Keith Browning Posted December 10, 2011 Share Posted December 10, 2011 I just read a post at the Monkey House that hit home and I agree with the guy. Quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I have been very loyal to Ford but lately the pricing for their parts is really bothering me: Fuel Filter Dealer $99.00-Advanced Auto $46.00 If Advanced Auto can charge $46.00 and still make a profit, what Ford is charging should be illegal. Ford heater block cord $99.89, needs to be ordered International heater block cord in stock $26.52 out the door and in stock. Am I wrong for complaining and spending my money elsewhere? This is why a new Diesel is priced @ $62,000.00, I don't think I will ever purchase a new truck again @ these prices. When I price parts out for a quote I sometimes choke when I hear the price. There are a lot of items I know my (old) dealer were unnecessarily high - so much so that it is not uncommon to lose a job due to the price. And I mean compared to other Ford dealers around us, not just the parts stores. I realize some people are not comparing OEM to OEM parts (aftermarket) but in all honesty, why the hell does a fuel filter cost $100? And its a CARTRIDGE no less! I hate the term stealership but I get it why some people use the term. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Mutter Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 I lose jobs because of the cost of parts on a weekly basis. Its hard to show the value of oem when they are double the cost of the aftermarket. Its a rock in a hard place because for the most part the oem stuff is good and when you sell aftermarket stuff it can some time put you in a jam if they don't back there parts with a good warranty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Browning Posted December 11, 2011 Author Share Posted December 11, 2011 Well I don't think that any dealership regardless of the manufacturer should be selling aftermarket parts. One of the selling points for a dealership service department is that we offer genuine OEM parts for service and repairs installed by genuine factory trained technicians. If the genuine parts cost a little more BECAUSE they are supposedly the best for vehicles then so be it but some prices defy explanation. What is more surprising is the vast differences from dealer to dealer for the same part. When truck owners can go to a Navistar dealer and pay a lot less for the same hardware it looks bad. When truck owners can go to Wal-Mart and get oil and fuel filters for less than the dealer is buying them for, something stinks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Saunoras Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 The parts manager drives me crazy some times but I have to remind myself that he doesn't set the prices, ford does. I'm unfortunate enough to be looking over his shoulder when he's looking up parts and when I see the mark up on some of these things I can't believe it. All the international parts sourced parts are the worse. Unison rings are my hot button right now. $171 list? You've gotta be kidding me Didn't the list on diesel fuel filters just come down? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fredsvt Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 Does your dealership parts department sell the parts over the counter to retail customers (non-shop or fleet) for less than what they'd sell them on a customer pay job? I've noticed a few things being in an independent shop, they sell to us (Ford store) at 20% under the list price. They sell to OTC customers at the SAME price. I haven't seen a retail RO from a Ford store to know if they go over list or at list. I see several of our local Napa stores that sell to us ~50% under list, depending on the part, but they will sell to a OTC customer at about 30% under their suggested list price. Kinda burns the shops they sell to, when you get a customer bitching on parts prices. Just like how Motorcraft oils and filters at WalMart or Sams Club cost way under even what they sell to an independent. When I worked at the limo company, we used to get those old dot matrix printed bills, and in the blacked out area, we could see that the fleet paid 10% over the dealer's cost (in the blackout area) on the part. Btw, if you see the quality (NOT) of many of the garden variety AutoZoo, CarQueef, or Crapa parts, be glad you don't have to install them. Having to send stuff back, or do stuff over and over gets OLD real fast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Browning Posted December 12, 2011 Author Share Posted December 12, 2011 Does your dealership parts department sell the parts over the counter to retail customers (non-shop or fleet) for less than what they'd sell them on a customer pay job? This is another issue that has plagued us for years. There are times I would be quoted different prices from different parts countermen in the back of the shop. Go figure. I have also heard of cases where we would diag a vehicle, quote the customer and have him decline the job... only to go to our front parts counter and buy the part for less than we quoted him. It has happened several times and I have had three different service writers tell me this. I can't understand it. Originally Posted By: Fredsvt Btw, if you see the quality (NOT) of many of the garden variety AutoZoo, CarQueef, or Crapa parts, be glad you don't have to install them. Having to send stuff back, or do stuff over and over gets OLD real fast. One of the reasons many people still come to the dealership as I already mentioned - OEM parts. There will always be people who shop price and will never go to a "Stealership" unless hell has frozen over. Then there are those people who insist on coming to us for a variety of reasons. So it just begs the question why dealers can't align themselves a little better and be consistent. I understand that for good customers, regular customers that buy a lot of parts you would want to offer a discount but some places just seem to charge whatever they want and it makes the whole lot of us look bad sometimes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DwayneGorniak Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 What really