Shop around (materials)

[Marty_d]

I need 2x 150mm lengths of 4130 tubing, 1.25" OD x 0.058" wall thickness.

 

Rang one place which may or may not be based in Melbourne. Their quote:

 

Tube: $13 + GST

Under $100 packing cost: $25

Postage: $40

Total: around $80

 

That seemed a bit steep to me, so I rang another place, which may or may not be involved in the race car business.

 

Tube: $11

Postage: $20

Total: $31

 

Guess which one I went with??

[kgwilson]

I bent a nose leg. It is chromolly 1 1/4 inch x .095 with a 40 deg bend in it. Replacement $300.00. 1 metre of .095 Chromolly tube that would make 2 nose legs, $20.00 + $5.00 cutting fee from Racetech steel.

[M61A1]

At a guess I'd say the one in Melbourne probably also treated you like you were a problem, not a source of income. My experience anyway.

[Downunder]

And when they go broke, they blame everything BUT poor customer service and satisfaction....

[Marty_d]

At a guess I'd say the one in Melbourne probably also treated you like you were a problem, not a source of income. My experience anyway.

 

Well, when the lady told me it'd cost $40 to post something weighing less than a kilo from Melbourne to Hobart, I did express mild surprise. To which her response was "well, if you want to use your own freight company..."

 

I dunno, you stick "Airport" in your name and the prices go up.

 

Anyway I don't think there's any harm in giving a plug to Andrew's Race Cars, who were on the ball, professional, and reasonable.

[gareth lacey]

I purchased all my chrome ally from racetech, all the others rip you off even our local asap at caboolture is expensive for parts bought 3 bearings from us cheaper than local, aviation suppliers have a limited market , and dont mention superior in brissie total rip off

[onetrack]

I've spent nearly all my life looking for spares and replacements at reasonable prices and trying to beat the sales ripoff. Google is the greatest asset ever given to us, as long as you know how to use it, for searching out deals and prices.

I buy nothing now, without researching the item I'm looking for, and finding new sources and better prices. It works without fail about 99% of the time, unless an item is "hot", in major demand, and in short supply.

 

One of the major problems is having to deal with suppliers who largely deal with large corporate customers, and where those customers care little about pricing.

These suppliers couldn't care less about a $40 sale, when they're selling $40,000 worth of products an hour, to large clients.

 

You need to hunt down the keen, hungry, and efficient suppliers, who see a dollar in every sale, no matter how small, and who know the benefits of highly competitive pricing.

 

I wanted 10 genuine Nitto male 3/8" air coupling adaptors yesterday. The pricing ranges from about $4 to $18 each. Then there's the cheap Chinese copies that don't last 5 mins because the ball groove wears severely in them within a month.

I got onto eBay and found a range of suppliers. One large engineering supply company in Victoria had reasonable pricing, about $4.50 each. But they had no postage costs.

They had a postage calculator on their eBay page - and it didn't work. So I loaded 10 adaptors into the shopping cart and the postage calculator still didn't work. Annoyed, I contacted them and asked why their postage calculator didn't work.

 

I get a reply about 3 hrs later, with the seller saying, "I can't tell you the postage cost until you place an order, then I can calculate the postage cost and let you know!" Give me a break!! What century do these businesses live in?

They go to the trouble of setting up a postage calculator on their webpage that doesn't work - then when I ask why, they tell me they still have to calculate postage manually!!

 

Then they expect me to actually place an order - without knowing the postage cost - then hang around for hours waiting for their reply. I could place an order for $40 worth of adaptors, only to find they want $50 in postage!!

 

I found another seller on eBay with the same item (genuine Nitto adaptor), he was selling them at $4.11 each - with free postage. 20 seconds later, I had them bought and paid for. I wonder how long it will take the engineering crowd to wake up.

Edited June 3, 2020 by onetrack

[Yenn]

What you see here is just normal Australian retail. I seldom buy in my nearest city, Gladstone, because the way I get treated in their shops is just dreadful. I go to Bundy and things are far better.

As for aviation materials I long ago gave up trying to buy local. Go straight to the US.

