GMPartsDirect.com pricing?

[tnpartsguy]

Being a GM Parts manager, I get slammed by GMPD all the time. But I've also heard lots of bad things about them as well, so I thought I'd ask here to see if I can get fact from fiction.#1 I've been told the shipping and handling charges can be outragous.#2 Parts are not returnable if you furnished the Part #. (This one I know for a fact, we had a customer call us for part #'s, he wrote one down incorrectly, and GMPD would NOT refund or exchange the part. he showed up here demanding a refund from us for giving him the wrong part #.#3 if they make a mistake, you still pay S&H both ways.

[ColonelPanic]

I have to say they have been good to deal with. My whole problem is the fact that I couldn't get the dealer to give me a break on the price of any part to save my life... So that makes ordering the stuff online more attractive for me at least. I don't have squat for connections to the parts department, unfortunately.For instance, when I lost a keyless entry remote, the dealer wanted around $80 for the thing and wouldn't budge on the price. I ended up getting it for $45 or so from GM Parts Direct. Shipping wasn't cheap for something so small and light - the total came to $54. Yes, I know I could have bought one off e-bay for ten bucks or less. A month later, I found the stupid thing, but that's another story. lol!The most I've paid for shipping was $18 for the seat backpack and the cargo mat. So, absolutely shipping costs through them can be a bit excessive at times. Cheap items can be a few bucks less than the dealer, but end up costing you about the same after shipping is added.Haven't had any issues with anything I've bought and I have always received the proper equipment so I can't say how they handle situations such as those... But I've read their policies, and I know you need to be damn sure that you're ordering the right thing, or else you're stuck with it. Especially if you're ordering an expensive part, double and maybe triple checking the part number is a must.As a whole though, I think they're ok. The price is usually good, but on the flip side, shipping is a bit high and the parts take forever to show up. As long as I have the Vibe, I'll be checking both the dealer and them when I'm in need of something and decide which is best...

[ragingfish]

I've been searching for a replacement liner for my front right wheel well...GMPD wants 50-something for the part...quite reasonable...and 50 for SHIPPING! That's $100! IT'S INSANE!I use partszoneonline.com, their per-part price might be a bit higher, but after shipping, I always come out ahead...

[tnpartsguy]

88969696 is the RH wheelhouse liner kit, comes with retainers, ect...List is $86.67You & Psychobroker both!

[ragingfish]

Yeah, somehow, a piece of mine got deformed, and it rubs the tire anytime I turn the wheels to the right...it's a horrible sound. Tried reforming it several times, it won't stay down. Short of putting a screw right into the body (which I'm not keen on doing), I figured I'll just replace it...IF I can find the damn part at a decent price though...

[ColonelPanic]

Quote, originally posted by ragingfish »I use partszoneonline.com, their per-part price might be a bit higher, but after shipping, I always come out ahead...Hmm, I haven't ever checked into those guys. If the shipping is less expensive, that's a plus in my book - even if the parts cost a bit more.How about length of time from order until it arrives at your door?

[ragingfish]

Took a bit over a week to get the block heater.And the only glitch with PZO is you don't know shipping until after you receive the bill. But there's a comments field, I personally always write them a note saying "ship whatever method is cheapest, the parts are not urgent." I never pay more then 4 or 5 bucks.

[MJN2]

Odd, the order I've got with GMPD (still waiting for it, everything is special order), the S&H is only showing up as being $7.95.And that's for the "active package" and a full set of splash guards.Only that is bugging me is that I placed the order on 2/4 and nothing's even shipped yet.

[ragingfish]

Don't forget, GMPD is just another dealer. They order the parts from GM before then shipping it off to you...Honestly, 14 days (keeping in mind only 10 of those are business days) doesn't seem TOTALLY unreasonable...I'd say it should ship by monday or tuesday before it's worth looking into...

