Trip to J.D. dealer

Asked about a starter solenoid for my x320 mower a few days ago.
Looked on JD parts web site and local dealer has it in stock. With tax it cost 3 cents more than ordering from a cheaper markup dealer over the net and paying shipping.

So with all my numbers (including part#) and the old part in hand I headed out to the local John Deere dealer where I bought the mower. They have 9 locations so if you want anything JD you go to them or drive many miles.

I had already conceded that I would buy the part and put it on myself even if the mower was still in warranty. Not worth loading; hauling in; and picking up the mower for a $25 part.

But just for kicks I ask about the warranty. Was told warranty expired 9 days ago so all work would be cash. Did not even ask what kind of problem I was having. Told them OK I will just buy the part.

Part guy looks up the part and comes up with the same number we did.
Then the problems started.
The part is not the same as original. The mounting locations are different. The original bolt will not even fit in the hole of the new part.
OH well that is the part JD says fits; take it or leave it.
Guess I will have to try to make it work.

Then he gives me a price $3 more than what JD parts web site told me the price was.
Oh those prices are subject to change.
By now I just give me the part so I can get out of here.

I do not know who to be mad at.
John Deere for listing a part (I assumed it was subbed to this # over the years) that does not fit on a piece of equipment so new it is still warranty age; or the arrogance of the dealer personal.

You spend extra trying to buy quality name brand equipment;
You buy from a local dealer rather than a big box store;
And you get half a$$ make fit parts with a attitude of that's it take it or leave it.

To be honest I am very happy with this mower as this is the first problem I have had with the mower. I have only done maintenance work (oil changes; a belt; sharpen blades) on it for 4 years. But if this is a foresight of things to come I may change my mind about it.
I did get the part installed and mower is starting so I guess we will go with this.

The solenoid you got is the style the newer serial number mower uses. I am amazed that all of you fellows get this attitude from your local dealers. I guess I am just lucky with the local dealers I have. They all seem to have parts guys that care about serving the customers.

As for any warranty. You should have talked to the service manager. The service department handles warranty not the parts department.

As for the price. Dealers CAN charge more than the "suggested" JD list on parts. Many have added a higher margin on lawn and garden parts. This is not just JD dealers. The local NH dealer has done this for years. In the mid 1980s I was rebuilding a NH 252 grinder/mixer. I need a lot of parts for the gear boxes. I ended up driving to the next NH dealer over form the closest one. They charged NH list. The closest dealer added 10% under $100 and 5% over $100 dollars.

It is a fairly common practice on lawn and garden equipment to charge a higher parts margin. The average sale is not very many dollars so they charge a higher margin.

I am not supporting that but that is the reasoning behind that.

Here is an odd one along these lines. I need a new seat for a JD X540. The JD list is $195. The local dealer is at that price. On Ebay the JD CP dealer in Dubuque has them for $145. I am calling them Monday to see if I have to buy it through Ebay to get the lower price. IF I do I will try for local pickup as they want $24 dollars shipping. There are several JD dealers selling new parts on Ebay for under JD list. Another one is over in central IL. I needed a hood several years ago. They where over $100 cheaper for a OEM part. You just have to shop around and decide what is the best deal for yourself.

I think I have a newer serial number mower.
#159281 (MOX320A159281)
The last break in the parts book is 150000 and up.

I asked the parts guy who I needed to talk to about warranty work and or to find out if mower is still under warranty. He called the service manager. The service manager took my serial # and went and looked up the mower. Came back with a paper; handed the paper to me; said it is out of warranty and all service work will be cash; turned around and walked away leaving me and the parts guy standing there.

Its nothing on John Deere. The local boat dealer where I bought my boat is the same way. They are all ready to talk to you if you are looking to buy equipment; boat.
But let said piece need work and or parts and we got you now cause we are the only game in town.

Dealers CAN charge more than the "suggested" JD list on parts.

That is fine and dandy. Charge what you want and I will decide where to buy.

But I am under the impression I go to JD parts. Choose my dealer and when I choose a part it gives me the price this dealer charges (including any mark up they want to charge) and tells me if this dealer has the part in stock. This is not a suggest price but rather what this dealer charges.
If I choose a different dealer it will give me their price and stock; and so on.
I have changed my dealer in the past (on the web site) to see these different prices for the same part.

So why does dealer x show a mark up of say (just using numbers here) 40% but when you get to the store the markup is 60%.

Well you did what you should have. I am glad I am out of the dealership game. Plus it seems that I have unusual parts/service guys at the local dealerships.

Not sure on that John. I would have asked the parts fellow about it. The actual selling price is set by the dealership. SO maybe the records on line are behind what the local dealership charges??? Like I said I do not know for sure.

Here is a example.
My dealer list the part for $23.71 on JD web site.



If I change to another dealer kinda in my area their price is $20.75 for the same part.




Green part store has it for $19.76 on the net for the same part.

OK I decide to buy local and go to my dealer.
Now the price is $26.08
I did ask and was told those web prices are subject to change. Basically take it or leave it.

I just checked my local dealer. $19.76 Plus I get 10% off for ordering on line, unless it's whole goods.

The inventory part doesn't work. Apparently there are different levels of cooperation between Deere and dealers.

