Auto spares Places - Do they think we are stupid?

[GTI POLO]

Hi,

I was going to change the oil etc for the old man..

Your ring Supercheap Auto, they never have anything in stock. But they have 500,000 cans of Super Duper Degreaser in stock.

So I went to another well known Auto Spares place. I ordered in a set of leads, they told me $90 but $73 for trade. I said yeah trade for me.

When I went into pick them up, I asked for the leads, thermostat and spark plugs. The knucklehead behind the counter says $249 please

I looked at him (about to head butt him) and said how much are these leads, he says $149. I reminded him that they were $73 trade yesterday. He ums and arrs for a while, pretends hes lookin on the computer. then he said ok can do them for $81. Just like that. what gets me is that he was willing to charge me the $149 for those leads.

Anyhow I ended up walking away paying $128 for the lot. A far cry from the $249 he initially asked. Do these places think people are just stupid?

[DaveMack]

Do these places think people are just stupid?

Yes ... they do ... and all too often, they're right.

Dave

[Golf Houso]

I've had that done to me as well... I usually just look at them puzzlingly and walk out, and if they call back as I leave the door I raise my hand in a way that tells them I'm not even going to bother talking back.

Wreckers are much worse when it comes to this though... much much worse.

[boogz]

Depends who you get really... I'll be honest, I've had a few mates work in places like Repco & Super Cheap. It just comes down to how generous they're feeling... The stories I've heard, I'm glad they were my mates behind the counter... One time, I went to get service parts for my car and my friend had the day off... what I usually pay about $100 for (air, fuel & oil filter, oil, couple bottles of flush) the fat (I mean fat) sorry excuse for a 'customer service' rep tried to tell me it was about $250 bucks!! I told him where to stick it and waited for my friend to come back the next day. I made sure the hole was around when I bought it off my friend and told him where he could stick his $250 bucks... Here's one you've probably heard... REPCO... Rip Every Poor . Off!!

[GTI POLO]

I think those places are breeding schools for used car salesmen..

How many used car salesman have said.... Its $19,990 but for you, I reckon we can do it for $19500. (The car is worth about $15,000 max).

Ive scoffed at those guys so many times. Then I look around and say, I dont see any stampede towards this car. Dealing with these people is just a constant jousting effort..

Why dont we just go back to the old west and both have a shutgun in our hands, walk 10 paces and turn to shoot.

Its basically the same thing dealing with these people..

[polo_spec_d]

Im dealing with a certain auto parts store atm, Ive been waiting and this is no joke, 14 weeks for my K&N filter, I have asked for my money back many times and they refuse to give me a refund because they have put a order in. They keep saying "its on the way" and "we have called over east and its coming"

Well I called over east to see if they were calling, turns out they hadnt even ordered it!!!

So they better get a good legal team!!

[Kai]

Most places stock parts for the 10 most common cars.

Get over it.

Cant expect a place to have everything.

By far the best place is burson auto spares.

Supercheap is hardly a spare parts shop anymore.

Autobarn is hardly a spare parts shop anymore.

Burson Auto Spares

Cheapa Auto Spares

Global Auto Spares

Repco

Those four are AUTO SPARES shops.

[Chuck]

Perth people...know your part numbers and go to COVENTRYS - I wouldn't bother with anyone else

[polo_spec_d]

Well the K&N is for the sisters VP Commodore. Pretty common car. Didnt even stock a oil filter!!! And its one of the biggest auto spares stores in Australia.

Anything for the Polo I source from overseas or use some off the deals on the forum Ill try and keep the business local if they got the parts

[Kai]

Well the K&N is for the sisters VP Commodore. Pretty common car. Didnt even stock a oil filter!!! And its one of the biggest auto spares stores in Australia.

Anything for the Polo I source from overseas or use some off the deals on the forum Ill try and keep the business local if they got the parts

They would have stocked a filter for a commodore.

Unless it was a 12 year old that served you..

