General gripe about Supercheap Auto.

xb50gs
Community Member

So Supercheap auto recently opened up in my town and I went for a wander, not really wanting aything in particular, just having a browse and a stickybeak to see how 'cheap' they really were.



As some of you know, I've worked in spares for about 20 years now and although not currently working due to an injury, I keep up to date with the industry with the hopes of returning one day.



Now first off, in my town there are 4 established auto part stores which have been in town at least 20 years each. Excluding Repco, the 3 other privately owned stores have staff who own modified cars, have all raced at one point or another and all live locally. Repco is the typical Repco who caters more for trade and is too expensive. However, Repco is right next door to Supercheap.



So, anyway, I have a look around and immediately notice things are not cheap! shock horror. Sure, their own brand stuff may be cheap, but its also crap. (I bought a jump starter for my ride on, so far its been returned 4 times in 6 months and it was $179 so not a 'cheap' one)



Example, I needed a battery for my 4wd. I noticed they had a Century N70ZZ and looked at the price. $229. I bought one from the local spares shop for $175 fitted. Supercheap quoted another $15 to fit it. My fanbelt for a Territory was $79.95. I picked up the same brand, same belt for $34.95.



They also didn't carry a common filter (Z115) for my Nissan and wouldn't supply one without me paying freight on it. Great, local spares have a Wesfil on the shelf for $8.95 which was less than the freight SC wanted to charge. Even in a Ryco SC was $49.95 and the local guys were about $22-$29.



They do have a good returns system, which is basically no questions asked, however, if you go to a shop that has knowledgable staff and you're supplied the correct item the first time, you don't need to return an item. I returned a drill to SC as it was faulty and basically I walked in said 'Hi, This doesn't work, its only about 6 weeks old' and I was told to go grab another one! I wonder how many people abuse the returns process!



Anyway, my point is if you do live in a town that has a Supercheap, don't believe the hype, or the name. Fact is, on a LOT of parts, they AREN'T cheaper and most of the staff don't know one end of a car from another. I was pointed in the direction of the catalogue when I asked for filters, and even when I asked if they had a Z115 they didn't know what it actually was.





Going Ford is the Going Thing.
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Re: General gripe about Supercheap Auto.


Back to your post re delivery persons.-Viewmont.


The big R in a nearby town had a new delivery chick.


As the deliveries hit the despatch bench-she would make a list.


When about 8 needed to go---------she would deliver 


in the order she had written down-lol.


Down the industrial estate with one -back to just around the


corner from the shop-one a bit out of town --back to the industrial estate.----some workshops waiting -watched her drive past 5 times in an hour-LOL..........Richo.



 


:^O... must be Debbies cousin...definitely from the same gene pool .......................


I am sure that many spare parts joints delivery drivers are female because it makes it harder to rip into them when the parts either do not turn up or the ones that do will not fit.........


 


 

TELL ME AND I WILL FORGET, SHOW ME AND I MAY REMEMBER,, INVOLVE ME AND I WILL UNDERSTAND Confucius 450bc
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Re: General gripe about Supercheap Auto.

Dave-hope the OP dosent mind -have another


delivery chick story.


This one started on a monday morning -put her stuff on the end of


the delivery bench.


Did a great job until about lunch time.


Then noticed her -stuff had gone.


A courier turns up each day and puts anything on the end of


bench into a box and takes it to a shop in another town.


When she finished work-had an hour and a half round


trip to rescue her makeup case and trowel 


-same family-----lol.......................Richo.

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Re: General gripe about Supercheap Auto.

xb50gs
Community Member
Got the call of duty to do a few hours today while someone had to run an errand.

Bloke comes in for a tappet cover gasket for a pre x flow XP. Yeah no worries, I wander down the back and there isn't on there. Junior sold it, didn't replace it.

So I forgot the part number so jumped on Oscar and it tells me JN255 (cross flow part number), doesn't ring right so I scratch my head and though JN254, but wasn't 100%. Grab the ACL book out and it's JN054. Oh and Oscar doesn't list a 6cyl motor for a XR Falcon. All Falcons were 289's and only Fairmonts had a 6cyl apparently, don't even try to look for an inlet gasket for a 2V 250 pre x flow!

I took my battery jump back to SC again on Tues, for the 5th time, I think. I was asked what do I do with it? Well, I use it to play table tenis with, you prat, what do you think! It starts my ride on and my boat. Kept telling me I couldn't have a refund, despite me not asking for a refund, I had to leave it on the counter and walk out of the store before she bothered to ask a manager what to do, and I was offered an exchange, which was what I wanted. I'll leave this one a few weeks and get a bloody refund now I have a receipt.
Going Ford is the Going Thing.
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Re: General gripe about Supercheap Auto.


Dave-hope the OP dosent mind -have another


delivery chick story.


This one started on a monday morning -put her stuff on the end of


the delivery bench.


Did a great job until about lunch time.


Then noticed her -stuff had gone.


A courier turns up each day and puts anything on the end of


bench into a box and takes it to a shop in another town.


When she finished work-had an hour and a half round


trip to rescue her makeup case and trowel 


-same family-----lol.......................Richo.



 


:^O


:^O


:^O


:^O


:^O

TELL ME AND I WILL FORGET, SHOW ME AND I MAY REMEMBER,, INVOLVE ME AND I WILL UNDERSTAND Confucius 450bc
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Re: General gripe about Supercheap Auto.

okay 
1 youll find most of the sca products are made by popular brands just packaged at lawnton in sca boxes

for example the sca car wash and products are made by chemtech!
2. you'll find supercheap will match prices or beat them especially on batteries, also $15 to fit is a lie as supercheap does not fit them and never has.
3.youll also find that the returns system isn't that easy, most things are tested before returned especially if money is given back!

