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ridiculous prices continue........

Started by Des, 11 October 2007, 04:00 AM

Des

Patrick among others in the past has made reference to the ridiculous prices Mercedes Benz seem to expect for their parts.

Was chatting today to a forum member, we were talking about the $500 AU new price Mercedes want for 1 single, solitary hubcap, unpainted.

Just makes you shake your head in disgust really.

Yes I am an ambassador to Mercedes excellent supply of parts for cars going back decades, but, and its a BIG but they need to be reasonably priced.

yes I don't expect a new hubcap for $20, $200? maybe, $500 odd, when you add that up for 4 is 2 grand.
more than what many of our vintage W123', W116's would bring on the market.


just a little rant,

:(

Des

I would like to hear from other members......

"What is the most ridiculous price you have ever been given from a Mercedes Benz dealer, for a part?"



I remember being quoted over $3,000 AU for a new dash for a 6.9
Brand new mirror for a W123, Left Hand side, $1100AU, picked up a good used one from John Green for $120


anyone else?


CraigS

And a valid rant Des ! I understand that they, and any manufacturer wants a return on their investment, and I have no argument with that, but what I don't understand is the variation in prices between countries. We all know that the US market is subsidised by MB, or should that be Daimler, but why or how, can a part be priced in Australia at more than 100% of the US price ? Sure, it is a smaller market, with a slower moving inventory, and that needs to be financed, but more than 100% ? These after market sellers in the US are still making a margin, otherwise they wouldn't be in the business, so who is claiming the high margins in Australia ? I'm sure the reseller is making a pretty fair margin, but that doesn't explain the variation.
[url="http://s109.photobucket.com/albums/n77/Aegeanfoods/My%20Cars/"]http://s109.photobucket.com/albums/n77/Aegeanfoods/My%20Cars/[/url]

Des

#3
Craig, there has been very little, in the way of W123/W116 parts that I have bought, other than oil filters that have actually been in stock in Australia, everything has to come from Germany, with 1 week postage delay.

hoses, clamps, trim, trim clips, engine mounts,
In the last 3 months I have spent over $6k in parts for a W123, chrome strips, window moldings, seals, gaskets, clips, tail lights, engine mounts, etc.. etc...
all coming from Germany
So really, to a simple man like me the price should be the same as if I was in Germany, plus a little postage and packing.

In fact the postage wasn't that bad, all these goodies came in a big box, nearly the size of the inside space of a W123 boot, about 30kg's for $90 AU postage from Germany.

I'm sure Craig with your 300, you could also list a long list of parts that are a small goldmine from MB that you have had to purchase.





Big_Richard

I think the moral of the story is - don't buy a Mercedes if you cant afford to pay for the parts. Theres no point whinging and whining about the price of the parts, there are plenty of other manufacturers to choose from if you don't like the spare parts prices.


Ive spent over a grand on switch's and other miscellaneous crap for my centre console, and i don't give a shit - I don't drink, i don't smoke and i don't take drugs. Yet, i get lectured from a chain smoker for wasting my money - yeah, that makes sense  ::)

Des

Patrick, I'm not having a cry over a $30 Mercedes oil filter, or a 100 odd dollar tie rod end.

its not entirely about affording the parts, hubcaps are not a necessity to keep a car going, its just about making it look nice. Restoration.

Yes I could afford to buy them tomorrow if I "had" to have them, but you have to look and wonder sometimes.





nathan

touche PB, touche!  i use that argument quite a bit too - doesnt seem to work though...
however, i sitll like to bitch...
i think the crappy thing is is that having our old 116s on the road is advertising for the longevity of such cars and pricing them off the road isnt in the interest of the company...craig put it well re inflation versus other countries...although the guys at MB here in parts in perth are great bunch (ok, not all, but the ones i know!), theres a reason dad gets his shit sent from singapore for a fraction of the price...bill put it into perspective with the spheres, 5x 740 bucks vs 5x under 200 bucks from singapore...
at the end of the day, its all money making and benz au must make enough dough not to need used parts as a contributor to their income
1979 116 6.9 #6436
2018 213 e63
2011 212 e63
2011 463 g55
2007 211 e500 wagen
1995 124 e320 cabriolet
1983 460 300gd
1981 123 280te

Des

Nathan, does Mercedes have some sort of parts stockpile in singapore?

