Three cheers for Autobarn!

[Neeek]

: Yay for Autobarn! :

I’ve been looking for a fuel gauge online, and found a few online in eBay stores and other mail order places. But of course being a feisty consumer, I want to have my cake and eat it too, hence I wanted to buy one yesterday because I want it the day before. As you do. The gauge in question is a Speco unit, model 524-06, retailing at around $75.

I normally get my cheap stuff from SuperCheapAuto, which is handily located less than a kilometre from my house. Tried them, they didn’t have any in stock and said they could get one in a few days, so I drove around to Repco (2km from my house) to see if they had any in stock. They didn’t have one either, but the guy started tapping into the computer after I gave him the part number. The conversation went thus:

Repco: "Yeah, you’re looking at $157 for that unit. I can get one here within a week or so..."
Me: "$157 – is that right? They seem to retail for $75 mail order!"
Repco: "Where was that?"
Me: "Just about everywhere..! eBay, mail order stores online..."
Repco: *shrugs* "Ah, well…"

This isn’t a rant about how my local Repco is crap, but it goes without saying that I always leave there disappointed. The manager there always thinks he knows better, he’s always right (although I have proven him wrong on more than one occasion, mostly when talking about Clevos or XCs) and frankly I don’t know why I bother going there. In fact, I hereby boycott Repco in Albion. We all know what Repco really stands for – there’s the proof.

So I continue my search, which takes me to my most distant retailer – Autobarn in Virginia. I used to live around there, and shopped there almost all the time for my parts. In fact, whenever I’ve needed something that my local SuperCheap can’t provide, I always try these guys last and they have ALWAYS delivered.

So I ask about the Speco unit I want. None in stock, but they can probably get one in the store tomorrow. The guy gets on the ‘phone before I have the chance to say “yes please” and talks to the distributor. He asks me if I know exactly which one I want, I give him the part number, he chats away to his mate on the ‘phone then he cradles it over his shoulder and says to me that they can have one in tomorrow. I say how much, and he checks and tells me "$76, plus another couple of bucks for the courier". Done deal.

I don’t spend a massive amount of money on my car in terms of upgrades, but when I was looking for new ignition leads, Autobarn had exactly what I wanted after I tried the others. Same deal with a thermostat housing, same deal with a big bolt I wanted, same deal with a set of lowering blocks which they didn’t have, but had couriered for me. If it’s not in stock, they order it right there in front of you and it’s in the store the very next day. Without fail.

So, I’d like to publicly thank the staff at Autobarn in Virginia for not only being very nice people to deal with, but for also going that extra mile with its customers. For me, I think they’re worth driving a few more kays to do business with.