Stealership Parts Price ripoff

[R2e]

Imagine the scene - a BMW cuts out in front of you and you want to give him a blast. You punch the centre of the steering wheel and the horns emit a high pitched weedy little sound like Barbara Windsor on helium. Happened to me this morning, so after a little investigation if was obvious that the low note horn had given up the ghost, and off to the Stealership. "Yes sir, we've got them in stock , they're £40.............". No doubt then there's VAT on top, they never seem to quote price including VAT. I guess they'll have them in stock for some time at that price for a standard issue plastic Bosch horn. Off to Halfords and picked up one for £8 odds, five minutes with a 10mm spanner and we sound manly again. Beware BMW's .

I really don't know how they can justify such prices for the sort of part that is common to numerous cars. I scent the old "market related pricing" bogeyman again, it's a premium vehicle, let's charge premium prices.

 

[Parrot of Doom]

Often, a whack from a hammer will sort out a horn

 

[Gucci]

I wonder what reply a carefully, well written and factually correct letter would be to Mercedes-Benz HQ? Would be interesting to see if they really think it's justified or whether a standard "I'll just get someone to ignore that for you" letter would be received? Any takers...would be great to see it posted on this thread?

 

[crockers]

Its not just Mercedes --- a few years ago I was quoted a price (sorry cant remember the exact amount) to have the discs and pads changed on my wife's Honda CRV....Hmmm I thought -- thats expensive so I phoned a few brake specialists and was quoted on average half the Honda price...

When I called Honda dealer their excuse was that they use Honda made parts ...I said I didnt realise Honda made their own brakes ...silence...2 days later I got a call saying that Honda have revised their prices and my brakes could be done for...£x..this price was nearly as cheap as the brake specialist so I agreed to their doing the work....

In my opinion it does pay to challenge prices / costs...

 

[hawk20]

I wonder what reply a carefully, well written and factually correct letter would be to Mercedes-Benz HQ? Would be interesting to see if they really think it's justified or whether a standard "I'll just get someone to ignore that for you" letter would be received? Any takers...would be great to see it posted on this thread?

Most car makers do not make money on the sale of cars. Many lose a packet. For example, Fords Premier Car division (Jaguar, Volvo. Landrover) loses money. So they try to make money on the parts. Overall we get a pretty marvellous deal as the car market is so fiercely competitive.

And few dealers make much money on the sale of cars due to widespread discounting. As DCInsider has posted, a Merc dealer is lucky to make half a percent after all costs are taken into account.

BTW Mercedes parts are much cheaper than Volvo as was posted on another thread.

 

[Dryce]

Most car makers do not make money on the sale of cars. Many lose a packet. For example, Fords Premier Car division (Jaguar, Volvo. Landrover) loses money. So they try to make money on the parts. Overall we get a pretty marvellous deal as the car market is so fiercely competitive.

?

The reason for the ? is that if they sell a car then for 3 years they bear the costs of the parts. I think the average we have paid for any vehicle in parts in the last 15 years has been about £150 with the dealer getting a whole lot of labour on top.

So my extrapolation is that the problem with the parts pricing is not the manufacturers making a profit off them but trying to support the relatively low volume of demand against the requirement to maintain adequate stocks and distribution. The costs are in effect the charge for the service of supply rather than the material supplied.

 

[nick mercedes]

I really don't know how they can justify such prices for the sort of part that is common to numerous cars. I scent the old "market related pricing" bogeyman again, it's a premium vehicle, let's charge premium prices.

Think of the logistics involved in the MB parts operation, and how many other makers will still sell parts for 50 year old cars like MB do?

In general MB parts are cheap.

 

[timskemp]

BTW Mercedes parts are much cheaper than Volvo as was posted on another thread.

Hugely cheaper in many cases - my two Volvos had the highest SMR costs of any cars I've run.

 

[grober]

Eternal Optimists?

And few dealers make much money on the sale of cars due to widespread discounting. As DCInsider has posted, a Merc dealer is lucky to make half a percent after all costs are taken into account.

Makes you wonder why they bother then if their primary activity is so unprofitable ? Maybe they're just eternal optimists?

 

[television]

With horns its only a matter of removing the cover, cleaning the contacts and adjusting them, you can tune it to any pitch that you wish

 

[portzy]

Just about everything that I have ever needed from my local dealer has either been in stock at the time or has been delivered pretty much overnight.

The other benefit, for me at least, is that they allow me to go '' round the counter'' and view the parts screen to identify what it is that I want, exactly. They sometimes wander off and get bits from parts bins to see if something else will fit and on a couple of occasions they have even invited me to be part of their lunchtime sandwich run!

After all that I get 10% knocked off and the odd thing thrown in for free , (couple of T Shirts), because they didnt know the price.

I dont get that from Halfords.

Portzy.

 

[R2e]

With horns its only a matter of removing the cover, cleaning the contacts and adjusting them, you can tune it to any pitch that you wish

Malcolm, were it so simple.........! Like me you're remembering the old days when you could dismantle a horn. And not just a horn, nearly everything used to be repairable. The plastic sealed units you get nowadays are not worth the effort to be honest, not at £8 for a new one.

 

[R2e]

Think of the logistics involved in the MB parts operation, and how many other makers will still sell parts for 50 year old cars like MB do?

In general MB parts are cheap.

Nick I'm well aware of the logistics in parts operations, used to be my job till I got 'religion' and moved into programming tending to the needs of the Holy Computer and Saint IBM. I ran countrywide parts operations for majors in Africa for a number of years.