[Ponyota]

I've only had to deal with warrantied items from my dealer. They usually have them in hand within a week. I've been told by the manager of the service department that he will match any price of gmpartsdirect. I'm guessing the shipping cost would be the same.

[ColonelPanic]

Very nice. If the dealer can match the price and not make you pay for shipping, that's a heck of a deal. Especially considering some items I've bought were priced at or slightly below half of what the dealer's cost is..Probably arrive a lot quicker as well. Most stuff the dealer has ordered for my car (warranty items) the parts cam in the next day.

[Psychobroker]

Quote, originally posted by tnpartsguy »88969696 is the RH wheelhouse liner kit, comes with retainers, ect...List is $86.67You & Psychobroker both!Woah, that's weird! YEs, I need one too...I called my local dealer, and they had ONE in stock for the list price. $86 seems high, but it's cheaper than $50+$50 from GMPD

[MJN2]

I emailed them yesterday. They're still waiting on part #12498278 to show up. As soon as they get that in, it'll be sent out to me ASAP.

[ragingfish]

Quote, originally posted by Psychobroker »Woah, that's weird! YEs, I need one too...I called my local dealer, and they had ONE in stock for the list price. $86 seems high, but it's cheaper than $50+$50 from GMPD I personally am not willing to pay more than $50 for the part. If i can't find it for that price, it'll stay broken.

[Stone]

I have found them here http://www.partstrain.com/prod....html for $44.06 in stock, then the shipping is $29.90 to me here in Ms. That be $73.96. The Vibe dealer here in Jackson, Ms. wants $88.40 says no shipping charge but figure that he put the shipping cost into the price. Says he can have it here in one day. The other half hit something last night and messed up the one on the front right. I just hate to deal with a dealer as they make too much money on parts. You know you put bread and butter on their table when you buy cars from them then they rape you .......... when you need parts. Just a good way to treat people that do put that bread and butter on their table. Sorry if they be any GM people here but think as to why GM be in the HURT for money and sales right now (It not just be the SUVs and gas prices) and if they even had half a brain they could do people right and make all kinds of money.

[tnpartsguy]

Quote, originally posted by Stone » I just hate to deal with a dealer as they make too much money on parts. You know you put bread and butter on their table when you buy cars from them then they rape you .......... when you need parts. Just a good way to treat people that do put that bread and butter on their table. Sorry if they be any GM people here but think as to why GM be in the HURT for money and sales right now (It not just be the SUVs and gas prices) and if they even had half a brain they could do people right and make all kinds of money. I deal with this critisism every day, and since I'm among freinds here, I have to ask this question.....what business are you in? The reason I ask, is because everybody always hollers "the parts deparment it making too much money." and I get sick of hearing it. We make about 35% profit on the parts we sell. I just want to see what your businesses profit margin is.As for the dealer making money on selling new cars, that's a joke. With the Employee discount for Everyone, the dealership is guaranteed to make ....nothing. They might get to keep their holdback, but that's pretty much it....but it's ok, at least they don't have to pay anymore floorplan interest on that vehicle.Have you ever told McDonalds (Burger King, insert your fast food resturant here) that they are too high on their food?? Their profit margin is about 200~400 %.Furniture, appliances, ect, they make at least 50% margin. Here's the killer thing though, I asked my parts rep once why GM was so high on some parts that you could get an the corner auto parts store for half of what GM wanted, and he told me that GM as a corporation had the highest expenses of any company on the planet; just the product liability insurance could feed Rhode Island for a year, whereas the corner auto parts store MIGHT have insurance, and they might not. 12 month/12k warranty on every part sold across the counter. 3 yr/100k mile warranty on reman transmissions/engines. You won't find a stronger warranty, backed by more locations (any GM dealership in the US).Yeah, when I 1st read that, I was kinda hacked off, but it just boils down to this, everybody's gotta eat, and I'm proud of the job I do every day, serving the cutomer, and trying to help them keep their vehicles operational. I don't feel like I am robbing anyone, or stealing. Some of the parts for the Vibe are ridiculously priced, but you can put some of that blame on Toyota, because every part on the Vibe other than the Radio and the battery is sourced from Toyota.

