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16-05-2021, 02:25 PM | #31 | ||
Thailand Specials
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If there's an independent parts company, try support them over the corporates.
They're few and far between now though due to unscrupulous business tactics from Burson/Repco though |
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16-05-2021, 02:27 PM | #32 | |||
Cabover nut
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Onsite Eastcoast
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Quote:
Albury, Wang and Shepp are just useless. Fortunately there's a new Bursons in Wang (for the car stuff) but most of my stuff comes from Twin city or Thompson Kenworth. Truckline seems to be heading down the repco route. As you said the big boys want to take over the independents we had a great little local truck bloke in Wang, Adams Transport Supplies but has recently been taken over by Truckline. Customer service has already gone down and prices have risen. We'll see.
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heritagestonemason.com/Fordlouisvillerestoration In order that the labour of centuries past may not be in vain during the centuries to come...... D. Diderot 1752
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16-05-2021, 02:28 PM | #33 | |||
Regular Member
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Location: Bathurst NSW
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Enter Rego. Nekminute Registration Search Sorry, we couldn't find the vehicle you were looking for. Please check your details and try again. Or, you can use the Manual Search option below. I think by manual search they mean manually sift through pages of rubbish and hopefully you already know the part number etc. |
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16-05-2021, 02:29 PM | #34 | ||
Cabover nut
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Onsite Eastcoast
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Especially after you have to explain to them what a carburetor is first.
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heritagestonemason.com/Fordlouisvillerestoration In order that the labour of centuries past may not be in vain during the centuries to come...... D. Diderot 1752
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16-05-2021, 02:40 PM | #35 | |||
Thailand Specials
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Quote:
There's a commercial vehicle specialist in Shepparton whose still independent - HM Transport Maintenance https://www.hmtransportmaintenance.com.au/ There's a nasty side of GPC Asia Pacific and BAPCOR - especially when independent business sources their parts they resell through those two corporates. They monitor everything people buy, so they know what you are searching for, they know vehicle on road in the region, they know the part numbers and they know their velocity - the independent is handing over all this information every time they restock/order from one of these corporate shill brands, don't think Burson/Repco, think their wholesale distributors supplying resellers (like your Adams Transport Supplies). They might pop in and put in a laughable offer to buy your business, which you refuse. Then a few months later a new Burson/Repco or NAPA opens up in the area, conveniently stocked with everything you supply to your customers, and then sells at a loss until you close - then the prices massively increase once you are gone. It sucks for the people who work at those corporates too because they are very limited to what they can do in regards to moving on pricing, or maybe free freight deals and even things like free samples - its like trying to negotiate with the pimply faced teenager behind the counter at coles, they have no power except to process your transaction and take payment. I give people free **** all the time at work, usually it'll be some bloke comes in wants a small job done and its not worth me processing the paperwork so I'll just talk to one of the boys in the workshop, get it done right away and send them on their way Costs nothing for the company at the end of the day, word of mouth advantages, they tell their friends or keep coming back for other stuff, no skin of anyones nose - can't do that at the corporate. If there's too much policy and procedure then what happens is it gets so locked down that you take away peoples drive and initiative and then end up with the pimply faced child on Maccas money who goes 'year make model'. Last edited by Franco Cozzo; 16-05-2021 at 03:04 PM. |
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16-05-2021, 02:51 PM | #36 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Sydney
Posts: 562
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If you needed any convincing about Repco, on Productreview.com.au there are 42 five star ratings, and 180 one star. I’m just surprised at the 42 five star ratings.
Without boring the pants off you, I saw one Xmas day, of a Repco Boxing Day sale. Degreaser at $1 a can. Went to the local Repco at Tempe - Sydney. Not open Boxing Day. Next day, no degreaser on display. Asked why? “If we put it out at those prices, it will all go”. Well, I’ll take a box of a dozen. “I’m sorry sir, I cant sell you that much, because we’ll run out of stock.” WTF!!! |
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16-05-2021, 03:05 PM | #37 | |||
Cabover nut
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Time will tell with the new Bursons. They do have a guy working there with good product knowledge but we'll see. Little independent place in Euroa called Petrostar is a great source of every fanbelt, filter and obscure part related to tractors and trucks. He's the only one that could find Balwin airfilters to suit Dodge D5N 6V53 for the Louisville and alternator belts for the same.