pisses me off and always has is that I worked at some dealerships (three that did this for sure)that charge 10% or 15% above "SUGGESTED RETAIL PRICE". I heard customers bitch and chew our parts guys new asses all the time knowing that they could go to the other Ford dealership in the same city and get a better price. And this has gone on for over 20 years that I know of now. These Idiots just can't figure out that it so easy for them to get caught and that bad news travels extremely fast. The other dealerships always tell the customers exactly what is happening. It would be the same mentality as me charging 10 or 15% more for Tools than any other Mac distributor out there charging suggested retail price. It is just plain wrong! However it is easier to catch tool dealers at this practice due to the fact that our prices are online. Now that I am no longer with Ford, man do I shop around for parts now. And I see way way too damned many differences in prices. If your parts departments want loyal customers, they should start by being loyal and honest themselves. Like I said, bad news travels at almost lighting speed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmy57 Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 Ford diesel maintenance parts are priced above factory parts for GM and Dodge diesels too. I am surprised this hasn't seemed to have hurt new vehicle sales nationally but I know it has hurt sales locally by listening to the local ranchers at the cafe. They all know they can operate their GM and Dodge diesels cheaper than their previous Ford diesels. The overpriced plain-ass cartridge oil filter is very well known and didn't win Ford any fans in my neck o' the woods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Bruene Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 I remember when the LCF first came out. The oil filter (can't remember the number off hand) was $80 through Ford. We purchased them from IH for $20. The sick part was, you would open the red Motor-Craft box to find a white IH box inside it, with the filter inside of that. I heard at one time our prices were so much higher to help keep up with soaring warranty prices on 6.0s... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGMEC Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 Our parts dept. is selling to over the counter customers and retail jobs for list +20% and they leave the list price on the invoice I cannot beleive how many people don't notice this, but the one that do sure raise some stink. (used car sales pays that now too you should hear them cry) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktmlew Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 It would be the same mentality as me charging 10 or 15% more for Tools than any other tool distributor out there charging suggested retail price. It is just plain wrong! That would just make you a Snap-On dealer... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktmlew Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 As to the original topic...my dad had a used car lot. He delt with NAPA 100% of the time for tune-up/electrical parts (Echlin). We had an Echlin cabinet that was fairly full of plugs, caps, rotors, points, condensers, etc. He got a bit behind on paying his bill and they asked why felt he needed to stock so many parts when we were only 4 miles away. He loaded up the whole cabinet and went to town. Said I'll show you why. Asked for a complete tune-up for a 327 4-barrel small block CHEVY. They had 7 spark plugs, no air filter...had everything else. We has three sets of "tune-ups" for Ford/Chevy/Dodge in our cabinet. He "cashed-in" the whole cabinet full which paid his bill in full plus left enough money to buy two weeks groceries. But what he was really pissed about was the fact that anyone that walked in the door could buy parts for with-in 10% of his "special discount" rate. He moved the NAPA store to the bottom of the list... I'm not sure when the whole tiered pricing deal began but it sure has made it tough for a business. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djmiller Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 A few Escape pieces come in a Mazda box, inside a Ford box too don't they? I vaguely remember something about Mazda brakes being far cheaper to buy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregH Posted December 23, 2011 Share Posted December 23, 2011 I've taken to purchasing most of my auto parts from Amazon. Consistently the lowest price, if you have the time to wait for shipping. On my Sunfire, the fuel pump failed. I had an extra car, so I didn't need to fix it right away. Less than $100 from Amazon, but over $300 from anywhere in town. When it came in, it even had an FTP sensor installed. It looked factory except for the Airtex sticker: Airtex E3507M at Amazon versus E3507M at NAPA I tried it again with a 7.3L fuel pump. Save $40. E2236 at Amazon versus E2236 at Advance Wal-mart is killing the little guy. Online is killing the big guys... Not just car parts. Some pendants I got for my spouse a while back. $10 compared to $30: Birthstone Kids necklace pendant versus Same pendant at another retailer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Browning Posted December 23, 2011 Author Share Posted December 23, 2011 I am one to go bargain hunting on the Internet as well. I do compare and shop around. After a chance meeting with a mailbox, the right mirror on my Explorer needed to be replaced. I bought one REAL cheap in the Internet and this was way under what I could buy it for as a dealer employee. It was a Chinese knock-off. It looked perfect. It didn't fit quite right though. Just be absolutely sure you are comparing apples to apples. When I clicked the button on my screen to buy it I already had a suspicion I was not buying an OEM part. