I buy local when I can and when it makes sense. But here’s a frustration and maybe I’m missing something.
Need a purge valve for my daily. Ac Delco on rock auto is $26. Including shipping on Amazon a couple bucks more.
Go to pick one up at car quest, we’ll over $60 for the same ac delco. They tell me it will be here in a day or two. For a part they did not need to stock. Comes on the truck from the warehouse with the rest of their stuff. And I get to make a trip into town during their ours….whic no longer includes Saturday. Damn!

quote:

Originally posted by Bucky:
their ours….whic no longer includes Saturday. Damn!

The correct word is “hours” and “which” for those that didn’t get past the 3rd grade and I buy all my parts, OEM, from the dealer for my daily drivers.

quote:

Originally posted by 1320racer:

quote:

Originally posted by Bucky:
their ours….whic no longer includes Saturday. Damn!

The correct word is “hours” and “which” for those that didn’t get past the 3rd grade and I buy all my parts, OEM, from the dealer for my daily drivers.

Great, helpful post Ed. I’m glad my missing letters didn’t confuse the message for you. The point was why pay more for the exact part number….which happens with the dealer as well.

You are not alone. Priced out 4 belts for my 89 Dually 7.3 (O) was close to $100 Genuine Gates.

RA $44.00 shipped. Just ordered complete brakes for my sons GMC. Here was it close to $800 (Delco)
RA $429 shipped. (Delco)

i know several shops here that deal with RA when they can.

Conventional brick and mortar stores have higher operational expenses therefore their profit margins must be higher to cover those expenses. The price of each item is based on the frequency and quantity it is sold (basically the number of "turns"), the cost of the shelve it sits on, labor costs not to mention city and state tax rates. Organizations like Amazon normally price items at a lower amount because they sell each item more frequently so they buy in much larger quantities. One other factor is something referred to as dating orders, they get extended payment terms. Buy it today and pay for it over several months, not in 30 days. The business term is gross margin, return on investment.

Any time you purchase an "odd ball/rare" item it will be more expensive. There are some Companies that specialize in selling items that fall into that category, odd and rare. They purchase obsolete inventories at significantly reduced prices.

Bob

What's the problem here? You know where you can get the exact same part cheaper in almost the same timeframe.

The local parts store can either adapt or go away.

quote:

Originally posted by Lenny5160:
What's the problem here? You know where you can get the exact same part cheaper in almost the same timeframe.

The local parts store can either adapt or go away.

You are right. And I have reluctantly moved toward the savings and convenience of online. I’m ok with paying more locally. But twice as much and they never carried that inventory? Hell they seldom have anything I’m looking for when I go there now. I want to support local. But not at that cost

Consider my reply part of your ongoing continuing education to prepare you for a GED!

I don’t buy my parts, race car or daily driver based on price, I buy the best and only OEM for my cars.

quote:

Originally posted by TD3550:
You are not alone. Priced out 4 belts for my 89 Dually 7.3 (O) was close to $100 Genuine Gates.

RA $44.00 shipped. Just ordered complete brakes for my sons GMC. Here was it close to $800 (Delco)
RA $429 shipped. (Delco)

i know several shops here that deal with RA when they can.

The same delco at the online gm parts store is almost half the price of the same part at Carquest I now see. I don’t know how they sell anything

