Can't believe the price of boiler spares!

[cr0ft]

Anyone want to manufacture a boiler with me? I reckon there is money to be made in that game! £230 for a fan for an 8 year old WB combi. That's the cheapest price I could find anywhere locally or online.

Someone is making a killing and it isn't me!

 

[lame plumber]

so add 20% mark up, then you can join the party

 

[cr0ft]

I did! Feeling a bit sorry for the old geezer that's forking out for it though.

 

[lame plumber]

dont be too sorry, thats the beginning of going bust.....................

 

[Leo21]

Why? Did you fit it or recommend it? I agree though the prices are mental.

 

[Ray Stafford]

And yet we don't go into the spares business because we can't work out how to make a profit out of it.

Either you are a primary stockist (buying direct from the manufacturers on best terms) in which case you have to commit to carrying the entire range of spares for their 15 year back catalogue. IIRC, the stock commitment for Vaillant ALONE was over £100,000.

Or you are a secondary stockist, buying from primart stockists. In which case margins are thin and there is always someone on the internet cheaper than you.

And just like your customers underestimate your overheads, you guys under-estimate a stockists overheads.

Joking aside, if I thought we could break-even in spares, we would be doing it (because of the added footfall it brings).

But we cant. Not even at those prices.

 

[kris]

I was called to a Biasa on tuesday with no power, The PCB is gone and a new one costs £240 + vat and i rekon the boiler only cost £400 brand new ,,,, me personally i would rather bite the bullit and rip the heap out,

 

[Millsy 82]

What boiler is it? I bought a fan for a 28cdi yesterday £66+ vat.

 

[buckley plumb]

Solo 3 fan kits are same price for original baxi part

 

[oz-plumber]

And yet we don't go into the spares business because we can't work out how to make a profit out of it.

Either you are a primary stockist (buying direct from the manufacturers on best terms) in which case you have to commit to carrying the entire range of spares for their 15 year back catalogue. IIRC, the stock commitment for Vaillant ALONE was over £100,000.

Or you are a secondary stockist, buying from primart stockists. In which case margins are thin and there is always someone on the internet cheaper than you.

And just like your customers underestimate your overheads, you guys under-estimate a stockists overheads.

Joking aside, if I thought we could break-even in spares, we would be doing it (because of the added footfall it brings).

But we cant. Not even at those prices.

Keep toeing the line Ray, we will eventually believe you.

On a less serious note, are you saying you can't get decent prices on spares for boilers you sell?
Wouldn't you want to back up the people you sell boilers to with cheaper than average cost spares?

 

[Leo21]

And yet we don't go into the spares business because we can't work out how to make a profit out of it.

Either you are a primary stockist (buying direct from the manufacturers on best terms) in which case you have to commit to carrying the entire range of spares for their 15 year back catalogue. IIRC, the stock commitment for Vaillant ALONE was over £100,000.

Or you are a secondary stockist, buying from primart stockists. In which case margins are thin and there is always someone on the internet cheaper than you.

And just like your customers underestimate your overheads, you guys under-estimate a stockists overheads.

Joking aside, if I thought we could break-even in spares, we would be doing it (because of the added footfall it brings).

But we cant. Not even at those prices.

In that case it's the manufacturers that are ripping everybody off. Not the merchant, for a change.:thinking2:

 

[Millsy 82]

In that case it's the manufacturers that are ripping everybody off. Not the merchant, for a change.:thinking2:

Don't believe him! You know what these merchants are like. Lol.

 

[Millsy 82]

And yet we don't go into the spares business because we can't work out how to make a profit out of it.

Either you are a primary stockist (buying direct from the manufacturers on best terms) in which case you have to commit to carrying the entire range of spares for their 15 year back catalogue. IIRC, the stock commitment for Vaillant ALONE was over £100,000.

Or you are a secondary stockist, buying from primart stockists. In which case margins are thin and there is always someone on the internet cheaper than you.

And just like your customers underestimate your overheads, you guys under-estimate a stockists overheads.

Joking aside, if I thought we could break-even in spares, we would be doing it (because of the added footfall it brings).

But we cant. Not even at those prices.

I used to use a 1 man band in Gloucester and had talks with my boss at the time who was trying to get us to use Pts more as they were a lot cheaper.

The reason that I kept pushing for us to stop with this bloke was he was more reliable. Pts would always say yes we will get it tomorrow and a week later it still not be in, this bloke used to say it will be a couple days but it was always in when he said it would be and he would even text me in the morning to let me know what had come in.

He wasn't the cheapest by a long way but what he offered was worth the extra he had to charge.

