I'm writing this a little wound up but wondered what the general concenus is on VAG vs. General Autofactors Parts... (if you dont want to hear me rant skip the paragraph below!
Gilbert lawton Manchester were as helpful as they could be but did not know what a G40 was nor could they find any parts despite giving several different number plates off G40's even telling me one was diesel polo on a J plate! The guy tried to help but was clearly not going to get anywhere... so.... I tried my usual dealership Gilbert Lawton Macclesfield.
Now the guy I used to deal with was great but this guy was moody, the parts all seem to have jumped up in price (net) and they will not take payment over the phone and will not even get the stock in til the payment has been made and I cannot get to the actual dealership on any day other than Saturday. This meaning that for me to get a water pump and cambelt before putting in my new engine in I have to wait another TWO WEEKS!!! GRRRR!!!
So rant over I would like to know how people rate aftermarket products (I appreciate that this is a very broad definition as quality will vary) in comparison to genuine VAG but I would like to know peoples personal opinions and what they do... if you use aftermarket what do you recommend...
Sadly I fear that I wont be able to break my ways of all VAG...
I like Ridgeway VW in Oxford... A quick email to the parts manager and the parts are ordered and in stock next day for me.
I use a VAG trade parts supplier.
phone TPS in stockport pidgeon, they will order in without payment and its cash or card on collection.
VW used to send me through the parts desk in the actual showroom 4 years ago, but they started being gay, shit at looking for parts and eventually stopped taking payments over the phone, or ordering parts in without payment! If only I knew about TPS then!
I used to go to my local dealers for everything then little things started to piss me off. Then I too found TPS and there's where I've been going since. The dealers are greedy, moody and the service is poor at ALL 3 dealerships near me.
i use the local dealership (benfield motors) and there very helpful and even give me
discount on all parts i buy 10-20%.
Coventry Listers dealership have always been spot on for me - great bunch of guys. Other dealerships have played the 'no order until full payment' without any degree of flexibility so they simply don't get my business.
TPS in Coventry are also good. GSF are increasingly getting things wrong, but I feel for the guys working there - they're run off their feet!
TPS came through in the end... really helpful... went out their way to help... was a friend of a friend... but went a long way to make sure that the parts ordered were correct... that was the nottingham division...