Can't believe some of the rip off suppliers!
The knobs/locks were rusted into place on my awning. I started shopping for new ones. I found them! The knob replacements are about $8.00 a set. The shipping for the 5oz items costd about 14.00 to 18....
Forum Discussion
Talk about ripoff pricing, I've bought a LOT of plumbing and electrical items for houses that I've renovated or built over the years. If I go into HD to buy something, it's 2-3 times the price and sometimes even inferior quality. The wholesalers are making good money so the big box retailers must be making more than the mafia does...
I bought a whole house filter housing for our TT recently at a plumbing wholesaler for $20. I was at a dealer parts store a few days later and saw the identical housing for $200! $200!!!! Are they flippin' kidding?
FREE shipping is a big thing these days. Ain't no such thing as something for free. It's built into the price. Ebay loves it because they charge their selling fee on the total transaction cost. Amazon prices are often a lot higher than other places on the internet.
If you want the best price from an online vendor, you have to shop 'til you drop all over the internet. Sometimes an item has two part numbers or sometimes they can be found using different search words or combinations of words. If you spend the time looking, you can often find really good deals. Some of the major online RV vendors charge inflated prices, even when on "sale". Unless you don't care about spending money, it pays to do the due diligence before handing over your $$.
Americans are lucky with USPS costs. I've sent many packages to Europe and down under over the years and if I am able to send them out of the US, the cost is about 1/2 of Canada Post and a LOT faster. Getting stuff sent to Canada by courier is a giant ripoff. If you are Canadian and close to the border, the only way is to get things shipped to the US and drive down and get them.
With some vendors, you can negotiate which carrier they use. You won't know unless you ask. If you can, it pays to buy as many items from the same vendor if you can to save on shipping. If you order parts through a local RV dealer, sometimes they only get parts couriered in. Could be BS so you need to confirm. Plus they can be really sloooow. I ordered a small part locally and it took over 1/2 year. First they got an order in less my part. Then they re-ordered and lost it in their shop. I had to keep phoning them. Painful but at least I didn't need it pdq.
Amazon and Ebay can sometimes yield the best price, but if you ever have to return it or it's damaged, you can have trouble. A few times I've been able to negotiate a lower price on an item (or items) on ebay. Won't ever know unless you ask...
Some people have gotten spoiled by fast delivery by places like Amazon and get angry when it's not there the next day. Unless you have an anxiety disorder, what's wrong with getting a cheaper and slower rate and just waiting? We buy tons of stuff off the internet, get it shipped to a mailbox in the US and then drive to get it. It gets there when it gets there, no big deal.
If I were going to do a major rebuild on an RV, I would probably try and make a deal with a local RV dealer to get a discount on parts. If they can piggyback your order onto a regular shipment, you should get a better price.
Bottom line is to know your item pricing and know your shipping costs otherwise you can get ripped.
I bought a whole house filter housing for our TT recently at a plumbing wholesaler for $20. I was at a dealer parts store a few days later and saw the identical housing for $200! $200!!!! Are they flippin' kidding?
FREE shipping is a big thing these days. Ain't no such thing as something for free. It's built into the price. Ebay loves it because they charge their selling fee on the total transaction cost. Amazon prices are often a lot higher than other places on the internet.
If you want the best price from an online vendor, you have to shop 'til you drop all over the internet. Sometimes an item has two part numbers or sometimes they can be found using different search words or combinations of words. If you spend the time looking, you can often find really good deals. Some of the major online RV vendors charge inflated prices, even when on "sale". Unless you don't care about spending money, it pays to do the due diligence before handing over your $$.
Americans are lucky with USPS costs. I've sent many packages to Europe and down under over the years and if I am able to send them out of the US, the cost is about 1/2 of Canada Post and a LOT faster. Getting stuff sent to Canada by courier is a giant ripoff. If you are Canadian and close to the border, the only way is to get things shipped to the US and drive down and get them.
With some vendors, you can negotiate which carrier they use. You won't know unless you ask. If you can, it pays to buy as many items from the same vendor if you can to save on shipping. If you order parts through a local RV dealer, sometimes they only get parts couriered in. Could be BS so you need to confirm. Plus they can be really sloooow. I ordered a small part locally and it took over 1/2 year. First they got an order in less my part. Then they re-ordered and lost it in their shop. I had to keep phoning them. Painful but at least I didn't need it pdq.
Amazon and Ebay can sometimes yield the best price, but if you ever have to return it or it's damaged, you can have trouble. A few times I've been able to negotiate a lower price on an item (or items) on ebay. Won't ever know unless you ask...
Some people have gotten spoiled by fast delivery by places like Amazon and get angry when it's not there the next day. Unless you have an anxiety disorder, what's wrong with getting a cheaper and slower rate and just waiting? We buy tons of stuff off the internet, get it shipped to a mailbox in the US and then drive to get it. It gets there when it gets there, no big deal.
If I were going to do a major rebuild on an RV, I would probably try and make a deal with a local RV dealer to get a discount on parts. If they can piggyback your order onto a regular shipment, you should get a better price.
Bottom line is to know your item pricing and know your shipping costs otherwise you can get ripped.