[Mavrik]

preach on tnpartsguy I'm tired of reading and hearing complaints to from people who just need to maybe spend a few hours on the other side of the counter and see what its really like. Now granted yes, the parts department I worked with marked things up but you know what? He had to make profit as well and GM does already ask a bit for their parts. $24 for a single wiperblade? YIKES! but guess what, I bought them and they lasted a lot longer then some crap you bought down at the auto mart. As a service advisor I'd try and cut cost corners for customers to save them some money... 9 times out of 10 the after market part failed. Had one fail before it was installed on the vehicle...Dealerships are not out there to just provide you a place to get a new vehicle. Each person behind that shirt and tie has bills to pay and mouths to feed. Oh sure you just saved a bunch of money trying to get this deal and that deal and taking someone's offer to another dealership to get it matched... Now put yourself in the shirt and tie, depending on everyone that comes through that door as a means to make money to live. We all want deals, including myself. But the bottom line is we all have our jobs. We don't all sit in an office behind a computer goofing off on Genvibe all day.My current job is commission based... I doubt I'm going to be cutting any customer slack now lol. AS long as its needed, this is the price, no mark down.Oh... and for some clearification. When Sales sells a car, the parts department makes ZERO dollors.

[ColonelPanic]

Quote, originally posted by Mavrik »preach on tnpartsguy 9 times out of 10 the after market part failed. Had one fail before it was installed on the vehicle...heh... Forget about aftermarket being crap, I've had an alarming number of defective GM parts on the Malibu I had before this... And a pleathora of faulty Toyota and GM parts on this piece of crap Vibe I have now. Bad right out of the friggin' box.

[Mavrik]

Quote, originally posted by ColonelPanic »heh... Forget about aftermarket being crap, I've had an alarming number of defective GM parts on the Malibu I had before this... And a pleathora of faulty Toyota and GM parts on this piece of crap Vibe I have now. Bad right out of the friggin' box.your car is just the worst Vibe ever anyway so no matter where parts come from, they won't work.

[ragingfish]

Quote, originally posted by tnpartsguy »Have you ever told McDonalds (Burger King, insert your fast food resturant here) that they are too high on their food?? Their profit margin is about 200~400 %.Furniture, appliances, ect, they make at least 50% margin. Many full service restaurants charge, on average, $1.99 for a soda or other fountain beverage.Do you know what one glass of soda costs them? Approximately $0.05. Yup, 5 lousy cents.One box of syrup is about $50.So let's say hypothetically, said restaurant gets about 1000 glasses of soda from a single box of syrup (it's a random number, but I think in reality a box yields more).That's $50 SPENT for that box of syrup.That's $1,990 COLLECTED from each patron that orders a glass.Most people, on average have 3 or less glasses. We'll say 3 for comparison sake.So negating the "free refills" the restaurant hasn't received payment for, they still run off with $663 in sales.Again, subtracting the cost of the syrup, that yields $613 in profits.The profit margin? Approximately 3980% PER SODA SOLD!I'm sure my math is flawed, but trust me, they make mad profits on beverages alone.Yeah, I'm not worried about the parts guy.

[jeffgtx]

