online vs local motor factors

[Andy B]

Just been on line looking for a battery for SWMBO's C3 Citroen. Looked at Tayna & picked a battery that was the same as that already fitted, at almost £60. The options were to have it delivered or use a local distributor to click & collect it. I phoned the local place directly to ask them what else they had & was upfront about why I'd phoned them ie I'd found a battery on Tayna's website & they were a distributor for them. Straight off she said that their prices & Tayna's prices were not the same because Tayna just deal with batteries.
How much difference in price could there be?  The same battery that Tayna had for almost £60 was £160 with the local place!!!!!! 
Tayna are delivering straight to my door! 

[Jimbob]

Hell of a difference.

Tayna always good to deal with and very quick too

[Doctor Gollum]

Walk into.my local Napa and a part will cost upto.3 times more than on the Napa website.

When I questioned this they reduced the walk in price, but not enough to justify it still being double.

If I had needed the part immediately, I may have paid the tax, but surely if the central warehouse makes a profit at online prices, why can't the local stores?

[Andy B]

Walk into.my local Napa and a part will cost upto.3 times more than on the Napa website.

When I questioned this they reduced the walk in price, but not enough to justify it still being double.

If I had needed the part immediately, I may have paid the tax, but surely if the central warehouse makes a profit at online prices, why can't the local stores?

Coincidently, NAPA are the local pick-up point for click & collect!

[TheBoy]

I quite like Tayna, but be aware, if you need to use their warranty, you have to send the battery back to them for testing.  This could like you without a car for up to 2 weeks.

I tend to use Hellfrauds now for batteries, near similar prices to Tayna, and hassle free warranty - take it in, they test in then and there, they give you a new one off the shelf.

[Viral_Jim]

Walk into.my local Napa and a part will cost upto.3 times more than on the Napa website.

When I questioned this they reduced the walk in price, but not enough to justify it still being double.

If I had needed the part immediately, I may have paid the tax, but surely if the central warehouse makes a profit at online prices, why can't the local stores?

Short answer, depends on the company structure.

Longer answer: business rates in this country are a fu£king joke and are killing physical retail locations. The central warehouse that serves the whole of the UK probably pays no more rates, and employs not many more staff than a local branch serving one town. Most businesses don't look at things like business rates centrally but on a location basis, and there are good reasons for this. But it will mean that to be "profitable" in its own right, the local store may have to hike its prices. Also, if its trade focussed, you will be absolutely bummed if you turn up as a 'cash customer' see: Travis Perkins ridiculous walk-in prices.

Finally, NAPA might run a franchise model (no idea if they do or not) in which case the local branch and the online presence are linked in name only and price parity should not be expected.

[Andy B]

I quite like Tayna, but be aware, if you need to use their warranty, you have to send the battery back to them for testing.  This could like you without a car for up to 2 weeks.

I tend to use Hellfrauds now for batteries, near similar prices to Tayna, and hassle free warranty - take it in, they test in then and there, they give you a new one off the shelf.

Hopefully we'll not still have the car if/when the battery fails. The battery fitted is an Exide which has lasted a good few years but has just died without warning ..... admittedly SWMBO doesn't tend to go far when she goes out.

[STEMO]

I quite like Tayna, but be aware, if you need to use their warranty, you have to send the battery back to them for testing.  This could like you without a car for up to 2 weeks.

I tend to use Hellfrauds now for batteries, near similar prices to Tayna, and hassle free warranty - take it in, they test in then and there, they give you a new one off the shelf.

Don't think I'd be without a car for two weeks for the sake of £60. But, then again, I'm not poor like wot you say you are 

[TheBoy]

I quite like Tayna, but be aware, if you need to use their warranty, you have to send the battery back to them for testing.  This could like you without a car for up to 2 weeks.

I tend to use Hellfrauds now for batteries, near similar prices to Tayna, and hassle free warranty - take it in, they test in then and there, they give you a new one off the shelf.

Don't think I'd be without a car for two weeks for the sake of £60. But, then again, I'm not poor like wot you say you are 

£60 for a car battery is pretty cheap.  I think for either of my cars, you'd be hard pressed to walk in anywhere and get a battery for less than £200

So, my point was the warranty is an issue with Tayna *should* a warranty issue arise. Hope that clarifies.

[Sir Tigger KC]

I quite like Tayna, but be aware, if you need to use their warranty, you have to send the battery back to them for testing.  This could like you without a car for up to 2 weeks.

I tend to use Hellfrauds now for batteries, near similar prices to Tayna, and hassle free warranty - take it in, they test in then and there, they give you a new one off the shelf.

Don't think I'd be without a car for two weeks for the sake of £60. But, then again, I'm not poor like wot you say you are 

£60 for a car battery is pretty cheap.  I think for either of my cars, you'd be hard pressed to walk in anywhere and get a battery for less than £200

So, my point was the warranty is an issue with Tayna *should* a warranty issue arise. Hope that clarifies.

I have a receipt from January last year for £263.96 from a local garage that the previous owner had supply and fit a new battery in my BMW.

The battery was £227.96 including Rachel Thieves slice.

[STEMO]

I quite like Tayna, but be aware, if you need to use their warranty, you have to send the battery back to them for testing.  This could like you without a car for up to 2 weeks.

I tend to use Hellfrauds now for batteries, near similar prices to Tayna, and hassle free warranty - take it in, they test in then and there, they give you a new one off the shelf.

Don't think I'd be without a car for two weeks for the sake of £60. But, then again, I'm not poor like wot you say you are 

£60 for a car battery is pretty cheap.  I think for either of my cars, you'd be hard pressed to walk in anywhere and get a battery for less than £200

So, my point was the warranty is an issue with Tayna *should* a warranty issue arise. Hope that clarifies.

I know what your point was, can't you take a fickin joke 

[TheBoy]

I know what your point was, can't you take a fickin joke 

No, because I'm a grumpy old sod

[Migv6 le Frog Fan]

My nearest " local factor" is ten miles away, so almost all of my purchases are online.
Many years aho there was one in the village who seemed to manage to have almost anything you might need tucked away somewhere on his dusty shelves, but that was in the good old days when the world made much more sense.