Why shop locally for parts?

[eljefino]

Originally Posted By: dwcopple
the question really is, can any online price touch the price of the same part at Advance Auto using a discount code? In my experience, no. So it is off to the CPU first and Advance Auto second. Those codes are a God-send!


Saturn s series brake rotor: Advance was $38 before coupon. VIP, $20.99. Note: now on sale at advance.

Also my aforementioned liftgate strut was cheaper, shipped, from RA.

On topic, Advance has a nice meld of online and local presence, despite the coupons and price advantage. Even before coupons were big I would buy a part online then forward the pickup email to my wife so she would just present it and get the right thing, without the 9th degree. Walmart and Blockbuster video are about the closest competitors.

 

[HerrStig]

Originally Posted By: BigCahuna
I buy locally for the simple ease of it. Ordering parts online can be a gamble also. What if they send the wrong part? Or it comes broken? All you have to do is, convince the seller there's was a problem, send it back and wait for a new part to show up hoping it's the right one. That really saves time. And is a cabin filter really that critical enough to insist on a superior factory branded one? Do you think Honda really owns a factory that just makes filters for them? And how about the local guy, your neighbour,the guy whose kids play with yours,Why is supporting him a bad business choice? Who would you think benefits more from the sale of a couple of filters? Honda, Walmart, a big chain store , or the mom and pop store whose owners lives in your community?
Why pay 350 bucks for a center pipe at "the local" when the same pipe by the same company is 125 on Rock Auto.? They tried to make 150 bucks on me ONCE, that was enough. Markup is markup, 150 or 200 bucks is "how to lose a customer".

 

[sciphi]

It depends on the part in question. I ended up getting a cabin filter for the Fit at the local Honda dealer because their price was within $3 of online after shipping, and I got it that day. The parts guy pulled up the online Honda parts sites and compared prices, then showed me his best price. $3 was worth it to me to have it that day.