The founder and top executive team at Britain's biggest aftermarket car parts distributor have quit amid concerns that its American parent company is drawing up plans to cull hundreds of UK jobs.
Sky News has learnt that Sukhpal Singh Ahluwalia, who set up Euro Car Parts (ECP) more than three decades ago with a £5,000 investment, has resigned in the last few days.
Mr Ahluwalia is expected to step down from the board of LKQ Corporation (NasdaqGS: LKQ - news) , the Nasdaq (Frankfurt: 813516 - news) -listed company which bought ECP for £280m in 2011.
Sources said the British subsidiary's management team - including chief executive Martin Gray and chief operating officer Steve Horne - had decided to follow Mr Ahluwalia out of the door.
The company's head of trading is also said to have resigned.
ECP executives are understood to have locked horns with their counterparts at LKQ over what one insider described as a "swingeing cost-cutting programme".
Aimed at saving millions of pounds annually, the cost-saving drive comes after a 40% fall in LKQ's share price in the last 12 months.
One source said on Thursday that LKQ was expected to axe hundreds of jobs in the UK during the coming months.
ECP employs about 12,000 people in Britain, making it one of the country's biggest employers in the automotive sector.
?Mr Singh Ahluwalia, who did not comment, is understood to be planning to focus on interests he has in the hospitality industry following his resignation from ECP and LKQ.
Born in Uganda, ?ECP's founder turned his initial investment in a motor parts shop in Willesden, north London, into a nationwide chain.
LKQ did not respond to a request for comment.
uk.news.yahoo.com/jobs-axe-hangs-over-car-160400025.html
|
ECP former owner might do a Tom Farmer AKA Kwik-Fit owner in the past.
He sold his tyre business at least twice - only for the buyer to put it up for sale a few years later - Farmer bought it back for less than he was paid. He also had the knack of spotting a bargain when a competitor was up for sale - he bought say 100 outlets - kept say 40/50 where he did not have outlets - sold off the 50/60 plots of land/buildings for more than he paid for the 100!
|
|
I hope he does, eye-watering prices and bogus sales grows old fast.
|
20 years or so ago ECP were a godsend having a better access to same/next day parts at decent prices for Citroen, VW/Audi , BMW etc than local factors.
But as the years have rolled on they have become less competitive with their high initial prices and faux sales as mentioned above which are getting ever more annoying.
As an example after their "end of 2019 mega sale" e.mail thought I'd check out oil prices and perhaps get some in for the next service a little later in the year. Their advised Shell oil for the Mercedes spec was at a start price of £66.99 per 5l discounted to £33.49.... and either a 20ml round trip to collect or wait 3-4 days for delivery.
Some deal... the Swansea Mercedes dealer sells genuine Mercedes oil via Ebay at £38.40 for two 5lit cans inc next day post.
Last edited by: Fenlander on Wed 2 Jan 19 at 11:27
|
|
I've found them to be very good on price. I nearly always check them against other motor factors and halfords trade price and there nearly always the cheapest. I buy nearly all the service stuff for both cars from them, very few problems and the ones I've had their return service is excellent.
|
www.carparts4less.co.uk are the same guys and usually a few % cheaper*
Also if you buy via www.topcashback.co.uk you get another few % off.
*after taking into account whatever discounts are available
Last edited by: Lygonos on Wed 2 Jan 19 at 15:37
|
It is sad, but GSF is even worse and despite the weak pound, I am finding it cheaper to import most things from places like www.buycarparts.co.uk www.mister-auto.co.uk and www.motor-oel-guenstig.de and of course ebay and aliexpress.
|
I'm a pretty happy ECP / CP4L customer, having used them extensively over the years. The bogus sales are irritating, but that doesn't change the fact that their prices are usually very competitive on the whole.
They do sometimes supply the wrong bits though. Had a couple of examples where I've got half way through a job to find the part they've supplied doesn't fit. Once with a Puma clutch where the hydraulic pipes on the supposed "OEM" slave cylinder were too fat to fit through the holes in the bellhousing. They changed it for another make (which fitted perfeclty), but it was inconvenient.
More annoying was a time when I ordered a set of pads for our old Golf using one of their sale codes for £25. Despite ordering against the reg number, they turned out to be completely wrong and didn't fit. Took them back to exchange them for the correct ones, to be told that the correct ones were more expensive, and not only that, would be charged at full price because the discount code had expired. They wanted another £45 on top of the £25 already paid, and absolutely would not honour the discount. I got my money back and walked out.
