FYI - Parts orders from MB Naperville - Free shipping with code 500EPROMO

[emerydc8]

On a somewhat related note (Mercedes factory parts), I have a fuel sending unit (124 542 00 04) I bought back in April 2015 that is now starting to be erratic. Is there a lifetime warranty on their parts now?

 

[gerryvz]

No. I believe it's only two years for most factory parts.

 

[gsxr]

If you purchase through FCP Euro, they offer lifetime warranty.

MB dealers offer 2-year warranty now (previously 1 year).

 

[emerydc8]

Thanks. I thought I remembered reading something about a lifetime warranty but it was with FCP Euro. Maybe I should order the replacement sender from them instead of a dealer.

 

[Harv]

FCP Euro is absurdly good about their warranty. They even warranty wear and tear parts. Oil included!

 

[emerydc8]

FYI, I tried Mercedes Benz of Scottsdale as an alternative to Naperville since the delay of a week or two is simply unacceptable to me. I ordered some hoses from Scottsdale on Sunday night. They shipped out on Monday and I just received them today. Because they use a price matrix based on dealer cost, rather than a flat discount off MSRP, certain items are actually significantly cheaper. I was able to use a discount code 20-OFFSHIPPING. Pursuant to the suggestion of another forum member, I filled a basket and then walked away without buying it. They sent me an email with that discount code. Mercedes-Benz Parts - MB Accessories & Lifestyle Collection | MB Parts Center

 

[gerryvz]

I placed my second order with my local dealer, MB of Annapolis, today. I had a response email from the parts manager within 15 minutes detailing where all of the parts were (and also noting the reservoir was NLA) and detailing when I can expect the parts to be in. All of the parts except two minor items are in the Robbinsville, NJ warehouse; one part is in Fontana, CA, and the remaining two are in Germany. Parts expected Monday of next week for me to pick up. All parts less than MB Naperville; though I am paying 6% MD sales tax. No shipping cost.

 

[emerydc8]

I hate to move business away from Naperville after being with them for so long, but they made a business decision to go down to a skeleton crew and the consequence will be that they will lose customers -- some permanently.

 

[kwontumspeed]

I don't mind paying 50% on shipping, but good lord they must have some of the highest shipping rates for any online retailer.
PP and FCP will be getting my business, I lean on PP because they will ship on my UPS/FEDx accounts collect and that comes in handy for unexpected down time requiring immediate repair, and I need OE overnight. FCP has the best warranty in the business.

 

[gsxr]

kwontum, almost all the RevolutionParts dealers have insane shipping. It isn't just Naperville. Generally your best bet is to find the discount dealer closest to you, which should reduce ship costs. There's a couple in FL and AL that might be decent for shipments to GA.

FCP/etc generally charge full retail for OE/dealer parts and are typically not competitive despite free shipping.

What is "PP"?

 

[geraniumtr]

Dave, "PP" -----Peach Parts I believe.

Regards,

Peter

 

[gsxr]

That's what I thought too, Peter, but I didn't know PeachPelicanShop would bill shipping to your personal UPS/FedEx account...? Never heard of that before, which is why I wanted to check!

 

[geraniumtr]

Dave, My store has a UPS account so I've tried to do that also but without success. Actually a few years ago I bought a 2nd set of factory rims for my winter tires from a guy down south. Gave him our UPS account number...big mistake. My next UPS bill had a bunch of fraudulent shipping charges !
Fortunately UPS did not hold me responsible.

Regards,

Peter

 

[LWB250]

That's what I thought too, Peter, but I didn't know PeachPelicanShop would bill shipping to your personal UPS/FedEx account...? Never heard of that before, which is why I wanted to check!

It's been years since I've looked, but in the past I never found PeachParts to be that competitive. As a result I never look there...

