Repco has bought Rare Spares.

[Franco Cozzo]

If there's an independent parts company, try support them over the corporates.

They're few and far between now though due to unscrupulous business tactics from Burson/Repco though

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

The Repco in Benella has a lady whose been in the game for a long time, she knows her stuff.

If she's still around I haven't spoken to her for a while now.

The regional Repco branches tend to have that old bloke (or lass) whose been around the traps for decades compared to the suburban branches where it's the army of pimply faced children.

Benalla is an old style store. She's good, I must admit to trying there to buy Duplicolor Goldrush gold paint, she rang around all the stores (made them physically look at the stock) and got it in for me. I couldn't buy it anywhere without having to go there to pick it up in person.
Albury, Wang and Shepp are just useless.
Fortunately there's a new Bursons in Wang (for the car stuff) but most of my stuff comes from Twin city or Thompson Kenworth. Truckline seems to be heading down the repco route.

As you said the big boys want to take over the independents we had a great little local truck bloke in Wang, Adams Transport Supplies but has recently been taken over by Truckline. Customer service has already gone down and prices have risen.
We'll see.

[FroudeyBrand]

Originally Posted by Yellow_Festiva

Irrelevant, my thoughts are their search engine looks at the item description not only the product name.

If Supercheap can get it right so can Repco. It shouldn't be that hard.

Oh... Repco sells 6417 items of "engine flush".

And 6832 items for just flush - the first being a roof rack of course.

As I said... an obvious glitch.

Meanwhile @ Autobarn Online / Website

Enter Rego. Nekminute
Registration Search

Sorry, we couldn't find the vehicle you were looking for.

Please check your details and try again. Or, you can use the Manual Search option below.

I think by manual search they mean manually sift through pages of rubbish and hopefully you already know the part number etc.

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by .:4:.

That sounds like entertainment value buying an air filter for the xf.

Especially after you have to explain to them what a carburetor is first.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by roKWiz

Benalla is an old style store. She's good, I must admit to trying there to buy Duplicolor Goldrush gold paint, she rang around all the stores (made them physically look at the stock) and got it in for me. I couldn't buy it anywhere without having to go there to pick it up in person.
Albury, Wang and Shepp are just useless.
Fortunately there's a new Bursons in Wang (for the car stuff) but most of my stuff comes from Twin city or Thompson Kenworth. Truckline seems to be heading down the repco route.

As you said the big boys want to take over the independents we had a great little local truck bloke in Wang, Adams Transport Supplies but has recently been taken over by Truckline. Customer service has already gone down and prices have risen.
We'll see.

I have a little bit of contact with that new Burson store in Wangaratta but they're all the same, cookie cutter corporate model the only thing that varies is their local stock holding which they'll stock a branch with the parts for cars they know are the local area.

There's a commercial vehicle specialist in Shepparton whose still independent - HM Transport Maintenance

https://www.hmtransportmaintenance.com.au/

There's a nasty side of GPC Asia Pacific and BAPCOR - especially when independent business sources their parts they resell through those two corporates.

They monitor everything people buy, so they know what you are searching for, they know vehicle on road in the region, they know the part numbers and they know their velocity - the independent is handing over all this information every time they restock/order from one of these corporate shill brands, don't think Burson/Repco, think their wholesale distributors supplying resellers (like your Adams Transport Supplies).

They might pop in and put in a laughable offer to buy your business, which you refuse.

Then a few months later a new Burson/Repco or NAPA opens up in the area, conveniently stocked with everything you supply to your customers, and then sells at a loss until you close - then the prices massively increase once you are gone.

It sucks for the people who work at those corporates too because they are very limited to what they can do in regards to moving on pricing, or maybe free freight deals and even things like free samples - its like trying to negotiate with the pimply faced teenager behind the counter at coles, they have no power except to process your transaction and take payment.

I give people free **** all the time at work, usually it'll be some bloke comes in wants a small job done and its not worth me processing the paperwork so I'll just talk to one of the boys in the workshop, get it done right away and send them on their way

Costs nothing for the company at the end of the day, word of mouth advantages, they tell their friends or keep coming back for other stuff, no skin of anyones nose - can't do that at the corporate.

If there's too much policy and procedure then what happens is it gets so locked down that you take away peoples drive and initiative and then end up with the pimply faced child on Maccas money who goes 'year make model'.

[hawke]

If you needed any convincing about Repco, on Productreview.com.au there are 42 five star ratings, and 180 one star. I’m just surprised at the 42 five star ratings.