 

[oz-plumber]

In that case it's the manufacturers that are ripping everybody off. Not the merchant, for a change.:thinking2:

Leo,

You are many things, but, I never thought you were, 'Hypothetically Gullible'

Oz

 

[Leo21]

Leo,

You are many things, but, I never thought you were, 'Hypothetically Gullible'

Oz

What the fool does hypertharically gullible mean?

 

[hammers4spanner]

Wait till you supply a pcb and when you fit it boiler still don't work lol

 

[cr0ft]

Well fitted my first fan today. All started up and worked fine! Correct diagnosis, 100% success rate at fixing boilers so far..

One very happy customer even with the bill as he doesn't need a new boiler!

 

[newcastle phill]

Some record that ;-)

 

[stevetheplumber]

croft id give it up while your ahead m8

 

[rpm]

Well fitted my first fan today. All started up and worked fine! Correct diagnosis, 100% success rate at fixing boilers so far.

You know it`s downhill from now in don`t you? lol
99%, 98%, 97% .......................

 

[bright spark]

1 of the main suppliers I buy from for spares had 800k worth of spare in one storeroom I was told by parts manager 1 day. He had another store upstairs and a large yard full of boilers/burners rads and all plumbing equip too. That's some outlay alright. Then he has another branch the same on d other side of the city.

 

[newcastle phill]

Probably cheaper to split boilers and sell the parts individually lol.

Thats what they do with japanese motorcycles.
New bike say 8,999
Parts total 41,000

Motorcycle news did this a few years ago. Im sure it wouldnt work witj boilers as too many parts would be redundant - but good if it did lol !!!

 

[hammers4spanner]

What boiler age do you guys decide if its end of life?

on average not talking isars etc

 

[mfgs]

What boiler age do you guys decide if its end of life?

on average not talking isars etc

Depends on the cost of the repair. Sometimes a customer may choose to get a new boiler if a heat exchanger fails at 7 years old, however if a thermistor goes wrong at that age its definitely not time to replace.

 

[Leo21]

I let the customer decide. Unless multiple pars have failed, or it's a brown Baxi leaking everywhere.

 

[quality]

Probably cheaper to split boilers and sell the parts individually lol.

Thats what they do with japanese motorcycles.
New bike say 8,999
Parts total 41,000

Motorcycle news did this a few years ago. Im sure it wouldnt work witj boilers as too many parts would be redundant - but good if it did lol !!!

I remember the motorcycle news article, they built a Kawasaki ZX7R from new spares parts at the time a new ZX7R was about £7000.00 but cost about £25000.00 to build from individual parts

 

[woodsy]

Went on a course for a well known boiler manufacturer who admitted / proudly told us that a part that most of us were paying £90 for was costing them £8 - hence their ability to offer fixed price repairs for £200 ish as they can afford to throw parts at it, if necessary. Parts a rip off but suspect they are being used as method of them recouping costs on the original sale / development of boilers which to be fair are now cheaper generally than 15 yrs ago.

 

[gassafe]

Maybe the manufactures are pushing up spare prices so it would push all customers to go for a fixed price repair by the manufacturer instead??

 

[Leo21]

With these long warranties, it's great. The servicing is done to keep the warranty, and if there's anything wrong you throw it back to the manufacturer.
I don't hate breakdowns, I just don't like not knowing how long a jobs going to take. I like to be home by 4.
I sometimes even recommend they call the manufacturer, specially ideals and worcestors.

 

[newcastle phill]

Went on a course for a well known boiler manufacturer who admitted / proudly told us that a part that most of us were paying £90 for was costing them £8 - hence their ability to offer fixed price repairs for £200 ish as they can afford to throw parts at it, if necessary. Parts a rip off but suspect they are being used as method of them recouping costs on the original sale / development of boilers which to be fair are now cheaper generally than 15 yrs ago.

Glow worm or ideal ??
Pcb

 

[woodsy]

Glow worm or ideal ??
Pcb

Ravenheat , can't remember what the part was

 

[cr0ft]

So far I quite like breakdown work to be honest. Pays quite well and doesn't seem to take that long to do. Despite moaning about the cost of parts they aren't widely available online like bathroom parts so you can actually make a decent markup on them.

 

[Leo21]

So far I quite like breakdown work to be honest. Pays quite well and doesn't seem to take that long to do. Despite moaning about the cost of parts they aren't widely available online like bathroom parts so you can actually make a decent markup on them.

It's early days Crofty, some of them will have you scratching your head and countless visits. Not being able to charge for all of them because the bill would be horrendous.