Name Brand or Aftermarket? Someone mentioned how expensive Nikon lenses are and wondered about their pricing strategy. Here's a similar situation of Name Brand vs Aftermarket. Almost...

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Someone mentioned how expensive Nikon lenses are and wondered about their pricing strategy. Here's a similar situation of Name Brand vs Aftermarket.

Almost two years ago, I replaced the thermostatic fan switch on my son's Civic. It cost $65 from the Honda dealer. A couple of days ago, the switch went bad again. Doubting that Honda had lowered its prices in the past two years, I looked on Amazon. I found a Beck/Arnley switch for $17, delivered. Beck/Arnley has been around for years and makes parts for just about everything, so I have confidence that it will last for at least the 21 months that the Honda item lasted.

sarge69 Loc: Ft Myers, FL

Nissan Murano - headlight out.

Nissan $100.00 for light and 80 for 1 hour labor

VIP Autostore $10.00 for light and wife put it in for me without charge.

It is difficult with parts having to be taken out of engine compartment to do it. Wife googled it and had it done in 30 min. Next week the other side went out, another $10.00 for lamp and 15 minutes to change it.

Sarge69

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

sarge69 wrote:

Nissan Murano - headlight out.

Nissan $100.00 for light and 80 for 1 hour labor

VIP Autostore $10.00 for light and wife put it in for me without charge.

It is difficult with parts having to be taken out of engine compartment to do it. Wife googled it and had it done in 30 min. Next week the other side went out, another $10.00 for lamp and 15 minutes to change it.

Sarge69

Ain't that always the way. Dealers can be pricey, but in some cases, there is no alternative.

romanticf16 Loc: Commerce Twp, MI

If you take it to the Body Shop of the Dealership you'll find their labor rates are about half those of the Service Department for the same task- they charge you for the skills of the mechanic.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

romanticf16 wrote:

If you take it to the Body Shop of the Dealership you'll find their labor rates are about half those of the Service Department for the same task- they charge you for the skills of the mechanic.

Right. We had to bring a car for work a few years ago, and there were separate charges for different types of labor.

A10 Loc: Southern Indiana

Great wife!

sarge69 wrote:

Nissan Murano - headlight out.

Nissan $100.00 for light and 80 for 1 hour labor

VIP Autostore $10.00 for light and wife put it in for me without charge.

It is difficult with parts having to be taken out of engine compartment to do it. Wife googled it and had it done in 30 min. Next week the other side went out, another $10.00 for lamp and 15 minutes to change it.

Sarge69

Orca Loc: Little Egg Harbor, NJ USA

sarge69 wrote:

Nissan Murano - headlight out.

Nissan $100.00 for light and 80 for 1 hour labor

VIP Autostore $10.00 for light and wife put it in for me without charge.

It is difficult with parts having to be taken out of engine compartment to do it. Wife googled it and had it done in 30 min. Next week the other side went out, another $10.00 for lamp and 15 minutes to change it.
Sarge69

How much does it cost to have your wife there to do these jobs?
:mrgreen:
Sounds like a great partner.

sarge69 Loc: Ft Myers, FL

A10 wrote:

Great wife!

Does everything. Took apart a dryer and put in new heating elements and motor ( Works Great ). Fixes minor car problems, maintenance on house, eaves, painting, wax bases on toilets, shower heads and faucets, interior exhaust fans. Sometimes I even let her butter my toast.

Sarge69

joer Loc: Colorado/Illinois

jerryc41 wrote:

Someone mentioned how expensive Nikon lenses are a... (show quote)

I spent many years in a after market industry. You would be surprised how many OEMs bought our parts and passed them off as their own.

Jim Plogger Loc: East Tennessee

jerryc41 wrote:

Someone mentioned how expensive Nikon lenses are a... (show quote)

Actually Beck/Arnley does not "make" any parts. They are a packager and distributor of import parts. In many cases the part in the Beck/Arnely package is of the same manufacture as the part from the dealer. They are an excellent Nashville based company.

tainkc Loc: Kansas City

I wonder if I can buy an aftermarket wife?

Jim Plogger Loc: East Tennessee

joer wrote:

I spent many years in a after market industry. You would be surprised how many OEMs bought our parts and passed them off as their own.

Spent my working career in the automotive aftermarket (Maremont). We built shock absorbers for many of the car manufacturers. Most all OEM parts are manufactured by someone other than the auto companies.

wlgoode Loc: Globe, AZ

tainkc wrote:

I wonder if I can buy an aftermarket wife?

I got one, works great, both of us were married before. So we're both used but get along well. But I'm old and damned lazy. She gets bored and stays active!

tainkc Loc: Kansas City

wlgoode wrote:

I got one, works great, both of us were married before. So we're both used but get along well. But I'm old and damned lazy. She gets bored and stays active!

Mine just comes home from work and sleeps all the time. I wonder how much warranty is left, if any?

n3eg Loc: West coast USA

This doesn't apply to camera batteries.

Olympus BLS-5: rated 1150mAh, actual 1067mAh
Wasabi BLS-5: rated 2000 mAh, actual 759 mAh

Big difference.