Experience with non-genuine parts

[J_D 2.0]

Repco stock next to nothing for a V8 VE. They open after I start work and close before I finish. Repco are second from the bottom on my list of suppliers. Burson are on the bottom because everything is hugely expensive, fair bit dearer than Repco.

I only have Repco and Supercrap near me so it’s Repco or online for me. They didn’t even have a thermostat for my SSV when I needed one.

I’ve found they seem to be ok for your basic car parts for more common cars but V8s seem to be rare enough for them not to bother stocking parts for them. Normally takes a couple of days to get in from the central warehouse.

 

[losh1971]

Most stuff Repco stock is from China. Some of their parts have been good but yeah I was able to buy more parts for an old VR V6 than I can for a VE V8.

Some parts for the old ute were cheaper than eBay for the same item. Some parts were on par and failed just as quick as eBay stuff. Other parts were decent price and decent quality.

I find there is not one place whether it be online, or in store that you can buy everything you need and get quality parts and a reasonable price. I find you need to use various online and physical stores to one, get everything you need and two to get the best price.

 

[losh1971]

Other thing is that so many parts for our SS VEs can't be bought at Repco or any other retailer as they are genuine only and there is no aftermarket option.
Try and buy wiper arms, or roof gutter strip's from Repco. They don't sell them and never will. Try and buy headlights or bar covers from Repco, all of these parts wear out over time or get damaged from daily driving. None of these Repco stock. Also, apart from headlights, and bar covers that rarely fit you only have genuine as an option.

 

[J_D 2.0]

Most stuff Repco stock is from China. Some of their parts have been good but yeah I was able to buy more parts for an old VR V6 than I can for a VE V8.

Some parts for the old ute were cheaper than eBay for the same item. Some parts were on par and failed just as quick as eBay stuff. Other parts were decent price and decent quality.

I find there is not one place whether it be online, or in store that you can buy everything you need and get quality parts and a reasonable price. I find you need to use various online and physical stores to one, get everything you need and two to get the best price.

Time will tell on my water pump I bought from them for the SSV. Been going about a year and a half now.

If you ask me life was better car wise when we had tariff protections and mostly local cars on the roads. At least when your car broke down you were guaranteed to find the part you needed at your local auto parts store.

Now with five billion different car models to stock for the auto parts stores cant viably stock everything so you have to wait a couple of days to get your car back on the road.

I’m slowly stocking up on critical parts partially because prices are going to go up as they become rarer but also because I know I can’t rely on my local auto parts store to actually have what I need when I need it.

 

[losh1971]

I have found Repco so bad on parts stock that plenty of time I have gone to use their online ordering and it will come up as NA at this store. Yet a few years ago like JD said you could get most things you needed for our Holden's.
Repco have gone downhill big time in the last three or four years. Even some of the garages I deal with are over Repco and primarily use Burson, or some other supplier that offers them better prices, since Repco jacked up their trade prices 2 or 3 years ago. Burson are really expensive too, but at least they tend to carry stock. One garage I deal with for AC and cooling systems won't even bother getting an account with Repco because our local store is useless.

 

[vc commodore]

Time will tell on my water pump I bought from them for the SSV. Been going about a year and a half now.

If you ask me life was better car wise when we had tariff protections and mostly local cars on the roads. At least when your car broke down you were guaranteed to find the part you needed at your local auto parts store.

Now with five billion different car models to stock for the auto parts stores cant viably stock everything so you have to wait a couple of days to get your car back on the road.

I’m slowly stocking up on critical parts partially because prices are going to go up as they become rarer but also because I know I can’t rely on my local auto parts store to actually have what I need when I need it.

I agree with this 100%.....I hear and read about people saying they can't get a part for their car yesterday, complaining that autoparts stores are tripe because they don't stock a particular part, but those people don't realise the number of different cars are out there and how many parts don't actually interchange inbetween models...

Yes, the older days, there weren't as many different cars and it was unusual mechanical parts didn't interchange inbetween models, so obtaining parts on the spot was easier....Geez, even servoes used to stock simple things like fan belts and light globes....Now, it's pot luck if you get the right globe for a simple stop lamp.

