Getting discount on parts?
Discussion
I never seem to get discount on parts. My fault i suppose as i dont haggle but normally when you phone up minispares/sport/speed youre not normally talking to someone whos in a position to discount. What i tend to do is trawl through the ads and buy from the supplier with the best price.
Just wondered if this is normal or do any of you manage to get discounts, particularly out of the larger outfits?
Just wondered if this is normal or do any of you manage to get discounts, particularly out of the larger outfits?
Minispares south are a load of inept monkeys and bloody expensive to boot. I use them reluctantly but for suspension bits, huddersfield spares are good, mini machine for panels, MWS for tyres. I try and find out where THEY get the parts from. Some auto factor places are worth a quote. I do shop around a lot but minispares are good in the fact that you can do it all at once. (And then do it again when they send you the wrong part and wrong part again)-Don't get me started about my cooper s discs story.....
:angry:
:angry:I find minispares excellent. I have virtually rebuilt my car using minispares to supply parts. I have been in the shop at Potters Bar and been given some discount when spending a fair bit. Mail order has always been good and they have never sent the wrong bits. Maybe I have just been lucky.
kjw911 said:
I find minispares excellent. I have virtually rebuilt my car using minispares to supply parts. I have been in the shop at Potters Bar and been given some discount when spending a fair bit. Mail order has always been good and they have never sent the wrong bits. Maybe I have just been lucky.
Ditto (Well almost, never been in Potters Bar but have been in Harragate)
Sometimes had the wrong bit, NEVER had discount, but bought LOADS of stuff from them. Rebuilt my car too with minispares.
Tony H
(maybe thats worth a discount if your reading this!)
haynes said:
I never seem to get discount on parts. My fault i suppose as i dont haggle but normally when you phone up minispares/sport/speed youre not normally talking to someone whos in a position to discount. What i tend to do is trawl through the ads and buy from the supplier with the best price.
Just wondered if this is normal or do any of you manage to get discounts, particularly out of the larger outfits?
Try and buy several items at once and ask if they can knock a bit off as you're buying so much, I used to do it all the time buying computer parts.
My attitude has always been that if you don't ask you don't get.
Having said that there is no point in getting a huge discount from someone who never has all the bits you need more-or-less in stock or has them, but of a poor quality.
Personally I have always found MiniSpares really excellent. guru_1071 is based in the Harrogate shop and the guys at P.B. are very knowledgable as well. Their prices are very fair to everyone. I do know that quality issues are evident in all re-manufactured parts for all classic cars and MiniSpares have also had their problems in the past. They do spend a lot on their engineering efforts and change suppliers when necessary.
One of the major quality issues with all classic car parts over the past 10 years seems to have been the standards (or lack of) with case hardening. For example, diff. pins. lay-shafts, ball-joints, camshafts, etc., etc. This seems to have been largely overcome now and I do know how much effort Keith Dodd has put into this over the years.
Having said that there is no point in getting a huge discount from someone who never has all the bits you need more-or-less in stock or has them, but of a poor quality.
Personally I have always found MiniSpares really excellent. guru_1071 is based in the Harrogate shop and the guys at P.B. are very knowledgable as well. Their prices are very fair to everyone. I do know that quality issues are evident in all re-manufactured parts for all classic cars and MiniSpares have also had their problems in the past. They do spend a lot on their engineering efforts and change suppliers when necessary.
One of the major quality issues with all classic car parts over the past 10 years seems to have been the standards (or lack of) with case hardening. For example, diff. pins. lay-shafts, ball-joints, camshafts, etc., etc. This seems to have been largely overcome now and I do know how much effort Keith Dodd has put into this over the years.
discount!!! nasty word, trade people have buying power nd are here to make a living, unfortunately the constant search for cheaper parts has resulted in "cheaper" parts. everyones margins are smaller and thus quality has to suffer. i know everyone wants things cheap even me, but it ain't helping. also i always find it interesting that most people spend more at Tesco than at their mini spares - do they ever ask for discount there ?IMHO sorry for ranting
cone said:
discount!!! nasty word, trade people have buying power nd are here to make a living, unfortunately the constant search for cheaper parts has resulted in "cheaper" parts. everyones margins are smaller and thus quality has to suffer. i know everyone wants things cheap even me, but it ain't helping. also i always find it interesting that most people spend more at Tesco than at their mini spares - do they ever ask for discount there ?IMHO sorry for ranting
That reminds me of an old ww2 soldier's maxim: remember, your weapon was made by the lowest bidder. My recent mini bills have far outstripped my tesco purchases, and i do occasionally get some £12 vouchers and buy one get one free on frozen pizzas to ease my guilt of not shopping ethically, well thats when the buy one get one free shelf isnt empty apart from the one solitary item...
With our classic Minis we don't know how lucky we are. Try running something like a Ford Pilot, or an early Zephyr. Bend a wing and have to get one hand crafted. Want a gearbox part and maybe have to get a machine shop to make one from your old part whilst guessing some of the dimensions. A new genuine front panel for a Mk.1 Mini is c.£50. try getting one for a Lotus-Cortina of the same age - more like £400, if you can find one.
We don't know how well-off we are. Walk into MiniSpares and all the sorts of parts mentioned are available 'off-the-shelf', at sensible prices and of good quality - i.e. they actually fit and work (lay-shafts excepted, maybe, Richy!). Long may it continue.
We don't know how well-off we are. Walk into MiniSpares and all the sorts of parts mentioned are available 'off-the-shelf', at sensible prices and of good quality - i.e. they actually fit and work (lay-shafts excepted, maybe, Richy!). Long may it continue.
I agree that beating suppliers lower and lower on price only leads to poor quality parts. Both mechanical and cosmetic - I bought a cheap set of Group 5 arches which were only fit for the bin, plus a lot of the cheap chrome stuff is really badly plated. I tend to use Somerford Mini - partly because it's local to me but also because Pete is hugely knowledgable and will honestly state the difference in quality between the cheaper stuff and the better stuff. I must have spent thousands in there over the years 
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