[Blueadventures]

What you see here is just normal Australian retail. I seldom buy in my nearest city, Gladstone, because the way I get treated in their shops is just dreadful. I go to Bundy and things are far better.

As for aviation materials I long ago gave up trying to buy local. Go straight to the US.

Hi Yen

 

How do you find the shipping price for small amounts?

[spacesailor]

The US has huge postal costs.

Spacesailor

[Downunder]

Speaking of retail. It makes me laugh when I go to a shop and they tell me they have to order it in.

I don't mind paying extra for the convenience of them stocking it, but they want me to pay the retail price AND return to their shop to pick it up.

If I have to wait, I can buy it online myself at half their price and have it delivered.

[spacesailor]

The record shops have done my wife twice.

Just wanted a Gosh Groban CD, pay a deposit to get it in and later told, " can.t get it in, sorry ,try somewhere else." And another deposit.

spacesailor

[M61A1]

Speaking of retail. It makes me laugh when I go to a shop and they tell me they have to order it in.

I don't mind paying extra for the convenience of them stocking it, but they want me to pay the retail price AND return to their shop to pick it up.

If I have to wait, I can buy it online myself at half their price and have it delivered.

I hate this.....They say "shop locally", so you go in to the shop that you would expect to have the item in stock.

SHOP- Sorry we don't have that in stock, but we can get it for you. Should be here in a couple of days.

ME- OK then. How much?

SHOP- The item is $XXX and $XX for shipping.

ME- OK then if I'm paying for shipping, send it to my house, so I don't have to come back into town.

SHOP- We can't do that.

ME- F*#k it, I'm buying it online.

[kgwilson]

I've spent nearly all my life looking for spares and replacements at reasonable prices and trying to beat the sales ripoff. Google is the greatest asset ever given to us, as long as you know how to use it, for searching out deals and prices.

I buy nothing now, without researching the item I'm looking for, and finding new sources and better prices. It works without fail about 99% of the time, unless an item is "hot", in major demand, and in short supply.

 

One of the major problems is having to deal with suppliers who largely deal with large corporate customers, and where those customers care little about pricing.

These suppliers couldn't care less about a $40 sale, when they're selling $40,000 worth of products an hour, to large clients.

 

You need to hunt down the keen, hungry, and efficient suppliers, who see a dollar in every sale, no matter how small, and who know the benefits of highly competitive pricing.

 

I wanted 10 genuine Nitto male 3/8" air coupling adaptors yesterday. The pricing ranges from about $4 to $18 each. Then there's the cheap Chinese copies that don't last 5 mins because the ball groove wears severely in them within a month.

I got onto eBay and found a range of suppliers. One large engineering supply company in Victoria had reasonable pricing, about $4.50 each. But they had no postage costs.

They had a postage calculator on their eBay page - and it didn't work. So I loaded 10 adaptors into the shopping cart and the postage calculator still didn't work. Annoyed, I contacted them and asked why their postage calculator didn't work.

 

I get a reply about 3 hrs later, with the seller saying, "I can't tell you the postage cost until you place an order, then I can calculate the postage cost and let you know!" Give me a break!! What century do these businesses live in?

They go to the trouble of setting up a postage calculator on their webpage that doesn't work - then when I ask why, they tell me they still have to calculate postage manually!!

 

Then they expect me to actually place an order - without knowing the postage cost - then hang around for hours waiting for their reply. I could place an order for $40 worth of adaptors, only to find they want $50 in postage!!

 

I found another seller on eBay with the same item (genuine Nitto adaptor), he was selling them at $4.11 each - with free postage. 20 seconds later, I had them bought and paid for. I wonder how long it will take the engineering crowd to wake up.

I do the same. I've been purchasing on line for 20 years and there are some outfits that haven't worked out that if they do not provide an efficient service with everything covered at a competitive price they won't get any business. Most suppliers listed on Ebay will have all the bases covered. If they don't their on line reputation will be savaged. Many who have set up an on line presence obviously have never considered customer satisfaction or feedback. How they are still in business amazes me.

 

Also if you are considering buying something a good resource to check is productreview.com.au. It may save you from buying a lemon.