The Cal-look Lounge

I've just been to Dub Freeze (first UK VW show of 2014)

I managed to get quite a few of the items needed for my current project.

The items I didn't mange to get over the weekend, i thought i would just bite the bullet and order on line from a UK parts supplier.

Problem 1, is that most aftermarket (non'genuine) suppliers simply don't list the items if they cannot be gotten directly from Brazil, China or Mexico..

Problem 2, the suppliers that do list the parts want such an astronomical amount for the parts, I'm forced to go back to looking for second hand items..

Problem3, is that all these parts are readily available from US (American) parts suppliers. The items i want cost less than $30 from US suppliers and are £74.10 ($123.69) from UK supplier......   

I'm going to investigate the US parts and the shipping cost (they are all small items) as I think that it will still work out considerably cheaper even with the shipping cost.  ??? ???

Sounds like a business opportunity

While you're at the new business, see if you can somehow send that US$30 small part over here to me in Oztraylia for less than US$50 on top............
Please?  :'(

Saying that I went to order something from pierside parts which totalled $25 and would easily fit in an envelope and they wanted $60 on top for postage so surprisingly I haven't ordered them.

Sound like an excuse for a road trip to me -- -- just bring along a BIG EMPTY suitcase for the return trip -- -- HMMMMM when to schedule,,,, classic weekend, Bug-in??, Bugo??? Dragday??? --- Plenty of opportunities -- form a business quick and you write it off as a business expense

Parts supply in the UK has been getting worse and worse over the last 10 years and a monopoly exists and smaller independents are unable to really make inroads into the larger market. The likes of Machine 7 are a Godsend to many over here. Good range, Fair prices and Gold Standard Customer Service.

It's great that we even have some smaller players these days, but it isn't really making much difference.

I would love to sort out a stable supply of honestly priced parts from the US. Nothing would make me happier, than to be able to stick two fingers up to some of the more repugnant suppliers over here.

Major problems will be shipping costs, but I'm going to at least make enquiries to see what (if anything) can be achieved.

I am not rich (any more  ;D) and am having to scrape together funds for my project. Just about everything is more important than my VW, so when I do spend money on it, I need to make sure it goes a long way!

I've already had some really great emails from friends in California offering assistance (thanks Steve  :)) so all is not lost.

Anyone that genuinely see this as an opportunity can email me at stanfordpvs@hotmail.com

I'd be very happy not to put a single penny more in some already bursting pockets over here.  8)   

To be fair to Pierside I never go by the website shipping quote it seems its a system generated, not actual cost. I email them and ask for an accurate quote. Always great service there ;D
Lee

Previously when I needed US parts,  Greg at Pierside offered help right off.
He let me ship items from US sellers straight to him at Pierside (nothing in it for him) and then shipped to me in the UK.
Can't thank him enough.

Postage from the mainland to Northern Ireland crucifies me. £10 for a pair of gearbox mounts and 2 hub seal kits a few weeks back, thats just on postage and in a pacakge that i know if i sent it back the other way would cost £2.50  >:(

beware that any parts shipped in from the USA should be subjected to vat on arrival 20% plus the importing costs, whilst there is ways round this you have to be careful... especially when you consider the vaule for the goods for the insurance beware of the vat implication...

You're right to warn of the VAT implications as this will obviously impact on any savings from the US.

I've only once been stuck for VAT on imported items and overall the savings have far outweighed the difference in US/UK purchasing.

UK suppliers (some not all  ::)) bump prices to the MAX, which might be seen as good business practice? However I've never subscribed to that idea.

If (some) suppliers took the standpoint that looking after the VW scene in the UK was an important part of their business plan, then I think that the idea of 'giving something back' during these tough times would be the norm...

Talk to James at vw performance imports
Does a lot more than on the website
Gets it all shipped together
Great service too
Just ask him

I maybe wrong, but I think James is currently in the Canary Islands? (or thereabouts) ???

