Overpriced parts

[semhlee]

Scanning through Mudah and the classifieds here to check out whats available for my e30, I cant help but feel that a lot of the used parts brought in from overseas are being sold for exorbitant and ridiculous profit. Scanning through the prices of these part in the overseas forums from Europe and US, sometimes what we pay here is like up to 20 times more. No doubt this is demand driven but a set of used M Tech 2 body kit costing up to more than RM 4k surely is too much??? No??? And a set of refurbished basket weaves more than RM 2.5?? Are these people really enthusiasts or just taking advantage and out there to 'make a kill'??? Well maybe its just me ranting off but then I also think the whole M Tech 2 look has been overdone here and look just plain boring.

 

[evilnickwong]

It is overpriced IMO as well, but supply is low and the parts are considered rare, so of course if a buyer is not capable of procuring the parts themselves from overseas, the local sellers are their only option.

 

[semhlee]

Yes supply is low. But these are not rare parts and the e30 is not a rare car. Millions were built!!! I'll stick to my cracked up dash instead of paying RM 1500 for a second hand piece!!!!! Call me a tight c**t if u like but like i said, maybe its just me!!!lol!!

 

[Iylia H]

Yes supply is low. But these are not rare parts and the e30 is not a rare car. Millions were built!!! I'll stick to my cracked up dash instead of paying RM 1500 for a second hand piece!!!!! Call me a tight c**t if u like but like i said, maybe its just me!!!lol!!

wrap your dashboard with leather bro... looks classier!

 

[kgb]

that is why i am yet to do one mod to my car. those sellers can eat shit, i am happy with what i have at the prices that they are offering.

 

[wobbles]

Call me a tight c**t if u like but like i said, maybe its just me!!!lol!!

Tight colt? Tight coot? Tight cult? Tight Celt? Tight cact? Tight c.. Oh. THAT... hahaha

 

[moots]

bro,agree with the price of parts being bloated over here.other option is ebay.i got my instrunent cluster for rm 390 as oppposed to the cheapest at rm600 and most crazee at rm1200 locally.rm390 for door to door service,minus sometimes the insult and arguments wz the local used parts dealer is i'd say,a very good deal.:top:

 

[kombat_kanan]

There's always two sides of the coin. As a customer you always have a choice. Nobody puts a gun to your head forcing you to buy the kits with that price right? The reason why the parts are more expensive here than overseas is because there are demands for them, plus the scarcity factor. There's no such thing as overpricing. If u want them go ahead and buy. If the price is not right then settle only with what you could afford. There's always replicas and fibers. Peace.

 

[wobbles]

There's always two sides of the coin. As a customer you always have a choice. Nobody puts a gun to your head forcing you to buy the kits with that price right? The reason why the parts are more expensive here than overseas is because there are demands for them, plus the scarcity factor. There's no such thing as overpricing. If u want them go ahead and buy. If the price is not right then settle only with what you could afford. There's always replicas and fibers. Peace.

Wise words, wise words *respect*

 

[kgb]

its is not a question of what one can afford, i can afford to pay rm4K for a body kit, but why should i? Its a principle.

 

[55CENT]

Hi all,

I'm new to the BMW E30 forum, my dream was to own a UDM especially E30, since it catcher my attention the most. I'm got hook up immediately seeing a red unit drove pass me from bukit tiggit 3 towards kesas high way years back, wanna give a thumb up to the owner, but it too fast, my proton couldn't catch up with it.

Story aside, i had only recently surface and doing lots of read up on E30, by following Sifu (Mizhan) thread i realize the amount of money spent is no joke. But it up to individual and how deep their passion goes.

I do personally felt quite disappointed knowing the used part of E30 is relatively high (cut throat), i do wonder how deep my wallet and passion enable me to own a unit.

best rgd,

 

[kombat_kanan]

its is not a question of what one can afford, i can afford to pay rm4K for a body kit, but why should i? Its a principle.

I am sure you could sir. But the six million dollars question: why should one buy rm4k bodykits? The answer is because one wants to. The fact that you did not buy it concludes that you don't want it as much as hundreds of people who have bought them. With that price.

What you did was the right thing. You chose. For that I thank you sir. That's why some people can still enjoy the RM4k price. If you, the thread starter, and everyone else chose to buy with whatever price advertised, I am quite sure I'd be fitting JRDs into my car

 

[ICEMAN 68]

oh well i don't think so it's that overpriced as i've done quite a number of buying and it all depends on sheer luck and items that you're looking for ...

if an M-tech kit would fetch around rm4K here, then it's all depends on individual budget and mind frame of what you're gonna get ...at most, many buyers are just pure fishermans here as why i say so is, if a B-kit is at rm4K they will call up the seller offering ridiculous offer beyond imaginations... therefore how are the local sellers gonna byte on the deal even before you'll end up knowing that the kit is sold just a mere 3K ...1k off the mentioned price .... but that's what most of the buyers here do..

