Would you buy parts yourself, and ask a mechanic to fit them?

120_Minutes · 12-02-2017 04:13PM #1

Hey guys, I just wanted to get some opinions.

As we all know, maintaining a car can be costly, especially as the car gets on in years. There's plenty of anecdotal evidence of places ripping people off regarding repair and service and parts costs, so I was wondering if many people would consider sourcing their own parts to keep prices down and asking a mechanic to fit them? or is that considered bad etiquette?

robtri · 12-02-2017 04:22PM

personal, I wouldn't

if i but the parts I fit them, if I need a mechanic i let him get them

Part of a mechanics profit he makes on a job is a mark up on parts (just like every other business), so if I was a mechanic it would make your job very unappealing to me...

But I would expect it to be a personal choice by mechanics... no different than buying tyres online and asking a tyre fitter to fit them...
some will be ok with it some wont...

colm_mcm · 12-02-2017 04:30PM

If something goes wrong afterwards, mechanic can just blame the parts. There's also the danger that you get the wrong parts.

Del2005 · 12-02-2017 04:35PM

There is a VAT difference to. If you buy you are charged 23% if the mechanic supplies and fits its 13%. Obviously buying online you can save the VAT but any problems with the parts, I've used several different sites and they have all gotten the bulbs for my current and last car wrong, your car is apart and the mechanic has no responsibility.

joujoujou · 12-02-2017 04:56PM

120_Minutes wrote: »

[...] I was wondering if many people would consider sourcing their own parts to keep prices down and asking a mechanic to fit them? [...]

I'm one of them people.

Rarely happens that my indy sources parts for my car, I'd say. :cool:

DoctorEdgeWild · 12-02-2017 05:00PM

When you have classics or unusual cars, this is the only way to work really.

I'm not handy with the spanners so when one of mine has a problem, my mechanic diagnoses it and sends me off to find/harvest/steal the parts he needs.

snaps · 12-02-2017 05:13PM

When I moved to Poland I was surprised to find that It's the norm in local garages to supply your own parts (if you want) and the mechanic fits them.

One of the last jobs I had done by a mechanic was brakes. I supplied everything (including fluid) and he fitted them.

goochy · 12-02-2017 05:44PM

Try to be clever buying egr valve for 100 quid instead of 200 dealer wanted. But then it failed and I had to cover cost of refitting myself which was pricey

goochy · 12-02-2017 05:44PM

Try to be clever buying egr valve for 100 quid instead of 200 dealer wanted. But then it failed and I had to cover cost of refitting myself which was pricey

my3cents · 12-02-2017 05:48PM

I nearly always get the part myself. My mechanic freely admits I can get the parts much cheaper then him because I shop around and he doesn't have the time.

marklazarcovic · 12-02-2017 06:00PM

do it all the time,he has no problem doing it either , can change oils and filters at home but no lift so limited to what i can do,id attempt more if i had a lift/easy access

12-02-2017 06:21PM

I purchased 4 new tyres recently online- they came in a good 120 euro cheaper than my mechanic could get them from his regular dealer. He charged me for fitting and tracking and he was delighted with getting the business along with my regular service and I was delighted to be able to give him the business.

Cee-Jay-Cee · 12-02-2017 06:38PM

My mechanic (the one I use if it's too big a job to do myself) prefers to have parts supplied. He's very busy and doesn't have the time to be going to parts place to get parts to find they're not in stock and need to be ordered in.

Sam Kade · 12-02-2017 06:42PM

colm_mcm wrote: »

If something goes wrong afterwards, mechanic can just blame the parts. There's also the danger that you get the wrong parts.

I go to my mechanic first he tells me what parts I need, I get them and he fits them. It works better for him also as he is busy and doesn't have much time running around getting parts.

sjb25 · 12-02-2017 06:52PM

Sam Kade wrote: »

I go to my mechanic first he tells me what parts I need, I get them and he fits them. It works better for him also as he is busy and doesn't have much time running around getting parts.

Yeah I do this aswell my mechanic rathers it aswell for the same reasons

120_Minutes · 12-02-2017 07:57PM

Interesting responses. seems we have some reasonable mechanics who dont mind you supplying parts.

Which brings me onto, ....can anyone recommend a good mechanic in the midlands/Athlone area? I have some work needs doing on my own car and I'd be happy to give the business to a good mechanic who won't mind me supplying some of the parts.

grogi · 12-02-2017 08:25PM

Sam Kade wrote: »

I go to my mechanic first he tells me what parts I need, I get them and he fits them. It works better for him also as he is busy and doesn't have much time running around getting parts.

That's weird...

My man (Joe Spanner) calls his man (Mike Belt) with the list of the parts, which are delivered often the same day. If they don't fit, the same van will pick them up with the next delivery...