Dan

 

[gerryvz]

PeachParts is not competitive on pricing. They on occasion do have access to parts you can't get other places. Their selection of MB tools in their catalog is also quite good. But as a general-purpose parts vendor, it's much recommended to go AutohauZ, RM European, or (heaven forbid) FCP Yurro. With RockAuto or PartsGeek (parts@gsxr) occasionally for select stuff. For factory parts ... well you guys know the drill on that one.

 

[kwontumspeed]

That's what I thought too, Peter, but I didn't know PeachPelicanShop would bill shipping to your personal UPS/FedEx account...? Never heard of that before, which is why I wanted to check!

Yep, they do. They charge you $10 to do it but when you have to fly a $100 part NDA a $10 surcharge becomes the least of your problems. You can put everything in your cart, then call in and give them the cart# and they process it collect shipment on account.

 

[Kyiv]

It seems that indeed nuts and bolts cause orders to be delayed. My March 26th order, which contains a few screws is still "new", while orders after March 26th have all been delivered

Processing items

ItemCoil Spring	Part #124-324-12-04	Quantity2	Amount$133.20	Status -	ETA
ItemThrottle Cable	Part #124-300-66-30	Quantity1	Amount$31.08	Status -	ETA
ItemLicense Plate Bracket Screw	Part #001-984-64-29	Quantity6	Amount$5.34	Status -	ETA
ItemScrew	Part #000000-000446	Quantity2	Amount$1.34	Status -	ETA
ItemBulb	Part #000000-001061-64	Quantity1	Amount$1.85	Status -	ETA
ItemEngine Timing Chain Tensioner	Part #007603-020100	Quantity1	Amount$1.26	Status -	ETA
ItemReturn Hose	Part #006-997-09-82	Quantity1	Amount$35.89	Status -	ETA
ItemSeal Kit	Part #000-460-44-80	Quantity1	Amount$39.22	Status -	ETA
ItemPower Steering Fluid	Part #Q-1-46-0002	Quantity2	Amount$14.40	Status -	ETA

 

[gerryvz]

Last week, MB's parts distribution warehouse in Robbinsville, NJ (which is generally speaking, MBUSA's primary warehouse), was shut down for three days, so no parts got shipped during this time.

The Robbinsville warehouse opened up again on Friday, but had shipping issues, so very few orders got out.

This is, as you can imagine, causing huge delays not only with civilian "peons" like ourselves, but with MB stealerships nationwide who are working on customers' cars.

 

[nocfn]

Last week, MB's parts distribution warehouse in Robbinsville, NJ (which is generally speaking, MBUSA's primary warehouse), was shut down for three days, so no parts got shipped during this time.

The Robbinsville warehouse opened up again on Friday, but had shipping issues, so very few orders got out.

This is, as you can imagine, causing huge delays not only with civilian "peons" like ourselves, but with MB stealerships nationwide who are working on customers' cars.

My nj shipment was delayed from friday to Tuesday. That is to say, it was delayed leaving there and will be received Tuesday

 

[Allgonquin]

So on May 1 I placed an order at Naperville as follows - these are the "trunk bumpers" as I call them.

2 @ 124-758-00-44-64 End Stop $14.802 $29.60
2 @ 124-758-01-44 Stop, Trunk Lid, VLRUB$14.802 $29.60

I used the 500E Promo code and sucked it up to pay the still ridiculous shipping cost as follows.
Subtotal $59.20
Estimated Shipping to my zip in Maryland via Standard Shipping: $24.25
Discount -$12.28
Total $71.47

A heckuva lot of money for four small pieces of plastic, but OK, my car is worth it....

And today I get this email:

From: mboemparts.com <parts@mboemparts.com>
Subject: Order Cancellation
Date: May 6, 2020 at 1:28:25 PM EDT
To: Chris Whitney <clwhitneyXXXX@gmail.com>
Reply-To: parts@mboemparts.com
We are unable to process your order due to warehouse closures and limited staffing as a result of the coronavirus. We have cancelled your order and are returning your payment. We hope to have all of our distribution centers back on line and at full staff when this pandemic is over.