Hence if you do your homework, you'll see that you're just paying an extra token for not going through the hassle such as items being blocked at Customs, broken items, items sold not as described etc etc ..... by doing the math i rather nego with a proper amount and who know i may be lucky to seal the deal ...

It's just me ....

 

[ramsing]

well said kombat_kanan and iceman13.

its all about demand and supply. if there are 100 people selling m-tec kits, then obviously the buyers would be happy as they can shop around. if there's only 2 sellers around, what would you expect?

sellers would want the highest price, buyers would want the lowest price. so how to solve the dilemma? its funny how some ppl think that prices overseas, should be reflected here dollar for dollar. as iceman put it, a lot of things go unseen into getting the thing to land at your doorstep.

that is why you can always see a lot of 'excited' ppl making noise when there's something interesting for sale. they would ask this, ask that, say wah, say woo, ask all sort of questions like its the end of the world. but the really interested buyers would just walk in, nego a bit, and just buy. then the 'excited' people would later say, 'aiya, i missed the deal la. or my hand was stuck taking out my wallet la.' hahahahah......

 

[ICEMAN 68]

that is why you can always see a lot of 'excited' ppl making noise when there's something interesting for sale. they would ask this, ask that, say wah, say woo, ask all sort of questions like its the end of the world. but the really interested buyers would just walk in, nego a bit, and just buy. then the 'excited' people would later say, 'aiya, i missed the deal la. or my hand was stuck taking out my wallet la.' hahahahah......

well said ...and they will keep on waiting for the next deal which will also be sold at the same price tag OR end up buying with a slight cheaper from those half-cuts thinking that they had strike GOLD and later to find out it's not as describe ....

manyak susah lorrrr

 

[cempaka]

Remember bros, the sellers don't have a monopoly on these parts. If you don't feel the local sellers offer value for money, there is nothing stopping you from sourcing these parts from overseas yourself. Look at Mizhan who got many of his rare parts himself on German Ebay. But I think if you actually try it, you may find there is more to it than you might think. :wink:

The local prices for some things can seem high at times but there is a big difference between seeing parts for sale on some overseas website or forum and having it here in your hands for your mechanic to install. Ramsing and Iceman mentioned it, but here is some more detail:

• You have to make sure it's genuine and in good working condition, over long distance without inspecting in person. Isn't always easy when using just photos and IMs, balancing being cautious vs moving quickly because also competing with others. US/UK is flooded with replicas and sellers can be very tricky about damage.
  
• You have to send big chunks of money to strangers on the other side of the world (over there also got fraudsters)
  
• You have to maintain an overseas address to have them ship to (some wont ship internationally) and have someone there to take delivery, check, store, and repack for shipment to Malaysia. (This person also needs to be compensated somehow)
  
• You have to arrange to ship it to Malaysia. This especially is very expensive for large/heavy items. Also pay a lot for insurance or save money but risk total loss
  
• You have to pay 40% duty to clear it through customs. There are sometimes ways to reduce it a bit, but it is still substantial
  
• You may have to invest more money/time in having the items refurbished, especially things like wheel rims which often come with corrosion and curbing
  
• You have to spend a lot of time selling it, showing it and listening to people's grandma stories and lowball offers. Even when you get serious buyers they can be very tough negotiators

And all this time it is your money that is tied up and at risk. If any damage/loss happened at any stage, too bad. If the item cannot fetch the price you thought it could, too bad. If you open the box here and find out you paid top money for 4x "Alpino" or "AC Schnatzer" rims, or that your "original" M-tech kit has some fibre pieces, too bad. If there is a big dent or crack on the side that the seller didn't photograph, too bad. :shot:

When you take into account the time invested, money tied up, risks along the way, and the mandatory "diskaun sikit", sellers aren't always making as much profit as you think. Not saying you should feel sorry for them or whatever, but it is just a sideline hobby for most of them because it's not exactly something you can rely on to feed your family.

I'm frequently in US/UK so if I think something is overpriced here, I will try to source it myself. Yet I still have parts on my car that I bought locally. Why? Because I did the math and found that any money I saved buying it overseas would be quickly eaten up by the costs and hassle of actually getting it here, not even counting the convenience and security of buying COD after personal inspection.

