To all you parts suppliers out there in Australia - what's the story!?! I've tried several over the last twelve months and to be honest have received very average customer service!

An example is the lack of response to email requests for pricing - When I have received responses they've been one liners giving me short sharp responses and no answers to my questions.... I've contacted a few in person and left requests for parts and have ended up chasing them four or five times - Anyone would think they don't want my business! Is it because I have an 'older' car that parts are harder to get?

Also why bother putting an online store up if all your pricing says 'Contact us for pricing'!

Geez my restoration motivation has dropped, it's just too hard!

Dealing with private sellers in Oz is good. eBay sellers and VW parts suppliers in the US and UK is easier than here too, which is kinda wrong, I wanna buy from Oz suppliers!

Has anyone got any good experiences to share and restore my restoration motivation??

I agree!

In the last week I have emailed two of the Australian forum sponsors with queries on availability of a particular item and have had a response within 24 hours,


I am working out a few items I need at the moment, which WolfsBurg West seem to have, they seem to have an easy to follow website, it is USA based though....


http://www.wolfsburgwest.com/

Hey mate, I noticed your on the northside. Take your list into Mick Motors. I am sure they will help you out if your standing in front of them.

well since having my kombi to do i've been using The Bus Stop , he has prices on his site as well as pictures to see if its the right part , can order and pay online and its dispatched the next day , even when the wrong part was supplied , one email and the right part was on its way before the wrong part was sent back...

I have spent probably 20k in parts on a couple of restorations over the last couple of years and none of it has been with Aussie shops. I would prefer to buy from here but I do my shopping after hours and don't have time to work, restore a car AND wait on a telephone or call in to a shop for parts pricing.

I have said it before on this forum that our shops need to get pricing and availability of parts on to a website. I am still waiting and don't hold my breath for it. Lots of people will get on here and say the owners are too busy to answer emails or just phone them or other similiar excuses. Bottom line is, if it is not easy to buy from them, I will buy from companies that do make it easy. Of all the parts I have bought, due to excellent descriptions on the website, only one was the wrong part. That part that was wrong, the company sent the correct part at no cost and let me keep the incorrect part. Excellent customer service.

These shops must feel they are doing enough business to not need an internet site that works. I am happy to oblige them by not buying form them.

Yogie

I must agree with you paul,roy at the bustop is good with customers,something the others should learn????

I tend to agree guys.

I checked out a stores website recently (it will remain anonymous), there was little information of what was available and ZERO pricing. They had been recommended to me by another supplier, so I thought I would give them the opportunity to win my business, and consequently sent them an email with a list of items that I was looking to purchase.
24 hours went past.....no response, 48 hours went past.....no response, i then decided to make a call (during working hours, when I should have been working for my employer, not myself) and I felt like I was bothering the person on the other end of the line. They seemed very rushed and had little time to chat to me about my requirements.....I made the decision there and then to not use them at this point in time, I may still use them for other items in the future. I finally received the answer to my initial email enquiry a week later....with only half my questions answered!!

I have worked in spare parts for the last 10 or so years, unfortunately not in VW parts , and if I treated my clients the way I was treated, i wouldn't have a job!! Just because the people that run these stores are generally the owners, doesn't mean that they are able to treat prospective customers like rubbish. I sell truck parts and engines as my 9-5, and consistently have to track down every enquiry, every lead, every prospective customer, to ensure that I am doing the right thing by my clients, ......and my employers!

Come on guys, lift your game, just because you have a captive market, doesnt mean you dont need our business! We want to buy....Australian, not American.

I don't use online acccounts but I purchase all of my parts on a daily or weekly basis as I need them for stock or jobs over the phone.This way you can get all of the information on stock availability and pricing,the parts are despatched and as long as the couriers are in the right mood they are supplied overnight.I have quite a few regular suppliers in several states (Australian)who are great.

I would tend to agree to the theme most have mentoned above.
I would like to add my own grip though. Quality parts!

There seems an increasing trend to stock and sell the cheapest part availabie to satisfy the market.
As some one who likes to drive his VW's and expects them to be as reliable as when they left the showroom floor (or better!), I need quality parts to make that happen. I have found this difficult to not only source, but to get decent advice on what to buy.
It only takes one cheap nasty set of points or fuel fump re-build kit to ruin a nice family holiday.

Yep i been using the local northside brizzy shop for years and never always happy but its convenient and on the way home from work, the best place overseas i have found is aircooled.net always great service and quality parts, then for my type 4 stuff the type 4 store, but he's now a good friend of mine. CB performance has what we need but their international shipping prices are just FUCT. I have recieved parts from the USA quicker than i have ordered parts from MElbourne and i ordered them the same day. Anyway enough rant.

