have only two wheels and no lug nuts or MG Logos.

According to dates, I will have to continue praying until August 10th, 2021, which will be the 10-day limit on their investigation. I am not even certain if I must return the wheels and tires on the car to the Sports Car Factory and if I do, I will have a perfectly drivable MGB sitting on jack stands in my garage. After all, they lent them to me for a short while while until my Minilites arrived. How fun is that?

Wait, as I write this I will go online and check the status as I do multiple times each day. Hopefully by writing this article may somehow deliver good luck. Nope, no such luck.

Possible Solutions

I did some research on how to reduce stress and here are some solutions. Which one would you do?