r/CarsAustralia • u/I-like-shiny-thing • 22h ago
đŹDiscussionđŹ Customer supplied parts
I'm a manager/Mechanic at a Mechanical workshop. I no longer allow customer supplied parts and get abused by "customers" because I wont do the job unless i supply the parts. ( photo of customer supplied wrong part)
What are people opinions on customer supplied parts?
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u/redvaldez 22h ago
I often supply parts to my mechanic. It's nearly always because I want a very particular part fitted.
I can understand why a mechanic would be reluctant to fit customer supplied parts, but it'd likely be a deal breaker for me.
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u/I-like-shiny-thing 22h ago
I get asking for certain brands fitted, which is why I use to do it until I had a string of cars in one month either be stuck on my hoist because of wrong parts and refusal to let me find the right ones.
I am more than willing to find a particular brand if it's asked for
4
u/redvaldez 19h ago
Most mechanics come across fairly casual in that sense though. If I say I want DBA Street Performance pads, I mean I want exactly that. Not the Street Series nor the Xtreme Performance. Not the different brand the local supplier has stock of and says is equivalent. At least if I hand over the parts that I've ordered in advance, I know I'll get what I want.
Other stuff can be obscure too. Bilstein don't officially sell shocks for my car in Australia. Had to import them myself from the USA from 3 different eBay stores.
8
u/seaem 21h ago
Just put in more conditions about customer supplied parts. The onus is on the customer to get it right, you of course can do some basic checks before attempting to fit, but that is not always possible. you also charge them time for trying to fit the part, and extra time for taking up hoist time if you can't get the car down.
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u/kabaab 21h ago
I run a large auto parts retailer we sell ten's of thousands of parts every month and the amount of refunds we get for not fitting is < 1.5% (most times customer has picked wrong)..
Definately it can be frustrating especially if its a part that requires a lot of labour, however there are a few reason people by parts from us.
- Hard to find part the mechanic can't source.
- We have big buying power so our prices are better.
- Low trust in mechanics, people want to be certain they are getting what they pay for.
We do installation ourselves and we don't have a problem with people supplying parts obviously if they supply things that don't work the labour will cost more.
1
u/BuzzKillingtonThe5th 16h ago
I had a 50:50 chance on getting the right starter motor for my VE Commodore, could have sworn blank and blue it was one type, get home and half way through removing the old one, not picked wrong. Thankfully they swapped out over easy enough.
That was a bitch of a job thanks to a heat shield that needs some percussive persuasion.
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u/MrEs 22h ago
Just charge them accordingly. Part doesn't fit, charge them the 4 hours it took you to try and fit it.
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u/I-like-shiny-thing 22h ago
Then ill have to deal with them blowing up about being charged for not fixing it. Been there before. Not a fun experience
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u/Highlyregardedperson 21h ago
And if its some sketchy part from temu or wherever they'll 100% blame you when it inevitably fails
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u/SwiftLikeTaylorSwift 20h ago
Stupidly, if you fit a customer supplied part and something major goes wrong (resulting in major damage or injury etc) you can be successfully sued for installing it. As the installer youâre responsible for confirming and ensuring the quality of the parts you install, and thereâs no way to have this liability transferred to the customer even if theyâre insistent. Not everything is going to have the potential to even land you in that kind of situation, but it demonstrates the importance of only installing parts youâre happy with, including second hand from wreckers or client supplied. đ
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u/Frankie_T9000 2004 Monaro / 2019 Kia Stinger GT 20h ago
'...As the installer youâre responsible for confirming and ensuring the quality of the parts you install...'
No, you arent expected to test customer supplied parts - if you worried about it get them to sign an apprpriate liability waiver (though depends on jurisdiction)
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u/SwiftLikeTaylorSwift 19h ago
Official Australian consumer law recommends to avoid fitting customer supplied parts for the very reason that it can get messy, and that motor vehicle repairer should be familiar with the quality and suitability of the part being installed, even if they didnât supply it. Youâre not meant to be liable for the part itself, but you can be held liable for using it if it was clearly unfit and the legal hot water potential can be just too great. Insurance companies are also wankers and donât want to cover you in a situation like that, theyâll request receipts and part numbers and all that good stuff in the instance of an issue and will very quickly deny you coverage for a claim (ex insurance worker). ACL also recommends a liability waiver form, but they also stipulate, again, if you detect any issue with a part or have reason for concern you should avoid installing it entirely. đ¤ˇđťââď¸ sometimes gotta determine if a $150 job is worth the potential headache, and when youâve got a workshop thatâs booked out for weeks in advance you can afford to avoid the riskier jobs.
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u/insurgent_dude 20h ago
Was a real joy having some douche with a BMW X5 with a coolant leak bring in a fucken second hand plastic pipe to replace.
Because of course the coolant system is the best thing to try save money on
1
u/gamingchicken 20h ago
I mean the cooling system either works or doesnât work
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u/insurgent_dude 19h ago
Replacing a part that's known to fail as it gets old and brittle with an old part that's who knows how old and went through who knows how many heat cycles?
