So I know it's nothing new with dealers, but I've never seen pricing like this.

Called up my local Jaguar dealer about a copper crush washer for the brake hose, part C2C31805. I can order them online for about $3 each if I wanted to pay shipping and wait. Jaguar list price is $4.40. Wait for this.... the parts department tells me they want $8.80 each for these washers.

I asked the guy flat out, "you're charging double the list price for a crush washer?" Didn't get much response to that.

I've actually never seen a dealer charge more than list on parts. Usually I'll order from online dealers just to save 10-20% if shipping makes sense. 2x list price just ticks me off so much. $4.40 is an inane price for a washer to begin with, so let's double it? This just makes me determined to go and find the same exact washer for $0.30 and let everyone on the forum know how to do the same.

-Michael

 

Dealers often have aggressive 'matrix' pricing on parts (and, sometimes, labor) prices. And, yeah, sometimes the result is simply ridiculous. I could spend hours on the subject because for many years I was neck-deep in it.

I'll wager a week's pay, though, that they're selling just as many crush washers each month at $8.80 as they were at $4.40 so there's no there's no particular incentive to lower the price.

Cheers
DD

 

Heh heh, what response were you expecting?

There was a time when parts counterman were (typically) allowed to make on-the-spot adjustments to the pricing matrixes when something was just so silly that it was hard looking the customer in the eye while telling them the price. That has become a rarity, I suspect. Pricing adjustments and gross profit percentages, per individual employee, are carefully monitored.

Cheers
DD

 

On eBay right now that washer ranges from $7.36 to $15.39 so maybe not so much of a dealer rip-off as a factory one.

 

I went to jaguarparts.com and the list price is showing $4.40, they're selling them for $3 and change. Unless their catalog is old. Still no excuse for that... I don't see how they get away with that price for a washer. I'm certain with some time I could find a bag of identical crush washers for $5.

Ended up getting some from NAPA. Just a marginally larger OD for $0.90 each. $32 for 4 washers? I just find that incredulous.

 

You should try all this living in a small country on the other side of the world, if you think you get gouged sitting in the middle of 300million person mass market.

Even with the A$ (aka the Pacific Peso) in the toilet, I am still better off getting BMW parts out of Pelican Parts in California than I am buying here. They really seem to trade off peoples laziness as you can source from anywhere these days.

 

Please tell me why everyone is getting bent out of shape over a $3-4.00 overcharge? If I see a small part and I need it I buy it. It's not like buying parts for your car, made in China that don't either fit or work after you spent hours of your labor installing and uninstalling it, then reinstalling another and this part can cost hundreds or the thousand range? Then no recourse for your time but "sorry mate" from the parts shop.
Another scenario, China part works for 2 months and you get stuck on the road, with no cell phone service at 2 AM. Then no free replacement as part was used and (for example) you have to buy a new throttle housing, or some part in that realm.
This is what we should bitch about.
The small things, if the dealer needs the small change, give it, fix your car and F#%k him. Life is too short to sweat the small things.
Jax

 

The issue here isn't Jaguar parts versus Chinese knock-offs. The OP *wants* to use Jaguar parts and is willing to pay MSRP for them. He's objecting to the dealer doubling-up on the MSRP.

Sure, in the scheme of things, $4.00 is nothing. But we all have hot buttons. I'll gladly pay $50 for a fine steak dinner but I *refuse* to pay $7.50 for an ice cream cone at one of those trendy boutique ice cream parlors ! Go figure.


He's buying his Jaguar parts elsewhere, near as I can tell. So he's already told the dealer to f-off !

Cheers
DD

 

MSRP= Manufacturer's SUGGESTED Retail Price!!!!!!!!!!!!

The ONLY time (that I can think of) a franchise dealer HAS to charge a certain price is when they bill the manufacturer for warranty parts or recalls.

I also work on old Bentley and Rolls Royce motorcars so I KNOW about ridiculous prices.

bob

 

That's right!

The dealer owns the parts and he can sell 'em for whatever price he sees fit....typically the highest price the market will bear. As I said earlier, he's almost certainly selling as many at $8.80 as he was a $4.40 so, except for countermen feeling embarrassed when facing the occasional over-the-counter sale to a DIYer, the dealer has no compelling reason to lower the price.

cheers
DD

 

What is ridiculous is the trade pricing system.

Those profiting from it may like it, but those
who are paying full freight think otherwise.

 

I'm not quite sure what you're referring to.

In some circles 'trade' price is a discounted wholesale price given to those in the 'automotive trade'. Is that what you mean?


Cheers
DD

 

Yep.

 

Nobody likes paying full freight if they can avoid doing so. You know the old saying: "Everybody loves a bargain"

But, wholesale pricing has been around forever and ever. You can walk up to the parts counter, dealer or otherwise, and pay retail for the part. Or, you can take your car to a repair shop and they'll charge you retail for the part.....even though they got a discount.

There's another old saying: "SOMEBODY has to pay retail"!

Cheers
DD

 

I routinely get trade from parts departments without even asking,
except Jaguar.

And then there is "super retail" where parts vendors quote some
absurd price so that a customer of one of their accounts phoning
to verify a price will not know the real retail price.

NAPA quoted me $363.00 for a Group 49 East Penn Dekka battery.

The counterman did not blink when I suggested that was a bit rich.

So I went down the street and paid about a third of that for the same
battery.

A less "ambitious" NAPA store that I subsequently visited looked it up
as being a third of the price quoted at the first store.

I don't offer wholesale or price breaks to anyone. Not even Telcos.
Everyone pays full freight if they want it.

 

Look to purchase set of hoses for my conv top that have broken. Has anybody dealt with Top Hydraulic or Cabriolet Hydraulic and do there hoses hold up. I can't see using Jaguar hoses if they always are going to be trouble in the future.
Thanks
TedZ

 

Since this has popped up again, here is another suggestion.

Even if you know the price will be ridiculous, phone anyways.

When the price is inevitably too high, politely decline.

The dealership has no choice but to pay someone to answer
the parts line. If you can't beat'em, drive up their costs.

Once in a while, a part will be unexpectedly cheap. In that
case buy it.

A marker light came in at $20. When I tried to get another
one, the parts guy could not believe that I got the first one
for $20, saying it was below cost. Well, never mind, I did
get it. Got the next one from a parts car.

 

If you get service or parts from a dealership then you will always pay top dollar/whatever the market will bear. You will be offered or just provided without asking things like windscreen washer additive, fuel treatments , oil treatments, consumables and so on. I'm surprised they dont ask if you want fries with that.

I once had a set to with a service guy about oil additives. I didnt ask for it and he couldnt show me where the manufacturer called for it. He reluctantly took it off the bill.
It wasnt even my money as it was a company car, the idea of it just pissed me off. This was before leasing companies reigned in service costs. Guess I was grumpy before I became an old man.

 

Ted, you should post this in the XK8 section - you will get good feedback. I had Top Hydraulics rebuild my latch ram and was very happy with their quick turnaround and great communication

 

I have in the past told the parts people at Jaguar that I could get the same Jaguar part for less than they are asking and they matched the price. However, I must tell you I have had no reason to go to Jaguar for parts when I can get them on line.