Ecp rant - Page 2

Dallas · 13th January 2019, 15:53

On the website you will often see a yellow banner which states...
'There is more than one choice of part for your vehicle. Please select the correct 'Air Filter' by checking the 'Fitment Detail' tab'.

My wife used to work for Unipart Bristol Street Rover, she was one of the sexy delivery girls who would deliver thousands of car parts each week to the garages throughout Dorset. She would be at the forefront of some of these unhappy customers, but with a quick smile and cheeky wink she would have them smiling again. A wrongly ordered part was neither the customer or retailers fault, it was usually a problem of the part supplier manufacture specification or year of vehicle which had changed. These small errors in the database get corrected once flagged, its certainly not worth losing sleep over, there can often be human error on both sides.

The car manufacture certainly doesn't make it easy for these guys, constantly changing and updating certain parts during production. Different spec, part supplier or manufacturing year will have an effect on part production along with different models made for other countries etc, the mind boggles.

I've worked in retail for over 25 years, and product codes can be a complete nightmare, especially when you are dealing with several brands and a number of different suppliers. The car part data catalogue is no different, these car part retailers certainly don't have an easy job. Whether it be aftermaret or OEM, these part codes need to be cross referenced/interchanged from part manufacture OEM or not OEM. Specialist software is used to magically deliver millions of part codes to the retailers database in some sort of understandable order.

I have respect for ECP, they have always made sure I have received the correct part. They do advise a quick phone call to your local store if unsure of part code, they do have a more in depth database than what's available online. I have found if there is more than one part code available for your car, they will often make sure you have ordered the correct part by double checking their database, this can easily be done instore on collection.

bl52krz · 13th January 2019, 15:57

I’ll join the rant from a different angle. What the heck is the use of a database that is not accurate? Always an excuse from people who blame something/someone else for something going #i#s up. Had the same thing happen with the flexible brake hoses on mine, from again,ecp. Someone on here the other day had the same problem, and that was after I was assured that my observation had been noted. Oh yea.Not really a rant, more a matter of fact.

MSS · 13th January 2019, 16:21

There will always be failures in any process. If you think of the number of parts ECP supply each day, I suspect over 99.99% will be correct.

It's not worth getting ranty about - just a fact of life in the complex world that we live in.

topman · 13th January 2019, 16:38

As we're talking about ECP, I've never had a problem at all until this week. Some parts are two weeks overdue , these things happen.

I'll see how their customer service is.

stevestrat · 13th January 2019, 18:23

I was looking for a part for the 260 (think it was a rear spring?), ECP listed it but it didn't look right, the part they listed was a "standard" 75/ZT one, not for the 260. I advised them, got an apology but they never changed the listing

13th January 2019, 15:53	#11
Dallas This is my second home 1979 Capri 1.6L, 1982 Capri 1.6L, 2016 Dacia Stepway Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Dorset Posts: 8,595 Thanks: 3,496 Thanked 3,397 Times in 2,218 Posts	On the website you will often see a yellow banner which states... *'There is more than one choice of part for your vehicle. Please select the correct 'Air Filter' by checking the 'Fitment Detail' tab'.* My wife used to work for Unipart Bristol Street Rover, she was one of the sexy delivery girls who would deliver thousands of car parts each week to the garages throughout Dorset. She would be at the forefront of some of these unhappy customers, but with a quick smile and cheeky wink she would have them smiling again. A wrongly ordered part was neither the customer or retailers fault, it was usually a problem of the part supplier manufacture specification or year of vehicle which had changed. These small errors in the database get corrected once flagged, its certainly not worth losing sleep over, there can often be human error on both sides. The car manufacture certainly doesn't make it easy for these guys, constantly changing and updating certain parts during production. Different spec, part supplier or manufacturing year will have an effect on part production along with different models made for other countries etc, the mind boggles. I've worked in retail for over 25 years, and product codes can be a complete nightmare, especially when you are dealing with several brands and a number of different suppliers. The car part data catalogue is no different, these car part retailers certainly don't have an easy job. Whether it be aftermaret or OEM, these part codes need to be cross referenced/interchanged from part manufacture OEM or not OEM. Specialist software is used to magically deliver millions of part codes to the retailers database in some sort of understandable order. I have respect for ECP, they have always made sure I have received the correct part. They do advise a quick phone call to your local store if unsure of part code, they do have a more in depth database than what's available online. I have found if there is more than one part code available for your car, they will often make sure you have ordered the correct part by double checking their database, this can easily be done instore on collection. Last edited by Dallas; 13th January 2019 at 16:44..

13th January 2019, 15:57	#12
bl52krz This is my second home Rover 75 cdt club + Rover 2.5 KV6 Conni SE Join Date: May 2008 Location: Birmingham Posts: 11,394 Thanks: 6,587 Thanked 2,262 Times in 1,729 Posts	I’ll join the rant from a different angle. What the heck is the use of a database that is not accurate? Always an excuse from people who blame something/someone else for something going #i#s up. Had the same thing happen with the flexible brake hoses on mine, from again,ecp. Someone on here the other day had the same problem, and that was after I was assured that my observation had been noted. Oh yea.Not really a rant, more a matter of fact. __________________ Great Barr, Birmingham.

13th January 2019, 16:38	#14
topman This is my second home MG ZT-T 190 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Lincolnshire Posts: 5,493 Thanks: 372 Thanked 647 Times in 534 Posts	As we're talking about ECP, I've never had a problem at all until this week. Some parts are two weeks overdue , these things happen. I'll see how their customer service is. __________________ Like being creative? http://www.qwghlm.co.uk/toys/dailymail/

13th January 2019, 18:23	#15
stevestrat This is my second home ZT260 #243 (resting) Join Date: May 2010 Location: Prestonpans Posts: 22,480 Thanks: 650 Thanked 4,624 Times in 3,358 Posts	I was looking for a part for the 260 (think it was a rear spring?), ECP listed it but it didn't look right, the part they listed was a "standard" 75/ZT one, not for the 260. I advised them, got an apology but they never changed the listing __________________ Steve T4 Location Map

13th January 2019, 16:21	#13
MSS This is my second home Rover 75CDT, Jaguar XF-S 3.0V6, V'xhall Omega V6 Estate, Twintop 1.8VVT, Astra Estate and Corsa 1.2 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Suffolk Posts: 7,085 Thanks: 283 Thanked 624 Times in 440 Posts	There will always be failures in any process. If you think of the number of parts ECP supply each day, I suspect over 99.99% will be correct. It's not worth getting ranty about - just a fact of life in the complex world that we live in.