Looking for a set of lockable lug nuts for the Civic and the local parts house doesn't fit right ($12 for the set) and the dealer wanted a bit much for it ($55 for the set). So where do you guys shop for good quality parts at a fair price?
In the last couple of years, many dealer parts departments have joined the very competitive online OEM parts business. Google for all the Honda dealers in your area and see which has the prices online. If they're cool, they'll let you have the internet price with no charge for shipping or handling. I notice they do like to charge a lot for "handling" when they ship. I figure the handling charge is part of their bread and butter.
In the alternative, try either
What year Civic?
" Frank" wrote
Call 1-888-551-9109. This is a Honda dealer with fair prices and realistic shipping. Ask for Howard. Give it a try! Paypal is the only accepted form of payment.
2007 Si
Not sure there is such a beast i.e.' fair price for quality parts'. I just paid $70 (£35.00) for a flasher relay for a Civic, from a Dealer. There are apparently 3 different flasher relays fitted to Civics (2002 model) and getting the correct one according to the DEaler is vital. Why they are not interchangeable I don't know as I assume (perhaps wrongly) that the plug configuration are the same.
Incidentally the flasher relay for 2002 Civics is in the fuse box under the 'dash'. When you take the cover off it is not obvious but it is the 'black' plastic box adjacent to the fuses.
Lockable lug nuts will not stop a determined thief for a minute. Save your money. Also you will not be able to find the fitting when you have a flat tire.
How are the shipping & handling charges for these two places? Are they anything like Majestic Honda?
This was my bill from Majestic in 2004 for an air filter and spark plugs: subtotal 18.82 handling fee 4.95 freight 7.27 total 31.04
S&H accounted for 39% of the total and it pushed the total above the cost from a local dealer.
Practice among folks who regularly use online OEM Honda dealers (who are not local) is to wait until they have a large order. Then s/h charges are a much smaller fraction of the total.
From a check in the last month or so, my general impression is that shipping is way up for all online OEM Honda dealers (and no doubt anyone who ships). Gas prices and all. I think "Handling" fees are often gravy for the online store, and they can vary.
In just the last year or so, my googling suggests there has been a huge increase in Honda dealers offering prices online at the same or very similar discount rates as the older online parts stores like Majestic. I stumbled onto a dealer near me recently while googling. Parts were all listed online for Ol' Faithful (my beloved 91 Civic). I called them up and said, "Must I buy online to get the online price? Or can I order over the phone then come down and pay and pack up my parts, so I save myself the shipping and handling? They were happy to let me order over the phone and save the s/h charges. I pay sales tax, but that's well less than the s/h charges. And, for the hopelessly ethical among us, one is supposed to pay sales tax on internet sales anyway.
Once, the parts department did hiccup at me. I had stopped by on the spur of the moment to buy a part, asking for the online price. They rudely refused, which I thought annoying. Just tell me the damn policy and I will conform. I went home and the next day called on the phone leaving a message asking what the official policy is for online prices but local payment and pickup. No one called back. I placed the order online (they have an option where you do not have to pay) and went back, saying I'd ordered the part, may I have the online price? They were much more cooperative. I reckon they just haven't got their ducks in order on all this. Maybe they count on the handling charge to make this profitable and hesitate to deal with folks like me?
"ident" wrote
heh.
was about to order a bumper cover from an online dealer for an unbeatable price, like $30 or something, when I noticed the shipping was $120.
offtopic, but why don't the parts houses sell lockables with round bottoms for honda wheels? it's all the same manufacturer who makes them for honda to sell, for godsake. the only reason i can think of is that honda has some agreement with them to keep the business to themselves, and that's a paranoid thought.
Online dealers would get more repeat business if they reduce S&H. After my experience with Majestic, I've reverted back to buying locally.
All 6 local dealers here have an online parts order form. However, I think the order form is for pick up only. I filled one out yesterday inquiring about prices but have not yet recieved a reply. Actual online orders are done through estore.honda.com. Prices are also sharply higher via eStore.
"ident" wrote
I too saw that estore.honda.com connection the dealers have, and that estore itself has higher prices. My local dealer's prices are very close to Majestic's pre-s/h charges prices though. (Not sure you meant that.)
offtopic, but why don't the parts houses sell lockables with round bottoms for honda wheels? it's all the same manufacturer who makes them for honda to sell, for godsake. the only reason i can think of is that honda has some agreement with them to keep the business to themselves, and that's a paranoid thought.
I did find another local parts house with the round bottom for a more reasonable price of $30. Will need to verify if it fits and uses the same size lug wrench.
Z, you were right, I was not able to find the round bottom ones. The one I referred to above was not round but tapered and the local parts guy refused to sell it to me even though it would fit but he said I should not take a chance on an expensive set of wheels. Bit the bullet, went to the local Honda dealer and paid $60 out the door for the set of nuts!
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