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heritagestonemason.com/Fordlouisvillerestoration In order that the labour of centuries past may not be in vain during the centuries to come...... D. Diderot 1752
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16-05-2021, 03:16 PM | #38 | ||
praek tih kl jo kr
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Atwell W.A.
Posts: 1,687
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I went to Repco Cockburn central, asked the girl for a set of plugs for a Smart Fortwo, she thought I was playing a joke on her and grabbed another staff member who also didn't know what one was, they also thought I was pulling their leg, after 15 minutes of ****ing about they finally Googled it ( after I spelled out F O R T W O) and realised it was in fact a car, and came back to me that they don't stock them.
On another occasion I needed a cam belt kit for a Getz, I got the what's the rego (car unlicensed) what engine, I answer with 1.4, then get another 10 questions about year, if manual, 3 or 5 door, etc, I just informed the guy that they are all the same from 2002 to 2011 manual, Auto, 1.4, 1.6 whatever they are all the same and all take the same cam belt with the exception to the 1.3 which is different. So we already know how Rare spares will go if they go the same computer inventory, can see it now. Hi, I need a headlight surround for a HQ. What's the rego? The car is being restored so it not licenced, Ok who makes a HQ? Holden How do you spell that? Hang up! |
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16-05-2021, 03:21 PM | #39 | |||
Thailand Specials
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Given what we know collectively on AFF about our own cars - if there was an option where you just bought something online and then it turned up to your door within two hours or up to next business day would you be more inclined to support that?
Whats bringing you into your local Burson/Repco branch - it can't be the customer service because its virtually non existent. Quote:
Thats a bastard of a car to find stuff for because its not a direct copy of its US counterpart, its a mish mash of Falcon stuff and F100 stuff. |
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16-05-2021, 03:28 PM | #40 | |||
Cabover nut
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Quote:
Another thing I will not buy into is supporting companies like Amazon and the people who keep plugging Amazon links on youtube etc. There a RV living forum in the US and every second member there is flogging something they bought on Amazon because of the company credits they receive
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heritagestonemason.com/Fordlouisvillerestoration In order that the labour of centuries past may not be in vain during the centuries to come...... D. Diderot 1752
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16-05-2021, 03:32 PM | #41 | |||
Sick Puppy
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At least that way I won't need to be told how wrong I am with what parts I want. I'm happy to pay more to get customer service , but that's gone now. |
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16-05-2021, 03:39 PM | #42 | |||
Thailand Specials
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You can't just rely on Australia Post/Startrack/DFE etc, we've got a heap of freight companies we use depending on where a customer is located and specialists who deal with certain areas better than others. There's this oldskool freight mob called West Berg Freight Forwarding based in Thomastown, everything is done via paper consignment notes and they're a regional freight specialist. They have by far the best delivery service to regional VIC going West/North, someone in Ballarat will see their freight at 7:30AM next day, hell I had a customer in Kyneton get their order in the early hours of the morning once because the driver was going past at 2AM Gippsland - Express 1 is mint for Melbourne - Gippsland region for next business day. There;s a freight mob in SA called Cochranes which does Adelaide to regional SA deliveries better than anyone else - every state has one of these freight mobs who specialises in out of the way destinations, its just a little bit of effort on someones behalf. During COVID issues in VIC we saw a lot of big corporates traditionally bricks and mortar business models suddenly go online with their businesses and they lazily relied on Australia Post, who couldn't deal with the massive increase in freight volumes and its absolute chaos, Melbourne to Melbourne 11 days |
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16-05-2021, 03:41 PM | #43 | ||
Cabover nut
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I keep hearing about all these people who are customer service specialist, but where are they ?