May I just say UGH.

​

 

[gerryvz]

Allgonquin,

Use MB of Annapolis. Just use their parts site (Mercedes-Benz OEM Parts | Get Mercedes Parts). Place an order (their prices are a bit cheaper than MB Naperville, anyway). In the Notes section in the checkout, please tell them that your order is a local pickup order and no shipping charges will be required.

Then come in after they let you know the order is ready. It will be ready in 5-7 days (depending if parts have to come from Germany). The Internet order manager is Eddie Alexander, he's a good guy and happy to help. Very communicative with order status. You are welcome to drop my name if you want to. The parts office is open weekdays, 9AM-5PM. If you need to reach Eddie directly by email, his email is parts@getmercedesparts.com

They will charge you 6% MD sales tax, but you will save a ton on shipping.

Then visit me on your way back to the Bay Bridge (I'm just off of US-50 and MD-450 intersection - US Naval Academy exit), about 3-4 miles before the bridge toll plaza eastbound).


email from this morning:

 

[emerydc8]

Ordered MB Koala Claw sealant and wheel bearing grease from Naperville on May 7. Just received notice that it is shipping out today. I was hoping that thie turn-around time would improve there but no luck.

 

[gerryvz]

Ordered MB Koala Claw sealant and wheel bearing grease on May 7. Just received notice that it is shipping out today. I was hoping that thie turn-around time would improve there but no luck.

From MB Scottsdale, or MB Naperville?

 

[emerydc8]

Naperville.

 

[RicardoD]

Why would the turn around time improve if it is still just Bob in Naperville doing the best he can?

 

[Jlaa]

Why would the turn around time improve if it is still just Bob in Naperville doing the best he can?

Yeah, Illinois (where Naperville is) is suffering. On wed 5/13, they just reported the highest number of deaths in a single day (192) since the pandemic began. I cut them a lot of slack because:

1) It is just Bob working parts right now.
2) They have been very good to me over the years.

I hope Illinois recovers soon, and Naperville can get back to business "as usual."

 

[Kyiv]

I've abandoned Naperville. Only one order thus far with MB of Annapolis, but - very snappy response and person over the phone was pleasantly proactive with information:

Me: do you have this part number in stock?

Person on the other end, in quick succession: "don't have it in stock" -> "let's see who has and how many" -> "ok, x3 in new Jersey warehouse only" -> "cut off shipping time for NJ warehouse is so and so, we've got about half an hour to place an order so that it ships from there today" -> "takes one business day to get here and if gets here by such and such time, we'll get it out to you same day"

Me: *butterflies in my stomach* "I'll place the order online now. Thank you"

Most others I've dealt with, including Naperville, you have to extract information in a series of pulls, like removing old, petrified heater hose. But Bob at Naperville is polite. Most places just burb: "parts" -> "nuh, special order" -> "bye-ugh"

@Gerry, what did MB Annapolis says about a possibility of a shipping discount code for this forum? Even 50% off would be awesome

 

[gerryvz]

I placed an order on Monday morning with MB Annapolis, and just went down and picked it up. A few odds and ends for my build (you'll see some of it very shortly in the HOW-TO). Can't complain with four days.

 

[gerryvz]

@Gerry, what did MB Annapolis says about a possibility of a shipping discount code for this forum? Even 50% off would be awesome

I don't think they are interested in doing a code for the forum, no. They are happy to waive shipping for a local pickup, though. Combined with the low prices, it's a good deal.

It appears that the sales tax rate in NoVa (depending on where you live) is ~4.5-6%. If you are in Great Falls, Reston or Tyson's Corner, VA area, appears to be same as MD ... 6%.

What I REALLY need to do is to score an account at a Delaware dealership. That would eliminate sales tax.

