Savage Difference in car part price

ejmaztec

BostonB wrote: »

What am I'm begrudging exactly?

Is'nt that exactly what the banks did. Completely over extend themselves with massive debt chasing business that they couldn't possibly sustain in the long run. All with the defence that they had to do in order to compete with the other banks/business'es. All while ignoring the fundamentals. Seems very similar IMO. Besides you gave an example of a dealer who chose not to do it.

Coming back to the subject of the price of car parts. the defence seems that's it ok for the consumer to pay high prices in dealers to finance these property deals. To me that's just wrong.

However it doesn't explain the shocking bad attitude and poor customer service in many dealers.

Main dealers have been charging way over the top for spares for decades, and it's not a recent practice initiated to fund property deals. I know it's standard practice here and in the UK, and would guess that the rip-off is worldwide.

A lot of the time you can buy cheaper pattern-parts, but on many occasions you're left with no choice but to buy parts from a main dealer.

My missus needed another ignition key for a Mitsubishi because hers was falling apart. The total cost for a new key, a chip and a remote was €290. That gave me great incentive to fix her key myself, because there was no way in hell that I was going to pay that much for a key. It was either fix it, or pay €290, no other choice being available.

borderlinemeath

BostonB wrote: »

What am I'm begrudging exactly?

Is'nt that exactly what the banks did. Completely over extend themselves with massive debt chasing business that they couldn't possibly sustain in the long run. All with the defence that they had to do in order to compete with the other banks/business'es. All while ignoring the fundamentals. Seems very similar IMO. Besides you gave an example of a dealer who chose not to do it.

Coming back to the subject of the price of car parts. the defence seems that's it ok for the consumer to pay high prices in dealers to finance these property deals. To me that's just wrong.

However it doesn't explain the shocking bad attitude and poor customer service in many dealers.

The dealer who chose not to had his business literally wiped out. He was lucky because he didn't do what the brand wanted so he didn't have a massive debt, but he did lose his business. A business he had run for 35 years.

As I've said before, dealers don't set the prices for their parts. They pay a premium price for them and don't get a huge margin on them (or on cars either for that matter).

How "many" dealers have you received poor service from? I would imagine if you went in with the attitude that you've shown on this thread ie f*ck them cos they did well in the boom, then you get the same attitude back.

Most people who moan about poor customer service, attitude, and price are usually the worst customers to deal with. I've been in retail for 20 years, I've had to listen to enough of them. Show a little courtesy in the service industry and it goes a long way.

Also if you owned your own business and saw where margin, profits go and how overheads add up, you would have a completely different attitude.

exador

BostonB wrote: »

What am I'm begrudging exactly?

Is'nt that exactly what the banks did. Completely over extend themselves with massive debt chasing business that they couldn't possibly sustain in the long run. All with the defence that they had to do in order to compete with the other banks/business'es. All while ignoring the fundamentals. Seems very similar IMO. Besides you gave an example of a dealer who chose not to do it.

Coming back to the subject of the price of car parts. the defence seems that's it ok for the consumer to pay high prices in dealers to finance these property deals. To me that's just wrong.

However it doesn't explain the shocking bad attitude and poor customer service in many dealers.

Don't buy them then..... As other poster has said dealers do not set the prices. In my experience most consumers buying parts are well informed and aware of prices elsewhere.

If your dealer gives bad service or attitude then go elsewhere. You can't please everyone.

BostonB

borderlinemeath wrote: »

...
How "many" dealers have you received poor service from? I would imagine if you went in with the attitude that you've shown on this thread ie f*ck them cos they did well in the boom, then you get the same attitude back....

Actually no I didn't. I said they've been doing the same for decades, that includes pre boom. You introduced the boom as an excuse for their later (separate) poor decisions. I'm just agreeing with you on that tbh.

What attitude exactly. I'm not saying anything, expensive, poor customer service, that anyone disagreeing with. They may give excuse/reasons for it. But few if any are disagreeing with it.

BostonB

exador wrote: »

Don't buy them then..... As other poster has said dealers do not set the prices. In my experience most consumers buying parts are well informed and aware of prices elsewhere.

If your dealer gives bad service or attitude then go elsewhere. You can't please everyone.

If they don't set the prices, then having to buy new showrooms would have no impact on the prices. you can't have it both ways.

True, and thus generally I avoid dealers where I can. But occasionally you end up in one for one reason or another. I bought one of our current cars in a local dealer, simply because they had what I wanted at the right price.

