Beaurepaires Going, going……

[Charliewool]

What’s behind this?….
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ins-doubt.html

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by Charliewool

What’s behind this?….
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ins-doubt.html

Consolidation of the automotive aftermarket industry, in 20 years it'll resemble Woolworths Safeway and Coles.

[ToryMikey]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

Consolidation of the automotive aftermarket industry, in 20 years it'll resemble Woolworths Safeway and Coles.

I mean, that's what we have now with Repco and Bapcor (who are too bloody proud to even put a price for the parts on their website).

But then again, I live in a town with three tyre fitters, all independently owned (one under the Tyrepower banner), all seem to be doing well?

[Charliewool]

Amazing history…
https://www.beaurepaires.com.au/about-us/our-history

[FTE217]

Been a basket case for yonks.
Sorry for the employees though.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[XP6]

The local mob here changed about 12mths ago to GoodYear Tyre center.
Wasnt happy with them last week though, got new treads for my workvan when I booked it in I asked for a wheel alignment and to check out the front end as she's all over the road.
Dropped it off and got told didnt have time to do the wheel alignment come back another day... yeah great I postponed jobs that day for that reason and now have to do it again.
But thats not the worst of it, I said keep it locked as there's a good $15k of tools in it came back to pick up and found my van located the furthest park at the side where they cant see it pretty much on the footpath(store is located on a corner) and you guessed it $%^&*(( unlocked

[aussiblue]

They had some great ads in the last century; who can forget this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVnU6WxFHnM

[LTDHO]

Why do we hear about this when it's too late?
Happens every time.

I am sure, that if we knew, Australians would band together and help save an icon...

[Giant Cranium]

its probably the customer service from the Annandale store alone that brought them down.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by XP6

The local mob here changed about 12mths ago to GoodYear Tyre center.
Wasnt happy with them last week though, got new treads for my workvan when I booked it in I asked for a wheel alignment and to check out the front end as she's all over the road.
Dropped it off and got told didnt have time to do the wheel alignment come back another day... yeah great I postponed jobs that day for that reason and now have to do it again.
But thats not the worst of it, I said keep it locked as there's a good $15k of tools in it came back to pick up and found my van located the furthest park at the side where they cant see it pretty much on the footpath(store is located on a corner) and you guessed it $%^&*(( unlocked

Usually what happens is you say all this stuff to the service counter and then nothing gets passed onto workshop, they collect their job card and away they go

What I do is include a printed copy of my email and leave with whatever goods I'm providing, that way they see it.

Something that the automotive industry does not do well is customer service, at all.

One of my colleagues is going to a new workshop in Wallan and they take photos of everything they find so that you can see what is being done/has been done on the invoice, I thought that was fantastic.

Previous workshop was charging him for things that weren't being done, like wear sensors on brake pads and a cabin filter that never got changed.

Originally Posted by ToryMikey

I mean, that's what we have now with Repco and Bapcor (who are too bloody proud to even put a price for the parts on their website).

But then again, I live in a town with three tyre fitters, all independently owned (one under the Tyrepower banner), all seem to be doing well?

Pretty much but it'll get even worse, its not getting better.

Went into Burson Campbellfield and I had to tell them the coolant for a VF Commodore. I'm also noticing a big shift of the BAPCOR stores to having their own brand products on the shelves and limited name brand stuff.

Or they'll carry very limited stock of other companies products - they're removing choice and forcing you to buy their stuff.

Imagine if you went to Beaurepaires, and they had the branch stocked up with mostly Beaurepaires branded tyres and like 4 Michelin tyres.

[Dr Smith]

From what I've read Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company USA owns Beaurepairs with some rumours it has tried to sell it off, namely to Bob Jane, who only wanted certain stores, obviously the profitable ones...so to say it's gone broke might not be completely accurate, although obviously it's been struggling but I'd say rather a US parent company is no longer willing to bother with it.

The company announced to the US Stock Market in September that its Australian and New Zealand stores would be overhauled by the end of 2024 to make them more profitable.

So either the overhaul was to fatten it up to sell it or that decision has now changed as well.
Interestingly the next investor call is this Tuesday US time.

[PooDog]

I remember when they changed all our Dunlop Tyre centre's (in NZ) I said they're calling it what ? The Dunlop guy repeated it .....I said your joking what a stupid name ,but he was right . Did ok for a few years then when they dropped all the truck stuff the writing was on the wall .....one of the least competitive Tyre outfits over here

Sad really I can remember back in the Dunlop days in my area they were No 1 , in service and price .back then everyone ran rag tyres and split rings .....it would be nothing to have 10 flats or blow outs for them to fix every day in a fleet of 10-12 trucks......the not so good old days

[bungarra]

Originally Posted by LTDHO

Why do we hear about this when it's too late?
Happens every time.

I am sure, that if we knew, Australians would band together and help save an icon...

Originally Posted by Rob 351

Well they were/are a couple of old retired blokes who run it and Holden was there passion. I’m one of the biggest Fordies out there but I take no pleasure in the National Holden Museum closing…

No one stood up to buy Holden, GM only wanted 160 million to offload Holden to PSA and they said no.

Kidman Cattle was the same, one group did try to buy it, couldn't get enough Aussies to join to buy it, then Rhinehart buys it, keeps it in predominantly Australian ownership, people b*tched about the rich getting richer.

Same thing with many other Aussie brands, plenty complain, say Aussies need to buy, but Aussies never back it in but will whinge and complain if Twiggy, Rhinehart, Cowan etc by it.

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by LTDHO

Why do we hear about this when it's too late?
Happens every time.

I am sure, that if we knew, Australians would band together and help save an icon...

The Aussie couple, Quinn, saved Darryl Lea, just saved Sara Lee.

