M.o.t advisories please help

andygb

forgotmyname wrote: »

If you know its £15 for the part and they say its £30 then tell them you know the parts only £15.

I have just had a "falling out" with a garage/mechanic who we have used for a couple of years. He tried this trick the other week, and got decidedly "humpy" when I suggested that I could get the parts (from Eurocarparts) a lot cheaper, and that I didn't get trade discount.
Hopefully I will be able to find another mechanic who will do a decent job and not try to cheat a loyal customer.

roddydogs

Garages charge more for parts than they pay,? surely not.

Westmead_Fan

Buy them and get a garage to fit is not a good idea. Your paying more for the part than they would anyway and if the part fails its your problem not theirs.

If fitting it yourself or a mate then yes. But supplying a garage with parts is not ideal. And not always money saving.

If you know its £15 for the part and they say its £30 then tell them you know the parts only £15.

do not follow this advice, there is ways for garage to work round your last point, if they have been caught out like that what they sometimes do is match the parts in price but increase the labour time. garages will not get the parts in as the same price as euros or any other motor factor, so all customers will pay more on parts.

if you buy the part yourself & if the part fails you will have the proof of purchase & go directly back to them.

molerat

I can buy parts with my Halfords trade card for less than the local small garages pay, same parts supplied from the same factor, so don't assume how much they pay.

colino

Even more since their last takeover, ECP appears to use ICT installed by the Chuckle Brothers. I can't think of anyone who regularly needs new parts still using them round here. 2 out of 3 deliveries will be wrong, even when logic tells you there isn't an alternate part, and it seems they send out the drivers quickly to maintain their "speedy delivery" but don't actually give them the right part! Stick to your local factor (even if it is a chain), use them or lose them otherwise you'll end up with only these retail biased imposters.

arcon5

andygb wrote: »

I have just had a "falling out" with a garage/mechanic who we have used for a couple of years. He tried this trick the other week, and got decidedly "humpy" when I suggested that I could get the parts (from Eurocarparts) a lot cheaper, and that I didn't get trade discount.
Hopefully I will be able to find another mechanic who will do a decent job and not try to cheat a loyal customer.

It's not cheating a customer to charge more than they pay - its a fundamental part of running a business, make a profit.

Who bears the risk if parts fail after one use or something? The garage, they have to remove and replace the parts and time is money.

Splott

andygb wrote: »

I have just had a "falling out" with a garage/mechanic who we have used for a couple of years. He tried this trick the other week, and got decidedly "humpy" when I suggested that I could get the parts (from Eurocarparts) a lot cheaper, and that I didn't get trade discount.
Hopefully I will be able to find another mechanic who will do a decent job and not try to cheat a loyal customer.

Everybody who does repairs charges more for parts than they pay. Everyone.

They're not cheating anyone. They would be if they didn't tell you the price beforehand.

Your argument is as daft as saying Tesco should charge you what they pay for stuff.

red_eye

Hunterz1 wrote: »

So I picked up my new car, runs fine and I knew it had the problems with the M.O.T ADVISORIES listed.

Offside track rod end ball joint has excessive play (2.2.B.1f) (I'm guessing this part needed is for the drivers side?)

nearside front anti-roll bar linkage corroded but not seriously weakend
2.4.g.1

IT'S A RENAULT CLIO!

could someone please find me the parts for this on ebay please so I can buy it.

many thanks!

near side is the side nearest to the curb ie passenger side.

ebay parts are risky and if you getting a garage to fit the part then you are likely to be paying another labour charge if the part is found defective after fitment.

if fitting your self then eurocarparts, GSF or local motor factors are the places to go for parts not ebay!

red_eye

roddydogs wrote: »

Garages charge more for parts than they pay,? surely not.

if you go to the shops would you expect to buy your mars bar at trade price? the garage sells you the part like a motor factor would and charging you to put it on.

red_eye

Westmead_Fan wrote: »

do not follow this advice, there is ways for garage to work round your last point, if they have been caught out like that what they sometimes do is match the parts in price but increase the labour time. garages will not get the parts in as the same price as euros or any other motor factor, so all customers will pay more on parts.

if you buy the part yourself & if the part fails you will have the proof of purchase & go directly back to them.

with trade accounts garages get parts from ecp,gsf etc at trade prices which are lower then their counter prices.

increasing the labour time? that would mean the quote would be the same or more what dumb a$$ would agree to that?

for a failed part you will have to pay another labour charge to remove and storage while your car is taking up space while the part is sent off too manufactures to be inspected this could take weeks. a garage would just replace the failed part and give the car back.

all in all this makes buying your own parts a pita

if you dont trust your mechanic then it is time to move on google "your ok with the ata"