Spare Parts in Ireland- typically a rip off??

RATM

Just looking to get other peoples thoughts on buying spare parts in Ireland and the price of them / value for money.

I've a MG ZR that needs two handbrake cables. My mechanic said to me he thought they'd cost about €10-15 each, I've no problems with that. Then he went down the breakers yesterday only to find out they were €60, no discounts for two so €120 all up. He rang another couple of places and got similar quotes.

So I said leave it and I'll see what I can find online. After 20 minutes I found micksgarage.ie doing them for €37 each. After another 10 minutes I found a place in the UK doing them for £6 each + £10 p&p, all up £22 delivered so comes to about €27 in total.

€120 is more than a 400% mark up from what the place in the UK is selling them for. Is this type of price gouging for parts typical in Ireland ? If it is I won't even bother checking Irish businesses in future, seems like the UK is the way to go.

MuppetCheck

It's not a 400% mark up. The breakers parts would be secondhand.

Considerable price difference is even more laughable.

Voodoomelon

First thing that springs to mind is the sheer number of breakers yards and cars for breaking over there, compared to here. On the road there about 31,000,000 cars in the UK and only 2,200,O00 here.

You've little to no competition here.

OldmanMondeo

Are you comparing like for like? Common problem we find in the partt industry is people saying they can get the same part for much less, ie above, but it turns out they are getting non OE parts against the best of the OE. I know Micksgarage only deal with OE parts. Some parts are re-conditioned, ie Brake calipers, starters, alternators etc, these would be done to a high standard with usually a 12 month warranty.

I have heard more stories about people buying parts on line, getting them wrong and then expecting the local guy to supply the correct ones and take the wrong ones back.

OP, I am not saying that the parts your getting are crap, but it is possible. Plus if these are wrong or fail after a short period of time, getting refunds on both parts and labour will be extremely hard.

Drummerboy08

Not only that, but the MG would never have been as popular over here as they are in the UK.

There's also alot of specialists over there.

Boskowski

It's no different than to what other local retailers only reluctantly seem to get away from. Pricing is based on what you think you 'can get away with' rather than any kind of reasonable approach.
No doubt you'll have people going on about quality and insurance and rents and rates and whatnot. Reality is none of that will change unless customers apply pressure by opting to source elsewhere. Of course the risk of correct part identification etc is on you.

Voodoomelon

LIGHTNING wrote: »

But the flipside of this is that the motor trade over here cant start moaning about Irish people not buying local and how they their businesses are going down the drain.

I buy all my stuff from the UK due to the huge difference in prices, I will buy local if its not too much more. However the last few things I have bought have been so much cheaper over in the UK.

Wheelnuts for my KA:

UK price: 26 sterling
Irish price: 140 Euros

Oh no doubt, i'm the same, UK all the way for large purchases. But the breakers industry is HUGE in the UK, nothing like here.

mcwhirter

RATM wrote: »

Just looking to get other peoples thoughts on buying spare parts in Ireland and the price of them / value for money.

I've a MG ZR that needs two handbrake cables. My mechanic said to me he thought they'd cost about €10-15 each, I've no problems with that. Then he went down the breakers yesterday only to find out they were €60, no discounts for two so €120 all up. He rang another couple of places and got similar quotes.

So I said leave it and I'll see what I can find online. After 20 minutes I found micksgarage.ie doing them for €37 each. After another 10 minutes I found a place in the UK doing them for £6 each + £10 p&p, all up £22 delivered so comes to about €27 in total.

€120 is more than a 400% mark up from what the place in the UK is selling them for. Is this type of price gouging for parts typical in Ireland ? If it is I won't even bother checking Irish businesses in future, seems like the UK is the way to go.

Try the rover/mg owners forums. Often people selling parts
for cheap

101sean

I buy most of my parts from the UK but there are a couple of specialists here that are getting competitive.

Got caught out recently though, usually keep some spares in stock but needed wheel bearings urgently. Went to one supplier here with Timken number, that will be €37 each please and you won't find cheaper around here :eek: Went elsewhere and got pair for €50 which is still expensive but I had to have them.

I've since ordered two wheel bearing kits inc Timken bearings, seal and gaskets for £18.50 each from the UK.