Generally speaking, as a manufacturer you can make money on the parts that are a) slow moving and b) proprietary. However fast moving, service parts, and parts common across manufacturers are usually kept reasonable. This is my bitch about the horn. I would have paid £20 despite knowing I could pick up a set of two on the Internet for less, just to save myself the hassle, but £40 is just ludicrous. I suppose the bulk of Merc owners would have their car in for service, report one of the horns not working, and it would be replaced, £40 + half an hours labour, thank you very much sir. In ignorance of what exactly was replaced and how long it actually took, they would pay up. What's an extra £80 or so on an £800 bill? (Yes, I do know it's 10% )

Most manufacturers will continue to sell parts for old cars depending on the demand, and obviously Mercs are known for their longevity, or someone else will take up the slack. Look at the MGB situation where you can obtain virtually everything including new bodyshells as a good example.

 

[nick mercedes]

Nick I'm well aware of the logistics in parts operations, used to be my job till I got 'religion' and moved into programming tending to the needs of the Holy Computer and Saint IBM. I ran countrywide parts operations for majors in Africa for a number of years.

Generally speaking, as a manufacturer you can make money on the parts that are a) slow moving and b) proprietary. However fast moving, service parts, and parts common across manufacturers are usually kept reasonable. This is my bitch about the horn. I would have paid £20 despite knowing I could pick up a set of two on the Internet for less, just to save myself the hassle, but £40 is just ludicrous. I suppose the bulk of Merc owners would have their car in for service, report one of the horns not working, and it would be replaced, £40 + half an hours labour, thank you very much sir. In ignorance of what exactly was replaced and how long it actually took, they would pay up. What's an extra £80 or so on an £800 bill? (Yes, I do know it's 10% )

Most manufacturers will continue to sell parts for old cars depending on the demand, and obviously Mercs are known for their longevity, or someone else will take up the slack. Look at the MGB situation where you can obtain virtually everything including new bodyshells as a good example.

But with MGBs that's not Rover (or should that be SAIC) selling the parts, it's a third party company selling parts that they know there is demand for.

MB still sell obscure parts for older models, parts which third party sellers would never bother stock, the parts dept is part of the customer service.

Surely it's no real suprise that it's cheaper to buy non genuine parts off the internet than it is to buy genuine parts from an MB parts dept?

I still stand by my claim that MB parts are in general cheap, and the service given by their parts network is second to none.

 

[janner]

I still stand by my claim that MB parts are in general cheap, and the service given by their parts network is second to none.

Remind us what you do for a living Nick.

 

[R2e]

But with MGBs that's not Rover (or should that be SAIC) selling the parts, it's a third party company selling parts that they know there is demand for.

MB still sell obscure parts for older models, parts which third party sellers would never bother stock, the parts dept is part of the customer service.

Surely it's no real suprise that it's cheaper to buy non genuine parts off the internet than it is to buy genuine parts from an MB parts dept?

I still stand by my claim that MB parts are in general cheap, and the service given by their parts network is second to none.

Re MG - that's what I meant by others taking up the slack.

Yes of course I expect genuine parts to be more than pattern parts, "pattern" being the important word, but I don't expect a Bosch Horn which is probably fitted to countless Opels, BMWs, VWs, etc, etc, maybe even Skoda to be loaded so much. Thus I don't think £40, or 5 times the pattern part price, to be much of a bargain.

Similarly, some months ago, I was charged nearly £3 for a tail light bulb for my W210 by the Merc Dealer in Slough, which I thought excessive. Again, not a genuine part, Merc don't make bulbs, and a standard, widely available bulb, but I was in a hurry so paid up. To provide a balance I was charged just over £10 for a fog light lens for the W210 and £8 for a touch up kit about three years ago, which I thought very reasonable.

 

[nick mercedes]

Remind us what you do for a living Nick.

Sell genuine Mercedes Benz and Smart parts at upto 80% off retail.

But that said I still think MB parts depts provide a great *service* to their customers.

 

[nick mercedes]

Re MG - that's what I meant by others taking up the slack.

Yes of course I expect genuine parts to be more than pattern parts, "pattern" being the important word, but I don't expect a Bosch Horn which is probably fitted to countless Opels, BMWs, VWs, etc, etc, maybe even Skoda to be loaded so much. Thus I don't think £40, or 5 times the pattern part price, to be much of a bargain.

You're paying for the service, being that you can buy almost any part for Mercedes built over the last 50 odd years in most towns of any size in the UK.

 

[R2e]

Sell genuine Mercedes Benz and Smart parts at upto 80% off retail.

But that said I still think MB parts depts provide a great *service* to their customers.

So how much would you have charged me for the horn, Nick? At 80% off I'd have bitten your hand off

 

[R2e]

You're paying for the service, being that you can buy almost any part for Mercedes built over the last 50 odd years in most towns of any size in the UK.

Sorry I don't have a 50 year old Merc, mine is 4 years old, and I really don't see why I should have to subsidise this level of service for classic car owners. Let's face it, if your classic is off the road you can generally afford to wait a day to receive something from a central parts place via the post/courier. There is no need to have these parts available "in most towns of any size in the UK". If MB insist on this fifty year availability, which I would doubt, they are putting one hell of a strain on the stocking costs of their Stealerships. Annual write off must be out of this world.

Good on you for sticking up for your employers, and I'm sure they have a lot of good points with their parts strategies, but I still maintain £40 for a Bosch horn (plastic, made in Spain) is ludicrous. I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree, but my view, as a customer, should be of more concern to MB.