On the whole though, they are pretty good, and there's a branch 10 minutes from home where I can click and collect. CP4L are often cheaper, but they are mail order only, which is OK if you have someone at home during the day, or can deliver to a work address. I like the click and collect model at ECP, personally.
|
>> Some deal... the Swansea Mercedes dealer sells genuine Mercedes oil via Ebay at £38.40 for
>> two 5lit cans inc next day post.
Had the Beemer serviced last month. The Dealership charged me 97 quid for 6.0 litres of oil!!!!!
ECP would have been 68 quid. (with a discount code of course)
|
>>
>> Had the Beemer serviced last month. The Dealership charged me 97 quid for 6.0 litres
>> of oil!!!!!
>>
Something has to pay for the free tea and Wifi Z.
|
>> Something has to pay for the free tea and Wifi Z.
And biscuits, dont forget the hobnobs.
The cabin filters was the real shocker tho - £110!!!!!
Last edited by: Zero on Thu 3 Jan 19 at 10:35
|
The cabin filters was the real shocker tho - £110!!!!!
>>
Just parts or labour as well?
|
>> The cabin filters was the real shocker tho - £110!!!!!
Blimey, I thought mine was bad at £56.05 (supply only from BMW's own Parts website)
I was quoted £323 for my first service, which I got down to £300 by buying a service pack, which will only cover the one service due to the very clever way it's been designed. As the service was charged to the service pack, I didn't get an itemised breakdown, but a quick search on BMW parts website suggests the oil filter was £20, the oil £97 and the Microfilter £56. Take that lot away from £323, and you have a round £150 for presumably an hour's labour, although I can't imagine it took more than 15 minutes to complete the work.
I'm looking forward to the next one where I get to pay £18 each for spark plugs, and then £150 to have them fitted.
I have already decided that I'm doing brake pads myself when the time comes, using genuine bits. I'll argue any warranty implication if and when it happens.
It's a good job I love the car.
Last edited by: VxFan on Thu 3 Jan 19 at 12:42
|
Just dragged out the bill ( I had hidden it hoping it was just a vague memory)
Parts prices
Oil Filter - £17.61
Cabin Microfilter - £102.77
Oil - £97.50
Plus VAT!!!!
Outside warranty I guess at a non franchise garage (based on the old F11) they will come down to
Oil Filter 8 quid, Cabin Filters 20 quid, oil 68 quid.
|
Apparently, you've got two cabin filter options on there Z.
Set, microfilter/carbon canister p/n 64116996208 @ £123.62
BMW set fine dust filter p/n 64116996209 @ £140.00
Have a play here - it's quite eye-opening:
shop.bmw.co.uk/INTERSHOP/web/WFS/BMWUK-21972-Site/en_GB/-/GBP/ViewStandardCatalog-Browse?CategoryDomainName=BMW-Teile_Welt-UK&CatalogID=Teile_Welt-UK&CategoryName=Teile_Welt-UK
|
Yer, bin there, this is also handy
www.etkbmw.com/bmw/EN/search/selectCar/G31/Tou/BMW+540iX/ECE/64_2439
Invoice says I had 64116996208
Last edited by: Zero on Thu 3 Jan 19 at 14:47
|
....you're making me very happy, Z that I purchased the fixed-price 5-year servicing deal.
(I believe BMW withdrew that 5-year deal shortly after I bought, and having seen the invoice sent to BMW by my dealer for my last service, I'm not surprised!)
|
I bulk buy oil now from a local motor spares shop and it was around £50 for a 20 litre drum. He actually upsold the larger one as opposed to two 5 litre bottles for £20 each.
We have had two shared between two cars with identical engines and while the name varied between purchases (I hadnt heard of neither) they both met the required specs and nothing has gone bang and we are talking a couple of years and 35-40k in my instance.
Last edited by: nice but dim on Thu 3 Jan 19 at 13:40
|
I will admit ECP are usually OK for filters and basic service items where you can't go too far wrong... so a few quid here or there makes little difference.... apart from their often not so cheap oil of course.
>>> the Swansea Mercedes dealer sells genuine Mercedes oil via Ebay at £38.40 for two 5lit cans inc next day post.
>>>Had the Beemer serviced last month. The Dealership charged me 97 quid for 6.0 litres of oil!!!!!
What puts the Mercedes Ebay oil into perspective is MB's near criminal uplift when pricing it in a service. The last time our CLK was main dealer serviced it was in 2015. The oil charge was 6.5l at £16.99/lit +vat.... the guy was charged £135.53 for his oil. Oil that today would cost me £24.96 at the Main dealer Ebay prices.. and that includes a delivery cost.
