Parts Prices. Dealer vs Online

Simon,

The local dealer has the opportunity to give me a discount, but chooses not
to do so ... I therefore only use them when I have no other choice. If they
are losing business, then it is by their own choice of business practices.
Likewise, if the out of state dealer sees opportunity for increased profit,
then good for them.

By the way, I am on a first name email basis with some of the parts counter
guys at those out of state dealerships. I've dealt with some for several
years and we have a relationship built on trust. I wish I could say the
same for the local parts guys, but this is not the case.

Bob


"Simon" > wrote in message
...
> Bob,
>
> Yes, I am sorry. I was under a misapprehension about these "on-line
> dealers"...it hadn't occurred to me that they were actual franchised
> dealers because, to my understanding, that is the antithesis of the
> purpose of a franchise....which by my understanding is that a dealer buys
> the right to sell Chrysler products in a specific geographic area. I
> didn't think the manufacturer allowed a dealer to promote sales outside a
> certain radius of their base....am I wrong here? I know I would be pretty
> steamed if I spent a million dollars or more setting up a dealership only
> to find I was losing sales to someone two states away. To my mind that
> defeats the whole system.
>
> Anyway, from a consumer point of view, if the savings are there, go for it
> by all means. Personally I prefer to deal locally and support local
> business people as long as they are fair operators. Even though I sell
> over the internet there are certain sectors that I don't feel comfortable
> with buying online. The automotive world is known to be riddled with
> crooked operators, to my mind dealing with someone hundreds or thousands
> of miles away only increases the risk of getting ripped off.
>
> Each to his own, I guess.
>
> Simon.
>
>

On 03/10/09 09:35 pm Bob Shuman wrote:

> Simon,
>
> The local dealer has the opportunity to give me a discount, but chooses not
> to do so ... I therefore only use them when I have no other choice. If they
> are losing business, then it is by their own choice of business practices.
> Likewise, if the out of state dealer sees opportunity for increased profit,
> then good for them.
>
> By the way, I am on a first name email basis with some of the parts counter
> guys at those out of state dealerships. I've dealt with some for several
> years and we have a relationship built on trust. I wish I could say the
> same for the local parts guys, but this is not the case.
>
> Bob
>
>
> > wrote in message
> ...
>> Bob,
>>
>> Yes, I am sorry. I was under a misapprehension about these "on-line
>> dealers"...it hadn't occurred to me that they were actual franchised
>> dealers because, to my understanding, that is the antithesis of the
>> purpose of a franchise....which by my understanding is that a dealer buys
>> the right to sell Chrysler products in a specific geographic area. I
>> didn't think the manufacturer allowed a dealer to promote sales outside a
>> certain radius of their base....am I wrong here? I know I would be pretty
>> steamed if I spent a million dollars or more setting up a dealership only
>> to find I was losing sales to someone two states away. To my mind that
>> defeats the whole system.
>>
>> Anyway, from a consumer point of view, if the savings are there, go for it
>> by all means. Personally I prefer to deal locally and support local
>> business people as long as they are fair operators. Even though I sell
>> over the internet there are certain sectors that I don't feel comfortable
>> with buying online. The automotive world is known to be riddled with
>> crooked operators, to my mind dealing with someone hundreds or thousands
>> of miles away only increases the risk of getting ripped off.
>>
>> Each to his own, I guess.
>>
>> Simon.
>>
>>
>
>
I did get caught by dealing with an online supplier -- IIRC, an
authorized dealer in Illinois.

I ordered several items, some of which were special-order and for which
I had to pay up front. The in-stock items were shipped immediately, but
by the time I got round to checking again on the special-order items,
the dealer was out of business. Visiting the original Web site
redirected me to the Web site of the co. that had bought out the
original one, and they claimed that they had bought only the vehicle
sales business, not the parts business. It wasn't worth the time,
trouble, and cost (legal fees) of trying to sort it all out.

