Brakes

ECP and CP4L are the smae outfit - or so I thought?

I can confirm they are the same firm.

They are under the same umbrella. With equally nutty pricing policies.

Especially when you have a code to enter. Got £80 of front brake parts for £28 week before Xmas. 50% Discount on already reduced price.

They and Halfords now have a car bulb "database" that is giving the wrong bulbs. A few months ago I went to ECP and asked for a 21/5W brake/tail light, they asked for car details, guy sucked his teeth and said "I don't know if we have parts for a 25 year old car M reg car" but the computer gave him a part number. Came back from stores with a 10W number plate lamp. I had to go out to the car remove the bulb and bring it in to show him. Bro went to Halfords, entered his reg into the parts computer, found number plate bulb, selected the type computer said was correct. He got a pair of 21/5W brake/tail bulbs (should have been 5W push fit).

As for stocking. Last Easter I checked online for a cam cover gasket for my bothers car, 1.4L Kalos. None in stock at nearest ECP but Swindon had

I usually take my trade to a motor factors that has staff that actually knows how cars are put together, which bit goes where and what it does. For some cars they have even factory workshop manuals behind counter to show/lend people.

I run the Brembos on my 986S - cheap (I paid about £300 for a set of everything in an ECP offer) and seem to last well, given I use mine for track days.

Just be aware that pad warning sensors are an extra you'll need to order, too.

I'm acutally amazed that 986S brakes are so cheap, given they're shared with the 911. Non-S 986 parts are cheaper.

Mine's a 987.2 S with the larger brakes than the 987, so think I've got a decent deal.

ECP are useless , stock levels are usually inaccurate, staff order in wrong parts or tools then say sorry no longer stock what you asked for , we got this at 5 x the price , tend to avoid them like the plague now

I have used ecp: twice. Both experiences were poor. And when you know that they are almost on my doorstep, you know they must be bad.

They used to be very good. But IIRC, changed hands some time ago.

Last time I used them was for a battery. Decent enough price, but when I got it home, discovered they'd supplied the wrong one. Correct on their paperwork - just picked the wrong item off the shelf. And no apology when I went back to get the correct one. In other words my fault for not checking in the store. ;-)

I haven't had that experience, though typically take the 'old' part in with me from experience of the variation of fitments you get anyway.

One thing I have learnt is to not use their own 'makes' where things like clips and bolts are not supplied with the part that would normally be supplied by a named make. They're often not that much cheaper.

In conjunction with offers it makes them very competitive. I expect Mr Cheerful is well known to local factors, whereas when I visit such a place I will be stung after saying I don't have an account!

My local motor factors give me the prices for the different makes they sell before asking how I want to pay, and are better than ECP in all cases. Not as cheap as specialist suppliers for unusual parts.

(OK, they may realise I don't have an account since I walk in rather than ringing up and asking for delivery by the next van).

The last time I know a motor factors selling to all and sundry and good prices was when they wanted to show good turnover figures before the sale of their business.

ECP online prices are high but you can generally get coupons to get

Their pricing system makes no sense. Recently I ran out of oil absorbing granules, my regular supplier was out, so I checked GSF they wanted 12 quid, checked ecp, they wanted a bit more, looked on ebay 6 quid from ecp (cp4less) and courier delivery included.

Or order their stuff via Ebay - if they've got it on there.

It may makes sense to them to sell something cheaper via Ebay (and free postage) than to someone who just calls at their branch and collects. After all they are not a high street outlet, with high rates, etc.

It doesn't to me, so I'll find a more honest seller.

Yup. And since they seem to set out to annoy me, I'll just spend time looking for a more honest supplier.

ECP they tried to stiff me by removing all the discount at some stage very late in the checkout and more than doubling the bill (using a discount code they showed as still valid but it had probably expired at midnight the day before)

I phoned up and cancelled straight away but It took about a week to get a refund to my card. You are totally at the mercy of thei antiquated systems.

Also it's at times like this 'Paypal' and their 'customer services' are about as much use as a chocolate teapot. In some ways it's possibly better than distributing your full credit card details around several online retailers. but the drawbacks such as lack of any proper section 75 protection are significant.