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Re: General gripe about Supercheap Auto.

freight on ordered items is $13.95 as thats what it costs to specially order an item from a supplier, pretty reasonable really.

A Z9 ryco filter will cost you under $10 and i doubt there would only be one on the shelf, as in the system the shelf minimum would be approximately 15, unless ryco ran out? which really what are the possibilities? 

and of course you cant expect a store to sell every part for every car? isnt a business about making money? so wouldnt you put fast moving items in a store instead of slow ones?
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Re: General gripe about Supercheap Auto.

A bit defensive---do you work for SCA?................................Richo.
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Re: General gripe about Supercheap Auto.

Anyway, my point is if you do live in a town that has a Supercheap, don't believe the hype, or the name. Fact is, on a LOT of parts, they AREN'T cheaper and most of the staff don't know one end of a car from another. I was pointed in the direction of the catalogue when I asked for filters, and even when I asked if they had a Z115 they didn't know what it actually was.



I understand you are not happy with SC. What I don't understand is why you are unhappy enough to start this thread?
I hope you don't think I am being rude, I am just wondering if there is more to this than you have shared?

My recent experience was the opposite to yours, but that is probably because I was expecting them to sell Super Cheap quality whereas you must have expected Super Cheap prices. The items we purchased were very well priced yet I can't fault the quality.

I always imagined a shop like SC is meant to cater to the DIY mechanics, not the professional mechanics. In our industry (coffee) it would be like going into Target or KMart expecting to purchase equipment to set up a cafe .... but that is just what I had assumed and I might me completely wrong

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Re: General gripe about Supercheap Auto.

Last time for me at the local SCA. They've lost me now.



Wanted a simple little critter, 3" half drive extension bar. Yep, had one in stock, $6.35 locked in the valuables display cabinet.


Approached the counter, assistant eventually finished checking her make up, so I asked if someone with a key could assist me.


Call went out over the PA, while other "assistants" continued straightening shelves etc. 10 mins later I walked out, stating I'll go next door to Bunnings, pay an extra $1 and could have been home by now.

____________________________________________________________

Yes, I have an opinion. No you don't have to agree with it. Yes I do have a right to it.
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Re: General gripe about Supercheap Auto.

xb50gs
Community Member

OK, to clarify a few things


 


First off, I have been flat out with other stuff, hence my absence from the boards. 3 cars on the go at once, plus 2 kiddies and you run out of time.


 


OK Stavros, I was quoted, by supercheap staff, $15 to fit a battery. I'm not a liar, I went in on a Sunday arvo when everything else was closed and as I have a lifted truck and a bad back, I couldnt lift a N70ZZ into my engine bay. I was quoted $195 for the battery and $15 to fit it. Luckily I left my car running so I drove off.


 


Some days later I was in another spare parts shop buying some degreaser when a chap asked how much they charged to fit wiper blades. The reply was that it was free. He then said that he was quoted $15 per wiper blade at SCA. 3 wiper blades, $45. $40 each for the wipers. Coincidence he was also quoted $15 per item or was he just making up a random figure?


 


Finally, I'm not just unhappy with them, I hate them. The majority of my working life has been in spare parts shops. I know prices and after my accident I did a lot of rehabilitation in a spare parts shop so I know what things cost. While I was doing rehab, I heard an old lady come in who needed 3 fan belts for a mitsubishi magna. The belts were quoted at around $40 each and none were in stock and there was a $14 charge to order EACH belt in. Now, I understand they're charged freight, but isnt it  unethical to charge 3 x $14 when all belts will come in one box? Isn't $14 enough, espeically when other orders will come in the box and SC get $14 off every item ordered. I suspect most people won't believe this, and to be honest, neither did I  until she showed me, on a Supercheap card, the fanbelt part numbers, the price and written next to each of them, $14 freight, and the total at the bottom. Now this old lady was on a pension, $135 is a lot of money to someone on a fixed income. What repulsed me more was we had the belts on the shelf, and sold them to her for no more than $15 each. $45 total as opposed to $135. And if we had to order them, our freight deal allows us to do free freight, and guess what, Supercheap buys from the SAME supplier, and uses the SAME carrier as us, because he calls at that store before them, as they opened first!!!


 


Its amazing how much impact a shop like that has on other businesses simply because they cant compete with their marketing. A catalogue every month and TV ads every day, no single store can do that. Even large group stores suffer trying to compete with that.


 


I did a  rehab in one store for a month. The amount of people who came in and said X is $15 dearer at supercheats, or they dont have it in stock, or generally complained about them was amazing. I actually asked one guy why he kept going back, because he told me that he had looked at 5 items and we had them cheaper. His reply was because they were cheaper. Wait, what? 5 items he wanted, and bought from us, were dearer in supercheats, but they are cheaper?


 


Oh and as a final insult, my battery pack finally gave in for the 5th time. I took it back and asked for a refund. Told the guy the problems and he says 'oh yeah, these are tihs, they're on special now for half price to get rid of them' right, I paid $149 for mine and now they're on sale  for $79. And you know what he said next? Refund this one, buy another one on sale, then use then wait til they go off sale and get another refund at full price.I kid you not.


 


I also read on their facebook page where a lady was sold a battery, which was incorrect during a 20% off sale. She brought it back the next day after the sale was over and she was refused a refund and if she wanted to get the correct one, (for those who know, a ZL instead of a Z) she was asked to pay the extra $20, as the  sale was over. Sorry, if your  staff make a mistake, why should she be expected to pay the extra!!!


 


Yes, I hate Supercheats with a passion. Most of their workers arent trained in cars at all and htey can offer no assistance, their products are inferior and they just dont care.

Going Ford is the Going Thing.
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