Perce

Percival P. Cassidy wrote:
> On 03/10/09 09:35 pm Bob Shuman wrote:
>
>> Simon,
>>
>> The local dealer has the opportunity to give me a discount, but
>> chooses not
>> to do so ... I therefore only use them when I have no other choice.
>> If they
>> are losing business, then it is by their own choice of business
>> practices.
>> Likewise, if the out of state dealer sees opportunity for increased
>> profit,
>> then good for them.
>>
>> By the way, I am on a first name email basis with some of the parts
>> counter
>> guys at those out of state dealerships. I've dealt with some for several
>> years and we have a relationship built on trust. I wish I could say the
>> same for the local parts guys, but this is not the case.
>>
>> Bob
>>
>>
>> > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> Bob,
>>>
>>> Yes, I am sorry. I was under a misapprehension about these "on-line
>>> dealers"...it hadn't occurred to me that they were actual franchised
>>> dealers because, to my understanding, that is the antithesis of the
>>> purpose of a franchise....which by my understanding is that a dealer
>>> buys
>>> the right to sell Chrysler products in a specific geographic area. I
>>> didn't think the manufacturer allowed a dealer to promote sales
>>> outside a
>>> certain radius of their base....am I wrong here? I know I would be
>>> pretty
>>> steamed if I spent a million dollars or more setting up a dealership
>>> only
>>> to find I was losing sales to someone two states away. To my mind that
>>> defeats the whole system.
>>>
>>> Anyway, from a consumer point of view, if the savings are there, go
>>> for it
>>> by all means. Personally I prefer to deal locally and support local
>>> business people as long as they are fair operators. Even though I sell
>>> over the internet there are certain sectors that I don't feel
>>> comfortable
>>> with buying online. The automotive world is known to be riddled with
>>> crooked operators, to my mind dealing with someone hundreds or thousands
>>> of miles away only increases the risk of getting ripped off.
>>>
>>> Each to his own, I guess.
>>>
>>> Simon.
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
> I did get caught by dealing with an online supplier -- IIRC, an
> authorized dealer in Illinois.
>
> I ordered several items, some of which were special-order and for which
> I had to pay up front. The in-stock items were shipped immediately, but
> by the time I got round to checking again on the special-order items,
> the dealer was out of business. Visiting the original Web site
> redirected me to the Web site of the co. that had bought out the
> original one, and they claimed that they had bought only the vehicle
> sales business, not the parts business. It wasn't worth the time,
> trouble, and cost (legal fees) of trying to sort it all out.


That's why you use a credit card... To get your funds and charge them back.

News wrote:
>
>
> Percival P. Cassidy wrote:

>> I did get caught by dealing with an online supplier -- IIRC, an
>> authorized dealer in Illinois.
>>
>> I ordered several items, some of which were special-order and for
>> which I had to pay up front. The in-stock items were shipped
>> immediately, but by the time I got round to checking again on the
>> special-order items, the dealer was out of business. Visiting the
>> original Web site redirected me to the Web site of the co. that had
>> bought out the original one, and they claimed that they had bought
>> only the vehicle sales business, not the parts business. It wasn't
>> worth the time, trouble, and cost (legal fees) of trying to sort it
>> all out.
>
>
> That's why you use a credit card... To get your funds and charge them
> back.

Exactly.

--
Bill Putney
(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with the letter 'x')

"News" > wrote in message
...
>
>
> Percival P. Cassidy wrote:
>> On 03/10/09 09:35 pm Bob Shuman wrote:
>>
>>> Simon,
>>>
>>> The local dealer has the opportunity to give me a discount, but chooses
>>> not
>>> to do so ... I therefore only use them when I have no other choice. If
>>> they
>>> are losing business, then it is by their own choice of business
>>> practices.
>>> Likewise, if the out of state dealer sees opportunity for increased
>>> profit,
>>> then good for them.
>>>
>>> By the way, I am on a first name email basis with some of the parts
>>> counter
>>> guys at those out of state dealerships. I've dealt with some for
>>> several
>>> years and we have a relationship built on trust. I wish I could say the
>>> same for the local parts guys, but this is not the case.
>>>
>>> Bob
>>>
>>>
>>> > wrote in message
>>> ...
>>>> Bob,
>>>>
>>>> Yes, I am sorry. I was under a misapprehension about these "on-line
>>>> dealers"...it hadn't occurred to me that they were actual franchised
>>>> dealers because, to my understanding, that is the antithesis of the
>>>> purpose of a franchise....which by my understanding is that a dealer
>>>> buys
>>>> the right to sell Chrysler products in a specific geographic area. I
>>>> didn't think the manufacturer allowed a dealer to promote sales outside
>>>> a
>>>> certain radius of their base....am I wrong here? I know I would be
>>>> pretty
>>>> steamed if I spent a million dollars or more setting up a dealership
>>>> only
>>>> to find I was losing sales to someone two states away. To my mind that
>>>> defeats the whole system.
>>>>
>>>> Anyway, from a consumer point of view, if the savings are there, go for
>>>> it
>>>> by all means. Personally I prefer to deal locally and support local
>>>> business people as long as they are fair operators. Even though I sell
>>>> over the internet there are certain sectors that I don't feel
>>>> comfortable
>>>> with buying online. The automotive world is known to be riddled with
>>>> crooked operators, to my mind dealing with someone hundreds or
>>>> thousands
>>>> of miles away only increases the risk of getting ripped off.
>>>>
>>>> Each to his own, I guess.
>>>>
>>>> Simon.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>> I did get caught by dealing with an online supplier -- IIRC, an
>> authorized dealer in Illinois.
>>
>> I ordered several items, some of which were special-order and for which I
>> had to pay up front. The in-stock items were shipped immediately, but by
>> the time I got round to checking again on the special-order items, the
>> dealer was out of business. Visiting the original Web site redirected me
>> to the Web site of the co. that had bought out the original one, and they
>> claimed that they had bought only the vehicle sales business, not the
>> parts business. It wasn't worth the time, trouble, and cost (legal fees)
>> of trying to sort it all out.
>
>
> That's why you use a credit card... To get your funds and charge them
> back.

