Should we keep saying that 'A' word?

[padlin]

Looking for a Corolla window control yesterday, as usual I checked the price at multiple sources.
Check out the price differences. They are 3 different manufacturers.

Autozone, $219 https://www.autozone.com/electrical-...947599_0_78655

A word $97 https://www.amazon.com/Toyota-Coroll.../dp/B010RG2CIE

W word $25 https://www.walmart.com/ip/Left-Driv...CAMRY/49275697

[cpaharley2008]

Wow, big difference, my only concern is returns. with the local W store very easy as with the on line auto store. A is a PIA because of shipping and packing. Interesting the A source shows lifetime warranty but the fine print says 2 year warranty. The on line auto is lifetime and 20% off whereas the W specially says it is an after market item. Probably all 3 are made in C at the same place........

[stratos175]

Yes big difference but sorry this is not a good comparison, the item being compared all say they do the same thing but produced by 3 different suppliers. This is like saying all two men tents would be the same because they sleep two people.

Enjoy the journey.

Steve

[escape artist]

Hi: All... One thing I didn't see is the difference in the US/Can business models. "W" used it, "T" didn't. The folks in my area thought they would get the US. "T" things in Canada at US. "T" prices!!! Didn't happen. Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie "Searchin' for my lost shaker of salt".

[emers382]

How about another comparison, this time A.ca vs A.com. Looking for a birthday present for our son's 40th. Found a well made filleting knife, it's available at both. Price is $US100 on A.com, and on A.ca CA$284!

Guess which I'll order from. We're fortunate to pick up packages at a friend's home in the US only 4 miles from home. I usually order mostly off the A.com site. Usually no rush to get things so always try to get free shipping.

Yes I'd sometimes rather shop in a bricks and mortar store but being over an hour from Winnipeg, using "A" is much easier. When we are in the city we rarely have time to peruse the shops but just get done what we have to.

[padlin]

Originally Posted by stratos175

Yes big difference but sorry this is not a good comparison, the item being compared all say they do the same thing but produced by 3 different suppliers. This is like saying all two men tents would be the same because they sleep two people.

Enjoy the journey.

Steve

It's a valid to me, the customer. Being on fixed income, the price has a lot to do with where I buy.

Comparing buying a new tent with buying a window switch for a 2009 Corolla is not a good comparison.

[Vermilye]

I do my best to use local suppliers, but use Amazon Prime for reading Kindle books. While I have ordered drop shipped items from Walmart, I've also found Amazon Lockers are a great way to get shipments while on the road.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by stratos175

Yes big difference but sorry this is not a good comparison, the item being compared all say they do the same thing but produced by 3 different suppliers. This is like saying all two men tents would be the same because they sleep two people.

I agree, but there's no good reason to expect the AutoZone part to be any better. It would be interesting to put the OEM part in the comparison - it would likely be better, will almost certainly be much more expensive, and (just like the others) the only thing "local" about it will be that the local dealership will sell it at retail.

[rbryan4]

Originally Posted by padlin

Looking for a Corolla window control yesterday, as usual I checked the price at multiple sources.

Check out the price differences. They are 3 different manufacturers.



Autozone, $219 https://www.autozone.com/electrical-...947599_0_78655



A word $97 https://www.amazon.com/Toyota-Coroll.../dp/B010RG2CIE



W word $25 https://www.walmart.com/ip/Left-Driv...CAMRY/49275697

When it comes to auto parts, try Rock Auto, Bob. A huge catalog of parts, and reasonable prices. I've found they meet or beat Autozone or O'Reilly or Advance most of the time, and with a better selection.

[cpaharley2008]

Originally Posted by emers382

How about another comparison, this time A.ca vs A.com. Looking for a birthday present for our son's 40th. Found a well made filleting knife, it's available at both. Price is $US100 on A.com, and on A.ca CA$284!

Guess which I'll order from. We're fortunate to pick up packages at a friend's home in the US only 4 miles from home. I usually order mostly off the A.com site. Usually no rush to get things so always try to get free shipping.

Yes I'd sometimes rather shop in a bricks and mortar store but being over an hour from Winnipeg, using "A" is much easier. When we are in the city we rarely have time to peruse the shops but just get done what we have to.

I have always wondered about Canadians making less expensive purchases in the states or even in Mexico such as the Molar Express. Are these purchases declared when returning home or back into the states? What happens then, is there an additional tariff?

