I went to a certain VW repairer in Melbounre (not mentioning any names) this morning to get some hub cap clips.$1.5 a pop. Must have cost them about 10cents each. On the desk also there was a repair bill for a T3 customer. Replacing the battery, clutch cable and tuning the engine cost $720.
Raf

Glad you didnt mention any names you would have had emails and all ,the VW scene would have turned there backs even though you being 100% right in posting this to help out fellow nice dubbers.:kiss

Whats wrong with $1.50 each, Wouldn't be worth keeping them in stock for any less, far out, a Mars bar is $1.60, 4 bites and its gone,

How can I but this nicely.....I think your being a tight arse!!

So the $1.40 profit they may have made on each clip will pay their wages / rent and all their other bills for how many tenths of a second ?

Yes, I believe it was a Rip off also.... $1-50 each.... there is normal profit margins & Rip Offs... this was surely the latter... unless they were Genuine German OEM... I understand that the retailer may not have a large turnover.... !! but His customers will eventually disappear charging prices like that. .. I bought the 4 plastic door handle gaskets for My 68 beetle & they cost $4.00 each.... from another retailer they were 45 cents each.... !! so I will buy My parts from the 2nd retailer ... If I was selling VW parts - I would make sure the Customer knew where the parts were made etc... as prices (and QUALITY) differ greatly from country to Country.. I DO believe that most !! of the VW parts suppliers do their best to supply good parts at reasonable prices.... that would mean parts from a mixture of countries... Some sell only German Parts at Very Expensive prices.... but German parts are Very Expensive (even in the UK & USA)

Down with the Iraqi Regime.... The Iraqi people will be better off without Saddam, and so will the rest of the world ----
The Gutless Countries are not fighting in Irag, same as the Gutless people who advocate burying their head in the sand, such as the Peace Protesters IMHO No Flames please.... enough of them on the Bug in postings!! :puke

[Edited on 3-4-2003 by 68AutoBug]

[Edited on 8-4-2003 by amazer]

68auto - you deserve flames for ranting like that, but I'm not the one to do it. I don't know the value of the clips in question, but I seriously doubt they cost the seller 10c each (unless they were a particularly nasty Taiwanese copy) and we have no way of knowing what kind of an engine the quote was for - if it was for a seriously modified engine fitted with off-type Webers it may well have been a good price.

A "buy price'" of, say, 40c; when duty, shipping, logistics, warranty, write-offs, profit margin (salespeople expect to get paid, too) and GST would make $1.50 rather marginal. We don't have the huge market the U$ does to soften prices and I've found most Aussie dealers are providing pretty good prices for parts. I admit I've come across examples of those profiteering off repair costs, however...

P.S. The logistics of importing parts is actually more complicated than I've protrayed here! For example, a number of parts may be bought at a certain price, then the dollar's value changes - the loss has to be made up somewhere.

I think complaining about 1.50 for a clip is a bit rich. How much hassel and expense would it cost you to go chasing around all over Melb to get these bits.
Not like you can just wander into the local Autobarn and pick them up.
Theres a old saying in sales and that's
"that you must charge what the market will bear."

$720 does sound a bit high for a tune up, clutch cable and a battery tho.
If thier prices are too high, people will not go back there.

i agree with 70Auto, it's easy to make a wrong assumption without the full story and go off half-cocked...

and also have a signature like that... also in the size that it's in

I think he should go back to yellow text - it kinda fits (Can he use a font that looks like a crayon ?)

lol good one Fatboy.

nice one fatboy. cut down on the over sized tect please, if u want to stand out from the crowed wear a dress.

he WAS pissed but now i am sure he's over it.............
so much tension going on around hear lately, maybe we need to have some illegal drag racing to seperate the winners from the loosers, the boys from the girls...........................