Fine and dandy but who compensates you for the hassle and being without your
vehicle etc. etc. ?

Plus, in the case cited of a dealer gone out of business not even a credit
card company can get the money back if there isn't any there.

Bob,

Yes, I hear what you are saying.

Obviously I have no knowledge of the dealers or people involved so I
wouldn't presume to judge specifically on them or your situation but I will
offer one thought...for the "remote" dealer any business he picks up from
afar is "bonus" business with minimal added costs to obtain it so they can
afford to sell you parts with a small mark-up to undercut your local dealer.

It could be considered to be, in some respects, a somewhat unfair situation
for your local dealer as every sale he makes has to contribute to his
overhead whereas the internet selling dealer already has his overhead taken
care of by his local sales.

Just think of the bigger picture...if every dealer sold on the internet at
lower prices then no-one would buy locally and all we would be doing is
shipping parts around the country for no particular gain as, eventually, all
the dealers would be at a similar price point because by then they would
have lost their local sales.

OK, I know this won't happen but it is the logical extension of what is
currently happening.

Simon.


"Bob Shuman" > wrote in message
...
> Simon,
>
> The local dealer has the opportunity to give me a discount, but chooses
> not to do so ... I therefore only use them when I have no other choice.
> If they are losing business, then it is by their own choice of business
> practices. Likewise, if the out of state dealer sees opportunity for
> increased profit, then good for them.
>
> By the way, I am on a first name email basis with some of the parts
> counter guys at those out of state dealerships. I've dealt with some for
> several years and we have a relationship built on trust. I wish I could
> say the same for the local parts guys, but this is not the case.
>
> Bob
>
>
> "Simon" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Bob,
>>
>> Yes, I am sorry. I was under a misapprehension about these "on-line
>> dealers"...it hadn't occurred to me that they were actual franchised
>> dealers because, to my understanding, that is the antithesis of the
>> purpose of a franchise....which by my understanding is that a dealer buys
>> the right to sell Chrysler products in a specific geographic area. I
>> didn't think the manufacturer allowed a dealer to promote sales outside a
>> certain radius of their base....am I wrong here? I know I would be pretty
>> steamed if I spent a million dollars or more setting up a dealership only
>> to find I was losing sales to someone two states away. To my mind that
>> defeats the whole system.
>>
>> Anyway, from a consumer point of view, if the savings are there, go for
>> it by all means. Personally I prefer to deal locally and support local
>> business people as long as they are fair operators. Even though I sell
>> over the internet there are certain sectors that I don't feel comfortable
>> with buying online. The automotive world is known to be riddled with
>> crooked operators, to my mind dealing with someone hundreds or thousands
>> of miles away only increases the risk of getting ripped off.
>>
>> Each to his own, I guess.
>>
>> Simon.
>>
>>
>
>