In the end, the buyers still have the ultimate power. There will always be some sellers setting unrealistic prices. If nobody buys, they either have to lower the price or be stuck with the item forever. If others are willing to buy, then unfortunately that is the market price for now. If it is any comfort, market price for a good Mtech2 kit in USA is about rm6k ($2k usd), if you can even find one for sale!

 

[gizmoz82]

for me just simple willing buyer,willing seller.....if know chop shop taukey just buy full car...more cheaper.......

 

[fabianyee]

if u have frens in US or UK and can buy stuff for u from there, then it's a lot easier.. and cheaper... but only if those items are relatively small and and light.. Otherwise, the freight charges can be higher than the items itself or send by shop... and not forgetting the hassle to deal with the customs officers... If u got all these somehow sorted out ie got an uncle/fren working with the freight/shipping field and knows the right ppl to deal with in the customs then it's all good.

 

[lightspeed]

if u have frens in US or UK and can buy stuff for u from there, then it's a lot easier.. and cheaper... but only if those items are relatively small and and light.. Otherwise, the freight charges can be higher than the items itself or send by shop... and not forgetting the hassle to deal with the customs officers... If u got all these somehow sorted out ie got an uncle/fren working with the freight/shipping field and knows the right ppl to deal with in the customs then it's all good.

agreed...shipping cost is always significant. i juz bought some small plastic stuff which cost only around usd15...however the shipping cost itself costs usd35 for that 'small stuff', more expensive than the item itself
nevertheless, if thats the item u need...u got no choice but just pay...as mentioned by many bro here: it is all about willing buyer willing seller. cheers!

 

[Keano]

Remember bros, the sellers don't have a monopoly on these parts. If you don't feel the local sellers offer value for money, there is nothing stopping you from sourcing these parts from overseas yourself. Look at Mizhan who got many of his rare parts himself on German Ebay. But I think if you actually try it, you may find there is more to it than you might think. :wink:

The local prices for some things can seem high at times but there is a big difference between seeing parts for sale on some overseas website or forum and having it here in your hands for your mechanic to install. Ramsing and Iceman mentioned it, but here is some more detail:

• You have to make sure it's genuine and in good working condition, over long distance without inspecting in person. Isn't always easy when using just photos and IMs, balancing being cautious vs moving quickly because also competing with others. US/UK is flooded with replicas and sellers can be very tricky about damage.
  
• You have to send big chunks of money to strangers on the other side of the world (over there also got fraudsters)
  
• You have to maintain an overseas address to have them ship to (some wont ship internationally) and have someone there to take delivery, check, store, and repack for shipment to Malaysia. (This person also needs to be compensated somehow)
  
• You have to arrange to ship it to Malaysia. This especially is very expensive for large/heavy items. Also pay a lot for insurance or save money but risk total loss
  
• You have to pay 40% duty to clear it through customs. There are sometimes ways to reduce it a bit, but it is still substantial
  
• You may have to invest more money/time in having the items refurbished, especially things like wheel rims which often come with corrosion and curbing
  
• You have to spend a lot of time selling it, showing it and listening to people's grandma stories and lowball offers. Even when you get serious buyers they can be very tough negotiators

And all this time it is your money that is tied up and at risk. If any damage/loss happened at any stage, too bad. If the item cannot fetch the price you thought it could, too bad. If you open the box here and find out you paid top money for 4x "Alpino" or "AC Schnatzer" rims, or that your "original" M-tech kit has some fibre pieces, too bad. If there is a big dent or crack on the side that the seller didn't photograph, too bad. :shot:

When you take into account the time invested, money tied up, risks along the way, and the mandatory "diskaun sikit", sellers aren't always making as much profit as you think. Not saying you should feel sorry for them or whatever, but it is just a sideline hobby for most of them because it's not exactly something you can rely on to feed your family.

I'm frequently in US/UK so if I think something is overpriced here, I will try to source it myself. Yet I still have parts on my car that I bought locally. Why? Because I did the math and found that any money I saved buying it overseas would be quickly eaten up by the costs and hassle of actually getting it here, not even counting the convenience and security of buying COD after personal inspection.

In the end, the buyers still have the ultimate power. There will always be some sellers setting unrealistic prices. If nobody buys, they either have to lower the price or be stuck with the item forever. If others are willing to buy, then unfortunately that is the market price for now. If it is any comfort, market price for a good Mtech2 kit in USA is about rm6k ($2k usd), if you can even find one for sale!

Not to mention, sellers also have to deal with buyers who don't turn up to COD but talk BIG BIG earlier. Perhaps that is covered under your point where you mentioned having to listen to grandma stories? :21:

Overall, you've got it spot on Bro cempaka & I cannot agree with you more.