Infiniti Dealer Prices

[rob1]

I was in a pinch and had the infiniti dealer replace some parts and thought I could live without getting the 25% discount that Everything Infiniti offers. When I received the bill, the parts prices were basically twice Joe's retail prices (before his discount).

Has anybody incurred this situation? Is it legal?

[elwesso]

Yeah when i went to the dealer to get a air filter, i paid $23.. Joes "original" price is $9... which means every dealer pays about $4 each..

[Q45denver]

The local dealer wanted over twice as much for fuel rail insulators. I think Scottsdale charges local customers more for parts as well?

[gniknave]

Most dealers charge 100% markup over wholesale on their parts. They may lose some sales due to price, but it's rare. Keep in mind, most people that buy from dealers are buying for quality, not price.

[elwesso]

youll notice on scottsdales price lists, it will say normal price, and then YOUR PRICE... They charge the normal price to locals...

Midway infiniti does not do that.

[rob1]

I agree about the quality point, but how do you explain:

Two OEM valve cover gasket from 4 Infiniti dealers

Joe $25Three SoCalif dealers $36, $45, $65

Of course, mine was the one that charged $65.

[elwesso]

$36 is probably list price...

[bladeQ45]

at the dealer for inj

[3rd Q]

That's a great price for injectors! Joe in Scottsdale is still better at $140/per, but around Chicago dealer list is $205. They give me 10-15% off since I've bought so many parts in the past, but since finding Joe on NICO he gets all my business. Great prices and phenomenal service!Paul

[elwesso]

INfiniti of fort wayne is a great dealership, they just like to rip you off with parts......

[ceningolmo]

INfiniti of fort wayne is a great dealership, they just like to rip you off with parts......

I think "rip off" is a bit harsh. From what I have heard from most people, yourself included Wes, the dealerships are overpriced in labor, parts, and generally figure more time than necessary to complete the job. In short, they are probably a terrible value relative to doing it yourself (on most jobs). But, to me "rip off" sounds almost criminal... or, at least, intentional. Like they attempting to charge you for labor that wasn't necessary, replaced parts that you didn't need... that type of thing.

In the case of the dealership, I think they are pretty straight forward about the fact that they are going to charge you an arm and a leg. I mean, they flat out tell you that they are charging $88-92 per hour for labor. Sure the national standard is $70... so they are WAY more expensive. But, its not like they are hiding it. They just plain ol' tell you that they are planning to charge you like a million dollars. So, if you agree to it... well, I wouldn't call that a "rip off". A ridiculously poor value, yes. A rip off, no.

Of course, that is just my opinion... and I am newb... so feel free to dismiss it.

[elwesso]

Heres why I said that...

I have a dealer receipt from Joe, saying the list price for an air filter is $9.. This is the price he charges people who buy parts through the dealer.. Same way that I went and bought the air filter from Infiniti of Fort Wayne..... Yet, IoFW charges $20 for a part they should charge $9 for... 2x the price Joe sells them to the public... Something doesnt sound right there...

I agree with you though... maybe i was being a little critical, because I think i could work as a dealer tech and i have yet to pay for any labor to be done on this Q45 (except for one emergency)..... Probably not a rip off at all, just about 2-3 wheaties short of such... And people who have infiniti's shouldnt worry about paying dealer labor rates.. if they bought the 50,000 car that can afford a grand here and there to do some work on it..... The thing I dont like though with our old Qs is, there are very few people that still work at dealers that still know the ins and outs of the G50....

Still, even the "fair" price they have is high, but when they hike the price up (which is already) 2x the fair price is when it becomes iffy... I mean, paying $23 for a part they should charge $9 for??????? This is what im talking about!

Oh well, im glad I have my good friend Joe out west.....

[ceningolmo]

I mean, paying $23 for a part they should charge $9 for??????? This is what im talking about!

Oh well, im glad I have my good friend Joe out west.....