Simon wrote:
> "News" > wrote in message
> ...
>>
>> Percival P. Cassidy wrote:
>>> On 03/10/09 09:35 pm Bob Shuman wrote:
>>>
>>>> Simon,
>>>>
>>>> The local dealer has the opportunity to give me a discount, but chooses
>>>> not
>>>> to do so ... I therefore only use them when I have no other choice. If
>>>> they
>>>> are losing business, then it is by their own choice of business
>>>> practices.
>>>> Likewise, if the out of state dealer sees opportunity for increased
>>>> profit,
>>>> then good for them.
>>>>
>>>> By the way, I am on a first name email basis with some of the parts
>>>> counter
>>>> guys at those out of state dealerships. I've dealt with some for
>>>> several
>>>> years and we have a relationship built on trust. I wish I could say the
>>>> same for the local parts guys, but this is not the case.
>>>>
>>>> Bob
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> > wrote in message
>>>> ...
>>>>> Bob,
>>>>>
>>>>> Yes, I am sorry. I was under a misapprehension about these "on-line
>>>>> dealers"...it hadn't occurred to me that they were actual franchised
>>>>> dealers because, to my understanding, that is the antithesis of the
>>>>> purpose of a franchise....which by my understanding is that a dealer
>>>>> buys
>>>>> the right to sell Chrysler products in a specific geographic area. I
>>>>> didn't think the manufacturer allowed a dealer to promote sales outside
>>>>> a
>>>>> certain radius of their base....am I wrong here? I know I would be
>>>>> pretty
>>>>> steamed if I spent a million dollars or more setting up a dealership
>>>>> only
>>>>> to find I was losing sales to someone two states away. To my mind that
>>>>> defeats the whole system.
>>>>>
>>>>> Anyway, from a consumer point of view, if the savings are there, go for
>>>>> it
>>>>> by all means. Personally I prefer to deal locally and support local
>>>>> business people as long as they are fair operators. Even though I sell
>>>>> over the internet there are certain sectors that I don't feel
>>>>> comfortable
>>>>> with buying online. The automotive world is known to be riddled with
>>>>> crooked operators, to my mind dealing with someone hundreds or
>>>>> thousands
>>>>> of miles away only increases the risk of getting ripped off.
>>>>>
>>>>> Each to his own, I guess.
>>>>>
>>>>> Simon.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>> I did get caught by dealing with an online supplier -- IIRC, an
>>> authorized dealer in Illinois.
>>>
>>> I ordered several items, some of which were special-order and for which I
>>> had to pay up front. The in-stock items were shipped immediately, but by
>>> the time I got round to checking again on the special-order items, the
>>> dealer was out of business. Visiting the original Web site redirected me
>>> to the Web site of the co. that had bought out the original one, and they
>>> claimed that they had bought only the vehicle sales business, not the
>>> parts business. It wasn't worth the time, trouble, and cost (legal fees)
>>> of trying to sort it all out.
>>
>> That's why you use a credit card... To get your funds and charge them
>> back.
>
> Fine and dandy but who compensates you for the hassle and being without your
> vehicle etc. etc. ?
>
> Plus, in the case cited of a dealer gone out of business not even a credit
> card company can get the money back if there isn't any there.


Can't compensate for opportunity cost, but it's the CC issuer's job to
get THEIR money back. YOU will have YOURS by law.

"Simon" > writes:
>
> My point is that you need check you are comparing apples to apples...i.e.
> are BOTH online sources and local dealer providing proper genuine OEM
> Chrysler parts?

That's a good caution -- some of the cheap imitation crap vendors will
use misleading descriptions (as the example I snipped demonstrates),
so you do want to make sure that if genuine is what you want, genuine
is what you'll get.

Simon wrote:

> It could be considered to be, in some respects, a somewhat unfair situation
> for your local dealer as every sale he makes has to contribute to his
> overhead whereas the internet selling dealer already has his overhead taken
> care of by his local sales.

What do you mean unfair advantage? Who held a gun to your local
dealer's head and said "You are forbidden to set up an on-line
business!". We (so far) live in a free market society where both
dealers have the same choices. One dealer chooses to do that, the other
doesn't. Key word: "CHOOSES".

The on-line discount dealers are simply local dealers who decided to
also do business on the internet. The dealer in site of my house has no
complaint - they could have made the *exact* same business decision.
Again, key word: "Decision". Instead, they choose to stay strictly with
their local business and charge 10 to 20% *OVER* list (and the on-line
dealer I do business with may do the same for their local customers for
all I know). The dealer near me also does not even give discounts to
local car businesses (body shops, etc.) because they are the only game
in town (as far as the general public knows) and they can, so they do.

It's called free enterprise. Enjoy it while you can.

--
Bill Putney
(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with the letter 'x')

A discount parts selling Chrysler dealership is NEARBY to someone!
Drop in and ask if they will match a legitimate price from the internet for
the same part.

Offer to "split" the shipping you would have paid if ordered on-line if
necessary.

Even consider the availability of it right now instead of about a weeks wait
and a return trip.
Even think of having to "return" it and the time necessary if it is I-net
ordered.

A true story........I worked in a NAPA store for about 2 years about 30
years ago. As all NAPA stores, there was a multi-tiered pricing set of
colored sheets. One of our "local" PIA retail buyers/tinkerers would come
in, waste time, pick our brains (slim pickins at times), get all the free
information, alternative company numbers and so on. Finally after getting
the bottom price (like there is one), he would leave and then see what Sears
(long time ago) or a catalog company (mail-order) would have and their
price. He would even call and ask about the "garage" price for the same
item.
This guy would come in, show us the price and demand we match it. The store
owner finally got tired of this and said SURE, I will match the price! He
consummated the sale, did not ask for shipping and put the part on the
counter. Guy went to pick it up, owner grabbed it back and said come in NEXT
WEEK and pick it up! Just like the wait for a catalog store! Guy got miffed
(to put it mildly) and became a lot scarcer in the store.

h