Smaller OEM parts cheaper at dealer than online, because of crazy shipping costs???

The Big Red One

Registered
I needed to order a new oil pick-up for my 14....did some online shopping....found some great prices, UNTIL they added in the shipping, which literally cost as much as the part itself ??? $13.92+12.99 shipping for a small plastic part? $17 something+10.00 shipping? The part was $22.49 at my local dealer tax included, and I have it in 2 days.
WTH are these OEM online parts sellers thinking with those outrageous shipping costs? I've also heard of crazy shipping on o-rings, plastic rivets, you name it. I ship things myself, and I know it doesn't cost that much to ship those kind of items. :banghead:
So far my local dealers have the online guys beat by a ton because of the ridiculous shipping charges, and are much quicker getting the parts as well. Kinda disappointing when it comes to OEM stuff......
Oh well good for my local dealers I guess :laugh:
 
Re: Smaller OEM parts cheaper at dealer than online, because of crazy shipping costs?

More than $10 on less than $25 seems steep. But one look at the other side just for quick second.

$13.92 part with say $9 shipping.

Let's say because this is such a small package, it's easy to get lost in transit. So we'll say the part goes MIA in transit. We'll also say that $13.92 part which was really a $9.22 part to the dealer shade under 50% markup. So $9.22x2 = $18.44 + shipping x2 we'll say they get an excellent rate if $7 for a 6"x6"x6" FedEx box. So that company spends $32.44 to earn $22.92 of your business. I'm not saying it's fair, but there surely is a reason people aren't jumping at the chance to make those purchases make sense, sometimes its cheaper to buy online, sometimes local. But rarely is is better to go online when the total is under $25.

Just my .02 from the other side of fence...cheers!:beerchug:
 
The other thing to consider is some dealers offer aftermarket "oem style" parts. Not all dealers sell parts from factory unless you ask.
 
Re: Smaller OEM parts cheaper at dealer than online, because of crazy shipping costs?

Dealers aren't the ones charging the shipping or making the money it's the shipper. I know this cause i ship everyday. I use the best price shipper some dealers just use ups or fedex, no time to run to post office and sometimes the shipping is more than the part. Here is an example, if you ship a part with no delivery confirmation and it gets lost thru usps, a customer can get their money back. the customer doesn't think about the $.75 there, insurance has to be added in for loss. next thing you know the shipping is $2 more. There's isn't much they can do about it. They pay transaction fees for you to use your card, pp fees if you pay that way, lots of hidden cost consumers forget about but just see a shipping cost... There are alot of reasons the shipping cost is what it is.. you either get the part right away or wait. It's the cost to own a automobile or motorcycle.
 
Re: Smaller OEM parts cheaper at dealer than online, because of crazy shipping costs?

It's really shipping and handling fee. At our store we have a $20.00 (overnight) minimum S&H fee. It sucks for a customer wanting a $5.00 part, so I just try to up sell to justify the freight costs. Sometimes it works, sometimes not. UPS and Fedex are making money these days.
 
Re: Smaller OEM parts cheaper at dealer than online, because of crazy shipping costs?

It's really shipping and handling fee. At our store we have a $20.00 (overnight) minimum S&H fee. It sucks for a customer wanting a $5.00 part, so I just try to up sell to justify the freight costs. Sometimes it works, sometimes not. UPS and Fedex are making money these days.

Yeah I try to get the guys when they call wanting a small part to look their bike over and see if there is something else i can send so they pay one shipping charge. I try to send most small stuff via flat rate but it's still $8 by the time i pay insurance and get delivery confirmation but hey they get it 3 days sooner and save $5 over fedex or ups from here. I try to help customers as much as i can..
 
Re: Smaller OEM parts cheaper at dealer than online, because of crazy shipping costs?

I have found that anything under about $20, my local dealer is within a couple of bucks of the best price I find on line. They get it as quick or quicker than I can have it shipped... and they are open until 7 or 8 so I can get there after work. When the price goes up, I have to start calculating. :thumbsup:
 
Re: Smaller OEM parts cheaper at dealer than online, because of crazy shipping costs?

Yeah I try to get the guys when they call wanting a small part to look their bike over and see if there is something else i can send so they pay one shipping charge. I try to send most small stuff via flat rate but it's still $8 by the time i pay insurance and get delivery confirmation but hey they get it 3 days sooner and save $5 over fedex or ups from here. I try to help customers as much as i can..
Daniel thanks for the explanations, along with everybody else......it helps everybody reading (including me) understand better. I do see now why the lower cost items have the shipping charges they do. This is the first time I tried to get a low dollar OEM item online....I didn't realize how things worked. I HAVE saved a TON on higher dollar aftermarket stuff online tho. Like K03 said above, if its a low dollar item I'll just hit the dealer, and do the big dollar items online......and through board sponsors of course :thumbsup:

BTW thanks also for working so hard to treat us forum members as good as you do. Every board sponsor I've dealt with has went above and beyond...great bunch :beerchug:
 
Re: Smaller OEM parts cheaper at dealer than online, because of crazy shipping costs?

Also alot of online stores have a set shipping rate
 
Re: Smaller OEM parts cheaper at dealer than online, because of crazy shipping costs?

Daniel thanks for the explanations, along with everybody else......it helps everybody reading (including me) understand better. I do see now why the lower cost items have the shipping charges they do. This is the first time I tried to get a low dollar OEM item online....I didn't realize how things worked. I HAVE saved a TON on higher dollar aftermarket stuff online tho. Like K03 said above, if its a low dollar item I'll just hit the dealer, and do the big dollar items online......and through board sponsors of course :thumbsup:

BTW thanks also for working so hard to treat us forum members as good as you do. Every board sponsor I've dealt with has went above and beyond...great bunch :beerchug:

Your Welcome, ill do as best as I can for anyone anyday I can.
 
Back
Top