Amazon Appliance Parts

[Ben]

While it's another way Amazon is taking over the world, I'm pretty impressed with their appliance parts section. I think it works much better than the car parts section (which still lists the wrong oil filter for my truck).

They have very detailed model numbers to select from to ensure you have the right parts, and the parts are cheap (at least compared to what I would pay locally) and available.

Case in point, I was working at my rental this morning and needed a surface igniter for the stove. Whirlpool, so common brand. Nada locally at the big box stores for my model. The local appliance place would get one for me for $28. Amazon is charging me $9 (Whirlpool brand, not a knock off) with free Sunday delivery. If I would have ordered it a few hours ago, I'd have it for free tomorrow.

Anyway, I started perusing the appliance parts just out of curiosity, and they have tons of parts in stock. I hate to see the local appliance parts place miss out on business, as it's the kind of stuff I normally like to buy locally, but 19 bucks is 19 bucks.

[K Frame]

Yep! I've gotten a bunch of parts from Amazon.

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[lupinus]

Same here. Last time I used them I needed several parts to do a little refurbing on the dryer that was aging but going pretty strong for it's age. Saved me a good bit between the various parts I needed.

Bit of a moot point since my harpy of a sil decided to come over a few weeks later and put what I'm pretty sure most normal people would've called four or five loads into the damned thing at once and burned it up right good. Seriously, I don't know how she fit that much into the freaking thing.

But, thanks to Amazon, I at least wasted a lot less money throwing it at a dryer that would cook due to pure stupidity not long after.

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[Jim147]

The prices are very close to what I pay for the wholesalers and then you get free two day shipping to boot. I use them when I don't need it right now.

[K Frame]

When I fixed my dryer a couple of years ago Amazon was apparently still ramping up their supplies, as they didn't have about half of what I needed, so I ended up buying from one of the parts warehouses on line.

Now it looks like their selection of parts is pretty comprehensive. Not sure if they actually stock, or if they've entered into agreements with the parts warehouses like they do with other specialty vendors.

For example, earlier this week, I bought a new mid-weight winter coat from Amazon. Price was $44 and change, and prime free shipping.

Fulfillment was from a fairly well known third party vendor. On a whim, I checked out their price on their website.

Same exact coat was $67 PLUS shipping.

Saved $30 by using the middleman, which is normally not how it's supposed to work.


Last appliance parts I bought from Amazon were dishwasher rack rollers. I figured on something like that I'd have to go to one of the parts warehouses, because it's such a low cost and low margin part.

Wrong. Amazon got them to me in 2 days.

[French G.]

I have not used Amazon but I do fix my own stuff thanks to the internet. And it is somewhat sad, every time I've I try to hunt a part I see why local shops are dying. The only one that was semi helpful was a small engine shop that got me a rod when I made a Briggs and Stratton grenade. I swear the appliance guys are still thumbing through a catalog on the desk. If they would make an effort I would  buy there, but they can't even try to say they will find it for me and then go get it from Amazon. So eff em.

Transmission, needed one seal, called local shop, ended up eBay and red label from sumdood in Cali.

The washing machine was a commentary on America in general. Local shop useless. Tracked down part myself but a discontinued model, could have had it eBay and in my hands for $95 and it might have fixed the 20 year old washer. Lowe's sale, $269, new US made washer, free delivery, and they took the old one. I really like the free delivery, they paid two guys and diesel for a three hour round trip, delivery guys always have a touch of PTSD when they get here.

[Ben]

I have not used Amazon but I do fix my own stuff thanks to the internet. And it is somewhat sad, every time I've I try to hunt a part I see why local shops are dying. The only one that was semi helpful was a small engine shop that got me a rod when I made a Briggs and Stratton grenade. I swear the appliance guys are still thumbing through a catalog on the desk. If they would make an effort I would  buy there, but they can't even try to say they will find it for me and then go get it from Amazon. So eff em.

Transmission, needed one seal, called local shop, ended up eBay and red label from sumdood in Cali.

The washing machine was a commentary on America in general. Local shop useless. Tracked down part myself but a discontinued model, could have had it eBay and in my hands for $95 and it might have fixed the 20 year old washer. Lowe's sale, $269, new US made washer, free delivery, and they took the old one. I really like the free delivery, they paid two guys and diesel for a three hour round trip, delivery guys always have a touch of PTSD when they get here.

I actually feel bad for these smaller local places, whether the hardware store or the "X" parts store or whatever. Generally the kinds of places where I wouldn't mind the additional "service help" provided by knowledgeable employees. For instance, with my igniter example, if I didn't have the model number of the stove, it's nice to walk into a place and show the broken part to the employee and have them know what it is and get it for you.

However (again using that same example), when the price difference is $9 vs $28, it's hard for me to justify the brick and mortar price. It's hard to say how much responsibility the B&M stores have for not adapting and how much responsibility Amazon, et. al. have for the very low prices, but certainly some combination is killing the mom and pop places. You would think (again with stuff like the igniter) the mom and pop would be able to hold their own, given it is stuff that the big boxes often don't carry, and that someone often needs RIGHT NOW, but again, the price difference. I'd pay $15 to get that $9 part right now, but not triple - especially if I can't walk out of the store with it. I'm sure the "local price" varies significantly, and maybe in a really big city with a big customer base, a mom and pop can still make it having the inventory in stock and charging closer to the $15 than the $28.

