[greenhorn]

i dont think the tata ASC's themselves sell spares over the counter. I avoid them like the plague. There is a genuine tata spares only shop - and this is a big shop, not some hole in the wall setup.(they charge the same rates as the TASC - MRP, but are pretty knowledgeable , enough to know what parts are different for the indica and the indica turbo, and what can be swapped ) And it is owned by the folks who have an even bigger all brand spares shop right across the road - swaraj auto spares. There is a seperate spares shop nearby for tata commercial vehicles. this is owned by a popular mega motors, who also has a dealership for Tata commercial vehicles.

Started doing this after finding out that things like changing a mirror , or air filter, which involved only removing a few screws cost 100 bucks or so as labour(that in itself i can tolerate), but leaving my car at the TASC would mean that something else would certainly get stolen - has happened consistently for the last 4 services

[benbsb29]

Originally Posted by satyamenon

I could be wrong here, but I believe the reason Hyundai doesn't normally sell spares over the counter is to ensure that spurious parts don't get into the market.

Ford also gives a similar reasoning to support their stance, but i dont see why they should be so restrictive. Let it be an open market, i say.

[ImmortalZ]

I think it would work out cheaper to import the more expensive parts from abroad for just about any brand, even considering the import duties. Blown ECUs for example.

[condor]

greenhorn : I think tata sells most of their stuff over the counter. .

Tata does & also Maruti spares are available OTC.

I get spares for Tata & Maruti at their spares outlets. Maruti A.S.S doesnt give parts OTC, though.

Other source I use is Bosch outlets, for Bosch parts.

The best thing about Tata allowing OTC sales is that I can avoid duplicate parts, and both me & Tata are the gainers.

[tazmaan]

I had bought the clutch plate assembly from Lakozy Toyota for my qualis over the counter. If I am not mistaken Lakozy toyota at Malad, Mumbai has a spares shop along with the Showroom and Service center. The clutch I had bought was 1.5 times expensive compared to the ones openly available in the market.

But I guess its worth it, I had bought a single alloy for my innova which was damaged from them.

[loving_alaap]

Well, i have also experienced the super cheap (and friendly of course) over the counter services.

I have drastically reduce the service bill of my santro by getting *** form a local mechanic. (far less than even *** of Hyundai)

I am completely satisfied with the "Khandani" Mechanic (whose forefathers were mechanics too).

I will do the *** of my next car there only once so called warranty is over.

[tsk1979]

Tata sells Over the counter. The bill states "Over the Counter" sale.
I have bought parts from various tata motors workshops over the counter.

[BaCkSeAtDrIVeR]

Guys, let us be be clear - there is the issue of

1. Availability of spares.
2. Availability of "genuine" spares (as in the manufacturer of the component is an approved manufacturer for the product).
3. Availability of 1 or 2 through an authorised dealer of spares.
4. Availability of 1 or 2 through an authorised dealer for vehicle.

I want parts of the kind described in 2, through a channel described in 3.

3 can be a subset of 4; but I do not mind if it is not.

I know that spares for Tata's Indi* range is available. I have seen several shops displaying "spares for Maruti" board. For Tata cars, the shops display a company's logo; but not for Maruti, AFAICT. I guess Popular, in Cochin, sells maruti spares but never had occassion to buy car spares. (That is, spares of type 2, through a dealer of type 3; but they also happen to be 4).

I have drastically reduce the service bill of my santro by getting *** form a local mechanic. (far less than even *** of Hyundai)

I am completely satisfied with the "Khandani" Mechanic (whose forefathers were mechanics too).

I will do the *** of my next car there only once so called warranty is over.

We need to distinguish between After sales, warranty service; and "out of warranty" service. If a particular work / expense is not going to be covered by warranty, why should I get done through somebody approved by the manufacturer? All that is required is that the work should be to the specifications of the manufacturer.

[bhp1]

Both over the counter sale & sale of spares from authorised shops outside the dealerships should be allowed.

Toyota does not provide spares over the counter, neither does Honda apart from various others.

Kudos to Maruti, Tata for being customer friendly!

[esteem_lover]

I guess TATA & Maruti are the only ones that sell spares OTC. But off late Maruti has brought down the list of spares available OTC. But who needs to buy from A.S.S when you can get the same from the open market for half the price or even lesser. For e.g, i replaced the rear wheel bearings for my esteem. The same costs app Rs.3 k each at MASS. I got them for 1.3k each from NBC dealer.

[BaCkSeAtDrIVeR]

Originally Posted by esteem_lover

But off late Maruti has brought down the list of spares available OTC. But who needs to buy from A.S.S when you can get the same from the open market for half the price or even lesser. For e.g, i replaced the rear wheel bearings for my esteem. The same costs app Rs.3 k each at MASS. I got them for 1.3k each from NBC dealer.

To an extent, it is possible to get standardised parts - nuts, bolts, bulbs, spark plugs, wheels, tubing, bearings, etc from respective manufacturers. But what about vehicle specific parts like head / tail lamp assembly, pistons, blocks, etc? Why should anyone depend on the manufacturer for a 10 year old car's spares?

Or a 1 month old modded car, for that matter.

I mean, if I am an enthu, got a new car, and promptly modded it, and for example, got a blown piston why should I beg / cringe at the manufacturer's feet? I know enough of automobiles, and know a car well enough, do not need the manufacturer's "quality" for my car, so why should the manufacturer be bothered?

[kb100]

Well - if true (as in if this is a nationwide practice), Tata and Maruti seem to be the only people doing so.

I would like the manufacturers to make Original Spares available OTC. I don't mind picking this up exclusively from the authorised dealer if so required! I cant buy the logic that this will create a market for spurious parts for two reasons - the market already exists; and how will the spurious parts get into the authorised showroom/dealer outlet without their connivance ??!!?? (like in the skoda case)

[condor]

kb100 : I cant buy the logic that this will create a market for spurious parts for two reasons - the market already exists; and how will the spurious parts get into the authorised showroom/dealer outlet without their connivance ??!!?? (like in the skoda case)

Spurious & sub-standard parts come into picture when the manufacturers stiffle & restrict the supply of genuine spares / try to create a monopoly on their spares.

OT: Maruti spares in BLR are available at the spares outlet on H Siddaiah Rd, opp Urvashi. Prerana is also there on this road, and so is the Bosch outlet.

[rm_arjuna]

+1 on the topic KB100 , since unlike MUL / Tata it is very difficult to get spares like OVRM & Bumpers etc ( atleast i have been lucky to spot an auto parts vendor who imports getz spare and price reasonably ) atleast if the spare is available as OTC then the consumers are assured of fair play in terms of pricing due to various regulation of MRTPS / weights & measure Act .

[vikram_d]

Originally Posted by esteem_lover

I guess TATA & Maruti are the only ones that sell spares OTC. But off late Maruti has brought down the list of spares available OTC. But who needs to buy from A.S.S when you can get the same from the open market for half the price or even lesser. For e.g, i replaced the rear wheel bearings for my esteem. The same costs app Rs.3 k each at MASS. I got them for 1.3k each from NBC dealer.

You should be very careful while buying automobile bearings from outside. Close to 70% of them are fake bearings even with the bearing dealers themselves.

Secondly most of the automobile bearing that come out into the open market are those that have been rejected by the automobile manufacturer due to various reasons.

This does not mean that you don't get genuine bearings outside. You do, but you need to be able to tell a genuine bearing from a fake one.