Yanmar business practices?

[NPMR]

I recently found a USA supplier for a mixing elbow for my Yanmar 1GM10 engine.

When I ordered the part, the supplier, refused to send it, quoting

" We have been asked not to ship Yanmar parts into your area. Yanmar has established strict sales and service areas for their dealers"

As the US price is $114 and the UK price £143, is there something amiss here?

Does the EU allow this sort of trade practice? I thought they spent millions looking at the car-type operations so they could stop this sort of thing?

 

[andy_wilson]

Should have bought a Volvo!

 

[steve_cronin]

Try....

These people click here and then click on "Intakes and Exhausts" then on EXHAUST ENGINE OUTLETS Then on "General Use Exhaust Outlets" That one on the right looks like a Yanmar one to me. No doubt, if you ring them they'll know which one fits your engine- and look at the prices!

Steve Cronin

 

[jeremyshaw]

It's no an EU issue I'm afraid. It's a US issue - it's Yanmar's US dealer who has been put under this constraint.

Don't know who the dealer was but you might try Mack Boring. They were v. efficient shipping Yanmar parts to us in the Caribbean. Not saying they will ship to the UK, but it might be worth another crack. Do let us know what Yanmar say.

 

[Koeketiene]

[ QUOTE ]
Should have bought a Volvo!

[/ QUOTE ]

Very funny /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[NPMR]

Isn't the point here that the same Manufacturer is demanding a far higher price in UK than they're asking elsewhere?

This forum moans a lot about high prices of marine goods in the UK and here is a blatant example of the UK being forced to pay higher prices than necessary. You can bet they're making a good enough profit in the US, so the ones in the UK must be very much higher!

 

[Koeketiene]

As I mentioned before - the UK stumbeling block is Barrus.
They have negotiated an exclusive UK contract with Yanmar.
Every dealer/agent has to go through them.

We get our spares from Yanmar Europe. Barrus does not stock a lot of spares, so when Yanmar Europe refers us to Barrus we say we're a liveaboard in transit and can not wait for the spares. Always got them in 2/3 days and Euros for Pounds. (effectively a 30% discount)

 

[Birdseye]

This practise is rampant in the UK - Yanmar are far from being alone. Indeed they are not particularly bad - you can at least get discounts from their retailers. But this sort of business applies to lots of Jap / Far Eastern electronics where the UK seller is big enough to lean on the manufacturer. It also applies in the motor trade.

How many tiimes when you have pushed for a discount have you been told that "the manufacturer wont allow us to give discounts"? How many times have you found exactly the same price wherever you look? Co-incidence?

Trouble is that the OFT are a bunch of useless lawyers, not even interested when you point out whats going on.

 

[charles_reed]

Volvo business practices

are probably even more unreasonable than Yanmar

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

Re: Volvo business practices

Can't you get them cheaper elsewhere within the EU?

That would be a big no-no for Yanmar if they were seen to be restricting intra EU trade......

 

[charles_reed]

Is it Barrus?

Yanmar spares are expensive all over Europe, but the engines are cheaper here than elsewhere. Fenwick are impossible.

 

[oilyrag]

Doesn't help but a lot of the cost is down to the way Yanmar European distribution network is set up. The parts come from Japan to Yanmar's Customs bonded distribution centre in Holland. They are then despatched from Holland to UK via Barrus to the retailers. When you are looking at the cost of producing a bit of bent tin for an exhaust elbow but then add on all the additional double and triple handling, warehousing, distribution and redistribution costs, Yanmar Europe's, Barrus' and the retailers' mark-ups, it is not so hard to see why a bit that cost £5 to manufacture in Japan ends up costing you and me nearly £150. Also explains why bits can be 30% cheaper direct from Yanmar Europe, but they will not supply direct to UK because Barrus have exclusive UK distribution rights.

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

Which sounds thoroughly illegal under EU open borders trade policy?

 

[oilyrag]

Hmmm, perhaps technically yes, but as far as UK is concerned, because stock enters the EC under bond, and UK destined parts are not Customs cleared into the EC, and duty and VAT paid, until they arrive in the UK, I don't know if EC law then outlaws exclusive distribution agreements within the borders of a member state - I guess not. However, it would seem to be breaking the rules if you tried to buy parts from say a Dutch retailer and they refused to supply to a UK address. I wonder if anyone has tried?

 

[Koeketiene]

Is it Barrus? - Yes, it is!

[ QUOTE ]
but the engines are cheaper here than elsewhere.

[/ QUOTE ]

/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Don't think so.
When we re-engined a couple of years ago (with a Yanmar 3JH4), the best quote we got in the UK (Davis Marine - Ramsgate) was 6.3K Sterling (ex labour). Delivery lead-in time 10 weeks.
Got the work done in Nieuwpoort (Belgium) for 7.2K Euro (about 4.8K Sterling) all in. Delivery lead-in time 2 weeks.

 

[fastjedi]

Seems to me anything coming into the UK via Barrus is way overpriced (£20 for a plastic Walker Bay rowlock)... and since they are "exclusive" they can afford to practice poor customer service too (very bad experience with a Mariner outboard) ... it makes me /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

 

[LadyStardust]

We just paid €4000 for a new Yanmar engine in greece, was quoted £5500 for the same engine here. How does that work then?

 

[Swagman]

Re: Volvo business practices

Legally I believe the practice is unlawful in the EU - but even more so in the USA.
Most USA companies I deal with run immediately a lawyer gets talked about. So you could consider getting a lawyer to write and demand delivery and I'd almost bet it will arrive as requested.
Or if you don't want to argue - maybe call Westmarine (www.westmarine.com) and see if they will get it for you and ship it over?
Good luck
JOHN

 

[Nick_Pam]

Re: Volvo business practices

I just hope that as a British flagged yacht "resident" in France I will be able to buy from Yanmar Europe if I ever need anything, as the French don't like "importation" of "yacht parts" from the UK, if their customs declarations are anything to go by....

Nick

 

[Birdseye]

Re: Volvo business practices

[ QUOTE ]
I just hope that as a British flagged yacht "resident" in France I will be able to buy from Yanmar Europe if I ever need anything, as the French don't like "importation" of "yacht parts" from the UK, if their customs declarations are anything to go by....

Nick

[/ QUOTE ]

When I broke down in France with an aged starter motor, the French Yanmar agent wanted near enough £600 for the replacement. I got one couriered from the UK for £200. From the same Yanmar agent who sold me a new "GM 9without gearbox, starter and alternator) part ex for my old engine at (if I remember correctly) £1400 collected.

So I think its down to the dealer you deal with as much as anything.

Incidentally, when I subsequently had an arguable guarantee problem , Barrus were very helpful if a little slow.