SPARES ACCOUNTS

[mbdas]

I have 2 spares accounts I use all the time one seems not to carry a lot of spares but what they do have comes carriage free so what ive order im happy with the over carries lots of spares and web site is tops but the prices on some spares are not just a bit more expensive but are ******* silly. So im wanting to open another account with someone else but dont know which one? washvac seems to be going through some changes at the moment (having looked at some threads) so can anyone give me any advice on which firms are the best with prices and information
thanks mark

[Martin]

Re: SPARES ACCOUNTS

Well of course there is Homespares and Masterpart to name but 2 both of which are listed in ‘Web Links’ but also consider HT Maddocks & Son as a brilliant wholesaler and easy on your budget. :tup:

http://www.europart.co.uk

[Phidom]

Re: SPARES ACCOUNTS

I have only recently started using Masterpart but have been impressed with the comprehensive lists of models for each part. In some catalogues you get a photo of a spider or bearing kit and all it says is fits Indesit or Candy or some such so you never dare order it in case it’s the wrong one.

[whitegoodsman]

Re: SPARES ACCOUNTS

i have allways found europart/maddocks very helpfull i have not used masterpart for a number of years but i do hear good things about them i use seme a lot because they are localish never been a great fan of connect

[leavemetogetonwithit]

Re: SPARES ACCOUNTS

I’ve been getting most of my spares from Seme over the last year or so. It’s been good,especially the free carriage all internet orders over £12.
Sadly,nothing good ever seems to last long. They’ve just hiked it to £25, which for us micro-businesses is significant.

[andy2]

Re: SPARES ACCOUNTS

Yep! Seme Nedis doubling the carriage threshold certainly makes a difference. 😥

Also noticed that Seme prices are creeping up. Lots of parts used to be cheaper than Connect but many now similar or even dearer. 😥 😥

Sometimes life can be a real female dog, and thats for sure! 😥 😥 😥

[Phidom]

Re: SPARES ACCOUNTS

Their carriage charge was only £2.99 though, which was less than most of the others. Is this still the same?

[leavemetogetonwithit]

Re: SPARES ACCOUNTS

Phidom wrote:Their carriage charge was only £2.99 though, which was less than most of the others. Is this still the same?

Not sure,as haven’t installed the new disc yet in order to carry on getting the old terms for as long as possible.

[Dave_Conway]

Re: SPARES ACCOUNTS

In SEME’s defence slightly, even though I don’t use them a great deal. £12 minimum order for free carriage is/was extremely generous. When you are working with wholesale mark-ups and the associated costs of carriage I cannot see how they ever made any money on small orders to be honest.

£2.99 though is pretty good for a small order carriage charge, just pass the cost on to the customer, at the end of the day, if they had to order the part themselves they would have to pay the carrriage so why should we try and absorb it ?

Dave.

[leavemetogetonwithit]

Re: SPARES ACCOUNTS

Dave_Conway wrote: SEME’s £12 minimum order ….. I cannot see how they ever made any money on small orders to be honest.

just pass the cost on to the customer

Dave.

Yeah,
I always thought that too. Perhaps it was just because they were a newcomer to whitegoods.Anyway my business benefitted considerably because I didn’t have to keep customers waiting while I built up enough for an order.

Passing the cost on to the customer is putting up the price of a repair. Every other job I go to, the customer says before I start,”If it’s going to cost too much,just tell me and I’ll pop down to C****** and get a new one” Are washing machines heading the same way as kettles,irons and toasters?
Mike.

[Dave_Conway]

Re: SPARES ACCOUNTS

leavemetogetonwithit wrote: Passing the cost on to the customer is putting up the price of a repair.

Yes, but why should you bear the cost ? Absorbing this in to your costs may well mean that you make no profit or very little on the call in the first place so there’s no point doing it. Please don’t undervalue yourself and your skills 😉

leavemetogetonwithit wrote:Every other job I go to, the customer says before I start,”If it’s going to cost too much,just tell me and I’ll pop down to C****** and get a new one”

Yep, we get the same, but by charging a set fee to diagnose, at least if the customer decides to replace we still get paid 😀

leavemetogetonwithit wrote:Are washing machines heading the same way as kettles,irons and toasters?
Mike.

In the consumers eyes many of the cheap brands are sadly, this is where we can “educate” and try to steer our customers away from the thought train of “all washing machines are the same, I’ll just buy the cheapest” which is what the manufacturers and the sheds would like everyone to believe to increase their turnover. Wait until the WEEE directive gives them a wake up call though 😆

Dave.

[leavemetogetonwithit]

Re: SPARES ACCOUNTS

I am too soft hearted but I do charge a call out fee,so I don’t end up out of pocket.

I have high hopes of the WEEE directive but I’m not overly sure about the wisdom of advocating Miele standards throughout the industry.
There is one advantage of the short life machine which is going to become more important as energy price continues to rise.
A ten or fifteen year old machine is stuck in the technology applied when it was made. Where energy/water use/detergent consumption is concerned that can be expensive long term. (Though the majority of consumers cannot afford to think long term, they just want the washing done now).
I know I’m moaning about electronics on another thread but I’m having second thoughts.I’m inclined to think the decrease in reliability has as much to do with consumer obsession with cleanliness (wash>wear>wash>wear>wash). My ma used to wash once a week, we wore the same shirts every day for a week. Bet there’s not many families do that now.

[Phidom]

Re: SPARES ACCOUNTS

I was at a trade electrical shop this morning, looking for a special light fitting. While I was there a customer came to collect a fan oven element they had ordered for him. They actually itemised the carriage charge they paid themselves on the bill they wrote out for their customer. Perhaps this is the way to go, tell customers they can pay a few pounds extra and get the part ordered on its own or just add their part to a regular weekly order in which case they might wait longer.

[Dave_Conway]

Re: SPARES ACCOUNTS

Phidom wrote: Perhaps this is the way to go, tell customers they can pay a few pounds extra and get the part ordered on its own or just add their part to a regular weekly order in which case they might wait longer.

I do that already 😉

Dave.

[leavemetogetonwithit]

Re: SPARES ACCOUNTS

Dave_Conway wrote:

Phidom wrote:
Perhaps this is the way to go, tell customers they can pay a few pounds extra and get the part ordered on its own or just add their part to a regular weekly order in which case they might wait longer.

I do that already 😉

Dave.

I do it sometimes when the customer insists it’s urgent.

[Author]

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