Being ripped off by dealers

[Raul-02]

New Holland dealer it's $542 & a few cents,

Back when I was in manufacturing every nickel we spent at factory resulted in $0.25 at retail.
Womens shoes are marked up 450%
Most retailers say they mark up 50% but that's marketing speak for 100% because they are looking backwards.

 

[crashz]

Amazon is very convenient for the consumer but nearly everything I get is name brand and nearly store cost. But no parts anymore. Ordering parts through Amazon and Rock Auto has been a nightmare to me. Even Autozone parts are higher quality.

I buy parts in the following order:
- If I need it to fix a front line piece (my trucks, tractor, wife's car), dealer first then maybe NAPA.
- My daily driver POS - Autozone or other box store stuff.

I have literally received no-name parts in name brand boxes from Amazon. Name branded parts from Rock Auto that failed within a few months (Moog ball joints, KTM Struts, etc.). Done ordering parts from either of those two. I'll scrounge boneyards first.

'Nother thing: Dealer pricing seems hit or miss. Maintenance items, especially filters, are usually very reasonable. And WAY better quality. All depends.

 

[rScotty]

Never replaced a starter or alternator. I get them rebuilt. Most of that stuff today is Chineseum anyway.

I keep my old starters and alternators going by rebuilding them as necessary. It's hard to get more than $50 into a "good as new" type rebuild unless it has been deliberately cooked.

First step is that same as anything .... taking one apart and figuring out what all the parts did.
rScotty

 

[m1garand762]

Some dealers are out for your money. My local kubota dealer is a crook I drive past home an hour to go to the next closest dealer and save approximately 30 percent. My local car dealer on the other hand is fair to me on parts. Go figure

 

[buckeyefarmer]

i also tried purchasing a brand new Norelco replacement head for my electric shaver. Looked exactly like original, even packaging looked the same as at drug store..

Lol, I just bought some. Didn’t come in norelco box like the last time. Definitely clones. I haven’t tried them yet.

 

[ruffdog]

Some retailers are now selling counterfeit parts with labeling that mimics factory parts. If it is cheap, it probably is cheap. One example is Bobcat fuel filters.

 

[Little Red Tractor]

To reiterate what has been said often:

Shop the dealer! Some are total crooks, some have good service departments, some are terrible​

Caveat Emptor--fancy Latin for "Let the buyer beware"​

Sometimes a rebuild, from a decent shop, is the best bet for both time and economy​

You get what you pay for; if it's too good to be true, it's not all that good.​

 

[HayFarmer]

I have bought two starters from DB Electrical in the past ~15 years. The first is still going strong. The second, on the second use, had the solenoid fry shut and the starter smoked before I could get the battery disconnected. They sent me a new one. Fortunately I could use the other tractor while they sent me a new one. Also, the old '70 and '80s Fords are easier to change starters than some of the new tractors.

I do buy many OEM parts from Messick's. Better than dealers near me, in service and available parts, but price about the same.

 

[Loaderman22]

I bought bearings from Napa. They were special order and the box clearly says "Made in Japan" on the outside. Multiple places... I open the box and the bearing has "Made in China" engraved in the race. So Japanese boxes to transport Chinese bearings?

 

[grsthegreat]

The box is made in japan..
or the napa label was.