Damo.

Yes I must admit it is quite interesting. However I would say that in Oz relationships mean alot. Make the time to get to know one or two of them well and I am sure they will look after you. It seems here that selling stuff is not strictly a one way street - if you get my drift.

I remember when Volksrestore were around....them were the days....if they didn't have it they would get it for you and they were more than happy to give you advice too.

Just out of interest have any of you people tried Tooley Imports in Hornsby,they have been around for over 40 years and were one of the original VW parts/accessories importers they have supported Vw events in the past and have an excellent range of parts.Micks Motors in QLD and BME in Victoria are also good suppliers.There are many others that have been around for years other than the newbies who do big flashy ads.

some shops, difficult to deal with definately
shipping, yup thats post/couriers though, i had my L&D housing(canada) 3 days before my wheels (sydney) ironic isnt it?
other shops, awesome at least when you go in, that said i save up & spend a wad of $$$$ each time, theres a reason VVDS & V-Force are mentioned in my sig, their websites are crap/dont really exist currently but both have bent over backwards to give me the best bits, after asking what im doing, & ive been more than happy with the service, advice/encouragement, AND price, other places im sick of dealing with as they dont understand what im looking for 1/2 the time & then the only options they have is a brazillian/mexican heap of shit & if i want german etc its going to cost me 100000s more & take a month to get it into the country, blow that i want it when i want it & a quality version, that said if ANYONE has found decent elephant foot light assemblies that werent the $300 each ultima editions id love to know about it, cant justify that much just for lights that are hideous anyway at this stage.
ive had similar issues with places from the USA too, unanswered questions, weeks to respond, its the reason i went RJES over his competitor, & now dealing with another supplier in the USA for another part, im polite, thank them for prompt service & so far its been a pleasure
if i can give ONE peice of advice to people looking to buy anywhere, make a list, save up for it, buy alot at once, know what you want & ASK for the best quality option you can get IF you can afford it/source it, its easier to deal with you from a businesses point of view
kudos to those businesses that have awesome customer service & are happy to answer questions about their products, i have my chosen suppliers & am VERY happy to not have the convenience of local shops because the quality/service outweighs the inconvenience 10 fold.
i hope my sharing of experience helps others with issues, if anyone wants specific info on prospective businesses just ask, im as honest as they come!

I'm an ex POM, and if were' talking about comparisons with UK suppliers / businesses, then I agree, there IS a big difference. I too have been frustrated at many of the same issues mentioned here.

But, for me, the way I now tend to look a it, is that the delay in response, and the apparent 'lack of interest' I've experienced with some, is due to the same reason that I love Australia so much. Basically I love the place because it is so laid back - this, for me, is Australia's best quality - but it's also the reason for the laid back customer service. I usually just accept that this is the way it is, and I can't have it both ways.

Give me a laid back Australia any day of the week over UK style customer service.

That said - i did decide a while back that I would put my contacts in the UK to good use and start importing parts - good quality stuff from VW Heritage, SSP, Classicfab, TMI etc. engines, panels, trim - basically anything available through VW Heritage or SSP. I was prepared to front the cash to bring a container full of stuff over - both as a cost cutting exercise for my own restos, and as an investment for my company, which had a bit of surplus of cash to invest. I decided that I could buy in bulk, get a good discount and pass the savings on whilst still turning a profit. Everyone's a winner - so to speak.

I didn't ask here on AVD, but did enquire elsewhere if people would be interested, and what parts they wanted, and the response I got was much less than favorable. It seems even trying to do a good turn is not good enough for some.

STIDUB - unfortunately my experience with trying to get this setup has meant that I am now longer interested to do this for others, but you can buy elephant foot lights for a lot less than $300 direct from VW Heritage - try this link

HTH / My 02c

I got fed up with chasing a certain Sydney supplier around so I tried Micks Motors.
Nothing wrong with their customer service!

I followed my own advice on this thread and went to visit one of the suppliers.
This is the second one in two weeks - the first one was a dead loss, but then you only have to take one look at the shop to work that out.

Anyway - I walked into one of the VW parts suppliers in Sydney.
It is 9.30am Tuesday.
The shop is vacant - except for he and I.
This supplier is 10km from my house so it would be very convenient for me to use him.

I stated that I had a shopping list and wanted to get a few price indications before proceeding.

