Amsoil

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When Amsoil first arrived on the scene their marketing made sense because to sell synthetic oil you had to get a new message to consumers and ask them to join a new way of doing things and pay more. I think now the message is out now and wonder if the market would respond to finding Amsoil at the local parts stores and speed shops. So in the interest of world peace and the prevention of starvation I did an informal survey. The question, would you swithch to Amsoil if you could buy it at your usual place of business that you buy other service products. Now I must admit this question will only apply to those that do their own oil changes but a lot of my friends do just that, rich or poor. The response was that almost every one said they would try it if the price was about that of Mobil 1. Several voluntered that they would also buy the oil filters and other fluids that they have knowledge about as products, but know nothing about the details. No flames, please it's just bench racing and I wonder what your response might be. It appears that Amsoil marketing is working and they have good products and at least the manufacturer, Amsoil, makes no wild claims. The dealers on this site represent the best of the bunch as far as my experience goes, but a lot of people are missing a good product because Amsoil has not reached them. My survey was with 23 people and therefore has a possible error rate of plus or minus 23. It was limited to males that change their own oil and know the difference between synthetic oil and diet coke. One person owns over 50 cars, a collector, and two are socially repressed by only owining 2 cars. 15 use synthetic oil in at least one vehicle and no one does oci's of over one year or 10k miles, most do 5k and three do 3k. The cheapest car is 67 Datsun 510 station wagon and the most expensive is an F40 Ferrari. So after all this I think it's possible that if Amsoil was available at Pep Boys (insert your favorite store) they would sell a lot more oil and not have to drop their retail price to do it. The real problem must be that they don't want to give the deep discounts required to get into the retail chain and the dealers work for less.
 
I'd probably still order online because:

a) Local auto parts store never seem to stock the right weights. Amsoil has a large product line offering, my guess is they wouldn't have the entire compliment of stuff.

b) Ordering online is more convenient for me and saves gas.

It would be nice if auto parts stores carried Amsoil for the time I just need an extra quart and I am in an emergency situation, but other than that I would stick with ordering online.
 
I would try it if i could get free shipping. The price isnt bad until you tack on shipping.

The only reason I ever tried Royal Purple wasn't because it was available locally. It was the fact I found it for under $6 AND free shipping. When it gets shipped to my door for a reasonable price, of course I'll try it.
 
In my area you can buy Amsoil at a local auto parts chain. I think I'd still buy from one of my wife's co-workers, as I plan on doing. Seems to me that there would be enough dealers around that finding it is not a problem. It would be nice if the price were lower no matter who you buy it from.
 
I like ordering online, but the shipping does bother me. If I could get it at the local parts store that is real close to me, I would definitely buy it there to avoid the shipping charge, and make out better on my overall price. I was buying it from a parts dealer about 25 miles away, but the gas I spent in the extra trip equals out to my shipping charges, so I just started ordering strictly online. In addition, now that I order online, I can also get Amsoil filters...the parts store I was buying from didn't sell those.
 
In Canada at least, you can 3 weights of Amsoil at every single Canadian Tire you go to: ASL 5W-30, ATM 10W-30, and TSO 0W-30. The ASL and ATM are $9.99/litre, and the TSO is $12.99/litre. this compares somewhat favourably with its main competition of Mobil 1 EP, which Canadian tire also carries only for $10.50/litre. Regular Mobil 1 is about $7.50 - 8.00/litre at Wal-Mart.

If I was buying it, I'd like to buy from a Canadian site sponsor (D. Stefanik) to support the site, but once you tack on the hassle of adding shipping costs, ordering it, being availiable to receive the order, it probably would make sense for me to just get it form C-T down the street, especially when you consider that I would only need 4-5 litres for an entire year. If I knew someone else who wanted to buy it, it might make sense to order a larger quantity, but just for myself, it doesn't seem to make sense.

If you're watching this thread, Don, can you answer how much the various oils you sell come out to WITH shipping within Ontario (I'm in Ottawa), for either a preferred customer or not....?
 