Please can someone correct me if this is wrong.  8)

Thankyou  :)
Martin.

Here on the other end, being in the USA I understand. The shipping costs sometime exceed or most of the time on small parts exceed the cost of the part.  I have a regulator for 35.00 and the shipping to Israel is 70.00.
I have done most of the tricks as most others have, lower actual value, gift, sample.etc... But I have gotten burned when item losted or damaged. I have shipped several items via fed ex thru by brother which helps the buyer on the reduced cost and receiving in a matter of days but recently that cost has increased 50%. I guess it's like everything else.... Costs keep going up.

Give us an example

VW Heritage has loads of european and genuine parts as well as brazilian, mexican chinese.  There is a cost associated with getting stuff in to the uk and we need to make a profit to pay our bills and staff but if we are way out it may be a mistake.

I'll correct you

James here from VWPI

I'm back in the uk, have been since mid December last year, I was still trading from my home in fuerteventura while I was away but now back and doing full time again.

I'll be at freddyfiles in a few weeks if anyone going wants to hook up, I'm going with Greg from pierside who I import for, we're great friends

If anyone wants anything, I can send to anywhere, just sent a set of heads to Slovakia today :)

My personal email is

Jmhal326@aol.com

Always happy to help with advice or parts

Cheers James

(Paul, sorry for crashing your post  :-[ )

Good afternoon James,

Thank you for the correction- when I read about your personal circumstances on VZi last year, I assumed you had packed everything in- which is why I have not been in touch prior to today regarding the JayCee silver vented magneto clamp.

Will email you later, hope it finds you in good spirits. 8)

Take care and all the best,
Martin. :)

My other half was suffering from depression, so I took the decision to up sticks and hit the sun to get her right.

Not really worked but was fun!

I still traded but in low key with existing customers and employed a family member to deal with shipping while I was away.

I'm backfill time and working on my website, it takes ages but I'll be adding more products over the next month

Hope to be up to over 1000 products on the site soon but basically if it's on the pierside site I can get it as I work hand in hand with Greg

Cheers James

Update: Target: IDF Manifolds. UK Prices £95-110

With the help of  US based enthusiast I managed to get a pair into the UK for $95 (£58)  8)

Saving £40-50  ;)

Nice it just shows what price you can get things for and how much you could potentially save.

My point exactly. Everyone in the UK can get parts from the USA and save really large amounts of money in the process.

If managed to find some really helpful and friendly contacts in the US and made some great friendships as well during the process.

I wish I could repay the assistance, but our UK parts are 3-4 times the US price.  ::)

Im sorry but don't our UK company's have to make a profit? Our economy isn't that great anyway and you're suggesting we all by from the states through our mates? I don't agree with you sorry.
I can understand that getting stuff from the states is cheaper as ive done it myself but to suggest that our UK companies are ripping us off is an incorrect statement to make. They may have cheaper shipping costs and cost price but the cost of storage, employing people and import duties must eat into their profit some what?

I don't think its as clear cut as you're making out. 

50% profit isn't a lot when you think about all those extra costs........

It is my aim to save £1000 on parts purchases for my  current resto,  which should hopefully be significant enough to make others consider the way things are currently.

All businesses have the opportunity to make honest profits. But those opportunities have responsibility attached.

If I want to continue my (very modest) VW hobby, I have to save on parts because that is the biggest outlay of all. Making every penny stretch as far as possible is my priority right now.

Give us an example Paul

I have an example for you:

40 IDF/DRLA manifolds from one of the smaller legit UK suppliers, £59 inc UK VAT, delivered to your door.

http://www.deimosaircooled.com/products/engine/fuel/manifolds/de-127-007

Isn't this the sort of supplier you were trying to promote in your initial post?

My example would be: £79. Reduced to £59 ::)

Making them a cost effective alternative  to having to spend weeks sorting out a US deal?

If a small business can make that kind of reduction and still make margin....