[ford71V8]

Originally Posted by roKWiz

The Aussie couple, Quinn, saved Darryl Lea, just saved Sara Lee.

Was waiting for him to save Godfreys... doesnt fit the sweet tooth link

[Dr Smith]

Originally Posted by roKWiz

The Aussie couple, Quinn, saved Darryl Lea, just saved Sara Lee.

Would have been nice if the new owners paid off the old suppliers....always the last to get paid and usually never....

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by ford71V8

Was waiting for him to save Godfreys... doesnt fit the sweet tooth link

How does a bricks and mortar store that only sells vacuum cleaners survive this long in the age of e-commerce?

People look at it like a failure, I look at them beating the odds for the past 25 years big time.

[.:4:.]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

How does a bricks and mortar store that only sells vacuum cleaners survive this long in the age of e-commerce?

People look at it like a failure, I look at them beating the odds for the past 25 years big time.

Yep, one of my mates dads had an electronics repair shop. Another mates dad had a shoe repair shop. Who gets their electronics or shoes repaired these days, no one, you bin them and get new ones.

[Citroënbender]

When you drop hundreds on shoes, absolutely you go to a cobbler.

As to Sara Lee, it’s off-topic but who remembers their (genuine) factory outlet at Lisarow/Narara?

[MITCHAY]

I can't say my first and only experience was positive with them. Maybe an outlier.

I was given a lecture about arriving early by the old bastard when the door was unlocked, then mocked for the car I drive, and the final insult was they put the wrong settings into the wheel alignment which was the one and only service I paid for

[T3rminator]

Originally Posted by MITCHAY

I can't say my first and only experience was positive with them.

Same. Brought my falcon to a local about 6 or 7 years ago. Guy did the alignment, then told me he couldn't get it right, and asked if the car had been in an accident. Since I bought the car 2nd hand, I had no idea.

The left front tyre wore pretty quick (was cheapo tyres put on by previous owner), so I went to Bob Jane and got some new tyres. Got a good deal and the alignment was spot on.

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

How does a bricks and mortar store that only sells vacuum cleaners survive this long in the age of e-commerce?

People look at it like a failure, I look at them beating the odds for the past 25 years big time.

They should have been able to survive just on selling rims and doing alignments alone. I'd like to know how Bob Jane is doing financially, cos you now need to book 1-2 weeks in advance to get an alignment done. There is no shortage of demand.

[T3rminator]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

How does a bricks and mortar store that only sells vacuum cleaners survive this long in the age of e-commerce?

People look at it like a failure, I look at them beating the odds for the past 25 years big time.

Originally Posted by T3rminator

They should have been able to survive just on selling rims and doing alignments alone. I'd like to know how Bob Jane is doing financially, cos you now need to book 1-2 weeks in advance to get an alignment done. There is no shortage of demand.

Hang on, just realised I misread Franco's topic stray . Only read the last sentence.... ignore...delete.

[ToryMikey]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

Pretty much but it'll get even worse, its not getting better.

Went into Burson Campbellfield and I had to tell them the coolant for a VF Commodore. I'm also noticing a big shift of the BAPCOR stores to having their own brand products on the shelves and limited name brand stuff.

Or they'll carry very limited stock of other companies products - they're removing choice and forcing you to buy their stuff.

Imagine if you went to Beaurepaires, and they had the branch stocked up with mostly Beaurepaires branded tyres and like 4 Michelin tyres.

Burson are absolutely not worth bothering with from a consumer perspective. No stock of anything except the generic stuff like you say, you can’t look up stock or prices online before making the trip. Terrible customer service from buying stuff online with Autobarn, you’re lucky if you get your order shipped at all.

Repco are much better with stock, they seem to stock most brands at least here in Maryborough, you know what stuff costs and they seem to have regular sales. They get my convenience dollar being the only auto parts store in town. What I would like to know though is why everyone working there seems to be either 15 or seriously disinterested. Better have the part numbers handy.

[ute83]

Had some tyres fitted at our local beau's a couple of weeks ago. They have a price match thingy going otherwise would not have gotten the sale. BJ's beats them on price. As far as waiting a week or so for a wheel alignment or the age of workers at repco goes, our repco can't keep workers. They are constantly looking for workers. Same goes for everywhere else. Hardly ever see the same face at woolies two weeks in a row. Must be the same in every industry. Businesses can't seem to get staff. We all know the reason but nobody wants to talk about it.

[mondeomatureguy]

Hi Guys,
Please let me tell you this story. First off it wasnt Beaurepairs but i cant mention what tyre repair place it was.

My wife went to visit her parents up in the Sutherland Shire of Sydney and on the way got a nail in her tyre.
She took her car to a place in the Shire to get repaired and told them she had a nail in her tyre and just wanted that tyre fixed.

When she picked up the car and asked how much i owe you they said $700 dollars.
They fixed the tyre and put new Shock absorbers in that she never asked for. she phoned me and asked what to do and i said Dont pay for the Shock absorbers just pay for the tyre.

she drove the car home and i wrote a email to this companys Head Office telling them what happened and that we never asked for Shock absorbers only took the car there for a flat tyre.

Apart from getting a phone call from this trye place we never heard another word and didnt pay that $700 dollars.

thanks

[roKWiz]

Regularly used them when we lived in NSW.
I can remember being ignored by the office staff when I first went to Wangaratta in the hippy van (Mitsi L300)
Finally after his super important tidying up of the tyre rack inside and after making his personal phone calls, he decided to ask what I needed.
I said don't worry I wanted to see how you treated potential new customers and left.
10 minutes later, the van was up on the hoist at Tyrepower getting some new rubber.
Been going there ever since with several trucks and car being well looked after by their great staff.

No wonder they've gone.