Me with the VC...I don't expect to go into a spare parts store and get what I need on the spot.....I even had to wait a week to get a simple Toyota gearbox mount from interstate from my local Toyota dealer because they didn't stock them....And yes, I run a Toyota gearbox in the VC

 

[losh1971]

Car Parts Plus in Lonsdale I used to deal with a lot as does pretty much every non dealership garage down south. They stock pretty much anything you need. Holden parts not an issue. I used to need various Jeep parts and I could buy most of what I needed from them. If Burson can stock basically anything aftermarket needed for a V8 VE, then surely Repco who claim to be Australia's biggest parts store can carry most of what we need for a VE. Heck when you have to go in on a weekend to order parts because Repco won't let you order over the phone unless you have an account that is worse than not stocking basic items for Australian built cars that still have plenty on the street.
Repco pissed me off even more when they started closing at 5.00 and started opening at 8.30 instead of 8.00 like they used too, meaning a trip on a weekend to pay and order parts and another weekend trip to pick up the part or pay extra to have it mailed out.
Bunch of arseholes IMO.

 

[vc commodore]

Car Parts Plus in Lonsdale I used to deal with a lot as does pretty much every non dealership garage down south. They stock pretty much anything you need. Holden parts not an issue. I used to need various Jeep parts and I could buy most of what I needed from them. If Burson can stock basically anything aftermarket needed for a V8 VE, then surely Repco who claim to be Australia's biggest parts store can carry most of what we need for a VE. Heck when you have to go in on a weekend to order parts because Repco won't let you order over the phone unless you have an account that is worse than not stocking basic items for Australian built cars that still have plenty on the street.
Repco pissed me off even more when they started closing at 5.00 and started opening at 8.30 instead of 8.00 like they used too, meaning a trip on a weekend to pay and order parts and another weekend trip to pick up the part or pay extra to have it mailed out.

Surprisingly enough, the last 2 or 3 times I have needed gaskets for my VC, I have walked into my local sprints (or autopro as they are now known as) and they have had them on the shelf....I will admit, I nearly fell over the fact they had them on the shelf, as I was expecting to wait for them to order them in....

Ripco....I have one near me, but truck going through those idiots.....Wouldn't know a bolt from spanner.....

Bursons...Not open on weekends near me....Went there once to buy something and near fell over with the price, so haven't been back.

My other local choice is autobarn....Have gotten a few bits and pieces for the VC over the years, but generally find my local sprints cheaper and closer, so I deal through them....

Finally...Years ago, I did stop dealing with sprints, when a few times I struck knobs that didn't listen.....I go to order Valiant parts and they would order Commodore parts, or start looking in their parts books under Holden for Valiant parts.....However the mob I was dealing with shut shop, so back to sprints I went and haven't had any problems since

 

[J_D 2.0]

Car Parts Plus in Lonsdale I used to deal with a lot as does pretty much every non dealership garage down south. They stock pretty much anything you need. Holden parts not an issue. I used to need various Jeep parts and I could buy most of what I needed from them. If Burson can stock basically anything aftermarket needed for a V8 VE, then surely Repco who claim to be Australia's biggest parts store can carry most of what we need for a VE. Heck when you have to go in on a weekend to order parts because Repco won't let you order over the phone unless you have an account that is worse than not stocking basic items for Australian built cars that still have plenty on the street.
Repco pissed me off even more when they started closing at 5.00 and started opening at 8.30 instead of 8.00 like they used too, meaning a trip on a weekend to pay and order parts and another weekend trip to pick up the part or pay extra to have it mailed out.
Bunch of arseholes IMO.

It’s a slippery slope with inventory control. As someone who is primarily doing inventory control/purchasing as my job I know how difficult it is.

Management is always up your arse about why you’ve got X amount of stock that hasn’t moved in a couple of years. I’m always “yeah but if I don’t have these parts to get our customer out of the **** when they need it those customers will go elsewhere“.

Unfortunately you’ll probably find that most people involved in procurement/stock control don’t want to have those arguments with management or are too afraid to so the business and customer service suffers.

I’m relatively blessed that I have an immediate superior who knows that it know my shite and will back me up with upper management when it comes to slow moving stock.

 

[vc commodore]

It’s a slippery slope with inventory control. As someone who is primarily doing inventory control/purchasing as my job I know how difficult it is.

Management is always up your arse about why you’ve got X amount of stock that hasn’t moved in a couple of years. I’m always “yeah but if I don’t have these parts to get our customer out of the **** when they need it those customers will go elsewhere“.

Unfortunately you’ll probably find that most people involved in procurement/stock control don’t want to have those arguments with management or are too afraid to so the business and customer service suffers.

I’m relatively blessed that I have an immediate superior who knows that it know my shite and will back me up with upper management when it comes to slow moving stock.

Do you strike, upper management haven't gone through the ranks of a particular business to know how it actually operates? They just sit behind a desk, see something hasn't moved for a while and then jump up and down like lube hasn't been used?

Honestly that's how it appears with your workplace and your immediate supervisor has and knows how things actually work in the real world.....Not just by looking at a computer