Genuine Ford parts - stupid pricing discrepancy

[BlueOvalPrint]

Heya all, just thought I'd post my experience from today.

I decided to get hold of a new serpentine drive (fan) belt for my 09 G6ET. It only has 55,000km on it but the belt on my 03 BA XR6T failed at 65,000km - not long after the last Dealer service - and damaged the front crank seal ($300 for parts and labour to fix), so as preventative maintenance I'll be replacing it myself.

I wanted a genuine Ford/Motorcraft belt but I thought I'd check out eBay to get an idea of prices for the belts in general. Among the listings I noticed there were a few sellers offering the genuine belt, including official Melbourne and Adelaide Ford dealerships. Around $28 for the belt from these dealers, plus $9 Registered post for a total of $37. Pretty good, I thought, and decided to call the local Ford dealer here in Canberra to find out if I could pick one up locally before the weekend for about the same price. Their price: just under $63!!! Yes, more than double the price for the exact same part (number SX862A), and even with postage the interstate dealers were still so much cheaper. I told the local dealer of the price difference; after he said it wouldn't be a genuine part (it is) and double-checking the part numbers, he wouldn't move on his price and said "I reckon you should buy two of those at that price"!

So - are the interstate dealers selling at/near cost and about to go out of business, or is my local dealer being greedy, or both?

[fordomatic]

i noticed the Canberra dealers are a rip off, as well as being the worst dealers to co-operate with that i've ever experienced (besides Townsville, they like to go sideways in my cars). Most dealerships will match another dealers parts price, not in Canberra they wont. I wanted some headlight protectors for my FG and on ebay they are $82, went to Woden Ford and they wanted $145. I asked them to do them for $100 and he said no way. Even just the servicing department is an absolute nightmare with parts, i provide all parts now that are outside warranty so they don't screw me more than they already do.

[PG2]

Originally Posted by fordomatic

I wanted some headlight protectors for my FG and on ebay they are $82, went to Woden Ford and they wanted $145. I asked them to do them for $100 and he said no way.

That's dearer than my local dealership. They quoted me for the headlights $98, $101 and $111 (yes, that is for the same part). They quoted me over the phone - $98. I needed some other accessories so I asked them to email me a quote - $101. I went in to the dealership to buy a couple of the quoted accessories - $111.

I'm more than happy to buy the genuine accessories from my local dealership - after all I did work there for over 12 years. I am even willing to pay a premium over the price that is advertised over ebay - but at least be competitive and consistent with pricing.

In regards to the OP question. The parts people are salespeople and accordingly are out to maximise dealership profits.

Maybe Ford need to step in and discuss with dealers about their pricing policies. I know that other car brands have price discrepancies as well but this could be one area where Ford takes the lead and makes a point of difference in the vehicle ownership.

[jaydee]

I just did the bearings on my BA, they are a complete unit, hub wheel studs and all, just slide it on.
My Ford dealer wanted $190 each, got genuine Ford ones off Ebay for $75 each plus delivery, 5 days later it was on my door step.
No wonder they're going broke, cutting their own throats with this type of customer rip off.

[AWD Chaser]

Originally Posted by BlueOvalPrint

Heya all, just thought I'd post my experience from today.

I decided to get hold of a new serpentine drive (fan) belt for my 09 G6ET. It only has 55,000km on it but the belt on my 03 BA XR6T failed at 65,000km - not long after the last Dealer service - and damaged the front crank seal ($300 for parts and labour to fix), so as preventative maintenance I'll be replacing it myself.

I wanted a genuine Ford/Motorcraft belt but I thought I'd check out eBay to get an idea of prices for the belts in general. Among the listings I noticed there were a few sellers offering the genuine belt, including official Melbourne and Adelaide Ford dealerships. Around $28 for the belt from these dealers, plus $9 Registered post for a total of $37. Pretty good, I thought, and decided to call the local Ford dealer here in Canberra to find out if I could pick one up locally before the weekend for about the same price. Their price: just under $63!!! Yes, more than double the price for the exact same part (number SX862A), and even with postage the interstate dealers were still so much cheaper. I told the local dealer of the price difference; after he said it wouldn't be a genuine part (it is) and double-checking the part numbers, he wouldn't move on his price and said "I reckon you should buy two of those at that price"!

So - are the interstate dealers selling at/near cost and about to go out of business, or is my local dealer being greedy, or both?

You'll proably find that the ebay dealer would charge the same if you walked in the Spare Parts office.

It just allows them to not have to deal with customer service, get paid automatically via paypal, and probably have them shipped from the warehouse, thus reducing costs. Alot more streamlined and cheaper then dealing with people walking in, talking, complaining, etc...

[Smoke Pursuit]

Yep big margins on parts. Not sure why dealers bother selling on ebay, probably trying to meet targets but with all the admin it requires you would have to question it. They have different levels of pricing, retail, trade, internal, cost etc. You will probably find they are pricing some of the stuff at internal, that is what they would supply it to the service department for.

