No Discount on Ignition @ Local Dealership

[Old Moparz]

Instead of messing around with a set of points on a sloppy & worn distributor, I want to install a new electronic ignition kit in my Satellite. I looked on line & in a Summit catalog, & the best average price for one is around $218 complete. As I drove past the local Chrysler dealership at lunchtime today, I decided to see if they had one in stock or can get one for me one for a close price. I thought it would be cool to give a local guy my business, but nooooooo.

The price I was quoted was $315.00   

Just a rant I suppose, but I'm still in shock at that kind of price difference. I had expected to pay slightly more which wouldn't have been a big deal since I'd be paying shipping elsewhere, but what the hell kind of mark up is that? I was glad I had my steel lined Fruit of the Looms on.

[histoy]

I've purchased accessories & performance parts from our local Chrysler dealer in the past, but I stopped because they marked up the list price by 15%.   I asked them why, and they told me the dealers have the option of charging what they wish.  I looked in the catalog and it said the prices listed were suggested retail prices, but the dealers are free to charge a different price.  I started to order from Mancini after that.

[Ghoste]

Been through the same thing locally.  The dealer in our hometwon used to have a parts manager that cut me a deal on stuff and when he left so did my deal.   He went to another Dodge dealer only 10 miles away so that is where I go now.  The hometown one has asked me a few times why I don't do business there anymore and I've told him and yet... I am still driving 10 miles for a better deal on parts and service.
This is exactly just the same as their "dealer added surcharge" on Challengers or whatever.  And then they are mystified when people aren't holding riots to get into their showrooms. 

[Old Moparz]

Ghoste, I had that same experience back in the early 80's when I had my first '69 Charger. A small, local dealer that is long gone now, had a parts guy who used to have a Charger also. He'd get me parts that weren't much more than a discount auto parts store. I can't recall if he left before they closed up, but it was the only Chrysler place I bought from.

I also miss the Mom & Pop, auto parts stores where the owner was behind the counter. I used to go to this one shop in NJ where the owner ran the store while his wife delivered the parts. I never got the wrong part & he was always able to tell me more about what it was that I needed than I knew.....LOL. One day a larger parts chain bought him out so there was one less competitor.

Anyway, I just found a Proform electronic ignition kit at Jegs for $145.00 & ordered it. 

[69bronzeT5]

The local dealership had a couple of pie pans there for sale. A 340 one and so on. Well I go in to see if I can order a 318 one for my Duster. The guy there basically didn't want to be bothered to look it up and told me to phone Yearone.

[Chatt69chgr]

My in-town dealer's parts dept was letting me order parts for 10% over cost.  I think because I struck up a conversation with the parts guys and they liked the idea of me restoring a 69 Charger.  I ordered a lot of parts.  On the last order that would complete what I needed to get from MOPAR, my guy told me that the "nazi broad" up front had figured out that I was getting a discount and said I couldn't get it anymore.  I would always look up the list price and see what the wholesale price on the net was so I always knew if I was getting a good deal or not.  The parts guy was real apologetic and told me that they were told to mark up the parts 10-15% over the LIST price----not wholesale price but list price.  Naturally, I immediately started going to the dealer 15 miles down the road for the rest of my parts.  I also made sure that I bought my new Challenger from them.  I feel sorry for the unsuspecting folks that don't know anything about cars who brought their new Chrysler products in for service and then were literally raped on the replacement parts. 

I've found that you can surf around on the net and particularly on EBAY and oftentimes get deals better than your local dealer can offer you even when they are doing their best to give you a good deal.  Some of the national dealers, ie, ones that sell a lot of parts on the internet do so much business with Chrysler that they must get a tremendous discount on the parts and they can afford to pass the savings on and still make money.  And if you pick one of those places out and order a bunch of parts from them, you can sometimes even negotiate the price on something later on if they happen to be a little high on the item.