OldmanMondeo

Boskowski wrote: »

It's no different than to what other local retailers only reluctantly seem to get away from. Pricing is based on what you think you 'can get away with' rather than any kind of reasonable approach.

Pure and utter BS, and that is from insider knowledge. Margins on imported parts are very low, The highest margin expected would be retail price and your only talking 50% if your lucky there, this goes down to both trade and wholesale. From this the seller needs to cover all over heads, importing, shop overheads, staff overheads, etc.

Take into consideration other industries had marks ups of 300%, the after-market parts in probably running on the lowest I have seen. I have worked in various industries in the last 20 years in, all dealing with purchasing and pricing.

db330

101sean wrote: »

I buy most of my parts from the UK but there are a couple of specialists here that are getting competitive.

Got caught out recently though, usually keep some spares in stock but needed wheel bearings urgently. Went to one supplier here with Timken number, that will be €37 each please and you won't find cheaper around here :eek: Went elsewhere and got pair for €50 which is still expensive but I had to have them.

I've since ordered two wheel bearing kits inc Timken bearings, seal and gaskets for £18.50 each from the UK.

I had a similar experience with wheel bearings, rang the local motor factors €310 for one side, so did some searching on-line got one from the UK for €80 its just ridiculous, I only buy new parts cause I can get the new parts in the UK cheaper than used here (expect for bulky things obviously). Both blue print parts

So I just

OldmanMondeo

OldmanMondeo wrote: »

Pure and utter BS, and that is from insider knowledge. Margins on imported parts are very low, The highest margin expected would be retail price and your only talking 50% if your lucky there, this goes down to both trade and wholesale. From this the seller needs to cover all over heads, importing, shop overheads, staff overheads, etc.........

So Motor Factors buy in parts for €10+VAT and retail them for €15+VAT?
Or do you mean 50% is the margin that suppliers to the factors make?

db330

I got pads a while ago from a motor factors (few years ago don't get anything anymore) but they printed the wrong invoice and it had the cost price on it, 70% or something, Cost them €20 inc Vat and sold it to me for €35 inc Vat.

And we need to clarify here because it sounds like Boskowski is talking 2nd hand parts while myself, oldmanmondeo , and 101 sean are on about new stuff.

I feel that when you go into a motor factors and your not in the trade they will always try and rip you off, or that has been my experience so far

OldmanMondeo

RoverJames wrote: »

So Motor Factors buy in parts for €10+VAT and retail them for €15+VAT?
Or do you mean 50% is the margin that suppliers to the factors make?

50% max on retail. Motor factors would sell more to the trade, that would be their bread and butter. Also a discount would have to be given to allow the mechanic sell at a similar price to the factor.

OldmanMondeo

db330 wrote: »

I got pads a while ago from a motor factors (few years ago don't get anything anymore) but they printed the wrong invoice and it had the cost price on it, 70% or something, Cost them €20 inc Vat and sold it to me for €35 inc Vat.

And we need to clarify here because it sounds like Boskowski is talking 2nd hand parts while myself, oldmanmondeo , and 101 sean are on about new stuff.

I feel that when you go into a motor factors and your not in the trade they will always try and rip you off, or that has been my experience so far

Yes I am talking new parts. The example would be typical of what type of mark up can be put on goods.

Remember there is a food chain on parts, Wholesale to factors onto the trade. Everyone of these need to make money on the parts to earn a living. There is no point in the wholesale selling the parts to everyone at the same price, this would wipe out the motor factors totally and most wholesalers do not want to deal with the general public.

OldmanMondeo

OldmanMondeo wrote: »

50% max on retail.........

I couldn't imagine that being true for the majority of service parts etc in Motor Factors, I've often gotten 50% off the RRP of service parts, they aren't selling to me at cost.

OldmanMondeo

RoverJames wrote: »

I couldn't imagine that being true for the majority of service parts etc in Motor Factors, I've often gotten 50% off the RRP of service parts, they aren't selling to me at cost.

50% GP to retail. I don't want to give discounts away, but it sound like your factors is putting extra margin to look like they are giving better discounts. How do their retail prices compare against other motor factors? ie, another guy could only give you 10% discount and still be cheaper than the first guy.

