MetalMonkey
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Half the price for a better brand. Basically.
- Thread starter Kram
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Half the price for a better brand. Basically.
MattF
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Last time I bought a car battery, got a Bosch on discount/sale from Euro', just down the road.
Same here.
I don't use the one local to me a massive amount, but he knows me by name, I can ring up and order something, pay on collection. Even had stuff delivered as he goes past on occasion. Last two batteries I've bought have been very competitive with on-line prices - but as you say, instant fixing of problems if needed.
Half the price is hard to believe, so I just checked. The same Bosch battery I bought from ECP for the Focus six weeks ago would be £6 cheaper from Tayna. But I wouldn't have been been able to fix the problem by driving 5miles(it's barely more than a mile away, but on the other side of the river) and fitting the replacement at the side of the road, guaranteeing the car would be usable for the hospital trip the following day. As the previous battery lasted six years, that £1 p/a 'saving' is beyond trivial
MetalMonkey
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Depends where you go and where you live I suspect -my local factor's are very expensive.
You will pay less if you have an account with them, as the "punter" price has a substantial mark up over trade.
The brands they stock will often be nothing you have heard of, and everything else is a special order.
There is a better selection if I go into the town, but that's still an hour round trip.
Chains like ECP, Halfords, GSF etc are usually cheaper, but it seems to depend a lot on what sort of deal or special offers they have for any given time.
ECP love to have a vastly over inflated price and then discount stuff on special offer, which only works if what you want is on offer at the time.
As an example the same Yuassa battery is £117 before discount from Tayna, but on "special" offer at Halfords for only £149.
You could buy it on special offer from GSF down from 144 to £109 - but I would have to do a round trip of about 1 hr 45 mins and about £14 in petrol to pick it up form their nearest store.
Or I can have it delivered from them for free within 1-3 days.
If I phone up my local factor, I guarantee it will be about the same price for an equivalent size "SuperAwesomePowerMaxFanastico".
A comparable “Powerline” budget alternative for the Yuassa from Tayna is only £65.
I gave up chasing about on this stuff years ago - these days I try and stick to only something decent but competitive like Varta/Bosch (same thing) and that usually works out cheaper and easier mailorder.
Mail order is easier, especially if you're at work.
I do try to keep using my local guy - so he's got a tiny bit more of a chance of being there when I really do NEED something. I mean, rear brake pads for an Alfa 159 Q4 (only fitted to that model I believe) at 3pm on a Friday . . he had them by 4.30 . . . meaning it passed the MOT 7am Saturday. (I'd dragged it from it's summer/pandemic parking at the bottom of the garden and found the pads in it from before I bought it, had fallen apart).
I do try to keep using my local guy - so he's got a tiny bit more of a chance of being there when I really do NEED something. I mean, rear brake pads for an Alfa 159 Q4 (only fitted to that model I believe) at 3pm on a Friday . . he had them by 4.30 . . . meaning it passed the MOT 7am Saturday. (I'd dragged it from it's summer/pandemic parking at the bottom of the garden and found the pads in it from before I bought it, had fallen apart).
There is at least one independant motor factors in every major town over here and if they can source it they are normally as cheap as online prices for car parts.
All of them have a delivery van to deliver to trade customers but they will leave stuff for me to collect in a local shop. It's just a matter of building up a good relationship with the retailer.
Do you not have independent motor factors in GB?
By the time you add on carriage getting batteries mail order does not make sense. Yes they claim 'free postage' but the carriage cost is already added onto the retail price of the battery.
All of them have a delivery van to deliver to trade customers but they will leave stuff for me to collect in a local shop. It's just a matter of building up a good relationship with the retailer.
Do you not have independent motor factors in GB?
By the time you add on carriage getting batteries mail order does not make sense. Yes they claim 'free postage' but the carriage cost is already added onto the retail price of the battery.
All the local garages around here use the factor I use - and I would think if he was supplying crap, or wouldn't honour problems etc, they would use someone else - there are more around, just a few miles further away in pretty much all directions in the local towns.
The bloke running it now, bought it off the guy who started it - he worked for him, and took it one when he retired.