I thought if it wasn't in stock in Australia it had to come from Mercedesland  Germany?


Big_Richard

Quote from: Des on 11 October 2007, 04:31 AM
Patrick, I'm not having a cry over a $30 Mercedes oil filter, or a 100 odd dollar tie rod end.

its not entirely about affording the parts, hubcaps are not a necessity to keep a car going, its just about making it look nice. Restoration.

Yes I could afford to buy them tomorrow if I "had" to have them, but you have to look and wonder sometimes.

I learned a long time ago, buying anything in Australia is a rip off - and that still hasn't changed to this day. Oil filters are ten bucks, complete tie rods (not just the ends) are about 40 bucks.. Buy in AU and you *will* pay thru the nose, convenience comes at a price.

I only buy in AU at the dealers what i absolutely CANT buy anywhere else. Some of the second hand prices thrown around on this board come close to what you can buy new for, if only people did a little research and were able to wait a while for parts to arrive...

CraigS

There is a central warehouse in Singapore. Stocks come from wherever they can get them from. In some cases it will be Singapore, other times Germany.

The question of price is not about whether you can afford it. It is about whether you feel you are getting ripped off and what the philosophy of the company is in terms of their pricing. I suspect that, US aside, they look at each country individually and determine what margin to apply. Some of the prices that Ryan has quoted are on a par with the US, yet that same part in Australia is considerably more. I suspect that prices here in Turkey will also be high, solely because they think would be that if you can afford a Mercedes, you can afford the parts, otherwise you would be driving a Dogan.

The US is a unique market in as much as it is the biggest market for MB outside of Germany, and it is subsidised to a fairly high degree to maintain the high presence there, but that does not mean that we should be penalised for living in a medium income country as compared to the less affluent.
[url="http://s109.photobucket.com/albums/n77/Aegeanfoods/My%20Cars/"]http://s109.photobucket.com/albums/n77/Aegeanfoods/My%20Cars/[/url]

Des

do you buy online PB?

can you share your buying secrets with us?

As I am sure I am not the only one that would appreciate the info and benefit

:) Des

nim205

In the car industry, pricing is rarely related to the actual production cost, but rather to what the retailer thinks the market will pay. That is why the exact same OEM part will cost one price if it is sold as an original Mercedes part, a lower price if it sold as an original Ford (for example) part, and an even lower price if it is sold as a replacement generic part.

Retailer location is another issue. Taxation varies in different places, and can affect the final price considerably. When I owned my previous 116, I lived in Jerusalem. I could get the same part for 100% at the Israeli Mercedes dealership, 50% in eastern Jerusalem, and 10% in Bethlehem, all within a 20 KM radius!

The $500AU hubcap, made me smile. I was looking for a set recently, and was given a phone # of a supplier in the Palestinian authority. He wanted 150 Shekels ( about 37 USD) for an unpainted set of four...

CraigS

You might have to start a parts store ! There is one guy in Lebanon that also sells parts at reasonable prices.
[url="http://s109.photobucket.com/albums/n77/Aegeanfoods/My%20Cars/"]http://s109.photobucket.com/albums/n77/Aegeanfoods/My%20Cars/[/url]

Martin 280s

I think the worst rip off was being asked R$900.00 for an air filter. To put this into perspective, I paid a fraction more for a set of Goodyear tyres! Eventually I paid R$150 for the filter...still a rip off when nationally made oil filters cost R$16!

Des

Interesting comments, what would be nice is if Mercedes had a loyalty card, or used the Mercedes Benz club card as a loyalty system, so that the more parts you buy the better the discount you get.
I know parts are discounted like 10% with the card from the Classic Center, but I'm talking about every dealer should have to accept it like a VISA card.