Without boring the pants off you, I saw one Xmas day, of a Repco Boxing Day sale. Degreaser at $1 a can. Went to the local Repco at Tempe - Sydney. Not open Boxing Day.

Next day, no degreaser on display. Asked why? “If we put it out at those prices, it will all go”. Well, I’ll take a box of a dozen. “I’m sorry sir, I cant sell you that much, because we’ll run out of stock.” WTF!!!

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

I have a little bit of contact with that new Burson store in Wangaratta but they're all the same, cookie cutter corporate model the only thing that varies is their local stock holding which they'll stock a branch with the parts for cars they know are the local area.

There's a commercial vehicle specialist in Shepparton whose still independent - HM Transport Maintenance

https://www.hmtransportmaintenance.com.au/

There's a nasty side of GPC Asia Pacific and BAPCOR - especially when independent business sources their parts they resell through those two corporates.

They monitor everything people buy, so they know what you are searching for, they know vehicle on road in the region, they know the part numbers and they know their velocity - the independent is handing over all this information every time they restock/order from one of these corporate shill brands, don't think Burson/Repco, think their wholesale distributors supplying resellers (like your Adams Transport Supplies).

They might pop in and put in a laughable offer to buy your business, which you refuse.

Then a few months later a new Burson/Repco or NAPA opens up in the area, conveniently stocked with everything you supply to your customers, and then sells at a loss until you close - then the prices massively increase once you are gone.

Yep, that exactly what Bunnings did to the 2 hardware stores in Wang.

Time will tell with the new Bursons. They do have a guy working there with good product knowledge but we'll see.

Little independent place in Euroa called Petrostar is a great source of every fanbelt, filter and obscure part related to tractors and trucks.
He's the only one that could find Balwin airfilters to suit Dodge D5N 6V53 for the Louisville and alternator belts for the same.

[prktkljokr]

I went to Repco Cockburn central, asked the girl for a set of plugs for a Smart Fortwo, she thought I was playing a joke on her and grabbed another staff member who also didn't know what one was, they also thought I was pulling their leg, after 15 minutes of ****ing about they finally Googled it ( after I spelled out F O R T W O) and realised it was in fact a car, and came back to me that they don't stock them.

On another occasion I needed a cam belt kit for a Getz, I got the what's the rego (car unlicensed) what engine, I answer with 1.4, then get another 10 questions about year, if manual, 3 or 5 door, etc, I just informed the guy that they are all the same from 2002 to 2011 manual, Auto, 1.4, 1.6 whatever they are all the same and all take the same cam belt with the exception to the 1.3 which is different.

So we already know how Rare spares will go if they go the same computer inventory, can see it now.

Hi, I need a headlight surround for a HQ.
What's the rego?
The car is being restored so it not licenced,
Ok who makes a HQ?
Holden
How do you spell that?
Hang up!

[Franco Cozzo]

Given what we know collectively on AFF about our own cars - if there was an option where you just bought something online and then it turned up to your door within two hours or up to next business day would you be more inclined to support that?

Whats bringing you into your local Burson/Repco branch - it can't be the customer service because its virtually non existent.

Originally Posted by prktkljokr

I went to Repco Cockburn central, asked the girl for a set of plugs for a Smart Fortwo, she thought I was playing a joke on her and grabbed another staff member who also didn't know what one was, they also thought I was pulling their leg, after 15 minutes of ****ing about they finally Googled it ( after I spelled out F O R T W O) and realised it was in fact a car, and came back to me that they don't stock them.

On another occasion I needed a cam belt kit for a Getz, I got the what's the rego (car unlicensed) what engine, I answer with 1.4, then get another 10 questions about year, if manual, 3 or 5 door, etc, I just informed the guy that they are all the same from 2002 to 2011 manual, Auto, 1.4, 1.6 whatever they are all the same and all take the same cam belt with the exception to the 1.3 which is different.

So we already know how Rare spares will go if they go the same computer inventory, can see it now.

Hi, I need a headlight surround for a HQ.
What's the rego?
The car is being restored so it not licenced,
Ok who makes a HQ?
Holden
How do you spell that?
Hang up!

Give them a VIN for a car that doesn't follow the 17 character standard - ie a 1980s F100 and watch them draw a blank when it defeats their cataloguing

Thats a bastard of a car to find stuff for because its not a direct copy of its US counterpart, its a mish mash of Falcon stuff and F100 stuff.

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

Given what we know collectively on AFF about our own cars - if there was an option where you just bought something online and then it turned up to your door within two hours or up to next business day would you be more inclined to support that?