You provided the question and the answer.

Thanks for that ;)

Colin@deimos has them made himself, he's making a margin but it doesn't exactly pay for staff,premises, bills etc.......

Didn't you used to work for a VW parts supplier?

Colin@deimos has them made himself, he's making a margin but it doesn't exactly pay for staff,premises, bills etc.......

Firstly Ben.. Let's try not to get personal?

In answer to your post, nobody except Colin can say if his margin is satisfactory (and that is his business and nobody else's)

If he did indeed have these items commissioned, he would has made a study of the viability in the market place and (as he went ahead) decided that at his production cost, he would be able to bring these to market and make a margin that he considered to be satisfactory.

Sometimes though markets and trends change (also economies) and the projected sales cannot be found at the projected price? Hence £79 reduced to £58. (some 25%)

What 'the market will stand' appears to have dictated the price at which these (and similar items) can be sold?

Also it would be laughable to suggest that Colin's Manifolds are the sole support for his 'staff, premises, bills etc' ....

I applaud and have the greatest of respect Colin (and any small business) that has the vision and bravery ( during these financial times) to have small batches of products manufactured. Had I known of these (which I didn't) I would 100% have bought them and that decision would have been based on cost and the desire to support our own Small UK VW Parts Suppliers, that are 'really' supporting us (as customers) in return.

I'm not here to start Mud-Slinging at anyone and would prefer that my (and anybody else that posts on the Lounge) posts (if not offensive or derogatory to any business or individual) are taken as my opinion on the matter in question and not an attack on or against anyone?


Finally (as you already knew  ::)) I worked for VW/Audi (VAG) from 1977 to 2000 in Parts and also after that I worked for a Large Independent Supplier for a few years.



  

  

So you told all your customer to buy direct from source as you'd only be making money out of them? Explains why you don't sell parts anymore

As I said Ben, I'm not here to argue, get personal or slag anyone off... ;D

It's a true shame that you couldn't have done the same (even when prompted)  ::)

You've posted replies to my posts and in each case I've answered them honestly and politely?

Which is why I'm disappointed (buy unsurprised) that your replies have chosen to make unwarranted 'personal' digs at me...

I come on the lounge because there are many like minded 'adults' on here that share the same passion as me.

FYI: I do sell VW Parts still and all over the World very quietly and happily. Very often I'm happy to send my parts for 'FREE' to folk all over the World, because in 30+ years of parts dealing/collecting I have far more stuff than I could possibly use and I get a personal kick out of seeing my stuff on Top Cars, and that doesn't need to involve cash... It's slightly deeper than that for me at my age.



 

FREE PARTS !!!!  I'm in  ;D

I think everyone knows there are a lot of bad quality parts that are overpriced and sold by some of the large names in the industry. I certainly have felt ripped off by the quality of parts that just don't come up to anywhere near what should be allowed. But people still buy them and that's the nature of supply and demand. Suppose that is how businesses survive and pay their overheads and make profit. I'm sure there are also many examples of products that make very little margin and if a business only sold them, they would go bankrupt quickly.

In such hard economic times, purchasers on a limited budget have to consider saving money in any way they can, so if can buy direct for less, so be it. There is certainly room for everyone to keep this passion of ours alive and kicking, and fair ways of making and saving money.

2 cent's, that's all   :-\

In such hard economic times, purchasers on a limited budget have to consider saving money in any way they can, so if can buy direct for less, so be it. There is certainly room for everyone to keep this passion of ours alive and kicking, and fair ways of making and saving money.

2 cent's, that's all   :-\


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I agree 100% with you. Everyone has to make their money go as far as it possibly can these days.  ;)

Indeed. Especially with an expensive hobby that is really only a luxury, and when trying to justify to theother half  ;D  >:(

As I said previously. Just about everything s more important that my VW and that is why I've become obsessed with saving money.

ps: My US manifolds turned up today. Less than 10 days from across the pond.  ;D