He's busy - very rare if you ring you actually talk to him straight away - answers, asks if you can hold, and the handset gets put on the counter while he deals with the call he is already on . . . might then hear him pick the next handset up before he gets to you. Always rings back if needed in a timely manner though.
The bloke running it now, bought it off the guy who started it - he worked for him, and took it one when he retired.
He's busy - very rare if you ring you actually talk to him straight away - answers, asks if you can hold, and the handset gets put on the counter while he deals with the call he is already on . . . might then hear him pick the next handset up before he gets to you. Always rings back if needed in a timely manner though.
Migmac
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Your lucky, we have garages here that will get you a battery and charge you for the pleasure. I can get the same battery for less online. The joys of living at the end of a road on a peninsula
Ubique
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Powerline should be reported to trading standards for having 'power' in their brand name - we get some 'price conscious' customers asking us to fit their self-sourced Powerline batteries, we always run a test on them first, most that pass have only <60% of the rated capacity, and only about 40% pass the test. We use Midtronics testers, not some spurious brand.
That said, I've bought premium batteries from Tayna (next working day delivery) for my own vehicles for less than I can get 'trade discount' at local factors.
That said, I've bought premium batteries from Tayna (next working day delivery) for my own vehicles for less than I can get 'trade discount' at local factors.
PhillipM
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Because I get it next day from Tanya at half the price with all the specs listed to compare.
Same as this. I'd have to find a couple of hours to go to a factor and they are all crappy chains round here anyway.
Kram
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Mail order is significantly cheaper, ECP/GFS/Halfords etc all want £150-200+ for an 027AGM. I paid, I think it was £83 delivered... cant remember exactly, I may have said on previous page.
I'd also rather not give ECP any more business.
GFS have 027 (non agm) for ~£50 on ebay delivered. The same battery jn shop is £90 and will not let you collect an ebay order even though it would save them the postage. Perhaps their warehouse to shop delivery network costs more than courier?
I did say an independent motor factor! I avoid the chains, not that we have many over here, the nearest is a small Halfords over 40 miles away.
I needed a new AGM battery for a Golf. Priced them online and then tried locally. All were cheaper than the online price and I went for an oe varta battery for a good price including fitting.
Bullet2012
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Bobupndown
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This ^^^
Don't normally buy from Halfords unless I need something urgently, as it's right beside my work, or on a Sunday but needed to replace my (only 4 year old!) Varta battery for the Freelander 2 and they were doing a correct spec Yuasa battery for £84 using my trade card.
Motor factors were all £100+.
I've carefully filed the receipt this time and know there will be no issue if a warranty claim (5 years) is needed.
barracuda816
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Not only are the motor factors usually more expensive their battery turnover is less meaning the batteries are often older and they don’t often follow a charge regime. Meaning a battery that has sat on the shelf for several months has less charge and more “wear” than a newer battery.
My local factor only looks to keep a few of the common sizes - so they go out regularly and often to the garages, so pretty new stock all the time. Anything for my cars are oddball, so come from his supplier, who will be getting it from the manufacturers store.
In a previous life, the company I worked for made a few battery washers - wash, brush, rinse, dry, auto-adjust for all sizes. Order comes for new battery, battery comes off the shelf, gets filled, through the washer to remove spillage, and out to supplier. I guess with sealed batteries, that process is now different though.
Walk in the door, or rather stand under the erected during the pandemic awning and the counter at the door, at my local guy, the only part of his entire unit you can't see from the door is the interior of the toilet facilities.
If you haven't got a good local place, then you need to move
In a previous life, the company I worked for made a few battery washers - wash, brush, rinse, dry, auto-adjust for all sizes. Order comes for new battery, battery comes off the shelf, gets filled, through the washer to remove spillage, and out to supplier. I guess with sealed batteries, that process is now different though.
Walk in the door, or rather stand under the erected during the pandemic awning and the counter at the door, at my local guy, the only part of his entire unit you can't see from the door is the interior of the toilet facilities.
If you haven't got a good local place, then you need to move
Bobupndown
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Definitely and not eurocarparts or gsf type outfits, small independent motor factors are fantastic places.