I have only ever bought parts from the one dealer, they always look after me.

[monte.b]

i wanted a tailight for my bf ute ,went to the local dealer ,he wanted $300 for it ,i said are you kidding me ,he said no mate these have to come from the usa ,i bought one on ebay for $59 delivered to my door ,are they stupid or do they think we are

[b2tf]

Originally Posted by monte.b

i wanted a tailight for my bf ute ,went to the local dealer ,he wanted $300 for it ,i said are you kidding me ,he said no mate these have to come from the usa ,i bought one on ebay for $59 delivered to my door ,are they stupid or do they think we are

He's actually not wrong, they do come from the states out of the F trucks. But the price is stupid.

I always buy my genuine parts from Bayford parts on Ebay. By far the best prices and service on parts and if you want something they don't have they will list it for you.

[fordman302]

Last time i went to get genuine parts i told them how much it was on ebay but said i would rather shop local so they matched it

[ebxr8240]

parts for Focus is the same..

[V8 Ghia Mike]

Hah, that reminds me when I needed a new sump plug for the Ka. I couldn't get one aftermarket and had to go to Ford parts centre at Regency Park. It cost $32....the poor guy at the counter feebly mentioned that it came with a washer...

Mike

[mash again]

bf ute taillights are the same as an f250

[FGII-XR6]

one of the dealers would have been bayford, they are consistently a lot cheaper . not sure how they do it, I know the guy at the local dealer and he said some of their prices are below his cost

[Smoke Pursuit]

Originally Posted by au3xr6

one of the dealers would have been bayford, they are consistently a lot cheaper . not sure how they do it, I know the guy at the local dealer and he said some of their prices are below his cost

Bayfords gets stock dumps out of Fords main parts centre. That's why they end up with a lot of NOS parts.

[FGII-XR6]

that explains a lot

Originally Posted by DASH GT

Bayfords gets stock dumps out of Fords main parts centre. That's why they end up with a lot of NOS parts.

[jaydee]

Originally Posted by au3xr6

one of the dealers would have been bayford, they are consistently a lot cheaper . not sure how they do it, I know the guy at the local dealer and he said some of their prices are below his cost

Yep, thats who I got my front bearings from, definitely saving them as a favourite to use again.

[DJL351]

Dealers buy their Parts from Ford at a different price/rates. (like a ranking system)
Then there are sales (bigger discounts) on some items if bought in bulk.

I remember the Parts Manager buying in 100 EF A/C compressors - we sold about 5 a month to that point. But at the price Ford sold them, it was too good to pass up.
It was winter when he ordered them - come that summer, we sold heaps!

We would quote the full retail price and sell it at trade. The customers thought we were gold and management were still happy with the margins.


Another factor is the staff member you speak to. If they've just had some clown screaming at them because the three dollar part they want will cost them $40 - they are far less likely to be friendly.

For me - your approach to me dictated what price I offered you.
Be a smart backsided ****** - full retail.
Nice respectful and generally nice - Trade price or better (depending on the margin)

I once gave a guy a less than trade price for a part (can't remember what it was) because we all knew it was way over priced. (bought it down from around $400 to about $300). He went OFF calling me all sorts of names and suggesting I insert it elsewhere and stormed off.
Ten minutes later he was back - the price was full retail..... and no surprise he went off again and left.
I then rang and e-mailed all the Perth Dealers I knew and advised them of the chances of meeting this clown and to hold out on price........... they did.

TL: DR
Not all dealers get to buy from Ford at the same price and don't turn over the quantity needed to get good (extra) discounts.
And be nice to Parts interpreters.

[Papa Smurf]

Originally Posted by DJL351

Dealers buy their Parts from Ford at a different price/rates. (like a ranking system)
Then there are sales (bigger discounts) on some items if bought in bulk.

I remember the Parts Manager buying in 100 EF A/C compressors - we sold about 5 a month to that point. But at the price Ford sold them, it was too good to pass up.
It was winter when he ordered them - come that summer, we sold heaps!

We would quote the full retail price and sell it at trade. The customers thought we were gold and management were still happy with the margins.


Another factor is the staff member you speak to. If they've just had some clown screaming at them because the three dollar part they want will cost them $40 - they are far less likely to be friendly.

For me - your approach to me dictated what price I offered you.
Be a smart backsided ****** - full retail.
Nice respectful and generally nice - Trade price or better (depending on the margin)

I once gave a guy a less than trade price for a part (can't remember what it was) because we all knew it was way over priced. (bought it down from around $400 to about $300). He went OFF calling me all sorts of names and suggesting I insert it elsewhere and stormed off.
Ten minutes later he was back - the price was full retail..... and no surprise he went off again and left.
I then rang and e-mailed all the Perth Dealers I knew and advised them of the chances of meeting this clown and to hold out on price........... they did.

