I was going to step in and add a little positive feedback about the mail order experiences I have been having with Sailing Pro Shop, but I see Mark already has chimed in with some insight of his own.
I run a speciality retail store that competes with the big online monsters, so I will be the last person to push online or phone shopping in general. BUT- with this type of specialty item, and with a spotty local dealer network available, there is simply no better way than to deal with the experts at a REPUTABLE business that handles mail order transactions. I hear horror stories about online camera/photo shopping every single day, but this thing with the mast just makes me want to scream! It is just not that hard to do the right thing. Be smart, treat the customer fairly and things go well. Screw someone over, with shoddy practices and incompitance, and we all will hear about it and not want to order parts from these morons.
Education can be a bitch, but if we all learn to deal with the good guys, like Mark, and stay away from the Bozos, all that will be left in the end are honest, reputable businesses. Then we all win. Buy a mast from Mark and get sailing again!<br><br>Michael Rossney