Date:         Wed, 28 Jul 2010 15:58:29 -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: Cheapest fuel pump I've ever seen
In-Reply-To:  <4C506AB1.8030703@hughes.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

> Yep. remember, the term "cheap" describes two aspects of a
> product. It describes the price and the quality. And the two
> are intrinsically related. When it comes to new parts, you
> hardly ever get a cheap regular price (sales are something
> else entirely) without also getting cheap quality. There are
> very, very few exceptions to this rule, and Chinese
> one-part-fits-hundreds junk being sold on eBay is not going
> to be one of those very rare exceptions.

While this is often the case, it would also be a mistake to assume that the
most expensive part is always the best. There can be huge price differences
on the identical OEM part, depending on where you buy.  Sale prices are one
reason, but also supply chain. For example we may import 500 of an item at a
time directly from Germany, whereas your friendly local mechanic is buying
one at a time from the local NAPA franchise, who bought it from NAPA, who
bought it from an importer, who bought it from Germany. By the time it's
been marked up four times, it's twice the price. The important thing to
remember here is that when shopping for price, always be sure you're
comparing "apples to apples."

> As Ron points out, the guy starts off by misleading folks about the
> product. He Implies these are USA made, which they aren't...
> There is no such thing as OEM spec or OEM equivalent. There is
> OE (original equipment from the automaker itself), OEM (a part
> sourced outside the automaker's system but made by the company
> that supplies the automaker and identical to the OE part or at the very
> least meeting OE specs) and there is aftermarket (alternate parts that
> may be made by other companies than the OEM, that is claimed to
> work on your car, and that may or may not meet OE specs).

This problem isn't limited to Ebay (although it is prevalent there). One
particular well known online VW parts retailer (as well as one wholesaler)
frequently re-brands low-end Chinese made aftermarket parts using
private-label (aka "made-up") brand names that are German sounding, contain
German words, or contain the actual words "Germany," "USA," or "OE", as part
of the name.  They also routinely use icons or descriptons like "OE Quality"
or "German Quality or Equivalent" on off-brand aftermarket parts. While they
never actually "say" the part is German or OEM, clearly they are trying to
mislead the customer into making that assumption when they know full well
that it is not. There can be no honest excuse for that kind of marketing.

That said, it's also worth noting that while OEM suppliers often make the
best product (and rarely make a poor one), there are some cases where
aftermarket products are as good or even better than the original. (Poptop
seals come to mind, for example, or stainless steel coolant pipes.) So I
wouldn't rule out all aftermarket products out-of-hand. But I would be
cautious if the price seems impossibly low, especially if you're dealing
with a retailer that you do not know and trust, or one that does not
specialize in Vanagon parts. Even if well-intentioned, they may steer you
wrong due to inexperience. If they don't sell a lot of Vanagon parts, they
may not know what to avoid, or may not sell enough of a part to notice a
failure pattern that would have quickly been spotted by specialist that sold
the part regularly.

We have an article discussing these and related issues at
http://busdepot.com/help.jsp#COUNTRY_OF_ORIGIN . It may be a worthwhile read
for many list members.

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

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