And you wonder why local stores are going out of business??

"MUSASHI66" (musashi66)
10/06/2016 at 12:31 • Filed to: None

So, my mom got this wine cooler, in like new condition other than a broken relay. I pulled it off of the unit, it is a very common relay QP2-4.7G , like this one

They have them on Amazon for $5.25, free shipping, no tax.

Being the instant gratification kind of a guy, I called my local parts store, 1st Source Servall Appliance Parts in Aurora. Sure, they can get me the part, it is $40 plus $8.95 for shipping from their warehouse.

I understand markups. I understand expenses involved into running a business. But I also understand that a place selling one for $5.25 and free shipping also makes a profit, which means that the part probably costs under $1 wholesale. So, my local store wants to charge me 490x what it costs them to get it, to justify expenses, and to top it off, they don’t have it in stock anyway in the local store.

I think that was my last visit to that store.

DISCUSSION (19)

Takuro Spirit > MUSASHI66
10/06/2016 at 12:35

You’re also dealing with a place that had to buy it from a manufacturer, who has to buy it from another manufacturer, and so and and so on and there’s so many middle men they probably can’t even count.

Or its a cheap Chinese knock off on Amazon.

Pixel > MUSASHI66
10/06/2016 at 12:36

I’ve had similar experiences with car parts. I am willing to pay a price premium to get it right now, or get it from a local place even if the wait time is the same. But if it will cost me several times what it would cost me online, I will buy it online.

MUSASHI66 > Takuro Spirit
10/06/2016 at 12:37

I seriously doubt they are selling me anything but a Chinese made product. Even on ebay they run up to $15.

MUSASHI66 > Pixel
10/06/2016 at 12:38

Exactly! I knew they would cost more than $5, but $49?? Just ridiculous.

ttyymmnn > Takuro Spirit
10/06/2016 at 12:47

Exactly. I would actually be leery of grossly underpriced parts on Amazon. God only knows where they came from, or how long they will last.

Takuro Spirit > MUSASHI66
10/06/2016 at 12:47

With that many people trying to make a buck on the part, I can see why its so expensive.

Maybe the small town guy needs to get a Prime account. I’ve been thinking of getting one for where I work, since we get so many oddball requests for stuff, and Amazon seems to always have it cheaper than elsewhere, and delivery is faster.

Tristan > ttyymmnn
10/06/2016 at 12:51

China, just like everything else. At $5/ea, I doubt you’ll go through 10 of them to make up the difference in price.

MUSASHI66 > Takuro Spirit
10/06/2016 at 12:54

I love my Prime account. I spend way to much money on Amazon...

Tristan > MUSASHI66
10/06/2016 at 12:55

The capacitor on my AC unit failed this summer. I needed a new one right away, so I didn’t go the Amazon route for $30 and instead tried to source one locally. It took me a freakin week to find a place that had one and would actually sell it to me for $69. The amount of HVAC/appliance repair shops that refuse to sell parts without the $250 service call is absurd.

Takuro Spirit > MUSASHI66
10/06/2016 at 12:59

Come November 18th I’m gonna need it for sure... I wonder if I can write it off as a business expense.

MUSASHI66 > Tristan
10/06/2016 at 13:02

Yup, and they have a choke-hold on the market. Shitty service and expensive parts...

I had a heater issue and was charged $400 for a $20 part and 5 minutes of service. Their excuse - emergency call and flat fee charge based on the severity of the work. If I need to call anyone to fix my appliances, I just buy new ones now days.

Tristan > MUSASHI66
10/06/2016 at 13:06

Luckily AC isn’t that imperative in Oregon, and if it was that bad we could stay in the camper that has AC. If the furnace fails, my little 1500 SF house has 2 gas fireplaces and the bedroom heats up quick with a space heater. I’ll be using Amazon and YouTube for all my future HVAC needs.

Berang > MUSASHI66
10/06/2016 at 13:09

The Amazon one is probably something inferior masquerading as the part you need. Somewhere out there is forum post of a guy who was opening up automotive lighting relays and showing that what was inside was not what was listed on the outside - basically lower rated junk disguised as something rated for more power.

Either than or somebody purchased an abandoned lot out of a warehouse.

MUSASHI66 > Berang
10/06/2016 at 13:11

I’ll take my chance. I’ve had amazing experience with Amazon so far. 136 reviews, 5 stars average rating too.

Rykilla303 > Berang
10/06/2016 at 13:16

I recently ran into this with a MAF sensor. Quality was so painfully bad i just got a junkyard replacement instead.

Roundbadge > Tristan
10/06/2016 at 14:18

Reminds me of a couple of years ago, when my furnace failed in the dead of winter on a Sunday.

I started thinking about it, and realized that, being a natural-gas furnace, it was just like an engine in that it needed fuel, air and spark. After resetting the furnace and following the lighting sequence, I realized the igniter coil wasn’t heating up at all. A closer inspection showed a hairline crack through it, preventing the electricity to pass through and heat it up.

I spent all morning calling around, but never found a place open that would sell me the part. I found it online for $20 + shipping, but wouldn’t have it until Tuesday. A warehouse 40 minutes away had it for $50. Every HVAC place I called insisted on sending a tech to my house and a $120 service call.

I sprung for the warehouse option, but for some reason couldn’t get the part until the next day. Got it, fixed the furnace and it’s worked fine ever since. I discovered that a place only minutes from my house sold the part for $20 and had it in stock, but wasn’t open on Sunday. I now know about the local option, but was stunned at how difficult and expensive everyone else wanted to make the process.

DynamicWeight > MUSASHI66
10/06/2016 at 14:54

This has happened to me multiple times. Most recently it was for SeaChem Prime. It’s a chemical that goes in tap water to make it safe for fish. My Local Fish Store charged me 25 bucks. The exact same bottle from the exact same company is 12.62 on Amazon.

I wanted a top case for my bicycle, so I went into one of the many local bike shops and found one I liked, it was 60 bucks. I looked on Amazon, and it is available from the manufacturer for 30. I asked them about it and got the same tired “Well we have a store and employees blah blah blah” bullshit they always say.

Look, I get you have employees, but if you’re charging a 100% mark up over what even the manufacturer can sell it for and still make a profit, you can go fuck yourself.

Oh yeah, and miata engine mounts recently, called dealer, 175, bought from flyin miata, 90 shipped. Same damn OEM mounts. GTFO.

MUSASHI66 > DynamicWeight
10/06/2016 at 15:11

Same here - I buy some much shot on amazon because local stores have crazy prices. I am willing to pay a bit extra, but I am not willing to be screwed over.

jimz > Berang
11/11/2016 at 08:11

Yep. Unrealistically low prices + “fulfilled by Amazon” means you’re probably getting junk.