Boy some vendors....

[KE4AVB]

Boy I knew some parts vendors and manufactures are high but when they are selling an oil seal $25 that I can get locally for $5 is just plain crazy. They must think we are really stupid in repair business.

Just had to vent a little. Rebuilding pressure washer pump.

[RoyM]

Does the $5 seal meet OEM specs?

[bgsengine]

Agree with Roy - Dimensionally might match up, but the specific material in use may be the issue - and often it is not the vendor setting that price, it's the manufacturer - For seals, you might match up a single lip seal where a double lip is needed, the temperature resistance of the material may be different and the replacement seal won't last, and then there could be a difference of .001-.002 in material thickness or the length of the sealing lip, etc - many possibilities exist that may make one part so incredibly more expensive than another seemingly identical one..

On the other hand, there's manufacturers that truly gouge you on pricing (example, a snap-in purge bulb that the (Not going to name it) manufacturer buys from WALBRO - the walbro price is like 2-3 bucks while the manufacturer re-packages the part and jacks up the price to $18 - distributor for that manufacturer (unlike dealers) has no choice but to buy that item from the manufacturer at their distributor discount, and then sell to dealers who order by that part number at the established discount from MSRP..

You got to understand the distributor's side of the issue in things like that - most of them may only make a 3% to 5% margin on a given part like that so dealers should consider themselves lucky if they can make a 25% margin , or they can "bait and switch" and buy from a walbro distributor (even the same distributor) under walbro part number, and then re-sell it at retail for a huge profit (But, they risk the wrath of the OEM if they try to do that..)

I would say if your vendor is a dealer, then chances are, some of them will truly gouge you on pricing, (And judging from some feedback comments I have seen on some popular sales venues that is left for our competitors, all to many of them are only too happy to sell you a part at OEM pricing and substitute a cheap aftermarket one. We have been burned by that before too from a dealer for a brand we don't carry - ordered OEM part and paid OEM price, and got shipped a cheapo aftermarket "will-fit" we could have bought from the aftermarket supplier for a LOT less.. needless to say I was very ticked off by that.. )

However, if it is from an authorized factory distributor, then it's usually the manufacturer doing the gouging, because the distributor will have a contract with the manufacturer controlling many things like that.