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I'd probably still order online because:

a) Local auto parts store never seem to stock the right weights. Amsoil has a large product line offering, my guess is they wouldn't have the entire compliment of stuff.

b) Ordering online is more convenient for me and saves gas.

It would be nice if auto parts stores carried Amsoil for the time I just need an extra quart and I am in an emergency situation, but other than that I would stick with ordering online.




I should add:

c) If I order online I don't have to listen to the moron behind the counter tell me that the 5W20 is going to blow up my motor.
 
Addyguy......I sell on this forum to Canadian members at close to my cost. As for shipping here in Canada it varies.
In the U.S. it is around $8.85 a case, no matter where you are.
The closer you are to Toronto or Edmonton the cheaper it is.
I need the postal code before I can quote a price.
As with all other types of business here in Canada it is a lot more difficult than it is in the U.S to do anything.
 
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Quote:


I'd probably still order online because:

a) Local auto parts store never seem to stock the right weights. Amsoil has a large product line offering, my guess is they wouldn't have the entire compliment of stuff.

b) Ordering online is more convenient for me and saves gas.

It would be nice if auto parts stores carried Amsoil for the time I just need an extra quart and I am in an emergency situation, but other than that I would stick with ordering online.




I should add:

c) If I order online I don't have to listen to the moron behind the counter tell me that the 5W20 is going to blow up my motor.


5w/20 WILL blow up your engine unless it is Amsoil!!!
 
Does Amsoil still use Pelican Bird Beak in their oils?

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i just made a amsoil purchase for my motorcycle oil (6qts) + a oil filter. shipping was around $7. i used to get upset about shipping until i factored in gas mileage to drive to a place that would even carry amsoil. if it was in my local autoparts store it would cost me about $4-$5 in gas to drive to and from the store. If i go to my local amsoil dealer now it would easily cost $12+ in gas! so for $2 more i can have it shipped to me without having to leave the house and findout what i wanted wasnt in stock anyways.. just my 2cents

chris http://www.cruisercustomizing.com/arkainzeye
 
Lots of people who make jokes about Amsoil probably don't have any friends who have a long history of using it. I have 4 friends who have been using Amsoil over 10 years and all go well over 150,000 miles with their vehicles/motorcycles consitently.....in fact I am about ready to just say forget it and get a 30 gallon 5w30 drum & pump set up for my garage and really save some $$ because I am sick of chasing oil sales to go get the same stuff I always buy anyway. My buddies group buy 10-20 cases at a time and save serious $$ on shipping. Then they ask if I need a ride to Walmart.....buttheads.
 
Yes, I'd buy it in a store. The shipping add-on is a killer, and you cannot avoid sales tax like other internet products. Plus, a year or two ago, someone on here insisted Amsoil was selling their oil to a municipal customer (read: large buyer) for - I think - only around $1.85/qt. So there must be a HUGE markup on this stuff, and a large retailer may be able to sell it much lower. (The Canadian retailers seem to be able to do that now).
 
No one was selling Amsoil for $1.85/qt and not taking a loss. I know the price structure and all commercial accounts get the same price, regardless of size. There are pretty nice discounts for volume, but not THAT nice
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As for taxes - well the only way a business can sell something (legally) in your state and not charge sales tax because they are not set up in your state for business. Since Amsoil has dealers in all states, they do charge state sales tax.

A large retailer may do a loss leader sale, but only for a limited amount of time.
 
When amsoil is on the shelf at Napa, or gi joes etc, who is the dealer? one of the guys who works there? or is amsoil now dealing with companys? that'd kind of t me off if I was an independant dealer.

Know a guy who was in a health products MLM, had a basement full of the stuff and demo products and flyers and other junk. Product went mainstream and he got stuck with all the stuff as it all was on the shelf at the store for way under his cost.
 
Amsoil sells to small chains with 12 stores max. Well - guess what? Existing stores prior to this rule can grow and add stores. Yes a dealer in Portland scored the GI Joe account years ago. What a hound!
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Amsoil has no plans of going full retail. This was started by me when I became angry about GI Joes:

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Q. What are the advantages of the Preferred Customer (PC) program when people in my area can occasionally buy for less at a local discount retailer? And as an AMSOIL Dealer, how can I compete?

