Buy cheap, buy twice!

[meathead]

On other threads, people insist on trying to find parts elsewhere. Plastic infills for the grille, one bloke rang around everywhere for find one, and after all that went to the dealer. The part was £5 ish.

Again, after trawling and finding another part number for another bloke, he wants to go to Halfords for it! Why ask for a part number in the first place!

I know you CAN get some parts cheaper elsewhere, but it beggars belief when people try to find something cheaper on ebay, etc. than a VW specialist.

Am I alone in thinking this?

Buy cheap, buy twice!!

[Ben]

yes, depending on the part, the dealers can be quite reasonable.

[Redzer]

Parts are sometimes cheaper from other places though the parts guys in dealers know more about your car and the correct parts you will need for a job.
A lot of parts i would only buy from a dealer, if you buy things like bearings, belts e.t.c. just because they are cheap you are asking for trouble.

The type of thing that gets dealers a bad name are things like i needed to get the 2 bolts for an aircon tensioner the local vag dealer who incidently are generally good for parts and have a lot of stuff in stock said it was €8 for the 2 bolts and would "have to order them"
So I called into the local engineering shop and got the 2 bolts the guy wouldnt even charge me for them, i told him they were €8 from the vag garage.
He had a good laugh and said i know what to charge them the next time they come looking for them so.

[meathead]

Yes, bolts are a good example of shoppng around. But for example, the bonnet release catch trim surround - are you really going to be able to get one anywhere else? Unlikely. Yet how many try by posting on here, ebay searches, etc. Bite the bullet, get on first name terms with the parts desk

(Excluding scrapyards - they are hit and miss!)

[JoeA4]

just replaced the exhaust on my wife`s Suzuki Swift = Cheapest quote i got locally was £114.00

Found one on Internet - cant remember site - will post later - £69.50 delivered - Went to local Central Tyres who fitted it for £25.00 = a saving of nearly £20.00

[NickPicks]

The only problem with that might be that if there's a problem with it, the supplier will blame the fitter, and the fitter will blame the supplier. hence the reason a lot of garages won't fit parts they haven't supplied.

I might have been tempted to spend the extra £20 and get it all done in one place.