Tell you the truth I don't buy online because basically in the country its no quicker than them ordering it in and me seeing it first.

Another thing I will not buy into is supporting companies like Amazon and the people who keep plugging Amazon links on youtube etc.
There a RV living forum in the US and every second member there is flogging something they bought on Amazon because of the company credits they receive

[MrEL]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

Given what we know collectively on AFF about our own cars - if there was an option where you just bought something online and then it turned up to your door within two hours or up to next business day would you be more inclined to support that?

Whats bringing you into your local Burson/Repco branch - it can't be the customer service because its virtually non existent.



Give them a VIN for a car that doesn't follow the 17 character standard - ie a 1980s F100 and watch them draw a blank when it defeats their cataloguing

Thats a bastard of a car to find stuff for because its not a direct copy of its US counterpart, its a mish mash of Falcon stuff and F100 stuff.

I'd happily order off the part numbers myself and have it sent.
At least that way I won't need to be told how wrong I am with what parts I want.
I'm happy to pay more to get customer service , but that's gone now.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by roKWiz

Tell you the truth I don't buy online because basically in the country its no quicker than them ordering it in and me seeing it first.

Another thing I will not buy into is supporting companies like Amazon and the people who keep plugging Amazon links on youtube etc.
There a RV living forum in the US and every second member there is flogging something they bought on Amazon because of the company credits they receive

With what you're experiencing there being regional is how the person you are buying from manages freight.

You can't just rely on Australia Post/Startrack/DFE etc, we've got a heap of freight companies we use depending on where a customer is located and specialists who deal with certain areas better than others.

There's this oldskool freight mob called West Berg Freight Forwarding based in Thomastown, everything is done via paper consignment notes and they're a regional freight specialist.

They have by far the best delivery service to regional VIC going West/North, someone in Ballarat will see their freight at 7:30AM next day, hell I had a customer in Kyneton get their order in the early hours of the morning once because the driver was going past at 2AM

Gippsland - Express 1 is mint for Melbourne - Gippsland region for next business day.

There;s a freight mob in SA called Cochranes which does Adelaide to regional SA deliveries better than anyone else - every state has one of these freight mobs who specialises in out of the way destinations, its just a little bit of effort on someones behalf.

During COVID issues in VIC we saw a lot of big corporates traditionally bricks and mortar business models suddenly go online with their businesses and they lazily relied on Australia Post, who couldn't deal with the massive increase in freight volumes and its absolute chaos, Melbourne to Melbourne 11 days

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by MrEL

I'm happy to pay more to get customer service , but that's gone now.

I keep hearing about all these people who are customer service specialist, but where are they ?

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by roKWiz

I keep hearing about all these people who are customer service specialist, but where are they ?

The way I look at it is a human has the capability of initiative and can be the gateway of knowledge about things not neccessarily on a catalogue, if you aren't going to use upstairs to help someone then there's no point in you being there.

If you're going to be as useless as pull the 'year make and model' card on a customer then the customer can do that themselves online, just need a payment gateway and a delivery address and we don't need humans doing basic **** for us like just processing our transaction.

I've had customers need help with figuring something out so I've got under the bonnet in our driveway, under someones bus out in the street or even come out to their workshop and got under a car on the hoist with them to help them measure up stuff and figure out what they need, no skin off my nose.

I run our coffee club to our local servo at work (lol) and I ordered food with my coffee with their tactically placed junk food meat pie thingamabob, they wanted me to grab the food myself, mother****er I could probably make my own coffee too if this is how its going to be so what are you doing here!

There was three customers I had on the Friday just gone who I managed to give them parts from other cars that they could modify to make work for their application rather than having to custom make something for them that they'd pay up the *** for and have to wait a week, they come in and left within half an hour with a solution to get them back on the road without any 'year make model' crap going on.

Customer had a 1960 Ford Zephyr that they got something from a AP5 Valiant that fit the bill perfectly, computer said no but Franco said yes

Now because its a standard production part with a part number, they can actually get their hands on another one from the 'year make model' crew nationally god forbid it breaks in the middle of nowhere.

Had some stuff made up for a customers 1960s Ford Galaxie recently using a mish mash of Falcon stuff and modified hydraulic valve control componentry used for earth moving equipment, I got the vernier calipers out and pulled out samples, showed the customer everything to come up with something he could make work and used 303 stainless steel so its going to outlive me and the owner of the car

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

With what you're experiencing there being regional is how the person you are buying from manages freight.

You can't just rely on Australia Post/Startrack/DFE etc, we've got a heap of freight companies we use depending on where a customer is located and specialists who deal with certain areas better than others.

