Howzat for a parts rip-off

Was down in a Vic regional centre today, thought I would price a vee belt tensioner for this engine I'm putting bits and pieces on. They are a sealed unit and you have to buy the bracket with it, only place I could get one was through a Land Rover dealer. Not worth (so I thought) mucking around with a second hand from a wrecker as chances are you'd be lucky to get one that wasn't worn. Also priced a single groove water pump pulley (bare pulley, NO water pump).
Have the written quote here, tensioner:- $398.00 GST included, pressed steel water pump pulley:- $110.00

After picking the tired old bod off the floor, went around to an engineering supply joint, bought an alloy dual groove pulley, (same O.D.),two sealed bearings and a step-bolt, all up $68.00.
On the way home, called into the bearing joint where I buy most of my items, can supply either single or dual groove pulley for water pump, (blank, no mounting holes but easy enough to drill using original for template), $35 or $43 respectively. Just have to take the old one down next time I go there make sure bore size is the same.
Now, I know that it's an old chestnut and we have been bitching about it for yonks, but as I said to the spare parts salesman, COME ON!. Only excuse for exhorbitant price? Has to be imported from the UK. At nearly $400, I could just about fly over there!
My bitch for today,
Dave

My usual bolt place has lost the plot too.

$40 for 100 1/4 inch dia rivets. Challenged him on it and came down to $13.

I don't get it..... I've been going there for 20 years and the fools have tried this twice now in the last month. Time to look for a new bolt place.

jon_d,
Not bad, is it? $40 can all of a sudden drop to $13??
How do some of these guys sleep at night? Either that or they want to retire by the time they are 35!

Years ago we used to get all our bearings from one mob, 70% discount so never worried about chasing other quotes.
One day needed pricing on some bearings so asked them and the guy started giving me the run around so asked what our discount was and he said depends on what bearing you are buying. Right said I, from now on you will be quoting all bearings and I will be getting quotes from other suppliers.
15 minutes later had their Rep in my office trying to smooth things over, too late from my point of view and they had to quote on all orders after that.
Cheers Steve

Kogz
M80
if n U got time n patience
U could try Alibaba

Clikity ............................................................................................................................................... ClikClikClik

Patience az in :
a school girl learnin english try to translate your request into Chinese n then waits for the bosses answer n tries to translate it back to englsh

LOL
cya
§

There are ways around being ripped off. Get yourself an ABN and register a business name - Cogz Parts, for about $50 per year. Then at every place you do business with, get a trade account form and tick the “Retailer” or “Parts” boxes under the business type section. Now you are a customer who has to make money on the parts you are buying and generally you will get a considerable discount.

Just to get an idea, the last bolt order I had was worth over $900 retail and I paid something like $117. For electrical stuff like batteries, starters and alternators, I usually get about a 40-50% off the retail price. I don’t do as well with the power transmission stuff (bearings, etc) or lubricants, but it’s still about a 10-20% discount. In most places, you just have to use your account once a year to keep it open.

Good point, dieseldog!
Surprising just how quickly a handful of hi-tensile bolts mounts up if you go in to town once or twice a week. Local hardware shop looks after me pretty well, but doesn't keep specialty items, but will get them in for me. Naturally enough he has to pay the going rate and still turn a bit of a profit, got no real drama with that either. Just some of these monkeys are out to gouge Joe Average for every dollar they can.
BUT, good idea, will look into getting an ABN, thanks.
Dave

One thing that really annoy me is when you go to a shop like a bolt shop and they ask if you want a reciept.

Sometimes you say no because you think you get it cheaper.... well NOOOO.

They actually mark the price up, you pay more and it goes into the lads pocket. When you leave, the cash register is then entered with the discount rate.

(That's where my $40 was going. mongrels)

Alibaba and AliExpress are my favorite places; 3-6 weeks delivery. Plan ahead, but be aware, their prices are increasing as they realise that we are willing to pay more.

Landy owners seem to cop it a little worse than some others marque's.
Here's a cut and paste of a recent thread on another forum.
Quote''
I try to support local suppliers but....
I needed a new front transfer box for my little Landy after the recent Outback adventure, there was a rain cloud following me everywhere I went and as someone else posted, mud means money. Anyway I priced the parts here at $3300 for refurbished and between $1700 and $2300 second hand from a wrecker. Well I bought fully refurbished, (look new to me), from the UK off ebay for $1400 delivered. It took around 5 working days for them to get here. Saving more than half the cost and over $2000, I chose to forgo the local suppliers. Can you blame me?

We needed an electric fuel pump in a hurry last year, so down to our local Repco shop and got a small 4-6 psi Facet model for around $80. Seems to work OK for the limited use we give it. We're always having problems with mechanical pumps, can't get kits for 'em anymore, so decided we would start converting over to electrics.

Start looking on eBay, and they have similar looking pumps to the Facet for as little as $15 inc postage. Think, must be cheap imitation, come in a plain box, but at the price, what the heck. Order a couple; when they arrive we find that not only are they identical to the Facet, but even have Facet instruction sheets in the box (OK, maybe that has been copied too). But so far they have been working fine; but we keep a couple in the tool box when we go out, just in case.

Pays to look around.