Oscaro

[nomoss]

There is a rumour about that Oscaro is going into liquidation. Just put their name into your Google search box for details and opinions.

Earlier this month I was charged immediately via Paypal when I ordered very ordinary and common parts - two non-reusable "stretch" bolts, which must be replaced whenever a hub or driveshaft is removed on one of our cars.

Five days later they told me the parts were unobtainable, and that the money would be refunded in 14 days, which will be tomorrow, nearly 3 weeks after my order.

All the refunds I have been due from them have been delayed, more so in recent years, even for parts they couldn't supply, and I have had to pester them by message and by phone to get satisfaction. I have previously remarked here on this.

I found other suppliers in France for the bolts, but they were significantly more expensive, due to exorbitant shipping charges.

As I do not need them urgently (just as well) I eventually bought them via Ebay, from a supplier in the UK, about 10% cheaper with postage.

[richard51]

Why am I not surprised?

Isn't that what they call business practice?

I would be interested, however, to know how many internet businesses are failing in France.

[woolybanana]

France is basically not a healthy environment for internet business, preferring a small shop solution.

[Lehaut]

Sad news, used them for loads of stuff, when I was allowed to work on cars.

[sid]

Any confirmation on this ?

I've Googled as instructed and can only find rumours from months ago and the company denying the problem as "fake news".

I've used them many times and I need some parts now so I'm going to risk a small order and see what happens.

[nomoss]

[quote user="sid"]Any confirmation on this ?

I've Googled as instructed and can only find rumours from months ago and the company denying the problem as "fake news".

I've used them many times and I need some parts now so I'm going to risk a small order and see what happens.[/quote]

No confirmation, but I've been looking at those rumours since they began delaying refunds several months ago, even for items they charged for which were not even in stock when my orders were placed.

I paid for my last order by Paypal, the money has gone from my bank account, but the items were not available, and they promised a refund within 14 days, which ended on Monday. It is outrageous to charge for items which they can't supply, let alone delay a refund for them.

I will complain to Paypal tomorrow. Complaining to Oscaro is a waste of time, as they just say they are sorry and will look into it.

There are other suppliers if one looks around; Ebay suppliers are beginning to seem more reliable.

[Chancer]

They have not been paying their suppliers, they were overdrawn at the bank by €30 million which is the exact amount of new capital they are claiming to have raised, in the meantime their stock is depleting they cannot order parts to fullfill orders from suppliers they have not paid many of which have won judgements aginst them which remain unpaid.

 

They are surviving by taking money for orders that they cannot fullfill, cash coming in for none going out except postage, refunds are taking up to a year and usually wont happen before a procedure in justice.

 

If you need a part which has gathered dust unsold on their shelves for years like a battery tray for a Renault 4 then you can probably order in confidence, if you need brake pads for a Ford Focus they will take your money and send you the Renault 4 battery tray which will cost you more to return than the money you have lost on the brake pads.

 

The above has come not from the internet but by speaking to fellow car enthusiasts, garagistes and a auto parts shop gérant, it might surprise you to know that when you visit the latter and he looks for the part you need on his screen, sucks through his teeth and gives you a price saying it will be here in 48 hours was more often than not ordering from Oscaro!!!!!

[nomoss]

[quote user="Chancer"] ..................... if you need brake pads for a Ford Focus they will take your money and send you the Renault 4 battery tray which will cost you more to return than the money you have lost on the brake pads....................................[/quote]

That's not correct Chancer, at least not in my experience. Maybe you have confused them with another supplier.

The cost of incorrect parts due to a mistake on their part is refunded in full. This happened to me when an item in their listing - a silencer - was incorrectly described, and I received a pipe section.

Costs of parts returned - I often order more than one version of a part if I'm not sure, and return those which don't fit - are refunded in full, including postage, and a standard charge of 4€99 is deducted from the amount refunded, regardless of the weight. This applies to returns made within a year of purchase.

The cost of the return shipment in both cases is zero. When the returns procedure is followed, a shipping label is produced. You print this out stick it onto the package, take the package to either La Poste or another specified carrier, and just hand it over to them.

The patron of Oscaro recently made this statement about the rumours:  [url]http://www.decisionatelier.com/Oscaro-attaque-en-justice,11689[/url]

Also, they have recently added to their range of parts by selling tyres:

[url]http://www.decisionatelier.com/Oscaro-se-lance-dans-le-pneumatique,11802[/url]

[sid]

Hmmm, I've never had a bad experience with them, but I haven't ordered in the past couple of months. Last time was for wiper blades, 8€ each instead of the ridiculous 51€ (pair) from Norauto. They did arrive in a box about 10 times too big!

I think a local garage man is likely to encourage the rumours about a possible Oscaro downfall; he wants you to order through him, pay full price, and let him do the work!

I use a local guy for many jobs, but I wouldn't dream of getting him to change my wiper blades, or my disc pads, or my spark plugs (ou bougies).

[Chancer]

A local garage man would have to wait several lifetimes for me to ever order through him, pay full price or pay anyone to work on my vehicle.

