poor responses from auto salvage services

[GON]

Over the past two weeks I have reached out via email to six different auto salvage yards that sell late model vehicle parts.

My email contains everything needed for the auto salvage yard to easily respond to the email. They don't need to ask me any questions to respond to the email, very easy to reply. Yet I received zero replies.

One inquiry was for a front clip. After no response to numerous emails, I called the salvage yard in Omaha, NE. The clip has been in their inventory since 2023 and is still in their inventory.

Their Omaha salvage yard response when I called--- we had a hail storm last year. The clip might have hail damage, and we aren't interested in inspecting the clip. Not kidding or exaggerating.

All I can conclude is business must be very good, and no reason to respond to voice or email inquiries.

Of note, the sellers on eBay for auto body parts are very responsive.

 

[Chris142]

Here they have a website with prices and pics.

 

[daves87rs]

Most yards want you there to make that money….not answering the phone I guess…..

 

[dishdude]

Understaffed and the employees that are there are lazy. Phone/email inquires probably rarely close. It's also a salvage yard, not a Ritz Carlton.

 

[GON]

Here they have a website with prices and pics.

Yes, that is how I find the parts. When I reply, I give their item number, their vin, etc in the inquiry. Still radio silence. I am not sending out a blind request for the part, only sending a request for an item they are showing for sale.

 

[GON]

Understaffed and the employees that are there are lazy. Phone/email inquires probably rarely close. It's also a salvage yard, not a Ritz Carlton.

The front clip is listed at $5500. Not peanuts (at least for me). The front clip has been in the inventory since 2023. Apparently zero motivation to make the sale from the selling yard.

 

[GON]

This is an example of what I include in a email to the seller..not much effort I would suspect to grasp the item I am.inquiring about.

Ref#
2723713
Condition
1.0
Mileage
103,000
Year Model
2020 F350SD
VIN
1FTRF3D6XLEC11512
Stock #
223254
OEM
0
Units of Damage
0
Condition Code
1.0
Body Code
PICKUP
Date Acquired
12/29/2023 5:00:00 AM
Location
16J

 

[dishdude]

The front clip is listed at $5500. Not peanuts (at least for me). The front clip has been in the inventory since 2023. Apparently zero motivation to make the sale from the selling yard.

Doesn't make sense to me either. They probably work with local auto body shops and the bulk of their sales come from them, they don't want to be bothered with the general public. I've run into this with a number of automotive facilities, The few times I went into Napa I got the same impression.

 

[walterjay]

Hard to believe that someone in business does not want to do business. Must be out in the old school bus smokin weed.

 

[Number_35]

I can't remember ever receiving a response from an auto wrecker in response to an emailed query or even to a completed "contact us" form.

Now I just phone.

 

[dfarr67]

I've seen this too- move on....

 

[Greenbeforeblue]

Once a business shows you who they are, believe them and move on.

 

[SC Maintenance]

I have never had any luck with emailing a salvage yard. You have to call. Except LKQ. This goes back forever.

If you call there usually pretty good - but the standard answer is they will look and call you back. And they do.

 

[rijndael]

Hard to believe that someone in business does not want to do business.

There is often a motivation difference between an employee and an owner.

 

[Kira]

Yup. I have an example which is not entirely comparable but includes some of the vocabulary used so far.

Friend's 200X Volvo XC-90 got the water leak which kills the YAW sensor bolted to the passenger's seat floor.
A replacement YAW sensor -a 2"x3"x1" box (pn 31110063)- was $650.
However, at that specific time, there was a dealer's special which dropped the price to $550!

Turns out this and other sensors, were not included in "junkyard inventory programs" used in the industry.
It's not hard to understand that it took several phone calls, after an in-person visit, to motivate THE BOSS to send one of his "uns" outside to fetch one.
Once they had it in their hands, mailing it to me was a familiar, easily accomplished option.
God bless American grit, determination and know-how.
$100 + postage.

 

[PWMDMD]

I recently bought a headunit for the 2022 Kia Soul from a salvage yard in Vermont. They have a website with everything itemized and with pictures. They will explicitly tell you that they tested electronics and it comes with a 1 year warranty. I bought it online without any human contact and it shipped the next day, it worked, and life went on. Easy...

https://www.brownsautosalvage.com/

 

[Hall]

Most yards want you there to make that money….not answering the phone I guess…..

Phone/email inquires probably rarely close. It's also a salvage yard, not a Ritz Carlton.

This ^^ is the reason. Too many lookie-lookies and 98% of them never follow through so it's not worth it to them.

 

[K-Man]

This is part of a larger problem with poor service, typically from small operations. When I was trying to get someone to give me an estimate to remove certain limbs, brush, etc., from my yard that I couldn't handle, two different operators set up an appointment time, then didn't show, didn't call or text, and had full or nonfunctioning voice mail. They had ghosted me. Another time a plumber did the same thing, ghosting me after making an appointment for plumbing work. Others tell me of similar things.

Small businesses are their own worst enemies, then when customers send business to larger operations with better service, those same small businesses complain no one will give them a chance. These salvage yards are no exception. They might as well sell their operations to LKQ.

 

[JHZR2]

Every yard I’ve gone to don’t seem to be particularly organized, but the front counter is pleasant. They do answer phones, but I’ve had no luck with emails.

 

[D60]

I was recently looking for an interior door panel and the guy snapped a pic of theirs from his screen and texted it to me right there. I thought that was cool. car-part.com doesn't list interior stuff, or at least not interior door cards.

But yeah, I called. I'm pretty sure state law doesn't allow email in Farmington, NM (@GON knows what I mean) -- after all, no one could read it anyway