Date:         Fri, 11 Jun 2004 22:43:48 -0400
Reply-To:     The Bus Depot <vanagon@BUSDEPOT.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         The Bus Depot <vanagon@BUSDEPOT.COM>
Subject:      Re: Parts data base
In-Reply-To:  <Pine.SOL.4.58.0406111838000.9289@zektor.gpcc.itd.umich.edu>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

> i have noticed that a lot of the online parts places use the
> same data base.  its the data base that can be seen on
> http://www.importedcarparts.com/ and lots of other sites i
> have been to.
> I assume that these companies pay a subscription fee to the
> data base company.  but then i was wondering if it was more
> than that.  does anyone know if the company that runs the data
> base might also run the warehouse network as well?  so for
> example if i order from company x using this data base would i
> be getting the same parts from the same parts coming from the
> same warehouse if i ordered from company y instead?


Yes. I've answered this before, but it's been a while so in the interest
of "buyer beware" I'll cover it again.

Sites like this one get mentioned from time to time on this list. The
Parts Bin is perhaps the best known but there are many. They are all
using the same "instant e-store" provided by a particular imported parts
wholesaler. Basically you paste your graphics over this wholesaler's
database - and bingo, you're an auto parts store!  The "store" never
sees the parts; they ship right from the wholesaler to the customer.
Some of the "stores" list all imported parts, others just European parts
or Asian parts, or parts for one particular brand of car. Some even have
multiple websites under different names, each focusing on a different
car manufacturer, to give the illusion of being a specialist in that
car.

The drawbacks to this scenario are many:

1) Limited knowledge of VW parts. Their database is full of errors -
water pumps for aircooled cars, timing chains for Vanagon engines, you
name it. This is because the wholesaler in question is a
jack-of-all-trades, not a VW parts specialist.  And the "retailer,"
depending on who he is, may know even less. After all, since the parts
are all dropshipped, not stocked, he may have never seen one in his
life. One risk is that you may get a wrong part. But even if you get the
right part, is it the best quality or fit for your Vanagon? See # 2 for
more on this.

2) Limited selection.  The selection is limited to what's available from
one particular wholesaler, whose product coverage for VW vans is far
from complete. So the brand(s) you get is whatever this one particular
wholesaler happens to carry. While the wholesaler in question generally
sells reputable brands and is neither better nor worse than many others,
every single wholesaler I've dealt with has their share "duds" here and
there when it comes to Vanagon parts. This is because for all of them
Vanagon parts are an afterthought, representing just a tiny fraction of
their overall sales. That's why I deal with over 200 manufacturers and
importers, not just one, and even import the part myself if I'm not
happy with what's offered Stateside. For example, there are 30 brands of
Vanagon wheel cylinders alone. Some are good, some are pure garbage, and
some are identical but sold under different names at vastly different
prices. Do you think a company that sells 10,000 Honda parts for every
one Vanagon part will know or care about the difference?

3) Customer support. It doesn't take much of an investment to open one
of these "virtual stores," so they're popping up left and right. But
there's a catch. They have to commit to buying a large volume of parts
over the year in order to get the wholesale pricing that their retail
pricing is based on. And since there is a finite amount of business for
all of these identical "stores" to share, the more of them that pop up,
the less each one will sell. If they don't meet their promised sales
goal they end up paying more for the parts than they anticipated.
Needless to say some will not make it. They may go out of business, or
decide next month that they can make more money selling shoes online
instead of auto parts. Websites come and go, and the wholesaler
supplying these sites does not deal directly with end consumers. If the
web store you bought from is gone when your part fails next month, what
will you do?

4) Support of the Vanagon community. It's in your own best interest to
support the Vanagon specialists that support you - whether that be
myself, Ken at Vanagain, or whoever. Long after the "jacks of all
trades" have completely lost any dwindling interest in supplying Vanagon
parts, who will keep your Vanagon on the road? When a part is
discontinued, will they search worldwide to find a suitable replacement?
And if you have a parts question, will they pop up on the Vanagon list
to answer it?  You drive a fairly obscure vehicle. Frankly this is a
symbiotic relationship. Your Vanagon specialists need you as a customer,
but ultimately you need us as well, because we're your only chance of
keeping affordable parts available for your Vanagon over the long haul.

5) Price. Look beyond the "free shipping" claim and compare the actual
total delivered price. On some parts you may pay less (although
sometimes it's because the brand differs). On others (such as Vanagon
exhaust) you'll pay much more. Averaged out, these sites will not save
you money, and you don't always know what you're getting.

I should say that I am speaking in general and am not trying to
disparage importedcarparts.com in particular. I have no idea whether
this particular reseller knows anything about VW parts. (Do you?)  Nor
am I trying to disparage this particular wholesaler. They're a reputable
wholesaler, and like others of their ilk, know lots about those vehicles
for which they sell a lot of parts. They know more about Honda or Toyota
parts than I will ever know. They probably even know more about Jetta
parts that I will ever know. But we're talking about Vanagons here, and
these unique vehicles require a certain amount of expertise.

- Ron Salmon
  The Bus Depot, Inc.
  www.busdepot.com
  (215)  234-VWVW

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