 

[gerryvz]

MB's Robbinsville, NJ main parts warehouse is on the I-95 corridor, north of Philadephia, and only about 160 miles from my house (3-hour drive). I would say that 80% of my parts orders from Naperville and Annapolis, come from that warehouse. So geographically it is much closer to me than when I lived in TX. So the orders come a bit quicker since it's so close.

 

[Kyiv]

MB Annapolis did not collect sales tax on my order (shipped to me, not local pick up)

 

[gerryvz]

Wow, nice. That helps offset the shipping costs, a bit. How long did it take?

The Naperville free shipping was a great deal for everyone. I will miss that.

 

[Sam SL]

Overall, I will miss Naperville as well and my sentiments are mixed. They were great as long as I didn't have to phone them or wait for an email reply for anything. I was able to rationalize that part of it when shipping was prepaid. I also never understood why they used such large boxes to pack small items; has to cost more to ship in the long run.

 

[emerydc8]

Why would the turn around time improve if it is still just Bob in Naperville doing the best he can?

Because up until about three months ago there used to be an economic system called Capitalism where businesses competed with eachother for customers. and constantly sought to improve their services. Using the virus as an excuse to understaff a business is simply bad business. The Case Fatality Rate is only .15%. Moreover, if you're under 50, you have a better chance of winning the lottery than dying of the virus. 80,000 people died last year of the common flu. True it's a bad virus, but I haven't seen the sheep this scared since 911.

 

[Kyiv]

I've placed my 2nd order with MB Annapolis today, May 18, and they are already processing it and I can see useful notes that makes me fully aware of its status and timeframes to expect. I just love it

 

[gerryvz]

I’ll tell Eddie you’re one of my peeps. I put in an order this morning, too. But not a @nocfn $10 order

 

[Kyiv]

@nocfn, so you're the one who deprived us of free shipping with MB Naperville?

 

[gerryvz]

And one or two others who fessed up. Those two or three weekly $10-20 impulse orders with the free shipping really add up....

Actually @nocfn was not a culprit. But unfortunately it was upsetting for me to hear from MB Naperville that there were people here gaming the system. I was really hoping we were better than that. But, free stuff.

 

[Kyiv]

My post, accusing @nocfn was in jest only.

I, personally, think MB Naperville forgot the concept of a "loss leader". I had a business partner like that, who's world came crashing down when we, occasionally, lost $5-40 on a transaction to provide utmost customer service, on my insistence. On multiple occasions this resulted either in repeat business or a referral transaction with a several hundred to a few thousand dollar profit. Losing $5-40 on an occasional transaction was recouped many, many times over, time and time again. Yet my ex-partner never got over it, despite the numbers. With a regular periodicity we would squabble over the practice. Some people/businesses myopically saw the bough they are sitting on

 

[Jlaa]

My post, accusing @nocfn was in jest only.

I, personally, think MB Naperville forgot the concept of a "loss leader". I had a business partner like that, who's world came crashing down when we, occasionally, lost $5-40 on a transaction to provide utmost customer service, on my insistence. On multiple occasions this resulted either in repeat business or a referral transaction with a several hundred to a few thousand dollar profit. Losing $5-40 on an occasional transaction was recouped many, many times over, time and time again. Yet my ex-partner never got over it, despite the numbers. With a regular periodicity we would squabble over the practice. Some people/businesses myopically saw the bough they are sitting on

Was your business partner a perfectionist?

 

[Kyiv]

Was your business partner a perfectionist?

Myopic, greedy fool with an ego

 

[gerryvz]

I'm sure as with a lot of businesses, including auto dealerships owned by large conglomerates (AutoNation), and such, that a lot of things were looked at to maximize profits and cut costs during the COVID crisis. I'm sure that many dealerships' management sent out notes to their department heads telling them to cut costs and conserve cash during these tough times.

Different dealerships have dealt with the issue in different ways. Some have trimmed/furloughed staff and cut service levels. Some have ceased operating certain departments or lines of business overall. Some have continued operating as if nothing happened.