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DwayneGorniak Posted December 23, 2011 Share Posted December 23, 2011 Jim an I used to talk about things like this allot. Jim is a firm believer in buying locally and supporting locally. I tend to agree with him on this with some exceptions. I try to buy local as long as I know the prices are "FAIR". Service is also another factor. But in the Automotive Dealership parts scene I know you have to shop around especially with my experience of jacked up prices in the past and with what everyone else is talking about on here. The dealerships have created their own image of dishonesty by being way too greedy and they are now starting to get caught at their game. Once a customer realizes they can't trust a dealership, they will never ever trust that dealership. This is the shit that the dealerships forget about. I hate talking about it because of all the pride we have as technicians, but it is a fact. There are other exceptions I made to not shopping local: If the damned town I live in doesn't have it, I go shopping around for it. I too also tend to look on the internet and shop on the internet, especially for bike and quad parts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exmod110 Posted December 23, 2011 Share Posted December 23, 2011 I think that any time a company ties sales/profit margin into a bonus or wages there is always going to be "precieved" dishonesty or price gouging.( I understand that this is a common practice) We all know "flush kings" and tecs that "up sell" unnecessary maint to pad the paycheck because they can make great time on the job. So when this also happens in the parts, sales or service to me it is not unexpected. When I worked in the dealership I was looking for a Ranger, looked at one and got the "employee price" decided against it only to find it was sold at a lower price to a person off the street then what they quoted it to me for! Needles to say I purchased a vehicle outside of my dealership after that. When the manager asked why I went outside of the dealership I told him straight out I was being gouged and didnt have any trust in the sales department from that point on. It is all buyer be ware..... Support local when the price is fair sure, but the only way to know whats fair is to shop around. I know we had lots of rig pigs travel or be towed to Manitoba to have their diesels worked on because our door rate was substantially lower then Alberta, not to mention that we didn't have a 3 week wait to get in the door.... Money is king. Consumers try to get the best price they can and retail's try to make as much profit as they can... Oh yeh.... Merry Christmas!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Saunoras Posted December 24, 2011 Share Posted December 24, 2011 I am addicted to ebay right now. Owning a 6.0 and buying factory parts under cost is the cat's meow did I mention I got a brand new unison ring for $26? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Browning Posted December 24, 2011 Author Share Posted December 24, 2011 Good Score. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Amacker Posted December 24, 2011 Share Posted December 24, 2011 I am addicted to ebay right now. I've been addicted for years, almost a thousand feedbacks now....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregH Posted December 24, 2011 Share Posted December 24, 2011 There is a flea market once a month here. One of the vendors who's been coming there for years sells this cheap blatant knockoff stuff for a dollar. Some of it is really funny: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Warman Posted December 25, 2011 Share Posted December 25, 2011 Who amongst us is in favour of slave labour? How about paying poverty level wages for long hours just so you can avoid starving to death? How about misusing/abusing child labour? "I got this part for next to nothing!". It may or may not be a "counterfeit" part (which is a whole 'nother subject). A cheap part may have some dubious parentage.... could it be a stolen part being "fenced"? Could it be a substandard part made in a Pacific Rim or other third world labour camp? Have we forgotten the Kathie Gifford scandal? Can we turn a blind eye if we are profitting from the misery of others? "I got this cheap and some little slant eyed bastuhd in the pacific rim should be happy he has a bowl of rice". We are all created equal... apparently some of us are a little more equal than others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Warman Posted December 25, 2011 Share Posted December 25, 2011 Wow... in retrospect, I'm not really sure where that diatribe welled up from... and I sincerely apologize if I managed to offend anyone... But the fact remains that we (me included) routinely take advantage of people in nations that aren't as developed as ours. It is so far removed from us that is easy for us to either forget that it's there or pretend that it's not. Automakers are investing heavily in China - a country where civil rights are about non-existant - a country nearly famous for counterfeiting brand name goods (not to mention VCMs). The ongoing push towards a global economy will, hopefully, someday remedy this disparaty and allow all of us to work together for the common good. Have a safe and happy holiday.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Browning Posted December 25, 2011 Author Share Posted December 25, 2011 Don't worry Jim, your point is taken and it is spot on. But you cannot dismiss the fact that so much stuff comes out of China now it is almost impossible to avoid those products completely but I do when I can. I have opened a few Power Stroke electrical parts that had "Made In China" stamped on them in recent history. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DieselD Posted December 27, 2011 Share Posted December 27, 2011 Don't worry Jim, your point is taken and it is spot on. But you cannot dismiss the fact that so much stuff comes out of China now it is almost impossible to avoid those products completely but I do when I can. I have opened a few Power Stroke electrical parts that had "Made In China" stamped on them in recent history. More everyday with ford and I have to say Im disappointed. I have found alot of seals, electrical connector kits, and even fluid coolers being china made now If I have a choice I avoid china made if at all possible. China is smart, they have us by the balls but thats another topic all together Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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