Parts Wholesalers

[GreenMachine]

I'm currently ****ed off with wholesale-type parts shops. I'm trying to price up/order about a thousand bucks worth of gauges and other bits and pieces. I phone shop after shop, offering to start a cash account, but they say "are you in the trade?" to which I reply "no" and then they say "well, we don't sell to the public" and give me Autobarn's number.

How bloody hard is it? It's not like I'm trying to get wholesale on an oil filter for a Camry here, I'm ordering a decent amount of stuff, I've got the part numbers ready to go, and I spend an absolute -load of money on parts every year - probably more than a lot of people who have accounts with them.

Does anyone have a way around this, or is it just that shops don't want sales?

NH

[|||]

i had the same with a number of shops recently. rocket industries was the worst. rang up for a 2500 stall converter and they just gave the run around asking what car it was for and what tune it had and on and on they went in the end i just went to the local parts place and had it within a week i dont understand why none of the shops wanted to take my money

[GreenMachine]

I should give the thumbs up to the one wholesale shop that actually has been interested in my business - Performance Wholesale. They also gave me the "no retail" line about 6 months ago, until I explained that I needed about 5 million Speedflow fittings, braided line, 1/2" tube etc etc, they opened an account and have been great ever since.

Unfortunately, they don't stock the brands I'm looking for at present.

[4Vman]

I actually appplaud genuine Wholesalers who wont sell to the retail public, you cant buy a can of coke from Coca-cola... if wholesalers sold to the public then retailers would go broke....
The problem is some retail outlet masquerade as "wholesalers" to attract buisness on the perception they're cheaper..

[GreenMachine]

Sadly, with the explosion in internet-based wholesale type performance shops (Summit, Jegs), the speed shop on the corner is ancient history. I love shooting the breeze with my local speed shop guy, he's an excellent source of knowledge and a great guy.

However, it takes him the same amount of time to get a part in from Rocket in Sydney as it takes Summit to fly it to my door, and his prices are 10-25% dearer, even including shipping from Summit. I kept going back to him for ages, supporting the little guy, but I can't afford to keep propping him up when parts are so cheap from other sources.

[4Vman]

Originally Posted by GreenMachine

Sadly, with the explosion in internet-based wholesale type performance shops (Summit, Jegs), the speed shop on the corner is ancient history. I love shooting the breeze with my local speed shop guy, he's an excellent source of knowledge and a great guy.

However, it takes him the same amount of time to get a part in from Rocket in Sydney as it takes Summit to fly it to my door, and his prices are 10-25% dearer, even including shipping from Summit. I kept going back to him for ages, supporting the little guy, but I can't afford to keep propping him up when parts are so cheap from other sources.

Yes the internet has made the local speed shop almost obsolute, these internet sellers though are basically retailing parts over the net, or if you like internet retail outlets, if you are a genuine retailer of products you still should be able to buy much cheaper from the wholesaler/manufacturers than anyone can buy over the internet...

[GreenMachine]

On some items (B&M shifter, some Holley parts), my buy price from Summit (including shipping) was within $1 or $2 of his buy price.

He's also of the belief that places like Rocket/VPW are selling parts to the public at cost, just to put people like him out of business. Which may or may not be true.

[4Vman]

Originally Posted by GreenMachine

On some items (B&M shifter, some Holley parts), my buy price from Summit (including shipping) was within $1 or $2 of his buy price.

He's also of the belief that places like Rocket/VPW are selling parts to the public at cost, just to put people like him out of business. Which may or may not be true.

Sounds like a sales pitch to me... How could Rocket or VPW even come close to competing with Summit? their market is hundreds of times bigger.
Id imagine Summit would have far stronger buying power from the manufacturers..
Id say the US places like Summit and Jegs set the prices and the Aussie places try to compete where they can...

[xw383]

I use either Wholesale Performance or Auto Action Parts at Mitchelton. Sometimes they dont have what i want then i try Autobarn Slacks Creek.

[Walkinshaw]

Get an ABN setip with a generic name that can apply to anything. Then when you ring up to get trade on anything from automotive parts to building materials open an account under "Atlas investments" or what ever generic name you chose.