What did we do before Euro Car Parts?
Discussion
I know they're not perfect and their regular emails verge on spam but having had a chat with some of the lads at work, they do provide a pretty good service and their prices on parts are usually good.
For example, I priced up an oil filter, oil and air filter for a young lad at work for his C1 and it came to £27. Similarly, I got a back box for my sister's Aygo and it was around £35.
There are lots of local branches and they always seem to have stock in for whatever parts I need.
I've got an Audi A8 and used TPS for my oil and filters this time round but noticed that the oil filter was just a Mann part. I'll probably still use Quantum LL3 rather than ECP's Triple QX though but will probably get my filters from ECP in future.
Anyone think differently of them. Is this the death knoll for local parts stores?
For example, I priced up an oil filter, oil and air filter for a young lad at work for his C1 and it came to £27. Similarly, I got a back box for my sister's Aygo and it was around £35.
There are lots of local branches and they always seem to have stock in for whatever parts I need.
I've got an Audi A8 and used TPS for my oil and filters this time round but noticed that the oil filter was just a Mann part. I'll probably still use Quantum LL3 rather than ECP's Triple QX though but will probably get my filters from ECP in future.
Anyone think differently of them. Is this the death knoll for local parts stores?
If I'm honest I only know one person who uses them, everyone else including myself use specialist places. Between PartsForVolvo and a specialist Volvo indy garage I've never had a need to use them.
Edited to add it's probably not that easy for all brands so they probably do well from different owners.
Edited to add it's probably not that easy for all brands so they probably do well from different owners.
Unipart used to offer a lot more trade counters but seemingly been replaced by ecp. I use them a lot based on price and convenience but mix with specialists for certain parts. Fortunately gsf are good at parts ecp don't provide. In years past it was Russian roulette with local distributors and many were s
te
teI use ECP now for convenience as there are no little motor factors near by.
Back in the 90's when i had my first car i used a place called Shirley Motor Spares (based in Shirley near west Wickham), My dad had been using them for years before that.
He also used to use Volkspares in Sydenham.
With the advent of the internet and these large retailers it seems like the little traders cannot compete as the range of stock held by the likes of ECP is far greater than they can ever have.
Back in the 90's when i had my first car i used a place called Shirley Motor Spares (based in Shirley near west Wickham), My dad had been using them for years before that.
He also used to use Volkspares in Sydenham.
With the advent of the internet and these large retailers it seems like the little traders cannot compete as the range of stock held by the likes of ECP is far greater than they can ever have.
Local little parts place (which was conveniently within walking distance, useful when you realise you need an extra bit after you've taken the car to bits) folded last year, chatting to the guy they just couldn't compete with ECP which had opened 2 stores within a 15 min drive of his shop recently.
I do use ECP for service parts but there are others which do better brands of parts such as Mister Auto which I have started using more, depends how quickly I need the part. For bits on the BMW, Cotswold BMW are surprisingly competitive and you know they're genuine bits, got a set of front brake discs and pads recently for pretty much the same as decent branded parts would have been through ECP.
Don't forget Carparts4less is the mail order only version of ECP, their prices are about the same as ECP "sale" prices.
For the VW, B+B components in Maidstone were pretty good, although sometimes the parts were "second choice" brands, and VW Heritage down on the south coast do a good range too.
GSF used to be the go-to but seemed to have faded into the limelight a bit recently.
I do use ECP for service parts but there are others which do better brands of parts such as Mister Auto which I have started using more, depends how quickly I need the part. For bits on the BMW, Cotswold BMW are surprisingly competitive and you know they're genuine bits, got a set of front brake discs and pads recently for pretty much the same as decent branded parts would have been through ECP.
Don't forget Carparts4less is the mail order only version of ECP, their prices are about the same as ECP "sale" prices.
For the VW, B+B components in Maidstone were pretty good, although sometimes the parts were "second choice" brands, and VW Heritage down on the south coast do a good range too.
GSF used to be the go-to but seemed to have faded into the limelight a bit recently.
Edited by lufbramatt on Friday 17th February 08:14
IanCress said:
They appear to have turned in to the DFS of car parts stores. Every week their '30% sale' is ending. Only to be replaced by another 30% sale the following day.
^^^^This^^^^Although I do still use them, mainly for consumables like oil/antifreeze/etc the artificially high prices so they can then discount them does grind a little, as does the variance of online and instore prices, as we have a store close by I've checked the prices online and silly me expected the prices to be the same over the counter, oh no, usually quite a bit more expensive and without taking any discount codes into consideration, when questioned they make good, but lesson learned to always 'order' online even if collecting.
raceboy said:
^^^^This^^^^
Although I do still use them, mainly for consumables like oil/antifreeze/etc the artificially high prices so they can then discount them does grind a little, as does the variance of online and instore prices, as we have a store close by I've checked the prices online and silly me expected the prices to be the same over the counter, oh no, usually quite a bit more expensive and without taking any discount codes into consideration, when questioned they make good, but lesson learned to always 'order' online even if collecting.
Do click and collect, with the discount code, on your phone while your standing in front of them, they love that Although I do still use them, mainly for consumables like oil/antifreeze/etc the artificially high prices so they can then discount them does grind a little, as does the variance of online and instore prices, as we have a store close by I've checked the prices online and silly me expected the prices to be the same over the counter, oh no, usually quite a bit more expensive and without taking any discount codes into consideration, when questioned they make good, but lesson learned to always 'order' online even if collecting.
KungFuPanda said:
What did we do before Euro Car Parts?
We used the little independent shop down the road who either had everything you needed on the shelf or would get it within an hour or two then ring you to say it was in. If you were passing and needed something but didn't;t have your wallet with you, you paid next time.That'll be the same little shop which closed down permanently last year because they couldn't compete with, er, ECP.
Welshbeef said:
Costco is far cheaper and better quality oil
I would argue that the quality of a specific oil is pretty much the same regardless of where it's bought. 
And my oil requirements are usually quite specific, Castrol Edge 10W60
£51.99 for 4l at ECP...add in the 30% discount and it's £36.39
or £34.99 via carparts4less on ebay.....which surprise surprise is an ECP company too.
Surly it must be easier to have a single price across all your platforms.
raceboy said:
I would argue that the quality of a specific oil is pretty much the same regardless of where it's bought.
And my oil requirements are usually quite specific, Castrol Edge 10W60
£51.99 for 4l at ECP...add in the 30% discount and it's £36.39
or £34.99 via carparts4less on ebay.....which surprise surprise is an ECP company too.
Surly it must be easier to have a single price across all your platforms.
Well if as a group you can make more margin as joe consumer misses out on a deal why not?And my oil requirements are usually quite specific, Castrol Edge 10W60
£51.99 for 4l at ECP...add in the 30% discount and it's £36.39
or £34.99 via carparts4less on ebay.....which surprise surprise is an ECP company too.
Surly it must be easier to have a single price across all your platforms.
Also they are different legal entities
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