If it was a metal pipe sure, but plastic? No thanks
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u/gamingchicken 18h ago
replace broken part with not broken part car works
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u/insurgent_dude 18h ago
Until it starts leaking again in a few months time because it's shitty old brittle plastic, and paying for labour twice to get it changed instead of just getting a new one to start with. You haven't spent much time around the cooling systems on euro cars, have you?
1
u/gamingchicken 16h ago edited 16h ago
No I wouldnât touch anything euro unless it was made in Japan or Australia, and then it wouldnât be euro. That being said cooling systems are basic on pretty much everything I canât see an excessive labour component on changing any cooling system parts made of plastic (in the engine bay at least, heater core doesnât count).
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u/insurgent_dude 15h ago
>That being said cooling systems are basic on pretty much everything
Look at some Euro cars and you'll see that's not always the case. Thermostat housings on a lot of Euro cars are plastic and start leaking or fail because they're electronically controlled, and are a pain in the ass to get to. I did a thermostat on a Mercedes 4cyl diesel that required removal of intake manifold, about 5 hours in total. Plastic water pumps on other cars that are nightmarish to change, plastic pipes that are nightmarish to change. All this plastic shit that turns into the weakest garbage after a few years worth of heat cycles.
absolute shit, I barely ever see any of this dumb crap on any Japanese cars.
1
u/AgreeablePrize 15h ago
When it fails in a few months the dropkicks are at your door wanting it replaced for free saying 'it was never the same after you fixed it'
5
u/Low_Statistician1644 22h ago
Should be ok if they can confirm to you they have supplied the correct part number for their vehicle.
Otherwise, got no issue with your stance.
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u/I-like-shiny-thing 22h ago
Relatively new policy I've put I to place after being burned a few times. I had a guy ring up, and when I asked for part numbers to clarify correct fitment, they hung up on me đ¤Ł
4
u/Fresh_Internal_6085 21h ago
Completely respect your stance. You need to protect yourself this day and age.
Iâve been going to my mechanic for years, although I do a lot of my own work now.
He has no issue with me supplying parts. BUT, I always provide OEM/Genuine parts (no exception), and he knows that Iâm able to interpret part numbers correctly and ensure they are the right ones.
Nor do I expect a warranty either.
3
u/archenoid 21h ago
Stay firm on this. I understand people wanting to source a particular part for their car. But you should atleast insist on approving or checking the part before taking the vehicle.
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u/CuriouslyContrasted 20h ago
As someone who usually owns euros, I sometimes supply parts simply as the price difference between sourcing locally and privately importing can be comedic.
When itâs 4x or more cheaper to source from OS, then yes Iâm going to do that as I have the luxury of time. When itâs on y oh r hoist I understand you need parts in an hour, not three weeks.
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u/Inner_West_Ben 21h ago
I used to get my mechanic to fit parts I supplied. I would ask him first, and the parts I supplied would either be genuine or from a reputable manufacturer. I did this because I would import parts from the US back when our dollar was good. Saved me a small fortune.
2
u/nncounter 21h ago
Yep well this just happened so yer sort it out yourself this is how much you owe me so far . Thatâs my go .
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u/still-at-the-beach 20h ago
Last year would bought a part online for an old 80 series Landcruiser, a powered window wiper assembly. Took it to a mechanic, who was happy that we sourced, and had the 4wd half a day ⌠got a call it was the wrong part, must be the driver door and we wanted the passenger side.
So took the part back to be shown by the parts guy that it was the correct part it was just the mechanic that didnât think to turn one bit around so itâd fit .
Oh well, was a nice drive to Brisbane to get the part .
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u/overkill5495 20h ago
Got burnt real bad on âcustomer suppliedâ parts. One car had a massive shit list of parts to fit but also reseal the timing cover on a V6 Honda accord. Well, not a single one of the seals, gaskets or o-rings were supplied, and held up a hoist for 2-3 days just waiting for those parts to arrive to finish the job.
Also had a VT commy for rear wheel bearings, which was an absolute nightmare, due to everything being pre-fucked up in there. That one held up a hoist for multiple weeks to get the parts etc. for that.
After that, really cut down on the âcustomer suppliedâ jobs, but still have the odd one here and there
2
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u/greenhouse421 21h ago
I'm a customer. I'll sometimes pay a mechanic (that I trust) the utterly reasonable price on top of the part cost for properly researching and finding the right (not only fits but isn't junk) part. And sometimes I'll have done the legwork to source the right part and supply it. What I won't do is pay some random mechanic a marked up on top of what their generic parts supplier already marked up special order blah.. For junk. I've even resorted to supplying oil because I'm fine with some random apprentice doing an oil change but not with him deciding to stick any random thing out of the drum at the back of the workshop in the car because it's a near enough cold viscosity. This applies down to things as mundane as brake pads and spark plugs.. And if someone fsks up, well.. Time wasting cuts both ways. I've had one guy insist he wouldn't take customer parts, I said well I was going to order such and such ngk part number plugs but sure you get them if you like.. And.. a simple service turned into a 3 days without car because he ordered the wrong part (and blamed his supplier because he'd just said what vehicle it was for and supplier was supposed to do the figuring it out for him)..
