Online car parts .

[grumpy52]

Used to be a pleasant experience and value for money .
What on earth happened?
Now even from established suppliers, wrong parts ,missed delivery deadlines, obstructive returns systems ,missed collection deadlines .
Try finding a phone number that is buried in the system .
The people we are now dealing wi.th are not car people but call centre operators.

[Smint]

What used to be superb local motor factors have changed hands and no longer what they once were either.

I've been quite lucky buying parts online, brakes are where things go wrong so the very first thing i do when i get a new to me car is when i service the brakes for the first time i take a stencil of the pads both sides and measure the discs, all on a sheet of paper i keep with the paperwork, then when i need new parts can compare with the specs given for the new parts.
Similarly take a note of oil filter part number, then use a cross reference guide to find compatible alternatives, same with other filters batteries etc.

Its the car part buying version of the old saying 'measure twice cut once'.

[Ganglandboss]

Smint said:

What used to be superb local motor factors have changed hands and no longer what they once were either.

I used to do most of the work on my Elise on my cousin's drive, and there was a reliable motor factors in walking distance that had most service items in stock.

The only bad experience (I would say more like slightly frustrating) was when I tried to buy a wiper blade from them. The spray nozzles on the S1 Elise are pretty crap, and there is quite an easy modification to solve the problem. If you change the wiper arm to the one from the S2, you can fit a wiper blade with a spray bar. The Valeo VM15, which is from a Renault Espace, fits perfectly.

When I went for a replacement...

Me: Do you have a Valeo VM15 wiper blade, please?
Assistant: What's the reg number?
Me: The reg number won't give you the right part. I have put a different arm on.
Assistant: I need your reg number...
Me: But that will give you the wrong part...
Assistant: Okay, what vehicle is it for?
Me: A '99 Lotus Elise.
Assistant: (enters reg number, goes into back room, brings out blade without spray bar)
Me: That's no good. I want one with the spray bar (I have now looked up the guide on SELOC to remind me what car the blade is supposed to fit). The blade for a '94 Espace should fit.
Assistant: (Taps at keyboard) Right...you need a Valeo VM15...

We used to have a place around the corner from where I live now. It was only a small shop, but he would get most things next day. I gather he took over the business from his family and wasn't as enthusiastic. He closed the shop and let it to a Papa John's. Now that has fking shut!

Another one opened nearby. I won't name and shame as per the rules, but their name implies they do things quickly. Every time I go, I cannot get in the car park and it takes them ages to serve you. Today I went for a service kit for the same car. I was served by a morbidly obese bloke with a limp, who took half an hour to tell me everything would have to be ordered in.

I'll stick to online shopping now.

[grumpy52]

Ganglandboss said:

Smint said:

What used to be superb local motor factors have changed hands and no longer what they once were either.

I used to do most of the work on my Elise on my cousin's drive, and there was a reliable motor factors in walking distance that had most service items in stock.

The only bad experience (I would say more like slightly frustrating) was when I tried to buy a wiper blade from them. The spray nozzles on the S1 Elise are pretty crap, and there is quite an easy modification to solve the problem. If you change the wiper arm to the one from the S2, you can fit a wiper blade with a spray bar. The Valeo VM15, which is from a Renault Espace, fits perfectly.

When I went for a replacement...

Me: Do you have a Valeo VM15 wiper blade, please?
Assistant: What's the reg number?
Me: The reg number won't give you the right part. I have put a different arm on.
Assistant: I need your reg number...
Me: But that will give you the wrong part...
Assistant: Okay, what vehicle is it for?
Me: A '99 Lotus Elise.
Assistant: (enters reg number, goes into back room, brings out blade without spray bar)
Me: That's no good. I want one with the spray bar (I have now looked up the guide on SELOC to remind me what car the blade is supposed to fit). The blade for a '94 Espace should fit.
Assistant: (Taps at keyboard) Right...you need a Valeo VM15...

We used to have a place around the corner from where I live now. It was only a small shop, but he would get most things next day. I gather he took over the business from his family and wasn't as enthusiastic. He closed the shop and let it to a Papa John's. Now that has fking shut!

Another one opened nearby. I won't name and shame as per the rules, but their name implies they do things quickly. Every time I go, I cannot get in the car park and it takes them ages to serve you. Today I went for a service kit for the same car. I was served by a morbidly obese bloke with a limp, who took half an hour to tell me everything would have to be ordered in.

I'll stick to online shopping now.

Years ago in a Ford parts department I asked for the rear spring hanger bolts for a Mk2 Cortina GT estate .
Not available was the reply we don't keep parts for cars that old .
Ok ,got spring hanger bolts for a Capri 3ltr ?
What year ?
Any year they're all the same .
Can't sell them too you ! Dangerous to fit parts from a different car .
I went up the road to an engineers parts suppliers and got the correct bolts without question except the guy serving me said which old ford was I repairing! He said they only sell that size to people repairing old fords .
The days of comparison parts books has gone .
I got fed up of dealer parts people telling me that they never fitted that part to that model .
Except a Volvo parts guy in Wales that knows which police spec parts fit what cars . Despite the belief that police cars were bog standard !

[Doesitdrive]

Smint said:

What used to be superb local motor factors have changed hands and no longer what they once were either.

I've been quite lucky buying parts online, brakes are where things go wrong so the very first thing i do when i get a new to me car is when i service the brakes for the first time i take a stencil of the pads both sides and measure the discs, all on a sheet of paper i keep with the paperwork, then when i need new parts can compare with the specs given for the new parts.
Similarly take a note of oil filter part number, then use a cross reference guide to find compatible alternatives, same with other filters batteries etc.

Its the car part buying version of the old saying 'measure twice cut once'.

Omnicraft filters are very good at supplying the right one.

Probably what you get from Ford service now too, Parts Plus supply them to Ford agents.

[spants]

I used to have a honda crv mk2. Reg shows that it was registered in 2007 and all the parts I needed "didn't fit" as they were for a mk3 (2007+).
I had to find a random mk2 reg from the internet to buy bits for it.

[E-bmw]

For some years now my go-to-place has been Parts in Motion either on the bay of E or their own online shop, they are excellent and quick.

[AlexGSi2000]

Many parts in general seem to have skyrocketed - just another thing in a catalogue of increases over the past few years.

In terms of service, probably down to the fact people seem to give less of a damn these days.

As above, I've had a lot from parts in motion over the past few years, cannot fault the service at all.
I placed an order with them on Monday for three different parts - they all turned up in different boxes at different times by different couriers - I did ponder over my carbon guilt that day - obviously the parts were all from different warehouses.