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heritagestonemason.com/Fordlouisvillerestoration In order that the labour of centuries past may not be in vain during the centuries to come...... D. Diderot 1752
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16-05-2021, 03:45 PM | #44 | |||
Thailand Specials
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Quote:
If you're going to be as useless as pull the 'year make and model' card on a customer then the customer can do that themselves online, just need a payment gateway and a delivery address and we don't need humans doing basic **** for us like just processing our transaction. I've had customers need help with figuring something out so I've got under the bonnet in our driveway, under someones bus out in the street or even come out to their workshop and got under a car on the hoist with them to help them measure up stuff and figure out what they need, no skin off my nose. I run our coffee club to our local servo at work (lol) and I ordered food with my coffee with their tactically placed junk food meat pie thingamabob, they wanted me to grab the food myself, mother****er I could probably make my own coffee too if this is how its going to be so what are you doing here! There was three customers I had on the Friday just gone who I managed to give them parts from other cars that they could modify to make work for their application rather than having to custom make something for them that they'd pay up the *** for and have to wait a week, they come in and left within half an hour with a solution to get them back on the road without any 'year make model' crap going on. Customer had a 1960 Ford Zephyr that they got something from a AP5 Valiant that fit the bill perfectly, computer said no but Franco said yes Now because its a standard production part with a part number, they can actually get their hands on another one from the 'year make model' crew nationally god forbid it breaks in the middle of nowhere. Had some stuff made up for a customers 1960s Ford Galaxie recently using a mish mash of Falcon stuff and modified hydraulic valve control componentry used for earth moving equipment, I got the vernier calipers out and pulled out samples, showed the customer everything to come up with something he could make work and used 303 stainless steel so its going to outlive me and the owner of the car Last edited by Franco Cozzo; 16-05-2021 at 04:13 PM. |
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16-05-2021, 03:53 PM | #45 | |||
Cabover nut
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Three times I have gone to Shepp to pick up stuff because they will not delivery along the Hume. Once an inframe rebuild kit from QLD, once a carport from Melb, and a 3rd time picking up a gas frig from Grafton. big stuff or weighted stuff. This is one bug I can not understand about this stupid double deck inland rail route ARTC keep banging on about here and wanting to rip up the line (AGAIN) To stupid me I reckon It would have been a better idea to take it from Melb up past Shepparton (given the frieght terminals there) cross over the border around Echuca and head north directly avoiding a heap of low bridges they want to destroy.. Its rare a Melb based freight company will deliver cross country from Shepp to the North East even considering most of the stuff has already been past here that night on the hwy.
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16-05-2021, 04:10 PM | #46 | ||
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16-05-2021, 04:17 PM | #47 | ||
Cabover nut
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Then Truckline rocks up and buys Adams at Wang which soon turned to crap.
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heritagestonemason.com/Fordlouisvillerestoration In order that the labour of centuries past may not be in vain during the centuries to come...... D. Diderot 1752
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16-05-2021, 04:19 PM | #48 | |||
Thailand Specials
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Location: Centrefold Lounge
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Quote:
Retail: https://www.bapcor.com.au/retail Trade: https://www.bapcor.com.au/trade Specialist Wholesale: https://www.bapcor.com.au/specialist-wholesale Service: https://www.bapcor.com.au/service Then look at GPC Asia Pacific (who don't actually list all the businesses they own) https://gpcasiapac.com/our-businesses/ That's not good for consumers or suppliers. Look at the auto electrical suppliers: JAS Oceania Baxters Thats two out of four major auto electrical specialist suppliers in Australia. The other is Ashdown-Ingram which is owned by GPC Asia Pacific. That leaves one left who is independent - Cooldrive Distribution, how long before they get bought up by either BAPCOR or GPC Asia Pacific? |
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16-05-2021, 04:24 PM | #49 | |||
Cabover nut
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Quote:
Guess who needs one atm. Should be a law against this.