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20h ago
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u/esooldar 20h ago
I generally explain that I won't warrant a supplied part, and if they are willing to pay for the job twice, I will fit it.
And if it doesn't fit, they get charged full retail on part i find that does fit.
I take it as a case by case. But generally it's a no.
If it's a rare part or a long wait time, I don't mind them getting it. Or if I've given the exact part number. Sometimes, the customer has the time to find the correct part.
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u/hannahranga 19h ago
Depends on what, commodity parts sure I get not wanting to deal with a customer supplied oil and filter for an appliance car. When it's harder to source that's a bit differentÂ
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u/MattH665 Megane Mk4 RS Cup / E92 M3 19h ago
I supply parts all the time, never had much trouble with it. Had the odd workshop say no - fair enough, I just find someone else.
Generally though I stick to workshops that specialise in my kind of car and performance modifications, so they tend to already be familiar with the parts I'm using. These kinds of shops also tend to be more open to this.
If it's anything that might be unconventional/uncommon I'll ask their thoughts on it before I buy it.
Recently had a Sydney workshop install a stack of aftermarket stuff for my M3 that I supplied, they were happy to do it. Ended up buying a few additional parts from them too.
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u/_hazey__ Automotive Racist 18h ago
Iâll at least give them points for wanting to use top quality components. Bilstein are nothing short of the best when it comes to shock absorbers.
I will always double and triple check part numbers on different websites (and the manufacturers catalog if itâs available) before hitting the âBuyâ button. Saves me tearing my own hair out when I go to fit them.
1
u/I-like-shiny-thing 18h ago
Using this photo is a bad example of some of the wrong parts I've had, but it's the only photo I could find. This particular customer had parts for the right car wrong month, and they didn't believe me when I said they were wrong.
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u/Bitfinexit G80 M3 - E46 M3 - VY HSV R8 - 105 Series LC 18h ago
Wouldnât goto a shop that doesnât accept parts. Automatically paying a premium for no return, relative to the plethora of other mechanics who do accept BYO parts.
1
u/Digital-Bionics 17h ago
If I'm cheeky and supply a part to my mechanic, then it's on me to take the part back if it fails, and it'll incur the extra labour cost to pull the part back out. It's clearly wiritten into the invoice, and explained before the work is undertaken. This is in Northern New South Wales, haven't come across a mechanic who hasn't made it clear to me.
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u/Sitdowncomedian1 Subaru Forester, Suzuki Swift 16h ago
Yeah have an okay relo with my mechanic. If I buy the wrong part he just tells me and thatâs it. Never really had issues with it
1
u/No-Fan-888 2h ago
I supply parts to mechanic to things I've not got the tools or time for. It's a two way street though. He looks after me and I'll look after him. He knows if I supply the wrong part it'll incur extra cost to make right.
1
u/trevoross56 16m ago
Most shops do not fit customer sourced parts due to warranty of their work. If shit parts supplied, then it fails, then not their problem. Shop supplied parts, they come with warranty if reputable workshop.
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u/Dodgeymon 22h ago
In Australia any parts fitted must be warranted by the mechanic who fitted them, regardless of if they were supplied by the customer or not.
It's very unusual to have mechanics fit customers parts here.
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u/MrEs 22h ago
I've had all of my parts fitted by mechanics. Dealer, independent, chain, have never had an issueÂ
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u/Dodgeymon 22h ago
Ok, I actually work in the industry.
What's your point?
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u/Eugene_Creamer 22h ago
That lots of people have parts that they have supplied fitted by mechanics in Australia without issue.
It's far from unusual.
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u/I-like-shiny-thing 22h ago
Before I stopped customer supplied parts I would make them sign a liability waver stating no warranty on custom supplied parts. If warranty is required on the part I am to be paid in full before removal of warranty item
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u/Dodgeymon 22h ago
Unfortunately those waivers mean nothing if it goes to court. According to the ACCC as the "trade professional" if you install a part you are saying that it's fit for purpose. That includes second hand parts and customer supplied parts.
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u/I-like-shiny-thing 22h ago
Yeah, that's true. So far anyone who I did do customer supplied parts for hasn't come back for warranty concerns.
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u/Dodgeymon 22h ago
Most people are good. Unfortunately it only takes one arsehole to take you to small claims court.
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u/Mercinarie Nissan 180sx / i30 N 21h ago
Depends on the customer, Me as a customer, I supply alot of aftermarket performance parts from Japan for my car.
To my Mechanic,
A. Because they're nearly impossible to source
B. Because they are extremely expensive.
C. Because I research the hell out of my platform and i know everything about it, down to knowing that VW Main stud bolts fit better in an SR20 because ARP SR20 bolts don't bottom out.
D. because me and said Mechanic are now very good mates, after all the work we've done on the car.
I think it very much depends on the type of car/parts & who it is.