:bounce

Being that I started this, I will have one more say. Dave, I don't appreciate you calling me a tight arse considering we have never met, spoken or dealt with each other. Anyone can insult people but it takes a decent person to respect others. Yes, I realise its not much money (I actually bought 10 for $15) but it's a rip off. I bought them before from another VW dealer for 50c each and I am sure they were making a decent profit too. I had no intention to make a big deal out of the issue (I learnt my lesson and won't be buying from this mob again) so I didn't even mention the dealer's name. I was just sharing my frustration with the group. I also learn another lesson, not everyone is worth sharing things with

Raf

here is my take on the whole thing. hubcap clips are one of those parts that arent usefull for anything else except for holding hubcaps. here are the prices form Wolfsburg west in California:
German hubcap clip set for 5 clips and 5 rivets: $5 usd
Brazilian set of the same :$3.50 usd
i dont like payin that much for them either, but what are you gonna do? not buy them.

Raf I agree! OK so the clips are 1.50 each, But the questions is, IF they are making that much on Clips, Whats the margins on everything else!!!!!
From the tone of Raf's original post, hes not Frustrated with the outlay of cash, but how these guys get away with cahrging what they want, or at least thats what it sounded like to me!!!

Cheers N!

Bostik silicon on special @ bunnings warehouse ,you can stick anything on for only $ 2.35 what a bargain.:thumb

Lets all take a chill pill guys and stop and look around @ all the bigger problems in this world at the mo.....

W :jesus

There is nothing we can do to stop all the problems in the world. We gots to live our lives, and do what we got to do!!!!

I know a 1.50 clip is nothing compared to what is going on in Iraq, S.A.R.S and Nth Korea, But They are three things we cant change! And If a clip for a vw makes you happy (or unhappy) well that is important! You got to be able to do things that take you mind off all the crap!

BTW Wayne, Thanks for the Chopped notch pics a while ago, They looked wicked, I only wish I had the cash to do that to it!!!

Cheers N!

No probz U-28,

Im an illustrator/designer and love visualising cars. I've been trying to post some pics of what I've done (dubz of course) so far but cant seem to be able to attach them.(ps...its a &$!%# MAC as the i.t worlds says to me!)

W

Karmanghia 60 dont listen to fools like Dave Becker who thing its cool to Dis someone while there hundreds of Kms away>Im sure this person was a rip off and most of em are.Its people like him that cause wankers to charge heaps for a crapy little clips which infact i just bought a set and i got the whole lot for 5 bucks in melb.So all you that think he is being a tight ass or how did you put it 70 auto stik he deserves flames youre a bunch of wessels who know shit about fair trade.And grey57 i drove about maybe 6 kms to buy my clips not sure were youre from but we dont dis people for stating a fact .I bet my balls its the same scumbag i winged about and got a heap off wankers causing shit.But nothing said to my face...As usuall...Unity,German Folk you know what time it is...:repuke

here we go..........................

as well as the spotters forum maybe we need a "blow off valve" forum where we can just go and write our thoughts and let out our angst !
like this RRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARARARAA
aaahhhhhhhhhhh thats better !
:bounce

"how did you put it 70 auto stik he deserves flames"

70AutoStik clearly directed this comment to 68autobug.

yeah skewy lot of angst goin on at the mo.

Oh dear. OKs guys lets put a lid on it. We all love each other :kiss and we love our veedubs too.
Raf

Hey Raf you started it! hehehehehehe!!
KK Take it easy!!!! Im getting scared being in a Klub with you! hehehehehe! Bloody Clips who needs them? Thats why you should always roll on FUCHS!

N!:thumb

THE BOSTIK MAN SAIZ...GLUE YOU!:rudolf

Jettaboy wins! coming out of no where with lateral thinking

No proft = no business
No Business = no parts
No parts = no Vw's

simple really.

Oh and Raf I certainly meant no disrespect to you. Was just an opinion.

[Edited on 4-4-2003 by Grey 57]

Raf,
I didn't call you a tight arse, I said you were being a tight arse, figure of speech, I am sorry if you took offence.

I am cool, no worries. Have a good weekend everyone