Experience with gmpartsdirect.com?

[ddp]

I'm looking to order some OEM parts for my 71 Cheyenne. I have found the parts available through a local Chevy dealer and also through the web site www.gmpartsdirect.com. The thing is that the price through the dealer is almost double the price through gmpartsdirect ($290 vs $160).

I guess that I'm a little suspicious. Does anyone have any experience with parts through gmpartsdirect.com.

Thanks,
Don

[John Fabris]

I have dealt with them and had no problems. But, I have read on here others complaining about them, and complaining about shipping cost...

[krue]

Check the review board.

[Zoomad75]

The hook with GMpartsdirect is the lowball cost they give you for the parts. Then they make back what they lost in discounting the parts by raping you on the shipping.

Once you factor in the overcharge on the shipping the lowball prices on the parts isn't that cheap after all.

[Palf70Step]

I have not had any problems with them, but I have heard the shipping stuff mentioned by alot of folks on the board.

[ddp]

The thing is that the $160 includes the shipping (estimated?) versus $290 at the local dealer. Now I didn't go all the way through the process to an actual billed total - I guess that the shipping and handling could jump up at that point.

Since my 1st post, I did use the Search and saw good and bad info about gmpd. I also saw the references to another online dealer based order site (www.gmotors.com) and requested a quote from them.

Don

[67ChevyRedneck]

I've ordered stuff for my Z71 from GMPD.com and have had no problems. I didn't think shipping was anymore than any other vendor I've purchased from.

[mbgmike]

They are actually owned by a Large Chevy dealership

[Olden Days]

Originally Posted by ddp

The thing is that the price through the dealer is almost double the price through gmpartsdirect ($290 vs $160).

Don

If the dealership is like the one in my area they will take advantage of walk in customers and really run the price up just because they can. The salesmen make commision and can pretty much set the price they want. If you have a mechanic friend that has an account with them I bet he could get it way cheaper than you.

as far as gmparts direct goes, they wanted 120 bucks to ship an outer grill surround for a 71. In my opinion that is excessive.

[shifty]

i am one of those members that had more than one terrible experience with them. i will never shop with them again - and there were several other members who said the same.

Please read on: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...36#post1926236

Go with www.gmotors.com - the two Bills that work there are a pleasure to deal with, you can call and talk to a human being, the pars are 5% more expensive (still 15-20% cheaper than the dealership), but shipping is actually a fair price!

I highly recommend reading the post I just linked - look at my posts (#4 and #5) and you'll see others too.

[ddp]

Thanks for all of the feedback. I did go back and use the search and reviews as suggested and saw enough bad experience with gmpartsdirect to scare me off. In their defense, they state right in their Q&As that they build their profit into the shipping and handling.

I did get an online quote from gmotors but they didn't come up with all of the pieces. I was looking for the chrome "sport" mirrors and the mounting pieces and not every source I checked came up with the gaskets and reinforcements.

As Olden Days suggests, I started out by having a friend with a repair shop go through his GM parts source but they couldn't come up with any of the parts. Then I tried a local dealer over the phone and I'd say I ran into the situation that Olden Days mentioned about the parts guy and his commission.

I ended up ordering the parts through a Chevy dealer that member centsless hooked me up with (thanks again) for a price in between the previous low and high quotes. Though I probably could have gotten everything a little cheaper by getting the mirrors from gmotors and the mounting pieces local, the guy that centsless gave me had some knowledge of all of the parts. And sometimes you feel better doing a transaction by actually talking to someone.

Again, thanks to everyone for the info and help.
Don

[special-K]

I`ve bought parts from the same dealership for around 30 years.I used to get 30% off because I have a business and I asked for a discount.They only give 20% now.I`ll get parts for anyone that`s close enough to be practical.It`s Miller Brothers Chevrolet in Ellicott City,MD and It`s set up as C.O.D.I`m not stupid.Just contact me and I`ll call it in for your pick up.And,yes,I get them digging and they`re used to it.