TL: DR
Not all dealers get to buy from Ford at the same price and don't turn over the quantity needed to get good (extra) discounts.
And be nice to Parts interpreters.

I agree, I was an Interpreter for more than 40 years and yes, parts prices can vary and do. It's no different to Woolworths and Big W or Kmart or Target. In most states except Victoria, there are Distributors and Dealers, they get different prices. Distributors usually carry a HUGE stock, sometimes into the millions of dollars and so they usually have bigger margins as they have more staff.
People should not forget the Interpreters have to be paid to look up your inquiries while on Ebay, it is all done for you on what is being sold.

Too true about being nice to Interpreters, they are people too and get sick of stupid questions like other people and DO like to be treated with the same respect and dignity customers want.

[Crazy Dazz]

I appreciate that in the OP you are comparing one dealer’s price with another for genuine parts.
Keep in mind though that sometimes when a “dealer” is selling on eBay they may be the identical parts, but not necessarily “genuine.” ie they have obtained them direct from the manufacturer or imported them.

The problem is that common parts for common models are widely available from 3rd party suppliers and retailers. Dealers can’t compete and so a lot don’t bother to try. It usually when you need a less common part that you are forced to go to a Dealer, they know this and so use the opportunity to recoup some costs.
Again, I understand the OP was comparing genuine parts but the dealer didn’t believe that and acted accordingly.

I’d also make the point that many people end up running business because they were good at the underlying service, not because they are good at business. And others I just have no idea why they thought they should run a business.
Lastly, many departments are measured on percentage profitability not overall profit, so managers take the view that they sell at full retail or not at all.

[XR6T0Y]

Went to Ford today actually to get a price on something (albeit small). Fleabay wanted 88$ + postage (I think about 15$), and Ford wanted 41$ + 3$ postage. Told him to order it for me there and then

[pottery beige]

We used to have motortraders in SA.. you could buy genuine Ford parts without getting bent and sent...

[suttoo]

Originally Posted by pottery beige

We used to have motortraders in SA.. you could buy genuine Ford parts without getting bent and sent...

Motor traders used to sell parts to retail customers at dealer cost. Good riddance they are gone now. Sorry to the guys that got bargains.
But back to the belt, the retail on one of those should be around $55. Seems that they are selling them at dealer cost. Which if that's the case they will be getting a phone call.

[pottery beige]

Originally Posted by suttoo

Motor traders used to sell parts to retail customers at dealer cost. Good riddance they are gone now. Sorry to the guys that got bargains.
But back to the belt, the retail on one of those should be around $55. Seems that they are selling them at dealer cost. Which if that's the case they will be getting a phone call.

you got shares in ford spare parts ey

rear diff covers

motor traders $138

fraud $265

next one i pop will be grabbing one from the wreckers

[suttoo]

Originally Posted by pottery beige

you got shares in ford spare parts ey

rear diff covers

motor traders $138

fraud $265

next one i pop will be grabbing one from the wreckers

haha you could say that. Yeah good luck finding a rear diff hat. Presumably for BA-BF?

[302 XC]

If you need the part now ,youll pay the premium
Your willing to wait a few days,week youll pay the lesser price
Add in your time to shop around, look on line, buy the item ,deal with the pay details, wait for the parcel, drive down the post office to collect, unless they deliver to door
Vs, walk in get the part now,pull the cash from your pocket,go home and fit part

Many sell on line ,as reduced overheads,so reduce part prices and sometimes make more money per part

[Kil4Collingwood]

Darryl twitt ford in shep was pretty pricey for a combination switch on my bf3 wagon, bayfords price was better by about $50 to their credit they knocked their price below bayfords.

Sent from my GT-I9300T using Tapatalk 2

[2002au]

ford wanted $200 for 2 new front wheel bearing for my xr6,

got them from ebay 70 for the pair ;)

[KIWI-1]

Originally Posted by b2tf

I always buy my genuine parts from Bayford parts on Ebay. By far the best prices and service on parts and if you want something they don't have they will list it for you.

Same, same.
Great service, anytime I want something not listed on ebay I email them and Darren just emails a paypal request for me to click.

Genuine Motorcraft, shipped from the warehouse direct to you.

Back in the 80s I needed some ARB stuff for my Patrol. I knew the Nissan Parts Manager pretty well so he offered to buy it in and sell it to me at his cost.
When I enquired how/why, he explained that Nissan counted all sales towards targets and Nissan gave him an extra 20% discount because he had the highest parts sales in the country.

Not unlike rebates for new car sales.

[ratter]

you need to compare prices for genuine vs genuine, you can not compare genuine to aftermarket, many people have had to pay twice by going the cheap route

[jrfttf]

Papa smurf has hit it on the head