Rip Off parts

[PeteB]

Please remember though - those people, such as myself, who will be on stands at the APF will not necessarily be the right people to moan too. We are the Sales Staff, we can forward your comments on to the management team who fix the prices but quite often, we have no say or influence.

 

Every price for every thing is fixed at what the market can stand, what it costs plus a margin for profit. On the whole, traders are not there to rip you off but to make a profit that allows them to continue to trade and remain a supplier of said goods.

 

Yes, I agree, that some items seem to cost a large amount (or so you think) but there will be a reason for it. And, as already supposed, it may be that that part has been through several levels of trade before the end user gets it.

 

I had to buy a splitting maul the other day as I needed it then, it cost £55 (with discount) but if i could have waited a few days or driven around for the afternoon checking prices, I could have got a non - name item for £25. I could have easily spent £150 of my time and fuel to save £30.

 

Don't be too hard on your suppliers, if you want them to continue to be available as a supplier.....

[MikeTM150]

I hear what your saying peteb, and your are quite right in what you say. But at some point when the price setter in the dealership see's the price of something, he must think 'crikes were never gonna sell any of those at that price, can i source it cheaper else where?'

 

Our main new holland dealer isn't the cheapest for parts or probably new machinery, but I know when i ring them up at 4pm on sunday afternoon and say please come and fix it they'll be there and more than likely they have the parts to fix it. But I also know they do shop around for better deals, doesn't always make them the most popular with manufacturers I suspect, but they do a very good job in a tough market.

 

Not everybody can get it right all the time, but sometimes common sense needs to prevail when prices are set!!!

[NI Tree]

I hear what your saying peteb, and your are quite right in what you say. But at some point when the price setter in the dealership see's the price of something, he must think 'crikes were never gonna sell any of those at that price, can i source it cheaper else where?'

 

Our main new holland dealer isn't the cheapest for parts or probably new machinery, but I know when i ring them up at 4pm on sunday afternoon and say please come and fix it they'll be there and more than likely they have the parts to fix it. But I also know they do shop around for better deals, doesn't always make them the most popular with manufacturers I suspect, but they do a very good job in a tough market.

 

Not everybody can get it right all the time, but sometimes common sense needs to prevail when prices are set!!!

 

well said and the problem is we need the dealer to be oncall more nowadays due too electronics in new kit as i find that it often a sencer that the problem.

[Marko]

Please remember though - those people, such as myself, who will be on stands at the APF will not necessarily be the right people to moan too. We are the Sales Staff, we can forward your comments on to the management team who fix the prices but quite often, we have no say or influence

 

Pete, I am really sorry but this sort of 'not me guv' really winds me up. As a customer I see the Sales Staff as the customer interface for the product I am buying.

 

This interaction should be a two way street and sales staff should take on board feedback and feed it back into the management chain / decision makers. It is really not on to just sell it and walk away shrugging shoulders.

 

I would turn your closing comment around...

 

"Don't be too hard on your suppliers, if you want them to continue to be available as a supplier....."

 

If you want to continue as a supplier please listen to what is aggravating your loyal customer.

 

Rant over and nothing personal; it is just something that really winds me up.

[pleasant]

Pete, I am really sorry but this sort of 'not me guv' really winds me up. As a customer I see the Sales Staff as the customer interface for the product I am buying.

 

This interaction should be a two way street and sales staff should take on board feedback and feed it back into the management chain / decision makers. It is really not on to just sell it and walk away shrugging shoulders.

 

I would turn your closing comment around...

 

"Don't be too hard on your suppliers, if you want them to continue to be available as a supplier....."

 

If you want to continue as a supplier please listen to what is aggravating your loyal customer.

 

Rant over and nothing personal; it is just something that really winds me up.

 

Yeah- I think that's what he said.

 

[GardenKit]

It is not uncommon for a customer to complain out the pricing of spare parts to the dealer.

 

But, as PeteB says, we are also the middlemen and have no control over the pricing set by the manufacturers. There are very few dealers large enough to carry much clout with the the manufacturers, so passing on comments is largely a waste of time.

 

So 'not me guv' is actually a very valid comment.

 

It has to be remembered also, that when a customer complains about the cost of the spare he has just bought from the dealer, he is not the first person to buy it.

 

The dealer has already bought it, not to use for himself, but to have it in stock for the customer when he needs it. Imagine the cost to the dealer of keeping these parts just sitting on the shelf.

 

Having said that, I must agree that many manufacturers have very overpriced spares compared with others of equal or even better quality. I therfore try to stock product not only with a good purchase price and quality, but also with reasonable after sales costs.

 

I also strongly dissaprove of the practice of 'marking up' spares prices over the RRP. This is common practice in some of the larger dealerships.

[PeteB]

Too true Marko, too true. I've been on the other side of the table myself....

 

Anyone can contact me and a have a right moan about anything to do with GreenMech - that is what I am employed for. I then pass on your comments to the appropriate people. But if we buy it in for silly money and sell it one for silly money plus 10% , we cannot help it! All those 10%'s add up to people wages, the cost of having things on the shelf (or back order:sneaky2:), warranty claims that we get stiffed for and so on including profitability. We sometimes get held over a barrel and sometimes we then change suppliers, but it isn't always possible to get that component from elsewhere...

 

The APF is a sales portal not a special reason to gripe at the suppliers about their spares costs specifically. That act can be done at any point in the year...

 

Please feel free to come to the APF even if you are not buying machinery now but talk to your suppliers all the time....

[Marko]

I must agree that many manufacturers have very overpriced spares compared with others of equal or even better quality. I therfore try to stock product not only with a good purchase price and quality, but also with reasonable after sales costs.

 

No one could ask any more of you.

 

There most be some shame felt asking £15 for 8p bolts etc etc; the tortuous supply chain just seems to be a bit of a lame excuse that is trotted out to somehow justify the unjustifiable.

[pleasant]

Sometimes a manufacturer has a minimum carriage paid order, and if a few bolts are under this figure then in some cases it's not unheard of being charged £9 carriage and no discount on the parts. The customer can wait a week or so until I can make up an order to the carriage paid value, but if they want it quicker then i have no qualms informing them their bolts are going to cost £15 or more. I cetainly wouldn't send a few bolts to each and everyone of my dealers for nowt.

[renewablejohn]

The point of a presentation at the APF is that the manufacturer themselves in a lot of cases turn up to present there latest offerings not just the UK agent. Therefore maximum embarrassment for the manufacturer and support for the agent whose hands are tied by the manufacturer.