I knew you haggled w/ dealers for cars, but for parts?

[cf99]

I called 3 local Toyota dealers to see if they had a radiator hose in stock.

Dealer #1 does and quotes me $21.xx.

Dealer #2 doesn't have it but quotes me $28.xx when they get it in next week.

Dealer #3 quotes me $26.xx, and I ask why the price is different at different dealers. He looks something up, mumbles in the background, "I see what they did" then say yeah I'll sell it to you for $21.xx.

So I go to dealer #1 to buy it, the parts person (different person than I spoke to by phone) rings it up for $28.xx. I tell him I called and was told $21.xx, he looks something up and says OK I can give it to you for $21.xx.

What gives on these different prices for the same thing ( over 30% difference)? Is there some "code word" to say when you're at the parts counter to get the lowest price from the get-go?

[JohnGD]

The price they sell to the mechanics?

NAPA and some dealers also give auto club member discount so that's 10% on the spot for the asking.

Originally Posted by cf99

I called 3 local Toyota dealers to see if they had a radiator hose in stock.

Dealer #1 does and quotes me $21.xx.

Dealer #2 doesn't have it but quotes me $28.xx when they get it in next week.

Dealer #3 quotes me $26.xx, and I ask why the price is different at different dealers. He looks something up, mumbles in the background, "I see what they did" then say yeah I'll sell it to you for $21.xx.

So I go to dealer #1 to buy it, the parts person (different person than I spoke to by phone) rings it up for $28.xx. I tell him I called and was told $21.xx, he looks something up and says OK I can give it to you for $21.xx.

What gives on these different prices for the same thing ( over 30% difference)? Is there some "code word" to say when you're at the parts counter to get the lowest price from the get-go?

[agni]

Hmm I'll keep that in mind the next time I buy dealer parts. I recently bought an oil pump o-ring and it rang in at a whopping $20. Probably $15 or more of that price can be attributed to mark-ups. Should have tried to haggle them down

[cf99]

Get a load of this (coupon for Toyota red coolant):




MSRP $24.72, on sale for $18.99. I just came across this, and the dealer is a bit too far from me (more in time and gas than the discount is worth), but I also bought some coolant along with the radiator hose. I paid $25.50 while the other 2 dealers I mentioned in my first post quoted $26-something and $28-something.

Ridiculous!

Is there a website to look-up Toyota's MSRP on parts and supplies? Probably not, and that's why dealers can sell for different mark-ups.

Oh well, at least I know what to try and haggle down to, next time I need to buy toy-red coolant

[zythr]

Originally Posted by cf99

Get a load of this (coupon for Toyota red coolant):




MSRP $24.72, on sale for $18.99. I just came across this, and the dealer is a bit too far from me (more in time and gas than the discount is worth), but I also bought some coolant along with the radiator hose. I paid $25.50 while the other 2 dealers I mentioned in my first post quoted $26-something and $28-something.

Ridiculous!

Is there a website to look-up Toyota's MSRP on parts and supplies? Probably not, and that's why dealers can sell for different mark-ups.

Oh well, at least I know what to try and haggle down to, next time I need to buy toy-red coolant

It's a savings, but still a profit maker for the dealer. Too make this coolant, probably cost $5 if that much.

[pmesfun]

$18.xx is the normal price at local dealers in the DFW.

[71Corolla]

I always haggle with the Toyota parts counter guys. Well the parts manager knows me, so often he gives me at least some kind of discount. But it doesn't hurt to try, right?

I do the same thing at auto parts stores, I argue that I can get the same part online for a certain price and see if they will match it. Most of the time they say no though, so I walk out.