Internet Sales

[partsdude]

Im a new parts manager at a fairly small dealership. Does anyone out there do very much parts business via internet? How do I get started? Is it worth the trouble?
Thanks

[jimmuntz]

You may get a better response from the Parts Manager Forum. I suggest you post the question there.


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Jim Muntz
Publisher WD&S Publishing
jim@dealersedge.com
Phone 800-321-5312
FAX 800-314-4770

[scotstrong]

We did a fair amount of internet sales for about 3 years. We backed away from it for
a couple of reasons:

A) logistics of shipping other than UPS or FEDEX. Try finding a common carrier to deliver to a remote location for, say, a set of running boards. The shipping expense is ridiculous.

B)Price -- too many whores selling at, or in some cases, even below cost. Customer places order then tries to cancel same or next day because they found it a few pennies cheaper on another website.

C)Resolution of warranty problem -- who pays the shipping (both ways) when a part or accessory fails under warranty?

D)GETTING PAID!! We have had several instances where a customer ordered something; then decided they didn't want it after they received it. Even if we informed them ahead of time that it was not returnable, they still try and then stop payment on the credit card or dispute it through PayPal. PayPal almost always gives the benefit of the doubt to the customer rather than the supplier. In these instances, you are out both the item AND the money and you have very little recourse if the customer does not ship it back to you.

VERY, VERY DIFFICULT to make this a profitable venture when you take into consideration these factors.

If you try it, I hope you are more successful
than we found it to be.

Scot Strong

[machado]

I have not been to the Forum Page in sometime

Today I felt like visiting and saw your question.

I am the ISM in a stand alone Jeep Store in a small market about of 45,000 town way between Austin and San Antonio, TX.

We have had a lot us success selling parts on-line. Admittedly, the majority of our sales are wearable and collectables. We do ship parts too all over the world. The amazing part is we do well over $100,000.00/month in web sales volume. We have invested very little in this program but the payoff seems to come each and every month.


------------------
Greg Machado
E-Commerce Director &
Independant Consultant
gMACgroup.com
machado@gmacgroup.com
210.383.4734

[This message has been edited by machado (edited 09-22-2004).]

[mmangano]

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