[charby]

I'm in the same boat with auto parts.

I love the speed of getting parts at the auto parts store, but I love the price of places like rock auto.

[lupinus]

I actually feel bad for these smaller local places, whether the hardware store or the "X" parts store or whatever. Generally the kinds of places where I wouldn't mind the additional "service help" provided by knowledgeable employees. For instance, with my igniter example, if I didn't have the model number of the stove, it's nice to walk into a place and show the broken part to the employee and have them know what it is and get it for you.

However (again using that same example), when the price difference is $9 vs $28, it's hard for me to justify the brick and mortar price. It's hard to say how much responsibility the B&M stores have for not adapting and how much responsibility Amazon, et. al. have for the very low prices, but certainly some combination is killing the mom and pop places. You would think (again with stuff like the igniter) the mom and pop would be able to hold their own, given it is stuff that the big boxes often don't carry, and that someone often needs RIGHT NOW, but again, the price difference. I'd pay $15 to get that $9 part right now, but not triple - especially if I can't walk out of the store with it. I'm sure the "local price" varies significantly, and maybe in a really big city with a big customer base, a mom and pop can still make it having the inventory in stock and charging closer to the $15 than the $28.

I actually don't. As you mention, the price. But I've often noticed it's attitude.

Very often the business that I see "zomg out of business by big box!" Have been run by crotchety folk without a lick of business sense, whose only thing going for them was being the only, or one of a handful, game in town. Not always the case, but it often is. Meanwhile the good local businesses often may have to compete a bit harder but often do fine. Hell, with an academy literally across the street, and a dicks and walmart less then five minutes away, my local sporting goods store that's been there since the sixties is going strong. Hell, they've even expanded from their outdoors (fishing, hunting, footwear, etc) model and into bikes and kayaking and stuff and hold their own very nicely against three large big boxes. Including an addition that doubled the size of their store. They're we'll run and staffed by the type of folks I like and want to see in a "local" store.

Is it always the case? Of course not, sometimes market saturation catches up with any business. But I've noticed it several times with good quality stores doing just fine when big boxes come in.

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[charby]

I actually don't. As you mention, the price. But I've often noticed it's attitude.

Very often the business that I see "zomg out of business by big box!" Have been run by crotchety folk without a lick of business sense, whose only thing going for them was being the only, or one of a handful, game in town. Not always the case, but it often is. Meanwhile the good local businesses often may have to compete a bit harder but often do fine. Hell, with an academy literally across the street, and a dicks and walmart less then five minutes away, my local sporting goods store that's been there since the sixties is going strong. Hell, they've even expanded from their outdoors (fishing, hunting, footwear, etc) model and into bikes and kayaking and stuff and hold their own very nicely against three large big boxes. Including an addition that doubled the size of their store. They're we'll run and staffed by the type of folks I like and want to see in a "local" store.

Is it always the case? Of course not, sometimes market saturation catches up with any business. But I've noticed it several times with good quality stores doing just fine when big boxes come in.

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My job takes me out to rural areas of Iowa pretty regularly and part of my job is a I do marketplace inspections of products. I get to go to a lot of small town hardware stores. The ones I see thriving are the ones who offer service now, many have a HVAC service department or offer pipe threading. Some of the shelf spaces are gone and you see things like Traeger Grills or pool/spa chemicals. Also tool rentals.

I asked one of the more older owners about it, he said I can't compete with Wal-Mart or Menards that are less than an hour away, but I can offer local service, specialized items and small hardware/cleaners people don't want to drive an hour for. He said he is still able to make a good living and still employ all his workers. He said the stores that refused to change are closed or soon will be.

[K Frame]

In this thread I talked about what I ran into when I tried to get parts to repair my dryer a couple of years ago.

http://www.armedpolitesociety.com/index.php?topic=48413.msg986419#msg986419

I was absolutely shocked at the prices that the local appliance repair store wanted for stuff vs online. Yeah, I know they're brick and mortar, but 3 to 5 times the price? Thanks, no thanks.

And, I didn't really feel bad about not supporting the "local guy," because that store is a part of a chain with about 40 locations across a good chunk of the US.

[French G.]

For me it is always the attitude, local shop can't be bothered to try. My attitude would be Amazon has it for this, I can get it for +10% and make sure your install goes ok. Local gunshow that did well was like that, they marked new guns up 10%. They made money because people came back and bought other stuff.

Local guy thing. Do it Best hardware stores are one big chain, not even a franchise as the name might suggest. They buy out a local guy, pay to keep the name and the profit is no less corporate than Lowe's.

[K Frame]

In Mom's town there's a hardware store, Bossert's. Truly old line hardware store, in an old line building. Wood floors, WIDE planks, bins with scoops for screws, nails, seeds, etc.

They're about 2 miles from Lowes, and as far as I know, they're still thriving, because they offer services that Lowe's doesn't. Need window glass cut and installed? They'll do it. Need the engine on your lawn mower serviced? They'll do it. Bunch of other stuff like that. Always liked going in there because they were very helpful, they knew what they were talking about, and when the owner's daughter was there, she was very pretty. Plus they had known my family for decades...