There's this oldskool freight mob called West Berg Freight Forwarding based in Thomastown, everything is done via paper consignment notes and they're a regional freight specialist.

They have by far the best delivery service to regional VIC going West/North, someone in Ballarat will see their freight at 7:30AM next day, hell I had a customer in Kyneton get their order in the early hours of the morning once because the driver was going past at 2AM

Gippsland - Express 1 is mint for Melbourne - Gippsland region for next business day.

There;s a freight mob in SA called Cochranes which does Adelaide to regional SA deliveries better than anyone else - every state has one of these freight mobs who specialises in out of the way destinations, its just a little bit of effort on someones behalf.

During COVID issues in VIC we saw a lot of big corporates traditionally bricks and mortar business models suddenly go online with their businesses and they lazily relied on Australia Post, who couldn't deal with the massive increase in freight volumes and its absolute chaos, Melbourne to Melbourne 11 days

Nope, considering I live along the Hume, you would think we have great freight services here but no the freight hubs seem to all be in Shepparton where most freight companies have centres.

Three times I have gone to Shepp to pick up stuff because they will not delivery along the Hume. Once an inframe rebuild kit from QLD, once a carport from Melb, and a 3rd time picking up a gas frig from Grafton. big stuff or weighted stuff.
This is one bug I can not understand about this stupid double deck inland rail route ARTC keep banging on about here and wanting to rip up the line (AGAIN)
To stupid me I reckon It would have been a better idea to take it from Melb up past Shepparton (given the frieght terminals there) cross over the border around Echuca and head north directly avoiding a heap of low bridges they want to destroy.. Its rare a Melb based freight company will deliver cross country from Shepp to the North East even considering most of the stuff has already been past here that night on the hwy.

[hayseed]

Originally Posted by roKWiz

. Truckline seems to be heading down the repco route.

IVECO sold Truckline to BAPCOR(bursons ect) a couple of years ago..

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by hayseed

IVECO sold Truckline to BAPCOR(bursons ect) a couple of years ago..

Then Truckline rocks up and buys Adams at Wang which soon turned to crap.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by hayseed

IVECO sold Truckline to BAPCOR(bursons ect) a couple of years ago..

Look at all the businesses they own:

Retail:

https://www.bapcor.com.au/retail

Trade:

https://www.bapcor.com.au/trade

Specialist Wholesale:

https://www.bapcor.com.au/specialist-wholesale

Service:

https://www.bapcor.com.au/service

Then look at GPC Asia Pacific (who don't actually list all the businesses they own)

https://gpcasiapac.com/our-businesses/

That's not good for consumers or suppliers.

Look at the auto electrical suppliers:

JAS Oceania
Baxters

Thats two out of four major auto electrical specialist suppliers in Australia.

The other is Ashdown-Ingram which is owned by GPC Asia Pacific.

That leaves one left who is independent - Cooldrive Distribution, how long before they get bought up by either BAPCOR or GPC Asia Pacific?

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

Look at all the businesses they own:

Retail:

https://www.bapcor.com.au/retail

Trade:

https://www.bapcor.com.au/trade

Specialist Wholesale:

https://www.bapcor.com.au/specialist-wholesale

Service:

https://www.bapcor.com.au/service

Then look at GPC Asia Pacific (who don't actually list all the businesses they own)

https://gpcasiapac.com/our-businesses/

That's not good for consumers or suppliers.

Wow, didn't know they owned I know parts Jap trucks spares. No wonder a combo switch for a later Ford Trader went from 200 ish to 880 bucks !! now.
Guess who needs one atm.

Should be a law against this.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by roKWiz

Wow, didn't know they onwed I know parts Jap trucks spares. No wonder a combo switch for a later Ford Trader went from 200 ish to 880 bucks !! now.
Guess who needs one atm.

Should be a law against this.

The ACCC tried to stop someone buying COVS years ago which was a WA auto parts specialist - may have been BAPCOR, there isn't much information available about it online so I'm talking grapevine here.

Then it ended up being bought out by GPC Asia Pacific (and rolled into NAPA)

For any of our Westralian members here, Veale Auto Parts is an independent auto parts specialist with a lot of coverage around Perth, its a WA owned and run family business.

ACCC is supposed to protect consumers from anti competitive behavior but they're asleep at the wheel, give it 20 years and they'll start trying to do something about it when literally everyone is a part of one of these two massive corporate monsters.

There's also greater issues at play within the industry from a repairer perspective about 'right to repair', its ****ed from head to toe.

Panel beaters and insurance companies is another interesting one.