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heritagestonemason.com/Fordlouisvillerestoration In order that the labour of centuries past may not be in vain during the centuries to come...... D. Diderot 1752
Last edited by roKWiz; 16-05-2021 at 04:37 PM. |
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16-05-2021, 04:32 PM | #50 | |||
Thailand Specials
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Quote:
Then it ended up being bought out by GPC Asia Pacific (and rolled into NAPA) For any of our Westralian members here, Veale Auto Parts is an independent auto parts specialist with a lot of coverage around Perth, its a WA owned and run family business. ACCC is supposed to protect consumers from anti competitive behavior but they're asleep at the wheel, give it 20 years and they'll start trying to do something about it when literally everyone is a part of one of these two massive corporate monsters. There's also greater issues at play within the industry from a repairer perspective about 'right to repair', its ****ed from head to toe. Panel beaters and insurance companies is another interesting one. |
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16-05-2021, 04:37 PM | #51 | |||
Cabover nut
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heritagestonemason.com/Fordlouisvillerestoration In order that the labour of centuries past may not be in vain during the centuries to come...... D. Diderot 1752
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16-05-2021, 04:48 PM | #52 | |||
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Another One is AMA Who've been buying smash repairers left right & centre particularly Truck Smash repairers .. Share price is in the Toilet & haven't paid a dividend for Years.. I reckon AMA is nothing but a Ponzi Scheme.... |
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16-05-2021, 05:37 PM | #53 | |||
Where to next??
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___________________________ I've been around the world a couple of times or maybe more....... |
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16-05-2021, 06:11 PM | #54 | |||
Thailand Specials
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https://www.badshepherd.com.au/colle...-butter-porter https://www.badshepherd.com.au/colle...hazelnut-brown Wasn't happy at the $35 freight charge per slab, its literally a god damn box that's the perfect shape for transporting around the country - $35 my *** I swear I've sent a skid/pallet for $40 before around Melbourne. The ****ers don't stock it anywhere in liquor stores in the north western suburbs, so I'm going to try the order in trick at my closest Dan Murphys or wait until I need to go into the city and then tactically buy my expensive fancy beer from somewhere that has it on the shelf. Last edited by Franco Cozzo; 16-05-2021 at 06:17 PM. |
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16-05-2021, 06:13 PM | #55 | ||
RS The Faster Fords
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Westralia
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By far the best in the West, I don't bother going elsewhere anymore.
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Escort RS2000 Restored factory a/c and alloys. TD Cortina Unrestored 35 000km 6cyl manual. Mk1 GT Cortina Project. FG XR50 Daily. |
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16-05-2021, 06:34 PM | #56 | |||
Thailand Specials
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Wonder how long before the buyout happens |
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16-05-2021, 07:08 PM | #57 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
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Location: In Front of a Monitor
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It happens everyday in every industry.
Big Company buys little company and promises not to change anything. They then proceed to change everything, until they are left with a company far worse than the one they purchased.
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2004 Mercury Silver Falcon XR6T - 5 Speed 2017 Platinum White Mustang GT - 6 Speed 2022 Blue Thai-Special for Daily Duties - Auto |
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16-05-2021, 07:20 PM | #58 | ||
DIY Tragic
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Sydney, more than not. I hate it.
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It’s interesting how there’s always funds to hose up the wall, but they almost universally shut down side hustles/entrepreneurial projects/goodwill initiatives.
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16-05-2021, 07:25 PM | #59 | |||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
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Location: Sydney
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Second time, ordered some hard brake line. When I picked it up, the chap asked what it was for. He told me that modern cars dont use brake lines, they are all electric. At least I got what I ordered. Third time. I must be a slow learner. Ordered a case of Penrite Racing 15. Got there, they only had Racing 20 - “its close enough”. There will not be a fourth time. |
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16-05-2021, 07:31 PM | #60 | |||
DIY Tragic
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I once tried to haggle my way into a car show, the Pug had just hatched a misfire. “It’s only running on two, you should let me in for half price”… |
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