You do have to watch ECP for iffy brand substitution. When I wanted rear suspension air springs for the 5-series I bought a top brand at £155 a side inc delivery. I did consider ECP at the time and have just checked today their current pricing is still similar.... £249 per side discounted to £167. Thing is when I went in to see them prior to buying elsewhere I asked to see the air spring and it was plain boxed with just a part number and similarly the unit was without a brand just a part number stamped on.... but crucially it was identical to the unbranded units on Ebay for £35.
Last edited by: Fenlander on Thu 3 Jan 19 at 15:35
|
...I use ECP for convenience, but always after researching branding and price.
This link provides a decent example of why:
www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/p/car-parts/car-electrics-and-car-lighting/electrical/car-battery/?444779050&1&cc5_1026
......250 notes for an item, identical and readily available elsewhere at under £100 (including delivery from some).
|
As has been mentioned I find it cheaper to order OEM parts in from Europe and are usually cheaper than ECP which I find over priced.
I've been using AutoDoc which delivers from Berlin and even with the £8.45 delivery still works out better, plus they stock loads of German manufactures so the quality is good, I got both sets of ATE brake pads and discs from them.
Ebay can be good once I have the correct part code number, often their 'parts checker compatibility' isn't always spot on but that could be how the seller has listed the part.
|
I bought a couple of longlife Osram headlight bulbs from them for about a tenner last month.
They then asked me to submit a review online in exchange for a free car cleaning kit. I did a very brief review and, a couple of days later, the kit has just arrived. I was expecting sample sized bottles but actually its a full-sized kit that they normally sell for £20 (currently discounted to £10).
I have mixed feelings on this. As what I bought was well-priced the gift is free to me but the costs are passed onto customers somehow. I would prefer it if they did away with "free" gift and lowered prices.
Am I being a humbug?
|
What do you think was the actual cost of the gift? £2?
And if the review helps them increase their revenue or profitability then you may be helping proces to drop.
|
Perhaps not everybody gets the survey offer. They want consumer opinion and the most cost-effective way of doing it quickly is to offer a free gift to enough people to get the volume of responses they want.
Although respondents are still self-selecting, it probably improves the quality of the responses too.
|
FM2R, yes you may well be right. I assume the cost to them is quite low (but it is five large bottles and was delivered within 36 hours so its costing them over £2).
Also it seemed very automated as I submitted my one-line review out of hours and I got the delivery advice almost right away so I guess the reviews aren't assessed.
No doubt their average order value is more able to absorb the cost than my measly pair of bulbs.
|
>> I've been using AutoDoc which delivers from Berlin and even with the £8.45 delivery still
>> works out better, plus they stock loads of German manufactures so the quality is good,
>> I got both sets of ATE brake pads and discs from them.
First time I've seen that site. Some of the prices are very good indeed.
I'm always wary about eBay as there's a lot of counterfeit stuff on there. If it's something critical like brakes or a cam belt kit, I'd always buy from somewhere reputable. When you see things like Gates cam belt kits or brake pads and discs from Mintex or Brembo 30% cheaper than anywhere else, you have to wonder if it's the real deal.
Some of the private seller one-off stuff can be a bargain though. Things that were bought for a car in error, or for a car they no longer own. I picked up a set of Thule roof bars for a Fiat 500 for just £45. They are modular, so a £35 fitting kit for SWMBO's Clubman, plus the £20 I got back from selling the Fiat kit back on eBay made it a £60 set of bars. They are £150 to buy new.
Last edited by: DP on Fri 4 Jan 19 at 13:28
|
I used Auto Doc for some Kia Picanto Parts when FC junior decided to 'kiss' a concrete pillar in a multi-storey - Fog Lamp with lots of plastic bracketery and a lower plastic grill.
The parts where very good value . I would say 1/3 off dealer prices.
Couldn't tell the difference from OEM items. The only thing missing was the Kia/Hyundai logo and part number. All other moulded inscriptions were identical. It was if they had come out of the same factory. But I'm sure there are some sort of restrictions in place to preventing them producing or undercutting the manufacturer (or are there?)
Certainly with Kia/Hyundai it is impossible to source a lot of aftermarket parts until the model has been in production for 3 years. Main dealer only. Ka ching!!!!
|
>> Main dealer only. Ka ching!!!!
That would be the Ford factory surely. You mean Kia Ching...
|
Eurocarparts - Up to 100% OFF? - Falkirk Bairn