Here is the list:

Rear disk brake upgrade ( costed against Type 3 Rear Drums)
Dropped spindles
Retractable seat belts - pair
EMPI Sprintstar wheels (possibly depending on price)
Weber IDF 40 kit - to upgrade from my 36's

I have taken a week off work to start some building work and to work on my Bug - so most of these things I was going to buy there and then.

I got as far as the 2nd item on my list.

Brake Upgrade: I had to ask him specifically for each price - Drums, Wheel / slave cylinders, brake shoes. I had to clarify with him each price was this single or for a pair.

Then after this we moved onto the dropped spindles.


Spindles: I have kept it short as the full version is very tedious.
He says' "everyone has dropped spindles now"
I say " yes I noticed that - but I would like to know if they will work with my car"
He says " well it depends on your wheel tyre combination"
I say " it is parked in your driveway - do you think you could take a look - I don't really want to have then go to a narrowed beam"
He says " I don't need to look at it they are all the same"

So after contradicting himself in the space of 15 sec I decided that I would rather buy the right things the first time from someone who actually knows what they are doing and are interested in educating me a little along the way.
I don't have the time to bolt on a set of spindles only to find out that they won't work.

So I said thanks for your help and walked out.
Perhaps he has already a lot of customers.



Terry

totally agree with what everyone on here is saying. Very annoying to see a company advertised in VWMA with a website and then going to that site expecting there to be a list of products and parts available but only to find photos of their shop and random VW's! Ohhh how i wish i lived in Sydney, it would be much easier to go in there face to face rather than a website with no listings or having to ring. I'm sure they get extremely busy but I'm sure they could hire another staff member with tech know how to work on their website and also help out where needed?? Anyways i guess we will just have to use what is a available at the moment because when it comes down to it I'd rather deal with Aussie companies with bad websites than spending my $$ in the US or UK who have up to date websites but high prices and shipping charges!

trying to maintain a business website is a full time job in its self

the margins on the spare parts in this industry are not enough to justify that position.

When you have every Tom , Dick and Harry selling cheap Chineese junk from out the back of the garage its not worth the bother

quality parts and service backed up by sound advise can still be found , but its getting harder every day

just out of interest, and seeing as I am relatively new to this site (and VW's to be honest) how many of these specialty VW suppliers are actually members of this forum?
Surely this would have to be THE forum to be involved with if you are involved in any way with VW in Australia....and that being the case, i would expect that it would make good business sense, if you are a shop owner, to join this forum, getting to know people who are genuinely interested in their cars and who genuinely want to spend money on their cars.
I know that just running a shop would be a full time job, but a few minutes a day on here, getting to know people, would generate a LOT of business for themselves.
Is you are an owner of a business who is able to help us guys out....let us know about it! i don't see anything wrong with self promotion if you are good at what you do and have confidence in the product you are selling. (and maybe a little discount for fellow AVW members )

Quote:

Originally posted by Brian trying to maintain a business website is a full time job in its self the margins on the spare parts in this industry are not enough to justify that position.

Guys if you are after improvements or modifications talk to one of the professional modifiers who will be able to advise/assist you in your work,I highly recommend V Force as they are very approachable and will give as much advice as possible,the work carried out in their workshop is of extraordinary quality.i have seen this first hand and have no hesitation in recommending Richard. They also have good suppliers and contacts for parts that are not in stock particularly if it has to be imported.As for discounts if you want cheap stick with the suppliers selling the cheap stuff,good quality and cheap do not go together.Cheers Les

Quote:

Originally posted by trickysimon I got fed up with chasing a certain Sydney supplier around so I tried Micks Motors. Nothing wrong with their customer service!

It amazes me how some people running a business operating with the public have no people skills at all.

Sorry, I'm just biting my tongue here and holding back a little. I'm also in business and follow the rule the client is always right, even when they're wrong. In some industries you need to rely on repeat business and reputation, whilst trying to increase market share at the same time.

Maybe I'm wrong,....but I don't think I am. Yes, I'm in Sydney, and I've just been bitten.

Nikos.

Having seen both sides as a customer and a store manager it is always a balancing act between good service and fair prices. As a store manager that sold to both trade and retail the cost to dollar ratio varied wildly. I could serve a tradie and sell a couple of thousand dollars worth of goods or i could serve a retail customer and answer all their questions and they would still be undecided or were just after a price or they purchased a small margin item for less than $20 dollars. Its easy to kick the store owner, but at the end of trading, it is he that has to tally up the bills and sales. Any good shop should be able to answer your queries if YOU know what you want and are willing to buy. If all the arseclowns/time wasters could come in with a label on them I am sure they would get the attention they deserved. MY2c