A. AMSOIL has control over setting the minimum selling price to catalog customers, PCs, Dealers, commercial accounts and retail accounts. In this regard, the company does its best to keep the playing field as level as possible, while providing the best opportunity for Dealers to make a reasonable profit when selling AMSOIL products. AMSOIL also established a minimum suggested retail price (MSRP), which represents the fair market value for each product in a retail sale. It is called a “minimum suggested retail” price because federal law prohibits AMSOIL from dictating the price at which a retail store can sell its products. Because of this, certain retail accounts do advertise discounted pricing on AMSOIL products. It is, however, normally done on an extremely limited number of products and usually in a local paper flyer and not on a large scale across multiple media venues. The overall effect on potential or existing PCs is relatively small.

AMSOIL Dealers have a lot to offer potential customers, even if the customers are aware of the discount retailer’s product offerings and prices. While we would not want every discount retailer around the country offering an ever expanding selection of AMSOIL products and potentially having a negative effect on AMSOIL Dealers, we feel that the few that are in existence now, who don’t offer the full AMSOIL product line, have not and will not harm existing or future AMSOIL Dealers. They actually add to AMSOIL growth through offering the brand and advertising. In short, they are helping to make AMSOIL a household name, which benefits all AMSOIL Dealers. Those Dealers who embrace the fact that retail accounts increase name brand recognition in their areas will be even more successful than they had been in the past. Sales growth data in areas with retailers that advertise has proven that the exposure has a positive impact on overall sales growth.
AMSOIL has taken a proactive approach to help Dealers and to maintain the excellent opportunity the Dealer and PC programs offer. In September 2003, AMSOIL instituted the 12-store policy so that large discount retail operators could no longer qualify as AMSOIL retail accounts. There are a limited number of accounts that have 12 or more outlets that were grandfathered in because they existed before the policy. However, no more 12+-outlet chain stores can be registered. We do want you to know that in addition to these stores, even chains with less than 12 stores can advertise low prices locally or regionally and the information provided above is applicable for those situations as well. In addition, AMSOIL is investigating a Minimum Advertised Pricing Program (MAPP), which would limit a retailer to advertise only pricing provided by AMSOIL or forfeit their AMSOIL co-op advertising funds. Keep in mind that even with a MAPP program, some retailers will chose to forgo the Co-Op Program and choose instead to advertise discount prices.


 
Commercial Accounts get the lowest Amsoil price. If you have a business that would use Amsoil products and not resell them. No cost to become a CA. Examples are farmers, truck drivers, etc.

Retail Accounts get the next lowest price. If you have a retail store and wish to sell it. No cost to become a retailer. Have to have a store front. No internet sales.

Dealers and Preferred Customers get the next price break. Introductory 6 mo. PC membership is $10. Yearly membership is $20. Become a dealer for $30 a year, sell some, make some money. Best deal for most people.

Catalog and Internet sales cost even more as you pay full retail.

All the above pay the same per pound price for shipping. The more you order, the shipping per pound comes down some. You also save money by ordering gallons instead of quarts, cases instead of singles.

If you buy from a Retailer, this will likely cost the most. Amsoil oils typically run $6 to $13 a quart this way. If you have a store with 12 or fewer chains nationally that you would like to buy from, just let a site sponsor know, and he might contact the store to tell them he has a buyer that would like to purchase Amsoil products from them.

Amsoil has more synthetic lubricants than anyone in the world, thus it is difficult to stock everything and I don't think anyone does. I think there are more than 24 motor oils alone at last count, plus all the gear and transmission lubes. Some want 7500 mile oil, some want 25,000 mile oil, some want 35,000 mile oil.

Most orders can get to you in a few days, delivered to your door and probably cost you less this way than any other. There are 3 fine site sponsoring dealers that I am sure would like to work with you to get the lowest prices possible and give the full selection of products, plus technical advice. Try that at your local LargeMart. LargeMarts have tried to buy Amsoil products (even the whole company) but the owner want to continue supporting the dealer network that made his business when no other company wanted to.
 
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