Agree with Aprilia. I buy most items I need of this nature from various local motor factors and pay trade prices on top.
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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Opie Oils delivered 5 litres of (synthetic) oil to me last July for £7.50 carriage inc VAT. IIRC the charge for twice that was much the same.
Bearing in mind the oil costs a bit less than in a shop,if you can get the oil you want, and you do not have to go and get it,I found it OK.
Aprilia is probably a little spoilt by his ability to buy oil at bulk prices.
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I cannot believe a local factor can't do you an equivalent oil for less. The exception to this might be if you live in a very rural area. If you service a car using parts obtained mail order it must work out very expensive - all those carriage charges.
I DO buy some parts online because they are cheaper than even local factors with trade discount. www.buypartsby.co.uk are very cheap on brake pads, suspension components etc. but you need to buy a fair bit to make the postage worth it.
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I wanted fully synthetic 5W-40 for my own car/s (don't ask why). I went to the local well known out-of town car-spares superstore. They did not have it.
Came back. Twiddled the keyboard and offered my plastic and for less than £5 more than I MIGHT have found an equivalent in the superstore, it was on its way to me. No contest. OK may be there is a factors somewhere.
2nd example. Went to same store for some plugs. They did not stock them. Came home. Did same.
I doubt I could have bought from the store the platinum tipped plugs for £27.50, anyway.
For me, this is about my DIY service and going to a lot of effort to save myself £5 or less is not my scene. If I earned a living servicing cars, it might be different.
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The VW dealer in Bedford were actually touting for retail custom, with free delivery, from their parts van - guess, as it was out n about, to local trade, they might pick up extra business.
You didn't get 'trade' discount, but they ALWAYS have offers on oils/antifreeze.
Not as price competiteive as Vauxhall TradeClub, but worth a mention.
As mentioned, earluer, if you ring around, most parts places have vans out all day long & are more than happy to pick up another couple of $£$£$
VB
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The problem I find with online ordering is that someone has to be at home when the delivery driver calls, otherwise they just take the item away again. I only use online ordering if their is no viable alternative.
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L\'escargot.
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I can either pop round the corner (5 minutes walk to the car, 10 minutes drive) to the local Halfords that doesn't have a comprehensive stock.
Or walk to the car, and drive half an hour to GSF. Wait for 45 minutes in the queue (behind the boys of the East End buying yet another set of discs for the BMW) only to be told plugs are special order only and will be in at 4pm.
Or I can order online. If you're not going to be in, delivery to the office is best - if you have an obliging office.
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Oh yes, and if I do my own basic servicing I can do it at a time that is convenient for me. I do not have to take the bus home after dropping off the car. It takes less time to change the oil than it takes to take a car to a place to have it changed.
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I do not have to take the bus home after dropping off the car
Agreed. Oil change one weekend. Change brake fluid on another. Plugs when plug mileage comes up and it is a nice day , etc.
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