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

The ACCC tried to stop someone buying COVS years ago which was a WA auto parts specialist - may have been BAPCOR, there isn't much information available about it online so I'm talking grapevine here.

Then it ended up being bought out by GPC Asia Pacific (and rolled into NAPA)

For any of our Westralian members here, Veale Auto Parts is an independent auto parts specialist with a lot of coverage around Perth, its a WA owned and run family business.

ACCC is supposed to protect consumers from anti competitive behavior but they're asleep at the wheel, give it 20 years and they'll start trying to do something about it when literally everyone is a part of one of these two massive corporate monsters.

Since covid the ACCC must have disappeared. There's something wrong when cafes in Benalla are charging $19.50 for (microwave) scramble eggs and bacon on toast.

[hayseed]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

Panel beaters and insurance companies is another interesting one.

Too true, Suncorp own several Insurance Companies & a Shyte load of panelbeater/Smash repairers,,

Another One is AMA Who've been buying smash repairers left right & centre particularly Truck Smash repairers .. Share price is in the Toilet & haven't paid a dividend for Years..

I reckon AMA is nothing but a Ponzi Scheme....

[Yellow_Festiva]

Originally Posted by hawke

If you needed any convincing about Repco, on Productreview.com.au there are 42 five star ratings, and 180 one star. I’m just surprised at the 42 five star ratings.

Without boring the pants off you, I saw one Xmas day, of a Repco Boxing Day sale. Degreaser at $1 a can. Went to the local Repco at Tempe - Sydney. Not open Boxing Day.

Next day, no degreaser on display. Asked why? “If we put it out at those prices, it will all go”. Well, I’ll take a box of a dozen. “I’m sorry sir, I cant sell you that much, because we’ll run out of stock.” WTF!!!

Next time, order online for click and collect Sometimes less human interaction is a good thing

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by roKWiz

Since covid the ACCC must have disappeared. There's something wrong when cafes in Benalla are charging $19.50 for (microwave) scramble eggs and bacon on toast.

Went to buy a slab of fancy beer from a craft brewery online from Melbourne, was happy to pay their $105 for the slab.

https://www.badshepherd.com.au/colle...-butter-porter

https://www.badshepherd.com.au/colle...hazelnut-brown

Wasn't happy at the $35 freight charge per slab, its literally a god damn box that's the perfect shape for transporting around the country - $35 my *** I swear I've sent a skid/pallet for $40 before around Melbourne.

The ****ers don't stock it anywhere in liquor stores in the north western suburbs, so I'm going to try the order in trick at my closest Dan Murphys or wait until I need to go into the city and then tactically buy my expensive fancy beer from somewhere that has it on the shelf.

[Rallye Sport]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

For any of our Westralian members here, Veale Auto Parts is an independent auto parts specialist with a lot of coverage around Perth, its a WA owned and run family business.

By far the best in the West, I don't bother going elsewhere anymore.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by Rallye Sport

By far the best in the West, I don't bother going elsewhere anymore.

Keep supporting them while they're independent - they're a massive thorn in the side of both Burson/Repco in Perth that the corporate giants are struggling to deal with them, Perth is a very tough market for auto parts.

Wonder how long before the buyout happens

[CyberWasp]

It happens everyday in every industry.
Big Company buys little company and promises not to change anything.
They then proceed to change everything, until they are left with a company far worse than the one they purchased.

[Citroënbender]

It’s interesting how there’s always funds to hose up the wall, but they almost universally shut down side hustles/entrepreneurial projects/goodwill initiatives.

[hawke]

Originally Posted by Yellow_Festiva

Next time, order online for click and collect Sometimes less human interaction is a good thing

Yes, tried that. First time, got there to pick up some stuff. Couldn’t find it. “ Can you come back tomorrow?” What about that on the shelf there?? “No, on-line orders are seperate, we cant supply from store stock”. I thought f*** it, so I just took it off the shelf and walked out.

Second time, ordered some hard brake line. When I picked it up, the chap asked what it was for. He told me that modern cars dont use brake lines, they are all electric. At least I got what I ordered.

Third time. I must be a slow learner. Ordered a case of Penrite Racing 15. Got there, they only had Racing 20 - “its close enough”.

There will not be a fourth time.

[Citroënbender]

Originally Posted by hawke

…Ordered a case of Penrite Racing 15. Got there, they only had Racing 20 - “its close enough”

Did they offer it to you with a 25% markdown?

I once tried to haggle my way into a car show, the Pug had just hatched a misfire. “It’s only running on two, you should let me in for half price”…