I worked with some of these lads years back, the RRP are not out of the way, when I worked in a factors the retail prices were often double the cost price. We used to sell some stuff to car accessory shops too at trade price. THe mark up from cost to retail on exhausts and batteries was more again. I worked at the back door making sure what came in was as per the order, the cost price was on the invoice, service bits cost peanuts. I also worked at the counter and had visibility on the margin.

OldmanMondeo

RoverJames wrote: »

I worked with some of these lads years back, the RRP are not out of the way, when I worked in a factors the retail prices were often double the cost price. We used to sell some stuff to car accessory shops too at trade price. THe mark up from cost to retail on exhausts and batteries was more again.

Mates rate so... the untold discount. Mark ups would still be similar, however, there are some parts that more or less mark up can and does be put on.

No doubt they are mates rates
THey aren't selling below or at cost though.

Mar4ix

original parts for your zr http://www.rimmerbros.co.uk/Item--i-GRID001077

all original parts would cost so expensive.

i believe could be same as rover 200/25 ... look on that link

john reilly

rang a breaker in ballybay for a camshaft pulley for 1.4 focus. he asked for 60euro i told him they where 25euro new in ford. and he said he wasnt a charity. wont be going back there. rang a breaker in ardee for a petrol pump for a seicento wanted 100 euro, a new one was 110 in fiat in navan. a lot of parts arent worth buying seconhand and always ring around. a lot of parts cheaper in ireland than u.k new and secondhand. yes there is a lot of cheap stuff on internet but sometimes you cant wait around to get the part

Xenophile

Many Motor Factors pay their staff more than twice the minimum wage hourly rate which currently stands at 8.65 Euros an hour, you pay for what you get. For example try asking Tesco at the check out for technical assistance or help with fitting the wiper blades. Stick with your local Motor Factor for a long term service of integrity and value, better still make friends with them, you may a bit more but in the long run old friends are best and you help pay the Motor Factors staff a decent wage.

Markcheese

RoverJames wrote: »

OldmanMondeo wrote: »

50% max on retail.........

I couldn't imagine that being true for the majority of service parts etc in Motor Factors, I've often gotten 50% off the RRP of service parts, they aren't selling to me at cost.

Don't forget adding 50% is not the same as 50% off.

Add 50% to a tenner and it's 15 euro, take 50% off 15euro and it's 7.50euro!!!
Difference between mark up and margin , they get trotted out all the time to confuse punters.....

Markcheese

Xenophile wrote: »

Many Motor Factors pay their staff more than twice the minimum wage hourly rate which currently stands at 8.65 Euros an hour, you pay for what you get. For example try asking Tesco at the check out for technical assistance or help with fitting the wiper blades. Stick with your local Motor Factor for a long term service of integrity and value, better still make friends with them, you may a bit more but in the long run old friends are best and you help pay the Motor Factors staff a decent wage.

Assume your taking the piss...? The lads in my local motor factors aren't exactly friendly, and they aren't that great either, the number of times I've been given the wrong part cos they looked at wrong line in manual...I work in retail.... They ain't worth it...!!

101sean

It's worth supporting a local motor factor and getting known, you can get good rates on oils, consumables etc. Got a couple of good local commercial/agri ones I use a fair bit but they can't compete on UK part prices for some vehicles (€35 for a Td5 temp sender, £8 in the UK)

slapstick

Xenophile wrote: »

Many Motor Factors pay their staff more than twice the minimum wage hourly rate which currently stands at 8.65 Euros an hour, you pay for what you get. For example try asking Tesco at the check out for technical assistance or help with fitting the wiper blades. Stick with your local Motor Factor for a long term service of integrity and value, better still make friends with them, you may a bit more but in the long run old friends are best and you help pay the Motor Factors staff a decent wage.

last couple of items i`ve needed for my cars i bought from the uk after pricing around locally and the internet. got 2 new wishbones from the uk for 50% less than what i could find them for over here, just last week got a clutch kit for 40% less than local prices including 3 day delivery on both deliveries.
the irish motor factors are screwing us..... simple as . i`ll never buy anything again from them

Mar4ix

greediness fecked up everything. people try make money , it is ok, but not 100-200 % on profit. real profit is 25 -35 %, above that business turns in to greediness. people simply wont come , as there will be number places where get cheaper. recently rang one guy down to country , was after some parts for my mk1 punto, listed parts what i am after, he gave me price, from what i was shocked ... for that money i could buy younger and better car than my punto .