Sadly not gold

[Bolin]

Recently I got the local garage to replace my brake bleed nipples whilst changing the fluid - just as well I didn't try it myself as both rears needed 20 mins of heat each to free them.

Cost of the new bleed nipples on the invoice = £22.80 inc. VAT.

Quick look on ebay shows a set for less than £6 and stainless steel for less than £10.

Even a Genuine set from Rimmers is £9.60.

I have checked and they are standard plated steel, not solid gold, not even gold plated.

So who is getting a cut that isn't justified?

[Matt_75]

Originally Posted by Bolin

Cost of the new bleed nipples on the invoice = £22.80 inc. VAT.

Was that just for the parts (not including labour)?! Seems a bit excessive if it was.

[daveo138]

Probably not too excessive. I suppose it depends how much their suppliers charge for them.

Also, the garage probably don’t have time to search the internet to find the cheapest parts, then wait three days for them to arrive.

[Bolin]

Originally Posted by Matt_75

Was that just for the parts (not including labour)?! Seems a bit excessive if it was.

Just for the parts, not including labour.

Originally Posted by daveo138

Probably not too excessive. I suppose it depends how much their suppliers charge for them.

Also, the garage probably don’t have time to search the internet to find the cheapest parts, then wait three days for them to arrive.

More than twice the cost of Genuine parts though, I would have thought that whatever they can get from a motor factors or whatever wouldn't be more expensive than Genuine Xpart parts, certainly not more than twice the cost.

[MSS]

Originally Posted by Bolin

......

So who is getting a cut that isn't justified?

That's a strange comment - who decided it's not justified - the person who didn't source the parts and didn't do the work?

The garage will have sourced the parts from one of their normal "delivery within the hour" suppliers.

E.g. https://www.eurocarparts.com/p/dansk-100440090

You can hopefully see how the invoice cost inclusive of a small delivery charge could be £22.80.

As a matter of buyer etiquette, it's bad form to question a price after the event. If the price is going to be important, ask and agree it before the work is done.

Surely, the £22.80 is better than being invoiced for 45-minutes on the internet searching for the cheapest supplier at £60 per-hour plus £90 for 3-days of workshop floor occupancy cost whilst the car awaits the £3.99 parts?

[rab60bit]

Originally Posted by MSS

That's a strange comment - who decided it's not justified - the person who didn't source the parts and didn't do the work?

The garage will have sourced the parts from one of their normal "delivery within the hour" suppliers.

E.g. https://www.eurocarparts.com/p/dansk-100440090

You can hopefully see how the invoice cost inclusive of a small delivery charge could be £22.80.

As a matter of buyer etiquette, it's bad form to question a price after the event. If the price is going to be important, ask and agree it before the work is done.

Surely, the £22.80 is better than being invoiced for 45-minutes on the internet searching for the cheapest supplier at £60 per-hour plus £90 for 3-days of workshop floor occupancy cost whilst the car awaits the £3.99 parts?

Erumph...I'd be surprised if the factors who supplied the garage aren't wholesale and in any event there would be a trade discount for the garage and factors include a built-in delivery service (it's the nature of the beast). When the garage eventually invoice, any parts used will have an added 10-25% - the garage make that free and clear. Unless the bleed nipples are somewhat special (which I doubt) £11.40 for one bleed nipple does seem excessive - paying for the garage's expertise/knowledge/tools and what - your local jobbing garage hourly labour rate £65-70x actual man hours - is fair enough, I'd say there was no way they could justify the cost of the parts they've invoiced for.

[MSS]

Originally Posted by rab60bit

Erumph...I'd be surprised if the factors who supplied the garage aren't wholesale and in any event there would be a trade discount for the garage and factors include a built-in delivery service (it's the nature of the beast). When the garage eventually invoice, any parts used will have an added 10-25% - the garage make that free and clear. Unless the bleed nipples are somewhat special (which I doubt) £11.40 for one bleed nipple does seem excessive - paying for the garage's expertise/knowledge/tools and what - your local jobbing garage hourly labour rate £65-70x actual man hours - is fair enough, I'd say there was no way they could justify the cost of the parts they've invoiced for.

The natural reading of the original post would suggest 4 new bleed nipples, therefore £5.90 each. It's not clear what point you are making with the rest of your post, or are you saying that a garage's potential mark-up of 10-25% is unreasonable?

As I wrote in my previous post, its poor form to complain about price after someone has done the work. If price is important, it should be agreed up front.

[Jamiewelch]

This is the reason I stopped helping people with their cars. Complaining over £10 when they managed to replace the nipples and get your brake fluid changed. They could have just said they are stuck, you need a new caliper.

Like people have said, would you rather pay for their time researching and trying to find a cheaper part, then paying delivery on top? They probably spent 30 seconds on the phone to their factor, said they needed bleed nipples and gave them the reg and the parts were probably dropped off within the hour. You need to remember motor factors aren't always the cheapest, even with discount. I can regularly get things for 20-25% cheaper than my mates motor factor with discount by getting the parts of Autodoc.

If you wanted to save the £10 you should have provided the garage with new bleed nipples.

Bleed nipples from Rimmers are actually £19.74 when you include next day delivery. You can't go quoting prices without including as close to the delivery time that they are getting. I dread to think what it would cost for same day.

If you're going to complain over £10 for getting a job done properly then I definitely wouldn't want to go near your car.

Originally Posted by rab60bit

Erumph...I'd be surprised if the factors who supplied the garage aren't wholesale and in any event there would be a trade discount for the garage and factors include a built-in delivery service (it's the nature of the beast). When the garage eventually invoice, any parts used will have an added 10-25% - the garage make that free and clear. Unless the bleed nipples are somewhat special (which I doubt) £11.40 for one bleed nipple does seem excessive - paying for the garage's expertise/knowledge/tools and what - your local jobbing garage hourly labour rate £65-70x actual man hours - is fair enough, I'd say there was no way they could justify the cost of the parts they've invoiced for.

There are 4 nipples on the car. So £5.70 a nipple, it's not exactly expensive. Penny pinchers are the reason the car scene has died.

[The Rovering Member]

£4.56 without VAT which is nothing to do with the garage.
I normally get my own parts when l have my cars booked in with Kevin at Wickford. Not because l don't trust him, it's just convenient for him & you have time to select the best value/quality parts.

[Jeff Turbo]

Can't see the problem really, £22 is not a lot of money, as you say they spent 20 minutes each under heat to remove the old ones, others would have snapped them so then a different lot of pain