I sold an older JD mower last year that was still in decent shape because of the lack of dealer support they don't care to keep the older units running they want to sell new -our local mega store will hardly talk trade- I decided to go back to Craftsman aleast you can get parts and this one was made by Husquavarna and they have a dealer 10 miles away. several smaller farms are moving away from green here wonder what will happen when the BTO's cant make the payments will they go back to customer service first? I think Mother Deere is behind a lot of this.

I'm lucky to have two separately owned John Deere dealerships within a 50 mile radius of me and they are night and day different. You have to be a glutton for punishment to go to the one dealership while the other dealership is very accommodating and acts like they want repeat business. The other trade off is, other than routine maintenance type parts, I have to wait 24 hours for a part transfer from the "good guys" main store where the other outfit has them slightly cheaper in stock.

You have no IDEA how lucky you are. When I had all Deere,I did business with the Deere dealer,not with Deere and Company. I do business now with the Agco dealer,not with Agco Corp. All I can do is shake my head at those who worship brands like a religion to the point that they'll put up with crap from a dealer like you get at the Deeremart locations around here.
Give me another Deere dealer close by who gives a rats rear end and I'll buy Deeres again. Simple as that.

Two different deere dealers within 30 minutes of me that have several parts guys but I will only use two of them in the one store and one in the other. It is who you deal with not just the dealer.

I only have a 7000 planter for serious JD equipment, used to go into the JD dealer for stuff years ago, was good.

The new wave of help 10 years ago was pretty clueless, and talked down to me from behind the counter. Now, I am not making this up, he could not find a spool for my old JD disk, so I finally pointed - on the counter they had a display of willow buds and flowers, using the spool as a holder...... He couldn't find the bearing for the disk. An older guy walked by, looked at the one I brought in, reached around the shelves behind set one on the counter and kept walking. THRN the fella said I have to pay sales tax because in not in the computer. Never offered to put me in, or how that works, just it need to pay tax period.

The last 3 years that dealer has wrapped into a giant 20 location dealership, and my Green friends say they are ready to go buy Red. Everything has 5 fees attached to it, nothing is ever in the location you are at, there is no one at the location you are at that knows anything, and there are extra fees on top of the extra fees.

People are telling me it is just terrible.

So yes, you are lucky if you have a good dealer.

JD is working hard to get rid of them.....

Now there is some savings in consolidation, and the farm ecconomy and future being what it is we will need to adjust and get a lower level of service with fewer farmers and many fewer machines covering the same acres.

But.....

Be thankful for the few years you still have a good dealership, if you do.

Paul

It is a shame that things have deteriorated to that now days. All the local owned businesses are gone. For the most part years ago you could go into a dealer or most businesses and the owner was in his office in the building, now he or she is several states away somewhere. One day that will catch up to the world and bite it.

At least they had the part. So much of the time they don't so it is a second drive to pick it up. Much cheaper in the long run to buy on line, pay the shipping and have it sooner.

(quoted from post at 12:32:16 09/07/14) So yes, you are lucky if you have a good dealer.

JD is working hard to get rid of them.....Paul

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AMEN BUDDY. JD as a company is nothing similar to what it was when I was employed by a JD dealer from '65-'87. I also think a lot of their equipment/parts quality has gone down the toilet.

Bob I just checked on my dealers advertised cost for a MIU12537 $19.76 too.

It appears to me that some new equipment dealers add a percentage to MSRP parts price of whatever they chose. Local dealers price is MIU12537 Starter Motor - STARTER, SOLENOID ADD 19.76 USD

And then there's my personal favorite- call the parts dept., inquire about a part, "Yes, we have it in stock"- you drive 20 miles to get it, and turns out the computer says they have one, but there's none on the shelf when they actually go and look. "So sorry- we can order it in for you, be here Tuesday."

Different problem at the self-service hardware stores- bin is empty, their computer says they have 7, clerk says thanks for telling us, we reorder off the computer, but that doesn't take into account the small parts that walk out the door is somebody's pants pocket. No telling how long we've been out of that item, because guys come in, find the bin empty, and go somewhere else without a word.

Years ago when places first started going to computer ordering I had an employee tell me......

Yes we are out of stock of that item.
OK when will you have some.
When corporate figures out how to let us over ride inventory levels.

Supposedly they were out of stock from stealing damaged; knew they were out of stock; but did not know how to over ride the computer to tell it they were out of stock; so the computer could order more.

my guess local lawn mower repair will probably have the exact but I get mine at o rielly

A local parts house here switched computer systems last fall. They are having fits with the inventory system part of it. There are parts they sold regularly that the system will not keep any on hand. They can only change the stocking levels at the corporate head quarters. So the local counter man keeps a list of parts he wants to keep but the main office will not change the stocking level of. He then transfers one each time he sells one of those parts.

Even better is the fact that the entire catalogue of parts got messed up in the switch over. You really have to watch your bill. I bought four metric bolts and was billed for four BOXES. $70 or $3 worth of bolts.

So it is not just the big boys having issue.

Never thought about looking up the part using the Kawasaki model number.
Oh well water under the bridge now.

Friend of mine is an auto parts store manager. His biggest nightmare is keeping actual inventory in sync with the computer inverntory.

He instructs all of his personel to check the pysical inventory before telling the customer it is in stock.

Our largest local small engine parts distribtor has the same problem.