Agreed... that is bordering on criminal. If MSRP is $9... I would say that it is unfortunate that they would charge and uninformed consumer more than double that price. Of course, the best price for any given item is whatever someone is willing to pay for it. So, if they can get $23... well, thats their business. They had better hope to keep their customer base ill-informed... as soon as people figure out that they are charging A LOT more for parts than what Infiniti suggests, they will quickly be without customers.

I suppose my original point was that the dealership is expensive... but, it isn't exactly like they are hiding that fact from anyone. Pfeiffer Infiniti is Grand Rapids has been pretty good to me.... but, I haven't had to pay the bill. Even the guys at the dealership laugh about how expensive it is.

Which reminds me of a story...

When I went to the dealership to pick up my car after "the incident" (see my thread about Circuit City installed Remote Starter). I was standing waiting for the guys to finish washing my car when another customer pulled up to the service door. He had a 2002 G35 and was in for some standard service; apparently he was called by the dealership to remind him that his 30K service was due.

When he pulled in one of the service department managers greeted him and discussed what te 30K service was going to involve. The customer, an older gentleman, listened with only partial interest. When the service guy finished explaining all the stuff they wanted to complete the customer asked how much it was going to cost. The service guy gave him a "rough" number that I didn't hear.... to which the customer replied, "can't I just buy a new car instead?"

The service guy quickly agreed and offered to introduce the customer to a sales person.

I believe this little story deomonstrates two points, both made by Wes.

First, if the customer can afford a $40-60K car, the cost of maintenance probably isn't a really big deal.

Second, the cost of maintenance at the dealership is expensive! Apparently expensive enough to make buying a new car a viable alternative to paying for the 30K maintenance on the current car.

Just some thoughts, take them for what their worth...

[JedCoop]

At Frontier infiniti near San Jose I have seen most (but not all) parts at about 25% over Scottsdale's non-discounted prices. The Infiniti dealer in Walnut Creek or Pleasanton quoted me prices that were about the same as Scottsdales non-discounted price. It seems dealers set prices on their own.

[bmwkiller]

I mean, they flat out tell you that they are charging $88-92 per hour for labor. Sure the national standard is $70... so they are WAY more expensive.

Sounds like a deal to me. My local V-dub dealer charges $85/hr, and my local Mitsubishi dealer charges $90-135/hr, depending on what they're doing for you (or to you). For example, electrical work is billed at $135. Basic service is $90. Internal engine stuff and transmission work is in the middle. Haven't checked my Infiniti dealer yet, since they're not local.

[gniknave]

Buying parts through a dealer is almost always negotiable. Just call around and tell them how much you can get that part at another dealer for if it's a lesser price. If you can get something cheaper through Infiniti of Scottsdale than what Midway is selling it for, just tell Midway you can get it cheaper at Scottsdale. If they won't match it, then you don't want to do business with them.

For the record, there are some Infiniti dealers that have higher rents and need to charge more for parts, cars, services, etc. than others.

[Jesda]

Plaza Infiniti, which is 1 mile from my house, used to REALLY suck. My parents buy their Lexuses and Acuras at dealerships 10-15 miles away to avoid them.

I got ticked, yelled at the poor receptionist (I apologized to her) and wrote them an angry letter. Now, they're quite good about customer service and they price match Bommarito, the #1 Infiniti dealer in Missouri, which is more expensive than Joe on major items but the same on small items (filters and gaskets and such).

Labor at both dealers is about $100/hr.

[Q45tech]

Of course their are major differences in the cost of doing business in various states and cities San Fran vs Jackson MS vs NY vs IOWA.

I would expect to see at least a 30% variance between such places mostly in labor rate. As a pure parts business: the space and labor cost vary with the location.......those dealers that are far from regional warehouses pay more for shipping.We get 30% off list from local dealers with promt free delivery [sometimes an hour after we call. but our combined brand location volume is $50,000+ per month..........even the least used dealer get $10,000 in parts revenue.

Matching Scottdale prices might be difficult but surely 15-20% off is reasonable if you are a regular and ask nicely...........