Ripoff Merchants .

Chevron Terry · Post by **Chevron Terry** » 21 Jul 2009, 12:00

Hi ,
I phoned my local motor factor company for a Thermal switch for a cooling fan ; price £ 28 - 52 .
My local Citroen dealer : £ 20 - 01 .
What a differance !!
It does pay to shop around .
That is a 30% differance !
Terry .

Sid_the_Squid · Post by **Sid_the_Squid** » 21 Jul 2009, 12:07

What surprised is me is that Citroen is the cheaper option!

falling-out-with-my-car · Post by **falling-out-with-my-car** » 22 Jul 2009, 17:24

yess Sid and they will tell you its an orriginal citroen componant, Ive watched as the auto-factors van arrives with parts for the mechanics to repair vechicles in the workshop. yet if I approached Citroen with outside purchased componants they wouldn't fit them saying they have to be citroen componants otherwise they cannot gurrantee them, what a load of bull.

they pretty much use the same suppliers as we do only they have a bussiness account which allows them a price cut.

as for parts coming in from abroard they always have the citroen/pug logo on them but so do some of the componants I have bought from local autofactors.

regards Nigel.

dave · Post by **dave** » 25 Jul 2009, 20:02

I needed a relay for a s-type, cheapest place main dealer, £3.5 motor factor a fiver for the wrong one!

falling-out-with-my-car · Post by **falling-out-with-my-car** » 26 Jul 2009, 17:12

dave,
this is why whenever possiable I take the old componant with me to the auto factors to compare the differences.

regards Nigel

vince · Post by **vince** » 26 Jul 2009, 22:02

Always a good practice Nigel, that way you can hit them with it if they still get it wrong

Some dealerships have sl;ashed their prices on some stuff due to lack of income through car sales.....Often though your local independant will be cheaper. the accuracy part is the factor though in most cases....

falling-out-with-my-car · Post by **falling-out-with-my-car** » 27 Jul 2009, 11:04

Vince,

I always steer well clear of auto factors clutch cables, for some reason they are nearly always thinner on the inner cable and seem to strech more over time.

they also seem to be prone to failure, not just on citroens but renaults and pugs to. (nipples break off).

small items like brake pads & vented disks have always been very good, I was disapointed to find that you could only buy steel wheels from Citroen main dealerships, surely other cars have the same size stud pattern?

Relays I tend to scour the scrapyards for its a lot cheaper that way and you could always find 2 one to keep as a spare.
which reminds me thank you I need one for my rear windscreen wiper.

regards nigel.

XantiaMan · Post by **XantiaMan** » 27 Jul 2009, 11:38

falling-out-with-my-car wrote: , I was disapointed to find that you could only buy steel wheels from Citroen main dealerships, surely other cars have the same size stud pattern?

regards nigel.

I wouldnt go to my local motor factors and expect them to have an alloy wheel in stock or be able to supply. Its a model specific part (as far as the factor is concerned)