Edit: I know for a fact that all the stores i listed stock oil filters for VP commodores.

Or maybe you were a rude customer so they are ****ing you around? Seen it done before heaps. Happens alot.

[polo_spec_d]

They would have stocked a filter for a commodore.

Unless it was a 12 year old that served you..

Edit: I know for a fact that all the stores i listed stock oil filters for VP commodores.

Or maybe you were a rude customer so they are ****ing you around? Seen it done before heaps. Happens alot.

Nah wasnt rude or anything, Yeah the guy was abit "slow" I had my Polo parked outside and I asked for the K&N filter and oil filter for 92 VP Commodore and he goes, "so you want a K&N filter for that Euro car outside?"

Then he continued to tell me about how they cant stock one off oil filters and parts for a euro car. I had to keep telling him it was for a 92 Vp commodore over and over.

Then he finally listened and said "I thought you wanted it for that VDub, You know thats the car I saw you rock up in and that so I just assumed"

I havent got my money back I put down for the ordered Filters so I Just gave up.

In the mean while I have used one off those Stores above (Repco) and got the oil, oil filter and the K&N filter as soon as I walked in the store

Lesson learnt

[Kai]

was it supercheap or autobarn??

[polo_spec_d]

was it supercheap or autobarn??

It was supercheap

[GTI POLO]

Supercheap and Bursen need a good kick in the face..

I bought a thermostat for the old mans car, just preventative... I changed it over and the car heat up like a kettle... I thought it must have been a faulty thermostat so I went to supercheap and bought the thermostat for the car again... Again it heat up like a kettle.. I compared the thermostat I pulled out of the car with the units both Bursen and Supercheap provided me..

The spring side in the stock thermostat was much longer... It must have been a lower flow thermostat provided by bursen and Supercheap..

I put the stock thermostat back in and the car goes perfect...

Either they dont check the part numbers properly or the items are just no good.. Wasted a whole day wondering why it kept heating up (had to wait for it to cool down each time)

[VW Convert]

Supercheap and Bursen need a good kick in the face..

I bought a thermostat for the old mans car, just preventative... I changed it over and the car heat up like a kettle... I thought it must have been a faulty thermostat so I went to supercheap and bought the thermostat for the car again... Again it heat up like a kettle.. I compared the thermostat I pulled out of the car with the units both Bursen and Supercheap provided me..

The spring side in the stock thermostat was much longer... It must have been a lower flow thermostat provided by bursen and Supercheap..

I put the stock thermostat back in and the car goes perfect...

Either they dont check the part numbers properly or the items are just no good.. Wasted a whole day wondering why it kept heating up (had to wait for it to cool down each time)

I've been in the spare parts business since before many of the people on this forum were were born (truck and bus and now machinery parts) and whilst it is true that some of the companies mentioned set a low standard, I have to say there is another side to the story not only in relation to this post but in relation to the whole thread!

In relation to this thread, did you not compare the replacement part first and notice it was different? Second, if the car overheated when the thermostat was fitted why would you not have taken it back to where you bought it and questioned either the suitability or quality of the part? Third, does it not seem strange that both places gave you the wrong part?

In relation to the topic in general, whilst there are some people who don't have the necessary skills or training to provide the service required, there are many times more customers who:-

1. Don't know what part they require.
2. Don't know what car they want the part for, i.e. Make, model, year and
possibly VIN number.
3. Insist "they are all the same mate", believe me, often they are not.
4. Expect the spare parts salesman to diagnose the fault sight unseen and with only the vaguest description of the symptoms, (not forgetting that we are not mechanics).
5. Expect the (aftermarket) parts supplier to have access to all information that the OE parts supplier has (information which is jealously protected).
6. Treat the salesperson as a moron because he has to ask questions in an attempt to correctly interpret the customers requirements.

Not trying to defend poor service, but don't be too quick to criticise if you've never seen the other side. I could write a book about the ill informed, rude and stupid people that I've had to deal with in my time.

Cheers

George