[padlin]

Originally Posted by rbryan4

When it comes to auto parts, try Rock Auto, Bob. A huge catalog of parts, and reasonable prices. I've found they meet or beat Autozone or O'Reilly or Advance most of the time, and with a better selection.

Thanks Robert, the same part as the Autozone one for $50 less.

[emers382]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

I have always wondered about Canadians making less expensive purchases in the states or even in Mexico such as the Molar Express. Are these purchases declared when returning home or back into the states? What happens then, is there an additional tariff?

Jim I always declare just what I have picked up in the US when returning home. Often we try to coordinate with a trip home after 48 or more to the US when we have an $800 exemption each. But even if I just go over to pic up a package at the friend's place they want to know the value and even if over the $50 allowed for a quick trip they often just wave me on. Of course for more expensive things (like my 5th wheel hitch) and of course the new to us 5.0TA I was sent in and paid the taxes applicable.

Now as far as returning from Mexico to the US, we only went once, walked over the bridge from Texas. Coming back to US I declared what we'd bought which was only four inhalers, but stupid me when asked said DRUGS rather than pharmaceuticals. Of course he wanted to see them

[Upfisk]

We are frequent visitors to Algodones, Mex, crossing 6 or more times a year, at times 3 days a week. "What was the purpose of your visit?" is our greeting as we enter US Customs. I always point at my teeth, as our family dentist is located in Algodones. Never a charge for dental work, and we have had it all, except dentures. Park at Andrade, CA and pay $6, walk across to Algodones, walk back. No vehicle entry hassles.

[Hilola]

Originally Posted by Upfisk

We are frequent visitors to Algodones, Mex, crossing 6 or more times a year, at times 3 days a week. "What was the purpose of your visit?" is our greeting as we enter US Customs. I always point at my teeth, as our family dentist is located in Algodones. Never a charge for dental work, and we have had it all, except dentures. Park at Andrade, CA and pay $6, walk across to Algodones, walk back. No vehicle entry hassles.

How long of a walk is it?

[Upfisk]

About 5 minutes max. Part of the fenced parking lot is the border fence, and it is exceedingly secure with Border Patrol agents thick on the ground.

[Hilola]

Originally Posted by Upfisk

About 5 minutes max. Part of the fenced parking lot is the border fence, and it is exceedingly secure with Border Patrol agents thick on the ground.

I can do that, thanks!

[Farther]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

While growing up we had Sears and Montgomery Wards who were the retail giants, both are almost gone. But shopping was a hands on experience, something the A word does not allow. I could spend hours inside the Craftsman tools section, seeing things I never knew existed but once seen I wanted one. The online experience is too focused on knowing what you want.

Similiar but not quite. I grew up in rural South Dakota and we got our "stuff" through the Sears & Roebuck catalog and J.C. Penny catalog was a close second. The only hands-on was that both catalogs ended up in the outhouses where we used the pages to finish the job. I do have to say the women's lingerie section was the last to go.

[DanandDaphne]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

Another consideration is after they have captured the market and put all the bricks and mortar stores out of business, will they raise prices so they can finally make money?

Seriously? Jeff Bezos recently toped Bill Gates on the Forbs 400 richest Americans list. Worth 160 Billion, up from 81.5 billion a year ago.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money...st/1507867002/
Of course now that he is getting a divorce he will soon be worth 1/2 that amount.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

Another consideration is after they have captured the market and put all the bricks and mortar stores out of business, will they raise prices so they can finally make money?

Originally Posted by DanandDaphne

Seriously? Jeff Bezos recently toped Bill Gates on the Forbs 400 richest Americans list. Worth 160 Billion, up from 81.5 billion a year ago.

The wealth of the founder of a company like this is a function of the share price, and that depends on what stock buyers are willing to pay, whether they should pay that or not. A company can easily lose money every year (which means they have losses instead of profit, spending more than their income), burning up investors' money, and still climb radically in "value". Amazon was the classic example of this in its early years, but it actually is profitable now; however, its profits are negligible compared to its share value, so investors are still getting essentially no return unless they sell to other optimistic investors. Tesla is a more recent money pit of the same type; it has been around for a decade, is "worth" about US$50B, and has yet to have a profitable year.

In other words, Bezos has a theoretical US$160B (although he could never sell his shares for that), based on a company that has made only US$5B over its two decades of existence. A reasonably profitable company of that size would have earned a few hundred billion dollars of profit over that period, distributing it to the investors.