 

Carry on buying from Oscaro if it makes you happy, there have always been lots of other far better cheaper suppliers some even with a presence in France although Germany is my current favorite.

 

Nomoss, give these people a try:

 

https://www.auto-doc.fr

or

 

https://www.qp24.de/en-gb

 

[nomoss]

[quote user="Chancer"]

A local garage man would have to wait several lifetimes for me to ever order through him, pay full price or pay anyone to work on my vehicle.

 

Carry on buying from Oscaro if it makes you happy, there have always been lots of other far better cheaper suppliers some even with a presence in France although Germany is my current favorite.

 

Nomoss, give these people a try:

 

https://www.auto-doc.fr

or

 

https://www.qp24.de/en-gb

 

[/quote]

Thanks. Oscaro used to be competitive, but one gets into habits, and it's better to keep looking around.

[Chancer]

Save your vehicle détails then look for the part(s) you require, I was amazed to find that not only did they have the obscure non fast moving parts that I wanted (brake disc backplate and shocker bump stops/piston shield) but they were far cheaper then anywhere else but also that they had multiple offerings from multiple OE and aftermarket suppliers, I really didnt think that anyone would be making obscure stuff like that, the backplate for instance would never normally need changing but my vehicle had lived by the sea.

 

Another tip is that there are now sites where you can find the correct manufacturers part number (avoids getting the wrong part) and you then put that into Google or E-bay, it was from doing that I found these 2 new to me suppliers, the market has evolved suppliers have to or they will go the way of Oscaro.

 

This is great for part numbers but there are others: https://7zap.com/en/

 

You can see all the different part numbers for the various build dates, changeovers and options etc, using it I was able to find the part numbers for the heavy duty springs fitted to my car for the African market and bought some Lesjofors quality Swedish OE ones for about €20 delivered.

[nomoss]

Thanks for that part no. site.

We have an Audi and an Alfa, I use [url]http://www.oemepc.com/audi[/url] for the Audi.

That site may be useful if I need to identify obscure Alfa parts which I don't have on the two spare cars!.

[Chancer]

The net has certainly changed things, the advantages that I once had with multiple trade accounts, hbeing in the know, aving contacts etc, accounts with wholesalers like Maccess et al have no value in the new world we live in, information is king, with a part number and Google you are away.

 

Today I found a Fred in a shed supplier of seal kits for obsolete trolley jacks and can finally repair the 60's Bradbury Jackette that I have not been able to get seals for for 20 years, Google again but it led me to a posting on a Nissan Navaro forum recommending this guy who thankfully is still trading. Google images show me that it is supposed to have a cover plate which in the 40+ years I have known this jack I never knew existed, I will fabricate one now.

[nomoss]

After selling my 1973 Ro80 via Leboncoin two years ago, for €7,600, nearly six times what I paid for it in 1985, I was left with a stack of spare parts for it, and from another 1973 Ro80 which I drove from 1975 until it was wrecked it in an accident in 1984 and dismantled for spares.

I advertised the parts, again on LBC, sold the more sought after parts individually bit by bit, and the rest as one lot, including body panels, doors, and bumpers, which half-filled a 6 m3 van sent by the purchaser, went last week.

The total raised was just under €1,700, just over what I paid for the car, which we drove all over Europe for nearly ten years.

This would never have been possible before the internet either.

[pomme]

Oscaro is merging with Parts Holding Europe

Le leader français de la vente en ligne de pièces détachées automobiles Oscaro va être absorbé par le distributeur de pièces détachées Parts Holding Europe, maison mère d'Autodis, selon un communiqué conjoint diffusé aujourd'hui.

http://www.lefigaro.fr/flash-eco/2018/11/13/97002-20181113FILWWW00349-le-leader-des-pieces-detachees-oscaro-absorbe-par-la-maison-mere-d-autodis.php

[nomoss]

On 13th October I ordered parts from Oscaro which were shown in their online listings.

They immediately took the money from my Paypal account. Most companies I deal with do not take payment until they ship goods.

On 15th October they emailed that the parts were not available, and they would refund the money within a maximum of 14 days.

On 7th Novemver I contacted them via their message system and also by email to tell them the refund had not been made

On 8th November they "presented their excuses", saying that the refund had been put in place on the 15th, but had not been made, and would be made "rapidly".

That's 25 days since they took my money for items they couldn't supply, and it will be a week tomorrow since they promised a rapid refund. This certainly seems like a company with severe cash flow problems which has deliberately put such delays in place.

If I don't get the money in my Paypal account by Friday I shall complain via Paypal, listing all the previous times this has happened.

Thanks, Chancer, for the alternative suppliers you mentioned here.

[Chancer]

No problem, have recieved a couple of deliveries from them, they were both a little slow, maybe taking 5 days to actually ship the stuff but it was very well packaged, good documentation and delivered promptly, both gave me 5% discount codes for the next purchase, have often seen the field on websites but its the first time that I have ever had one.

[nomoss]

I complained to Paypal at 1715 on Friday 16/11.

I received advice that the money has been refunded at 0911 this morning, Monday 20/11.