Has anyone tried Costa filters?

[Hootbro]

Warehouse thing does not bother me as they are not putting themselves out there as a brick and mortar walk up retail business. Most businesses that do not have customer facing retail sales are in similar locations.

As to them making a profit, all you have to do is search Chinese wholesaler export websites like Alibaba and similar and per unit costs for like filters get down in the 50 Cents range in 1K> quantities.

I have seen this brand before but never gave it much thought until reading this thread.

 

[Owen Lucas]

As to them making a profit, all you have to do is search Chinese wholesaler export websites like Alibaba and similar and per unit costs for like filters get down in the 50 Cents range in 1K> quantities.

I have seen this brand before but never gave it much thought until reading this thread.

Looks like you can get a common Toyota filter for 60 cents if you buy more than 50k units.

https://bjjnsl.en.made-in-china.com...zd2-90915-Yzzd3-90915-20003-90915-20004.html?


Sell 10, cost is $6, box and packaging, another $1 easy. How much is shipping, at least $10? So $27 for 10 filters and only $10 profit? You need to have some volume to make it work. I must be missing something, there's got to be more to it than this.

 

[Hootbro]

Looks like you can get a common Toyota filter for 60 cents if you buy more than 50k units.

https://bjjnsl.en.made-in-china.com...zd2-90915-Yzzd3-90915-20003-90915-20004.html?


Sell 10, cost is $6, box and packaging, another $1 easy. How much is shipping, at least $10? S0 $27 for 10 filter and only $10 profit? You need to have some volume to make it work. I must be missing something, there's got to be more to it than this.

Yeah, would have to be volume but also commercial shipping accounts can be 50% less of what most normal consumers would pay to ship. I do not know their math and just because we cannot understand it, I would not say they are being fraudulent like triangulation fraud.

As someone else mentioned here, they (Parent Company) seem to run a regional quick lube chain business so that is probably amortizing per unit costs even lower for the filters.

I would also added in my Googling around using their cross reference listing and application mention, they seem to cut and paste from Service Champ info. I do not know if that is them doing it or just maybe the same supplier connection feeding them that ad copy info.

 

[Fair enough]

Looks like you can get a common Toyota filter for 60 cents if you buy more than 50k units.

https://bjjnsl.en.made-in-china.com...zd2-90915-Yzzd3-90915-20003-90915-20004.html?


Sell 10, cost is $6, box and packaging, another $1 easy. How much is shipping, at least $10? So $27 for 10 filters and only $10 profit? You need to have some volume to make it work. I must be missing something, there's got to be more to it than this.

Those are “genuine oil filter” knock offs, not Toyota filters.

Well, you did "seam" ( ) to question it, so I asked you why it wouldn't work since you seem to have some doubt about that design.

i never questioned they wouldn’t work. I would make it the unpainted way like most if not all American engineers did back in the day.

 

[Sayjac]

Wow, for a minute I thought this was a company run by Captain Francesco Schettino, the former ship captain of the ill-fated Costa Concordia.

Well played! I remember that fiasco and pics of the ship..

As for topic, I'll stick to what I know. But, beta testers have at it.

 

[Urshurak776]

If they had holes in center tubes, I would be tempted to pay the $23 on eBay and take a look. I'm almost out of filters for the Hyundai's and Kia's. If I could look down center tube in person and verify well opened louvers, I would consider it also, but alas.....

For the Mazda's, I have no need. I have enough PG and OEM filters for those to last the life of 2 vehicles, and my son may be getting rid of the Kia and getting a Mazda also. I would still have enough.......for all 3.

UPDATE: I just remembered I got 8 of the Rockauto Carquest Reds they were blowing out super cheap (from the West coast Advance AP closures I believe.) So, I'm good....

 

[cheech279]

$23 for this Costa filter? In their day, the Three Stooges won a radio jingle contest and blew their wad in Hotel Costa Plenty.

 

[Owen Lucas]

Those are “genuine oil filter” knock offs, not Toyota filters.

I should have been clearer, I never expected these to be genuine.

Would be interesting to see how close they are in terms of construction and quality.

 

[DannyM]

$23 for this Costa filter? In their day, the Three Stooges won a radio jingle contest and blew their wad in Hotel Costa Plenty.

$23 for a case of 10

 

[DannyM]

If they had holes in center tubes, I would be tempted to pay the $23 on eBay and take a look.

 

[Urshurak776]

Yeah, that's why I said "if" it had holes.

 

[SOUNDMAN5000]

The parent company runs a chain of regional quick-lubes. https://costaoils.com/

58 locations in 21 States... But yea I Google Mapped the address on the filter website... Hmmm? China production and reselling in the USA perhaps may not take a large fancy place to store the stock?

 

[ZeeOSix]

I would make it the unpainted way like most if not all American engineers did back in the day.

Did you mean the painted way?

 

[ZeeOSix]

Looks like they are using the right glue to secure the end caps to the media, and looks to be a silicone ADBV - would have to burn test one to make sure. Maybe the louvers are formed well - they look like it in the photo. And they use a coil spring and a bypass valve built into the end cap instead of a leaf spring.

 

[CleanSump]

I got the same too good to be true vibe from the website too. I plugged the address they give on the "store directory" page into Google maps. Not confidence inspiring. The carpet does not match the drapes, as it were.

112 Frederick Ave, Rockville, MD 20850 Unit F

Unit F is the one with the man door partially blurred by unit G being obscured. H and I are on the end. Poke around the street view and make of it what you will. Their website also lists 112 Frederick Ave, Rockville, MD 20850, omitting the unit F.

Ed

The businesses there aren't sketchy, they're just small businesses and local distribution points. You'll find small businesses like a local moving company, art distributor, advertising graphics co. a thrift store, car parts, etc. there.

 

[CleanSump]

..., and address issue with low-end warehouse is suspicious.

Lots of small businesses in that business park. It's a good yet inexpensive location in one of the wealthiest counties in the Nation. I've been in that very business park for other things.

 

[Fair enough]

Did you mean the painted way?

No, make it the unpainted way, then paint it.

 

[ZeeOSix]

No, make it the unpainted way, then paint it.

I remember the yellow grippy painted PureONE filters with gritty paint overstay that was all over the base plate and in the base gasket groove. I cleaned it all up with carb cleaner on Q-tips before installing - good times.

 

[Zazookie-2000]

I remember the yellow grippy painted PureONE filters with gritty paint overstay that was all over the base plate and in the base gasket groove. I cleaned it all up with carb cleaner on Q-tips before installing - good times.

I bought several of those with the yellow paint all over the baseplate, paint all up in the holes, center threads, and center tube. Took em back and got a refund. At the time it seemed kinda dangerous threading something like that on a high-speed motorcycle. The engine probably would have ate the paint but didn't want to risk it