About these retail parks, many of them are in are inaccessible except by car. So its impractical to leave your car in for a service, unless they give you a courtesy car. Which they often don't. Bit of a disadvantage that.

maxer68

The biggest problem with car dealerships in the boom times was that they took on "sales people" who hadn't a clue and didn't need a clue of how to sell.

These were the frontline people and they gave dealerships a very bad name - take it or leave it. This desease permeated into the service area too, but not as badly.

When the owners noticed, it was probably too late - they had spent the millions, they had massive debt and suddenly the "sales people" had to actually sell, and as they hadn't a clue, sales dryed up and the garages closed. The fact that 60% less car buyers were out there contributed too!

However a few garages didn't have that attitude and those garages still do well today. - Fitzpatricks in Naas / Kildare is a garage that I could never fault for their service even in the boom times, same with Finlays in Athy and TP Waters in Kildare Town. - Funny, all these are long time family operated garages and they never spent millions on their premises!

borderlinemeath

maxer68 wrote: »

The biggest problem with car dealerships in the boom times was that they took on "sales people" who hadn't a clue and didn't need a clue of how to sell.

These were the frontline people and they gave dealerships a very bad name - take it or leave it. This desease permeated into the service area too, but not as badly.

When the owners noticed, it was probably too late - they had spent the millions, they had massive debt and suddenly the "sales people" had to actually sell, and as they hadn't a clue, sales dryed up and the garages closed. The fact that 60% less car buyers were out there contributed too!

However a few garages didn't have that attitude and those garages still do well today. - Fitzpatricks in Naas / Kildare is a garage that I could never fault for their service even in the boom times, same with Finlays in Athy and TP Waters in Kildare Town. - Funny, all these are long time family operated garages and they never spent millions on their premises!

Same can be said for department stores, restaurants, estate agents.. the list goes on.

My point is that prices aren't set by the dealers, the thread was set up to have a go at dealers and scapegoat them for the massive price difference.

As it happens my OH is currently sourcing parts in the UK and brings them in by the vanload such is the price variation from Ire V UK. He no longer gets trade discount on the brands that his father used to deal in and the only way to make servicing and repairs affordable for the customer is to source parts elsewhere.

BostonB

borderlinemeath wrote: »

...
My point is that prices aren't set by the dealers, the thread was set up to have a go at dealers and scapegoat them for the massive price difference...

I don't see why highlighting the difference in prices is scapegoating.

There are dealers selling parts off used cars, and also selling spurious parts at inflated prices. besides, there used to be price differences between dealers in OEM parts. I dunno if the latter is still true, I haven't used one for new parts recently.

borderlinemeath

There can be price discrepancies between dealers on OEM parts, just like there can be a price difference in a can of coke in two different spar shops. I know that my OH used to purchase OEM Honda parts from DG Honda/Opal as they were cheaper than our nearest dealer and they had most parts in stock rather than waiting for delivery to our local dealer. I would imagine the local dealer was adding on a delivery charge as well.

On spurious parts, some of them are manufactured in the same factory and are identical in all but badge but some are vastly inferior. My OH put a spurious fuel pump into a BMW 330d at the owners request as the part was far cheaper. He returned within 2 months to get the actual BMW part as the pump caused an incessant "ticking" that drove him demented.

uck51js9zml2yt

Another rip off...

I phones Renault in Liffey valley to get a price on a rear light for a renault Megane and was quoted €110.

I then phoned a motor factors and got the same light for €65 which was the same price as micksgarage.ie

I'd rather give it to an irish business so have ordered from it from here but have no intention of helping Bill Cullen maintain his lifestyle.

Tigger

maxer68 wrote: »

Do people still buy original car parts? - Spurious parts as as good and less than half the price. In Toyota garages they even give you an option of a spurious part or an original.

Micks Garage.ie or any decent motor factors would have looked after you.

Never a need to go to a branded garage unless the car is very new and spurious parts haven't come to market.

micks garage are very dear and their customer service is crazy

i rang them a while ago looking for a set of 4 discs with pads , i had better stuff delivered from the uk and fitted before the lad in micks rang back to tell me a price 30% higher (same brand same parts)

allthedoyles

We rang a Peugeot garage in Northern Ireland , same as OP , and we saved €200 .

The part was delivered by post .

And by-the-way , the part was not availabe to buy in a car dismantlers .