ugh, i don't want to join in on these, because there is no winner, but a couple of points:gross and profit margins don't just include raw materials costs... its equipment depeciations, labor of the people involved, etc. someone who fancies accounting can tell you better than me.people are willing to pay their perceived costs for something, regardless of industry. most of the problem stems from the 'perceived part'. but sometimes its legitimate. for isntance. my company makes a part for $2. it eliminates another part in the design that costs $1. my competitor requires that part. his part is $1.50. his total solution cost is $2.50, but his part of it is only $1.50. mine is still $2. do you know how many buyers complain to me that my part is 50 cents too expensive? its frustrating.another thing to keep in mind is that you cant argue manufacturers margins vs distributor margin. TNPARTSGUY is a disti for all intents and purposes. he is not making the manufacturer margin. he is just making money off the mark up. whether its the GM recommended mark up or his own, that's what he takes home. the reason i would pay him more than somebody else? he adds value. he knows his stuff and he is helpful. he helps people he doesn't know. TO ME, that warrants a premium. i will pay more for that because i know i will get the right part when i need it, etc.Distis have to add value to earn premiums, in my opinion, instead of demanding them. a dealer that keeps stock so i can have my parts now? yea, worht a few bucks more. a dealer that doesn't know what a vibe is, takes 30 minutes to call me back and say he has to order the part, not going to get my business.however, if all other things are equal, i will go with the low price leader, and that is some guy who realized he can make a lot more selling parts at a discount over the Internet across the US, vs a steep markup at the shop.that leads me back to perceived value. where on earth would i feel i was a getting a value paying a dealer, any dealer, $20 for the nut that goes on the other side of the cross bar bolt? a NUT!!! so instantly, that puts in my mind, i am getting hosed EVERY TIME i buy a part. its probably not true (for isntance i think the upper wing for 180 bucks is a decent price. i am willing to pay that), but already, me, Joe Public, has already made my mind that dealers charge too much because the nut is 20 bucks. so i am already motivated to find somebody else who is cheaper. Thats where GM/toyota whoever really do themselves a disservice. i mean c'mon... its a nut.those are just the points i wanted to make. i am not trying to argue.

[ColonelPanic]

Quote, originally posted by Mavrik »your car is just the worst Vibe ever anyway so no matter where parts come from, they won't work. Don't you ever say an unkind word 'bout sir knocksalot! Only I can talk smack about my car. (removed)! heheh j/k of course. Anyway, back on track, very interesting arguments, especially jeffgtx. Very fascinating to put things into this context.

[ToolGuy]

I have used Parts Direct for a few parts. First I always have my part numbers so I know what I need, no mistakes. Second, I do shop around. There is a dealer that gives me 10% off anything over $10, so I compare that with GMPD. Shipping is higher but that is again why I compare.The most recent part I got was a Z06 Corvette sway bar kit for $260 shipped! (got it and installed it already too) GMPD put together there own kit and it was a lot cheaper then a Hotchkis kit, I compared that too. Just have to do your homework before using GMPD that is all...But in general I have been burnt from NOT using GM parts before, mostly sensors or electrical components. I will not deviate from AC Delco, you get what you pay for. Most recent example was a Fuel Regulator I needed. Murrays said they could get me the AC and I gave them the AC number to order. When it showed up it was not an AC part but some other companies universal regulator! I said what is this? The guy said oh yeah we could not get the AC so we got this. I said nope, no way it will not fit but I do not want it even if it would. I ordered the AC Delco from GMPD and it was around the same price.

[Katscan]

When I was looking to get the window guards for my Vibe I looked at GMPD and they advertise the %40 off dealer price!!! So I was game and looked at the windowguards for my vibe. They had theirs priced at around $40 and I was liked "wow that sounds great!" So I proceeded to add it to my virtual cart and proceeded to checkout. When it came time to choose my shipping method my jaw hit the floor. For normal UPS 5 day delivery it was freekin $20 or if I wanted overnight delivery it would have cost me around $60 for shipping alone. Not to mention they state on their website that processing orders can take up to a week. Needless to say I held off on that purchase and decided to call up the dealer to see if they had the guards in stock and how much they were. The parts guy told me they didnt have them in the dealership but he said he could have them in a few days and their price was $50 for the same guards GMPD was going to charge me $60 for. Yea GMPD's price may initially be cheaper but I didnt think paing an extra $10 and having to wait 2 weeks for the same product the dealer could have gotten me within a few days was a "deal" Not too sure I want to go back to them again