I certainly can't blame MB Naperville for reducing service and changing the free shipping deal, if that's what it took to help them stay in business and maximize profits and efficiency. The fact that they are still taking orders, and even offering a 50% shipping discount, is still VERY commendable. I mean, how many other RevParts dealerships are even giving a standard 50% off of shipping, let alone free shipping? Not too many out there !!

And it does seem like there is potential for the deal to return in the future, but not a promise. The bottom line is that money is going to follow where the best deals are. Everyone has their favorite dealership. I know that some people like MB of Portland; some like MB of Gainesville (remember Darvin and that crew, that offered free shipping); some like the MB Classic Center and Tom Hanson; and there are others.

MB of Naperville went out of their way to create special codes for this forum and for other forums, so they could track the business and offer a benefit to enthusiasts. This was highly commendable, and they won a lot of online business because of it (and were still able to make a profit). What I find unfortunate is that they feel that their generosity was taken advantage of by folks here, and on other forums. They were taken for granted, because people felt entitled to getting something (free shipping) for nothing. I know this is human nature, to want "free stuff".

So one can't fault MB Naperville in these super tough times. They still have a pretty sweetheart deal (good prices, no sales tax, and 50% off of their already fairly low shipping costs as far as RevParts sites go). I hope that our old deal comes back, but I'm not counting on it. Personally I appreciate the fact that I have a local alternative that is pretty much just as good, but I realize that not everyone does.

I would recommend that folks go into their local stealerships, and talk to the parts manager (or Internet parts manager, if they sell parts online), and see if you can get a shipping-free account with them and/or price discounts on parts. It never hurts to ask.

I do not believe that a "loss leader" is a viable medium- or long-term business model. It may build market share and attract customers in the short term, but if what you are selling is a commodity or easily available elsewhere, for competitive prices, people will go where the deals are (and what happens if a competitor responds with their own "loss leader"? This type of business strategy is just not sustainable over the long term.

I remember years ago when parts.com was selling MB parts (it was MB Naperville who fulfilled the orders, before they went out on their own). I had EXTENSIVE conversations both with Tom Hanson and my friend, the parts dealer Robert Fenton. They were both amazed and shocked at the prices that parts.com was selling factory MB parts for (cheaper than what MB Naperville and other RevParts dealers sell them for now). Both Tom and Robert told me that what parts.com was doing was NOT sustainable and they were very likely just breaking even on deals, if that. Robert told me that the prices that parts.com was selling at, were lower than the prices HE could buy parts at. We sat at his terminal for many nights comparing prices between his costs and parts.com prices. It was funny to watch the look on his face !! And sure enough, eventually Parts.com started raising their prices, which they did in several stages over the course of about a year. It was because they weren't making much money on the Internet parts operation, particularly after parts.com (the order front-end) took their cut off the top.

Eventually parts.com and MB Naperville had a falling out, and after a short pause, MB Naperville adopted the RevolutionParts platform, and started fulfilling parts orders on its own. As did a lot of dealerships. Not having to pay the parts.com "tax" probably made things a bit more profitable, but price levels never came back down to the heady days of the parts.com cost+15% levels, or whatever it was.

 

[TerryA]

I certainly can't fault MB Naperville for trying to cut his losses. You guys used it for a long time and appreciated it they were praised by everyone.
I know everybody likes to save a buck but have a little compassion here. I'm sure Bob is doing the best he can under the circumstances. Nobody asked for this COVID-19 but we all have to deal with it.

Anyway, I for one will still use Naperville when I can.

lol

 

[gsxr]

And one or two others who fessed up. Those two or three weekly $10-20 impulse orders with the free shipping really add up.... I certainly can't blame MB Naperville for reducing service and changing the free shipping deal, if that's what it took to help them stay in business and maximize profits and efficiency.

