Tired or ordering parts, just tired of the attitude... Options

[redshift]

Unfortunately, the little guy can't stock parts for every car's everything.

It's the death knell of small business like that, unfortunately for us, a lot of parts will get lost in the shuffle.

(but they will pop up as NOS in 50 years.. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)


M

[mercdev]

P.S.

Did you get my email about that car?

No, nothing since your last PM

[Brad Roberts]

I get the messsage - just order from the online places and save the bucks. I'm not getting any service or knowledge from these guys.

The shop owners in this area talking about how people BRING in their own parts and have you install them (because they bought them cheaper online).. OK, No problem. BUT... BUT here is what you are going to get from all the business owners that you DONT buy parts from. IF I install a part you provide.... NO WARRANTY on the failure or labor to replace that part. If it fails... you eat the labor AGAIN. Better make damn sure that part is exactly what you needed and of decent quality. When you install parts all day every day you tend to figure out which ones are good and which ones are bad. Joe Blow internet guy thinks he is getting this smoking deal when all he really bought was some cheap ass parts.... that fail early.


More to come.


B

[Brad Roberts]

Next issue:

Porsche is F_cking us royally. They are now shipping parts with a wholesale price of 200.00 and a retail price of 201.00 ??? They are making it impossible for people to make money on the parts markup. I *think* this is going to drive the aftermarket even more if Porsche continues this BS pricing game they are playing. It is starting to feel like they dont want independant shops/online retailers selling parts (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)


B

[lapuwali]

All the better for their dealer network, one presumes.

I'm a tad surprised there's much of a healthy market for parts fitment/repair of OEM stuff for newer cars by independent shops today, anyway. Designing, making, selling, and fitting aftermarket-only bits, esp. for racing purposes, I see a healthy market for the independent. That, and tight specialization (we only do Porsche OR BMW OR..., not "European", let alone "foreign"). One hears the complaints from some of the shops of the highly specialized diagnostic equipment required these days. Though I wonder exactly why you'd need fancy stuff to, say, replace a water pump. That said, I wonder what's going to happen in 15-20 years when the current crop of cars with 10 microprocessors and 200 miles of wiring start having the inevitable electrical problems.

[jim912928]

I've tried an awful lot of these guys. I've had the best luck/attitude/customer service from GPR (german parts & restoration). Talk to Dave...he's a 914 guru. I needed some parts so I could make the MWC in the "next day" scenario. He didn't have everything I needed and shipped the stuff he had in the warehouse next day and had his supplier (was H&R) ship what I needed from there warehouse "next day". Both packages arrived "next day" within 10 minutes of each other. And 30 minutes after that Dave called me on the phone to make sure the parts arrived!

Now that is customer service I can get loyal to.

Jim

[Root_Werks]

Yeah, Dave at GPR rocks. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/aktion035.gif) I have known him and been a loyal customer for over 10 years now. Years ago I thought about ordering something from AA and stopped when I asked for a catalog. They said it was $5, I said send it to me for free and I might order something out of it. They said no, so I never ordered anything from them. Figured if they wanted my business, they would be sending me the goods to order from them with. :finger2:

I would say stick with GPR if you want parts to install yourself. As for me, I use GPR for my "hard" to get stuff my wholesale supplier cannot get or has terrible prices on. Dave has ALWAYS taken care of me. That attention to his customers will keep me there for life. I am a little guy (shop size) and do sell parts to customers locally. I don't do much over the web though which is fine by me. I like to be able to hand someone a bag of parts and recieve the money etc. Old school I know, but I like that. Just me. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[MarkG]

Before knowing better I also ordered Tips and catalog from Senator Miller's State;

Needed a rebuilt MPS so I ordered one plus 4 90' injector hoses (@ $24.00).

Never heard a word from them so sent my old MPS (...043) to The Bird for rebuild.

Lo and behold a package arives from Zeb's state; inside was a ...037 MPS and four 2" long pieces of hose cut from a length of 7mm FI hose. No molded 90' bend and wrong MPS (they list 1 MPS as fits all....). Never again.

Next day MY rebuilt MPS shows up from The Bird.

Quickest service I've ever had was from FUK (Ferrari United Kingdom, the factory designated repository for all 'classic' Ferrari parts). Order on Monday, part arrives WED or Thrs at the latest!

[partsman]

Ok, I figure I'm gonna get a ton of hate email on this, but here goes: I know I work at the Evil DEALER (IMG:style_emoticons/default/happy11.gif) , but I am constantly amazed at the poeple that won't even give me a try. I see all the email about how bad this a/m supplier is, or that one, and yet you always see a email later how someone has tried them. Yet not many people actually metion the dealer. C'mon, we don't ALL suck. I have invested almost ten years of my life to the golden crest and the four rings, and I constnatly compare my prices to the aftermarket and try to compete. Yet when I tell people where I work, it's like I have the plague.

