crossy67 Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 Do the French have such things as motor factors for parts? I think I might need a set of brake pads but I haven't seen a Vauxhall/Opal dealer on my travels. I know there are on line places but I would rather buy them in person because there are about 5 different makes and you can guarantee I will get the wrong set. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loirette Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 HiWe also have a Vauxhall and can obtain various parts from Carter Cash here in Le Mans. There may be one near you http://www.carter-cash.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickP Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 http://www.mister-auto.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoneySuckleDreams Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 http://www.oscaro.com/ But to be honest, for small stuff, the UK is cheaper even with delivery to France..and I have a Citroën Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
just john Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 There's definitely a http://www.feuvert.fr/ in Angouleme . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 [quote user="just john "] There's definitely a http://www.feuvert.fr/ in Angouleme . . .[/quote]Right opposite Géant supermarket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave21478 Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 Ebay from UK or Germany. Look on ebay.fr for sellers in Germany, ebay.de for sellers who will post to france or on ebay..co.uk for sellers who will post to Europe.Recently, I have bought leaf spring shackle bushes from Portugal, a timing belt kit from Germany, a waterpump and a set of suspension arms from UK all between 30 and 70 % less than the local factors want. These have been for various cars and nothing exotic or rare. Its a bloody sad state of affairs when I can get a timing belt kit for a Peugeot 306 delivered to my door from UK within 3 days for much less than half the price the local supplier sells it for.This is a massive bug-bear of mine and I really don't understand why the French put up with it. The chap in Portugal selling the suspension bushes lists exactly the same item on both uk and fr versions of ebay, with the french price being exactly double the uk price. I contacted him through ebay uk and asked if he would post to france, which he was happy to do for the lower price! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 [quote user="dave21478"] The chap in Portugal selling the suspension bushes lists exactly the same item on both uk and fr versions of ebay, with the french price being exactly double the uk price. I contacted him through ebay uk and asked if he would post to france, which he was happy to do for the lower price![/quote]Bloomin good for him!!!!I assume his "French" price is still way better than the factors in France, that way he gets a better margin and can be even more competitive with the UK market [:D]It has always amused me how many people have lost my business by, as we say in these parts, "taking me for an American", yet are completely ignorant of the fact that they themselves are ripped off for most things that they themselves buy, the one only that decided that he had better rethink after I laughed in his face about the American price has gone on to have a good trading relationship with me and I now always have a list of things to bring back for him from the UK.The very fact that around here we have the phrase "Vous me prenez pour un Americain hein!!!!" speaks volumes for the commercial awareness/values of the merchants.My total purchases from motor factors in France in 6 years was one set of brake pads, I still havnt got over it yet especially as right after I found my stock set in the cellar that I had been searching for.It only takes the requirement for something for which I havnt had the foresight to stock to trigger a visit to the UK for me, one time it was when I hit a masonry nail and nadgered my 160mm circular saw blade, €40 plus wherever I looked here, 3 for a tenner in the UK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 Well done Dave. I bought a car battery locally a couple of years back and it failed after a year and a couple of weeks - guess how long the guarantee was - yeah, you got it, one year!! That battery cost me 110€ two years ago, the exact same size but a better make with a three year guarantee in the UK is about £40. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f1steveuk Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 I'd be wary of brake parts on Ebay. That isn't to say they are all "dodgy", but care should be taken, I have seen some pads that looked like paper mache, and would have lasted as long.I brought a cabin filter and an air filter for our Renault Modus in Periguex (can't remember the name of the factor) and they were a third of the price of the UK, and when I opened them, they both had Unipart numbers on them!Like anything else, it pays to shop around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anton Redman II Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 " Recently, I have bought leaf spring shackle bushes from Portugal, a timing belt kit from Germany, a waterpump and a set of suspension arms from UK all between 30 and 70 % less than the local factors want. These have been for various cars and nothing exotic or rare. Its a bloody sad state of affairs when I can get a timing belt kit for a Peugeot 306 delivered to my door from UK within 3 days for much less than half