The easy fix is to require a minimum order amount for free shipping. Over $200 (or whatever the number is), free shipping, up to X amount... still need to adjust for stuff that has to ship freight, like engines or transmissions, not sure how they handle that. I don't know why they have ignored this obvious solution, unless they really don't want more business right now. (?)

The fact that they are still taking orders, and even offering a 50% shipping discount, is still VERY commendable. I mean, how many other RevParts dealerships are even giving a standard 50% off of shipping, let alone free shipping? Not too many out there !!

I don't know any other site that offers a discount on the stupid RevParts ship calculator, during checkout. And yes, 50% off is helpful, unless the stupid calculator is coming up with truly ridiculous numbers. I entered an order of multiple small parts at Napsterville last week, $300 order, $100 shipping. For stuff that weighs a few pound and would fit in a shoebox. Even at half off, that's nuts. It's not the dealer's fault entirely, it's the RevParts eCommerce platform that can't properly handle estimated size/weight, especially with large quantities.

And it does seem like there is potential for the deal to return in the future, but not a promise. The bottom line is that money is going to follow where the best deals are. Everyone has their favorite dealership. I know that some people like MB of Portland; some like MB of Gainesville (remember Darvin and that crew, that offered free shipping); some like the MB Classic Center and Tom Hanson; and there are others.

For anyone with time and energy, try contacting different RevParts dealers and see what they are willing to do. Some will tell you to get bent, or just ignore the request. But others might want your business. Don't know until you ask.

For years, Husker would adjust the stupid ship charges to something reasonable, almost always under $20, but my orders were always $200-$1k. This was after the order was placed (with crazy ship quote), but before my credit card was charged. Then a new guy took over and the ship charges doubled - still a big drop from whatever crazy number showed in the RevParts checkout, but definitely "making money on shipping", which irks me. When they charge more than what *I* could ship the package for, at consumer/retail rates, that bugs me. These places have extremely low commercial / high volume rates.

 

[LWB250]

I would recommend that folks go into their local stealerships, and talk to the parts manager (or Internet parts manager, if they sell parts online), and see if you can get a shipping-free account with them and/or price discounts on parts. It never hurts to ask.

^^^^^^
This. Many times over.

While going to your closest dealer won't work for everyone from a logistical standpoint, if it's an option you should definitely explore it. And speak with the wholesale parts manager if there is one, not a counter jockey. This might take you all of five minutes and yield results. If not, no harm, no foul. But - if you can strike a deal, you've got a business relationship that will benefit both of you.

Some things to note:

1. Give them numbers. Total up your annual purchases and be prepared to present the amount. This is the language they understand. When I told my dealer almost 25 years ago that I spend on average $5,000/year on Mercedes parts, he was interested. Certainly, they have wholesale accounts that buy far more, but this is not an amount to dismiss. As Geddy Lee once said, "Ten bucks is ten bucks."
2. Emphasize the frequency of your orders. Weekly? Monthly? It costs them money to process your orders. If you're making multi-day $10 orders, they're not going to be keen about working with you. I try to limit my orders to once weekly at the most.
3. Tell them you want to work with stock orders. I've explained this in the past, but in a nutshell being able to utilize stock orders makes your business more attractive to them, as it saves them money and increases their profit margin.
4. Explain your use of the EPC system or researching parts on your own. Again, this is a timesaver for them as their parts people aren't spending precious time looking up numbers for the right rear door lock plunger thingy you need. Bringing a completed order with part numbers is a huge timesaver for them. Sure, there will be times you need their assistance, but if you're doing the heavy lifting most of the time it's to their advantage.
5. Tell them what you want. You have to articulate what you expect out of the deal. Be realistic. Some dealers are bound by corporate policies and don't have the flexibility or authority to give out discounts or free shipping. If it were me today I would ask for wholesale pricing, which is what I get today. They might come back and say 15%. If so, take it and ask them if you can revisit the discount after a year of purchases. It costs nothing to ask.