Brad..you're 100% right on your pricing structure. Porsche used to have a comfortable margin for everyone to work in, and on occasion, I could get the area rep to get me a bigger discount on a special deal..now I have to almost sell at cost, and even then people ask if that's all I can do..But I keep believing that if I give a fair price, I'll make up for it by the repeat business.

Granted, I don't enjoy spending 45 min to look up all the correct grommets for a 72 911e first thing on a Sat. morning, but in the back of my mind I gotta think that the guy will turn to the place that got him all his info, even though it's the dealer.

I know that there's bad places out there, and I've even dealt with AA and been amazed at the lack of customer relations...I guess the best thing IS to find someone you trust, and stick with them. It's just tough sometimes to sit on the sidelines because no one wiil give you a chance, due to preconceived notions

Eric

[anthony]

I called the parts department at a dealership once. They were so totally unhelpful that I will probably never call again.

[thomasotten]

Well, I might try the dealer next time. Since they don't stock "old parts" as they tell me, how ling do you think they will take to get parts? And will they make me pay for shipping?

[thomasotten]

I just did a comparison on ball joint (bolt-style) prices.

Tweeks $50
GPR $70
Pelican $50

So I guess it pays to shop around. I find this with everyone. Most prices are near what the market rate is, but on certain items, they are more expensive. I don't know if that is a trick, or what.

[Porsche Rescue]

I have had very good service at the dealer in Portland, OR. I have the PET on my computer and I often call with a part #. The parts are sometimes on the shelf and if not I usually wait about 4 business days. It takes that long from the AM mail order suppliers. I've never been charged extra for shipping. Some parts are way overpriced, others are surprisingly reasonable. It never hurts to try the dealer. You may be surprised and you are getting genuine Porsche parts.

[Part Pricer]

I find one of the most useful online parts sites to be Stoddard. They have a lot of good things going for them. They are a dealer so they provide genuine parts and their online system hooks into actual inventory.

BTW, ball joints at Stoddard are $42.02 (in stock)

[thomasotten]

I just called my local dealer and they want $37.95 for balljoints for a 71 911. Not too shabby.

[Thorshammer]

Wanted to chime in on this.

I needed a 914-6 oil line saturday, Called brad (thanks BTW) no gots, called around. Found one at AA, in stock,was about ready to purchase then "Tom" went into the self serving tirade about what do I expect from the 914 "World Headquarters"! I almost laughed, but said I would get back to him, checked with my dealer, two other places, then reluctantly ordered the line from AA. 200.00 but then he wanted to make sure What VIN I was putting it on and another tirade about how good they were and so forth and so on. In the 80's I used to order alot of parts from them, 5-8K a month. When I started looking at the back orders and what had never been shipped, but promised to be in the mail, I flipped, and never ordered from them again. The explanation was less than plausible, and the money was not returned but tallied as a store credit. Weak business practices, and after Saturdays conversation, I will never order from them again. Don't like the Customer service. I'll spend my money elsewhere. I am trying to have an open mind, but when the service is for shit 15 years later, you know the Owner is the problem, because as we all know, it flows downhill.

Erik

[thomasotten]

Just went down to the local Cayenne dealer to get those balljoints. Turns out he was giving me the price for steering ball joints. The lower ball joints are $96 a piece. Yeah right! What a rip.

[Gint]

.02 to follow:

I've purchased at least odds and ends from quite a few P-car parts vendors. This experience and other's opinions caused me to decide to buy all of the seals and other such stuff for my resto from GPR. I talked with Dave (GPR) briefly at GAF. He impressed me. Struck me as a guy that has his shit together and talked to me like a vendor should treat customer.

FYI: Dave told me that he could get anything that AA can get. He'll get a call from me LONG before anyone from AA. Even if AA has what I need.

[mightyohm]

Did anyone notice there was an AA license plate frame in the men's room at the autofest?

I was expecting it to eventually end up in the urinal or something but it never happened.

[markb]

.02 to follow:

I've purchased at least odds and ends from quite a few P-car parts vendors.  This experience and other's opinions caused me to decide to buy all of the seals and other such stuff for my resto from GPR.  I talked with Dave (GPR) briefly at GAF.  He impressed me.  Struck me as a guy that has his shit together and talked to me like a vendor should treat customer.

FYI:  Dave told me that he could get anything that AA can get.  He'll get a call from me LONG before anyone from AA.  Even if AA has what I need.

Dave at GPR has gone out of his way to help me out on many occasions. For some reason, he always seems to have what I need right there. Case in point: the electric antenna on Marcie's car took a dump halfway up on saturday morning before GAF. We couldn't show it that way, and just knew nobody was going to have one on a weekend. First stop at GAF was the GPR booth. I told Dave the problem, he turned around and pulled out the antenna we needed. Almost exactly the same as the one on her car. This one was black instead of chrome like the old one. The black goes better on her car anyway. He said he didn't know why he brought it, it was the only one he brought. I personally think he psycic & knew I'd need it. I think I'm pretty lucky living where do. I've got the Cap'n 20 minutes south of me, and GPR 20 minutes north of me. I'm not sure, but I think this is heaven. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)