the price the local supplier sells it for. "I now have a deal with my local Peugeot garage that they will fit what ever I buy provided I supply a second one to them at cost. The 306 may be a special case as prior to the illogical and gutless decision to close Ryton I believe more 306s were built there than in France.Local 'Boost' shop could not believe you can buy and register 406 V6 engined 306 in the UK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave21478 Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 [quote user="Anton Redman II"].....Local 'Boost' shop could not believe you can buy and register 406 V6 engined 306 in the UK[/quote]Heh, my neighbours son is a bit of a "Kev" and As an ex Kev myself I was chatting cars with him a while back. I was telling him about my beautiful old tuned Calibra V6. He asked what I did with it and I told him I loaned it to my sister who wrote it off 6 minutes later. He flatly refused to believe me when I told him I stripped the engine, box, brakes, some of the suspension and the leather interior out and fitted them to a mkIII astra. He changed his tone when I showed him the photos! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 [quote user="Anton Redman II"]". " I now have a deal with my local Peugeot garage that they will fit what ever I buy provided I supply a second one to them at cost. [/quote]Now that is what I call enterprising [:D]My local builders merchants were 100% serious when they asked me to bring back a semi remorque load of B&Q £3 a roll insulation, aside from the fact that I dont have an HGV license, they will only sell you 17 rolls at a time and its pot luck when they have it I thought I would play them along for a while.Were they going to pay for the vehicle hire, diesel, ferry crossings etc and were they going to give me a decent discount on my future purchases?, the answer was no to all of them, more like "you must be joking" I thought "well you started it mate", leave it with me I said, I will see what I can do, they still remind me whenever I go in there and ask for a price just so I can tell them that its too much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoneySuckleDreams Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 I've just been into Feuvert for some wind screen wipers for my citroen....can't be too expensive I thought. €49 for the drivers side and €16 for the passenger side. They're having a laugh!£14 delivered from the UK for the same Valeo parts.Has anyone got a logical explanation as to why things are so expensive in France? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Théière Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 [quote user="crazyfrog"]I've just been into Feuvert for some wind screen wipers for my citroen....can't be too expensive I thought. €49 for the drivers side and €16 for the passenger side. They're having a laugh!£14 delivered from the UK for the same Valeo parts.Has anyone got a logical explanation as to why things are so expensive in France?[/quote]No but several illogical ones [:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 [quote user="crazyfrog"]I've just been into Feuvert for some wind screen wipers for my citroen....can't be too expensive I thought. €49 for the drivers side and €16 for the passenger side. They're having a laugh!£14 delivered from the UK for the same Valeo parts.Has anyone got a logical explanation as to why things are so expensive in France?[/quote]We put our C1 into the garage for a service. They said it was due new spark plugs, we had no choice but have them as it has to be done for the guarantee but I nearly keeled over at the price, 40€ + VAT for 3 spark plugs! I told the guy I could buy then for 6€ each in the supermarket. His response was that they were special Citroen plugs and you couldn't get them anywhere else - what a load of bullocks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Théière Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 [quote user="Jay"][quote user="crazyfrog"] I've just been into Feuvert for some wind screen wipers for my citroen....can't be too expensive I thought. €49 for the drivers side and €16 for the passenger side. They're having a laugh!£14 delivered from the UK for the same Valeo parts.Has anyone got a logical explanation as to why things are so expensive in France?[/quote] 40€ + VAT for 3 spark plugs! I told the guy I could buy then for 6€ each in the supermarket. His response was that they were special Citroen plugs and you couldn't get them anywhere else [/quote]He was right you can't get them anywhere else at that price [;-)]http://www.c1oc.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=398 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperlola Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 [quote user="Jay"]We put our C1 into the garage for a service. They said it was due new spark plugs, we had no choice but have them as it has to be done for the guarantee but I nearly keeled over at the price, 40€ + VAT for 3 spark plugs! I told the guy I could buy then for 6€ each in the supermarket. His response was that they were special Citroen plugs and you couldn't get them anywhere else - what a load of bullocks.[/quote]Does he moonlight as Crazyfrog's electrician?[:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 Mind you when I did a search I found a Bosch plug on special at Mister Auto , the most expensive one there for the C1 at 8.83€ and that was "au lieu de 18.57 €". Maybe Citroen buy from Mr Auto! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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