Tim
I don't know if you are aware, but the big guys in online parts sales
are only brokers, who contract with distributors like us to fulfill orders.
If you place an order for 6 items, they may ship from 6 different places in
the country (or continent), with shipping charges from each. Choice of
shipper is based on price alone at this time.
Great post, Tim, thanks.
Rex Burkheimer
Parts Plus Marketing Director
WM Automotive Whse., Fort Worth TX
----- Original Message -----
From: Tim Votaw <hazman@harborside.com>
To: Rex Burkheimer <rex@txol.net>
Cc: <shop-talk@autox.team.net>
Sent: Thursday, December 21, 2000 1:19 AM
Subject: Re: Parts on-line
> Rex Burkheimer wrote:
>
> > I am curious about members of the list who buy parts online.
>
> Hmmm.....interesting topic. Normally I keep my counsel and just read the
posts
> here. This I gotta bite on. Remember it's only one man's humble
experience,
> tho.
>
> Shopping for auto parts online. I do about 85 percent that way for my 427
> Cobra, 2 Harleys, and Dodge Cummins 4x4 PU. I buy all my "speed" parts
on-line.
>
> I shop around, and the two most pertinent factors are price &
availability.
> Many of the on-line vendors have hard catalogs, so research can often be
done
> ahead of time (Jeg's, Summit, Racer Parts Wholesale, etc.). Others, such
as
> Race Search, Carparts and Wrenchhead, are strictly on-line. There are new
> vendors popping up monthly; lots of impressive banners and home pages.
Some are
> pretty feeble clones, with more hot air than inventory to back 'em up.
>
> Several of the more stable vendors have price-matching policies. It
sometimes
> takes a little work to produce the info they want (evidence of the ads,
URL's,
> etc.) Summit Racing is among the more bonafide of those....they do keep
their
> word.
>
> Another factor I use is the turn-around time, but it only counts if I'm in
a
> hurry. Some companies will tell you it's in stock, then tell you it'll
ship in
> 10 days. I used to assume that vendors on my side of the Divide would get
stuff
> here sooner, by virtue of the miles. Not always so.
>
> Condition of the product upon arrival is a concern, particularly since it
> appears UPS has begun to hire the Samsonite Gorillas to handle packages.
I have
> had packages show up with gaping holes, small parts spilling out, all
because
> some dull knife in the shipping dept. dumped the order into a flimsy box
with a
> bunch of peanuts, ran a strip of tape around it and sent it into oblivion.
>
> For that matter, the same packing technique occurs with expensive hard
parts
> like alternators, starters, carbs, electronics, etc. except in these cases
you
> haven't got a clue of the condition it arrives in except for the accordion
> effect on one or more corners of the box.
>
> I had to send an entire V-twin shortblock back to the assembler because it
came
> half out of the crate and off the cradle. Definitely a way to test the
quality
> control of a vendor. If they quibble and try to backslide, I drop 'em
> regardless of the deals they offer. The returns and adjustments on mail
or
> on-line orders are one of the shortfalls of these processes.
>
> On balance, I get better deals up here in remote coastal Oregon by online
or
> mail, due in part to the isolation. That may be a big factor. I hope
this
> helped launch some discussion, Rex.
>
> Tim
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