Granted, I did this almost 25 years ago when internet sales were nothing compared to what they are now. However, if you can make yourself appear to be a consistent and reliable profit center for the dealer there's a good chance they'll give up something to have your business. Furthermore, if you are successful in obtaining concessions, provide praise and reinforcement to the employees.

A couple times a year I'll swing by Domino's Pizza on my way to a parts pickup and buy 3-4 pizzas to put out for the parts department people. I write letters of commendation to the GM of the dealer every couple of years for my parts guy and the counter lady that serve me. These things cost little but buy you goodwill that never ends. The last time I wrote a letter the GM read it to the whole dealership in a team meeting. Those two people (and their boss, the parts department manager) got a massive amount of cred out of this. It took me all of 10 minutes to write the letter.

Make the effort and it will most likely yield results. Nothing lost, nothing gained.

Dan

 

[Kyiv]

@gerryvz, in this case of a "loss leader" I was referring to an occasional "$10" transaction, on which Naperville lost a few $ due to shipping that were surely recouped many times over when the same consumer - because of free shipping and smooth previous transaction - came back later and purchased, say, $500 worth of parts, thus Naperville recouping loses from this customer's previous transaction many times over.

My guess is that one, Naperville did not consider overall profit from 500EPROMO transactions. They just saw that there were some transactions that made them no money. Two, no one bothered to consider demand elasticity. Hypothetically thinking aloud: say "no free shipping" costed them x4 $500 transactions a month that went elsewhere. Profit from these x4 transactions would have recouped all looses from several $10 transactions over the same month. In this hypothetical case there no net benefit to Naperville. If it's x6 $500 transactions that went elsewhere, Naperville actually reduced their profit. And so on

Timing "now you've got to pay for shipping" and "it will take longer to get your stuff" is in bad taste too, even if there's a legitimate underlying reason.

 

[gerryvz]

I don't think anything that Naperville has done is in bad taste. They didn't set out to say "let's screw the 500Eboard and other forum members who are taking advantage of our generosity." Their changes in policy have been necessitated by their business survival, as dictated by current economic and social conditions. For God's sake, these are pretty danged unusual times. I'm sure that on March 1, they didn't expect how far south, how quickly, their sales, service and parts business would go.

The beautiful thing is that options exist, and people will continue to use them. Viva Capitalism !!

 

[Kyiv]

A couple times a year I'll swing by Domino's Pizza on my way to a parts pickup and buy 3-4 pizzas to put out for the parts department people

And, exactly how the hell do you know parts people wouldn't prefer an organic, gluten-free kale salad to your pizzas, yet you keep stuffing then with pizzas, year after year?

The last time I wrote a letter the GM read it to the whole dealership in a team meeting

The way you write, in place of GM, I'd read your letters to the whole dealership every time you wrote!

 

[gsxr]

^^^^^^
This. Many times over.

While going to your closest dealer won't work for everyone from a logistical standpoint, if it's an option you should definitely explore it. And speak with the wholesale parts manager if there is one, not a counter jockey. This might take you all of five minutes and yield results. If not, no harm, no foul. But - if you can strike a deal, you've got a business relationship that will benefit both of you.

Forgot to mention: I did this ~15 years ago and still buy from my local dealer, but the discount is not competitive with online dealers, I have to pay sales tax on top, and make 1-hour round trip to pick up the parts. It is still worth it for many items, especially heavy, bulky, or fragile items that may get damaged in shipping. As described in Dan's mini-whitepaper, I send them a spreadsheet with part numbers / qty / description and estimated cost at my discount. They just process the order, no lookups needed. At the time I was probably ordering every 1-2 months, now reduced to every 3-6 months. Almost always a few hundred bucks at a time. I do need to ask them if they can give me a better discount though... when I can save $100 and have stuff delivered to my doorstep, the Geddy Lee quote comes to mind...

 

[gerryvz]

Yes, I think a "White Paper" sub-forum may well be in order.