Invoice comes at the end of the month AFAIK.

dr.fuzzenstein · 12-02-2017 09:27PM

The Connect needed new driveshafts, so I brought it to my local mechanic here in Deutschland. He only sources parts from main dealers, so he rang me with a quote of over a grand for new, original Ford parts. That's parts only, no labor. After we both had a good laugh for a few minutes, I offered to source the parts myself.
The funniest thing is, I bought the shafts of micksgarage.ie, they were much cheaper than any German or even Irish website, which is very unusual for them. Normally Mick's is more expensive than any other online or even bricks and mortar shop. Genius business plan.
I got two new driveshafts off them for €224, which is laughably cheap and he fitted them for €180, so the entire job cost me around the 400 mark.

uck51js9zml2yt · 12-02-2017 09:29PM

I source my parts and my mechanic charges me 50 to fit them and do an oil change.

CiniO · 12-02-2017 10:43PM

dr.fuzzenstein wrote: »

....... so the entire job cost me around the 400 mark.

I thought Germany had Euros these days

kay 9 · 13-02-2017 01:06AM

I supply parts for my mechanic if it's something I'm not competent in doing,and he's ok with it. (I think)
As a plumber, I get customers to supply parts too, that way I only get screwed for labour if they decide they're poor come pay time.

goz83 · 13-02-2017 10:47AM

I've used Atlas plenty of times in the past to fit parts I wouldn't have taken a chance on.....like timing belt. I almost always supplied, as I could get the parts cheaper and they were happy enough with that.

grogi · 13-02-2017 10:52AM

goz83 wrote: »

I've used Atlas plenty of times in the past to fit parts I wouldn't have taken a chance on.....like timing belt. I almost always supplied, as I could get the parts cheaper and they were happy enough with that.

I generally don't supply parts myself, as my mechanic provides rather competitive pricing already. But he is ok with customer-provided parts.

Even though he would allow that, when it comes to timing belt, I would rather leave the whole package to the mechanic, with specifying that I want/don't want to use Gates, Contitech or Dayco.

When belts snaps and you end up in deep see of trouble, it will be extremely difficult to prove who is at fault - manufacturing defect or faulty installation. And with parts coming from different source than your mechanic, you would face a table tennis match with the blame and broken car.

corks finest · 13-02-2017 11:19AM

120_Minutes wrote: »

Hey guys, I just wanted to get some opinions.

As we all know, maintaining a car can be costly, especially as the car gets on in years. There's plenty of anecdotal evidence of places ripping people off regarding repair and service and parts costs, so I was wondering if many people would consider sourcing their own parts to keep prices down and asking a mechanic to fit them? or is that considered bad etiquette?

I always buy,and my mechanic fits

my3cents · 13-02-2017 11:24AM

grogi wrote: »

I generally don't supply parts myself, as my mechanic provides rather competitive pricing already. But he does not have any issue doing so. Even if he didn't, when it comes to timing belt, I would rather leave the whole package to the mechanic, with specifying that I want/don't want to use Gates, Contitech or Dayco.

When belts snaps and you end up in deep see of trouble, it will be extremely difficult to prove who is at fault - manufacturing defect or faulty installation.

So how exactly are you going to know that your mechanic hasn't used Gates, Contitech or Dayco?

grogi · 13-02-2017 11:37AM

my3cents wrote: »

So how exactly are you going to know that your mechanic hasn't used Gates, Contitech or Dayco?

How do you know the mechanic is not using your car to get some free petrol?

my3cents · 13-02-2017 11:40AM

grogi wrote: »

How do you know the mechanic is not using your car to get some free petrol?

He may well be just the same as you don't know if your mechanic doesn't fit makes of parts you don't want fitted.

grogi · 13-02-2017 11:49AM

my3cents wrote: »

He may well be just the same as you don't know if your mechanic doesn't fit makes of parts you don't want fitted.

Then change a mechanic to a one that you'd trust... It makes no sense to use one you don't.

Chris_Heilong · 13-02-2017 12:46PM

I source my own parts as much as possible, then you know what is being fitted, it also means the mechanic will not have to wait around for bits to get delivered. I cant see it being a problem unless the mechanic is adding x amount of money to parts he sources himself and you are taking this extra revenue away from him.

gillianmcd · 13-02-2017 01:41PM

Most tyre centers charge a min 20- 30 euro per tyre if someone buys tyre online for fitment locally. You got lucky. If you bought outside Ireland (in Europe) you also don't pay VAT which makes the tyre cheaper. Support local. Obviously the price determined your decision in this case, understandably.

grogi · 13-02-2017 02:03PM

gillianmcd wrote: »

If you bought outside Ireland (in Europe) you also don't pay VAT which makes the tyre cheaper. Support local. Obviously the price determined your decision in this case, understandably.

That's not true.

VAT is universal in EU, the rates might be a bit different.

eiretyres.com is German (Delticom AG) - 19% of VAT.
oponeo.ie is run by a Polish entity (Oponeo.pl S.A.) - the VAT is 23%.
camskill is UK based - 20% of VAT.

If you import goods from outside EU, you are accountable to pay local VAT as well.

Would you buy parts yourself, and ask a mechanic to fit them?

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