Most any real parts store that is still around (not the ones who specialize in wax & floormats like Auto Zone or Advanced) is probably a jobber who does 90-95% of his business or more with repair shops. They're not really after your business. He sells that part which has a $60 MSRP to the repair shop for $30, then the shop marks it up to the customer to make money in addition to the labor. The shop makes money on the parts, but if its defective or he misdiagnoses it then he has to eat the labor. Repair shops don't bother with online because they usually don't have time to wait and if they have a problem with a defect they can just call the local parts store and get another or order both if there is a choice. If the parts store starts slashing their prices to compete for what little retail business is out there, they run the risk of undercutting and pissing off their bread and butter customers - the repair shops. Basically it boils down to: you can pay full price & get it quick or you can order it online and save a few bucks.
As far as the fact that he "didn't have to stock it".... most parts places will stock something only if they have at least 2 or 3 sales per year on that part number. The fact that he had to Special-Order it for you probably cut into his profit margin a little as opposed to if he got it with his regular stock order.
I have been in the parts business for about 30 years (first a busy parts store and the past 20 at dealerships) so before you all rush to tell me how it shouldn't be that way or tell me everyone making a buck along the way is a crook, I'm just telling you the most likely scenario... not defending it, just telling you the "behind the scenes". Online sales have changed the scope of retail for better or for worse in just about every industry.... just to give you an example of how few people buy parts for their own cars and how dead the retail end of the parts business is - my dealership is in a new building and it was built without a retail parts counter (just one in the shop for the techs) and that is the way many new facilities are trending.

The fact that I can get many OEM parts from Rockauto or even Amazon, why would I want to pay more from a dealer? I do put OEM parts on my vehicles also.

Thanks for the behind the scenes look/explanation Mr. Duhs

I get ALL OEM parts from the dealer and I dint pay more.

I buy from local parts stores mostly

NAPA..and another place nearby..PAYLESS
NAPA is not what it used to be but they have or can get most anything.
I also have bought many times from Rock Auto
Have had great luck with buying from them and actually rarely is anything wrong unlike dealing with the local stores.
The local NAPA was privately owned......Had financial trouble and was taken over by NAPA themselves
Getting competent parts people is pretty much not happening and it's tough dealing with some of their phone people

OEM dealers are better at it but their prices are INSANE.....and I have had instances of buying OEM parts for my own truck that were junk and failed big time....

We did a water pump on one of our service vans not long ago and the pump, gaskets and anti freeze came from the dealer for some reason. I didn't order the parts or do the job.
I looked at the bill and my eyes popped......Outrageous prices....

If I'm working on my own truck and need something unexpected....NAPA or PAYLESS usually bails me out...their open and minutes away....

Wouldn't buying the same part(s) at a significantly higher price when you know where to save money make you ....well.....just stupid??

i wait two days for amazon to deliver and probably save over 10k a year from buying local between price differance , time lost going to get it and the cost of driving around to find it. i could give two sheets less where it comes from when my net increases greatly.

All my parts are OEM from the dealer and I pay no more for them than online, that means I’m smarter than most here buying junk from auto zone and online.

quote:

Originally posted by Bucky:

quote:

Originally posted by TD3550:
You are not alone. Priced out 4 belts for my 89 Dually 7.3 (O) was close to $100 Genuine Gates.

RA $44.00 shipped. Just ordered complete brakes for my sons GMC. Here was it close to $800 (Delco)
RA $429 shipped. (Delco)

i know several shops here that deal with RA when they can.

The same delco at the online gm parts store is almost half the price of the same part at Carquest I now see. I don’t know how they sell anything

Calling the dealership it $59
A couple bucks cheaper than Carquest over twice everyone else’s ac delco price.

I’m glad to read that they don’t depend on retail sales.

I have a Napa and an Advanced Auto close to me.
I usually go to Advance.
I buy online for a lower price and they have coupon codes for an even lower price. I order at home and drive to the store to pickup. I have found some good deals on Amazon, but waiting for delivery if someone needs thier car back ASAP is inconvenient. Walmart comes up some times for race car items but delivery is usually weeks away.


BD104X is correct and a funny MF'r if you ever met him BTW!

You can't walk into Rock Auto and get that inverted flare adapter you need right now.....

I support local as much as possible. I buy at the right price.

quote:

I get ALL OEM parts from the dealer and I dint pay more.

#1 Loser B1tch is a special kind of stupid!

Keep preparing for your GED Chicken Little; here's little help, "dint" is didn't.

I'll take your reply or no reply as a Thank-You.

At you



I'm