I've had to change a section of intake pipe on the Golf, runs from the MAF to the throttle body, incorporates the top end breather pipe too. Earlier in the year i had to change the equiv part (almost identical size & layout) on the BMW after it perished (possibly caused by a spillage of ATF fluid i didn't clean up very well a few months previously).
The BMW part is substantial, nicely made, strong rubber, feels nice and weighty to hold. Well made.
The VAG part is cheap plastic with sharp edges, clearly very easy to mass produce very cheaply. It went brittle and cracked.
BMW main dealer: £8.12 before discount
VAG: £28!! no discount on offer
Oil filters. BMW: £9. VAG £12 odd.
Front Brake pads. BMW £54. VAG £65! For a Golf! The pads are tiny compared the 7er's stoppers.
Wish i could beat VAG over the head sometimes.
EDIT: needless to say VAG didn't get my pennies in any of the above cases.
Last edited by: Skoda on Tue 31 May 11 at 21:11
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Someone smashed into daughter's colour coded offside wing mirror on the Astra.
Vx wanted a smidge over £200 for parts, without painting, and as she was bursting into tears (nurse with new mortgage and not a lot to pay it with!) the smarmy wotsit got his kicks by rather patronisingly reminding her that it was illegal to drive without one...
Eurocarparts had the same for £90 something (pattern) or £130 (Lucas). eBay had one for around £90 all in, painting and all. And Dad's labour rates aren't too shabby either!!
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>>Wish i could beat VAG over the head sometimes>>
Try Amazon. Here's an example, for instance, of an air filter for my particular engine:
tinyurl.com/3hbea9e
PS
Halfords used to ask £12 for an air filter for my last car, a Bora...:-(
Last edited by: Stuartli on Tue 31 May 11 at 22:18
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Isn't the worry with ebay (and even a motor factors) that you may get parts which are, erm.. what's the word?... substandard?
I don't suppose there can be too much wrong with an air filter - unless it drops to bits and is ingested by the engine - but I seem to recall a discussion here, or the other place, regarding different oil filters and there were "differences".
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The likes of GSF and others can supply OEM parts for VAG cars at a fraction of the cost.
I think I paid something in the order of 25 quid for the last set of pads for my Golf.
Some of the dubiously cheap 'branded' stuff online I suspect is counterfeit or substandard, but I can't see established chains like GSF or Euro Car Parts risking their business by getting involved in this kind of thing. Surely, they have too much to lose.
Last edited by: DP on Wed 1 Jun 11 at 12:19
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>>Some of the dubiously cheap 'branded' stuff online I suspect is counterfeit or substandard...>>
Amazon would very quickly clamp down on any of its suppliers who prove not up to its very high standards - it would also refund your money immediately.
I don't touch e-Bay these days and haven't for a while as Amazon, along with its dedicated shop suppliers, have always proved very reliable; in fact Amazon as an organisation, along with 7DayShop, Crucial and similar on-line outlets, have been the blueprint for this form of retailing for many years.
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>> Amazon would very quickly clamp down on any of its suppliers who prove not up
>> to its very high standards - it would also refund your money immediately.
>>
That item you linked to isn't sold by Amazon though - it's another seller outside Amazon. I'm sure they're fine but a lot of sellers on Amazon come and go very quickly.
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>> >> Amazon would very quickly clamp down on any of its suppliers who prove not up
to its very high standards - it would also refund your money immediately.>>
That item you linked to isn't sold by Amazon though - it's another seller outside Amazon. I'm sure they're fine but a lot of sellers on Amazon come and go very quickly.
I realise that; I used the word supplier rather than outlet, but meant the same thing...:-)
As I say I buy quite a lot of items, especially computer related, from such suppliers/outlets and the service has always proved excellent. In fact it's Amazon who follows up by requesting you post feedback on such outlets.
Last edited by: Stuartli on Wed 1 Jun 11 at 17:31
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>>I realise that; I used the word supplier rather than outlet, but meant the same thing...:-)
It's absolutely not the same thing at all. I could be listing oil filters on Amazon within sixty seconds from now, and I assure you that I would be selling second hand filters...
Amazon is just like eBay.
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>>Amazon is just like eBay.>>
As I say, I've had no problems. I can only base my comments on personal experience.
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>> Some of the dubiously cheap 'branded' stuff online I suspect is counterfeit or substandard,
>> but I can't see established chains like GSF or Euro Car Parts risking their business by
>> getting involved in this kind of thing. Surely, they have too much to lose.
Yes, but.
I understand there is some counterfeit branded stuff so well packaged it's good enough to catch out genuine retailers.
So retailers may not be aware of, or complicit, in the deception.
Same with prescription drugs, or just about anything with a high retail cost.
Last edited by: AnotherJohnH on Wed 1 Jun 11 at 13:43
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Tesco Wine recently sold counterfiet wine:
tinyurl.com/3r2bz2f
What worries me is the damage that can be done by nutcases putting dangerous chemicals in to foodstuffs. The damage could be sevear / fatal!
Last edited by: zippy on Wed 1 Jun 11 at 14:12
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You're just not going to be able to buy Pouilly Fuisse for £5 a bottle in the UK.
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>> You're just not going to be able to buy Pouilly Fuisse for £5 a bottle
>> in the UK.
Some of it was real, and it did cost 5 quid a bottle. The secret with counterfeiting on a commercial basis is to mix the real and the fake.
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>I understand there is some counterfeit branded stuff so well packaged it's good
>enough to catch out genuine retailers.
This has also been a problem in the aviation industry with manufacturers test certificates even being forged. The owner of an aviation parts supply company in Florida was recently jailed for knowingly supplying sub-standard bolts to an engine maintenance company.
Pretty worrying.
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>>Pretty worrying.
Understatement of the day! :-)
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Skoda, do you use TPS on Alexandra Parade?
I have found them to be very good and reasonably priced.
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>> Skoda, do you use TPS on Alexandra Parade?
>>
>> I have found them to be very good and reasonably priced.
Not tried them but i know they've a good rep, have heard of them in the past. Just a bit out of the way for me.
There's a factors in Chapelhall i've used a couple of times recently, the banter's good and the prices are keen too.
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Just looked up TPS as I've never heard of them, and came across this on the registration area of the website:
The TPS network is dedicated to supplying the needs of the independent motor repairer.
Please note that it is a service that is NOT available to the general public. If you require Volkswagen Group parts please contact your local Authorised Repairer who will be happy to source and supply any part you require.
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DP, thats interesting.
I have bought items like wipers over their counter and they have credit card machine there so obviously not all sales done on account.
When I got my timing belt done earlier this week, the garage I took it to said they used TPS for all their items now as the official VAG sources (he quoted the local Arnold Clark parts) would no longer supply indies.
I am wondering who owns TPS or what the background is as it is all genuine VAG parts they do and inside the reception it is all VAG posters, information etc.
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Some of the guys on Briskoda swear by them. Apparently they do bulk oil deals every so often too.
A couple of those guys are potentially trade but most of them wont be, just keen amateurs. Wonder if it's like the Halfords trade card that you can get by rocking up at the counter and saying "i work in a garage" :-)
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BMW vs. VAG Parts Prices - smokie
