ClubCJ Mitsubishi OEM Parts Supply - Open Letter

[ofey]

Background

As many of you know, I have been providing a service of supplying Mitsubishi OEM parts to the membership at large for the past 4 years now.

These parts are sourced through our club sponsor Preston Motors Ralliart.

I usually apply a rounding up value of the prices to make it easier for us to transact and arrange to meet up with those here in Melbourne whilst posting at cost interstate. These round ups cover the cost of fuel and my time to carry out these purchases.

In case you think I'm profiteering->
For e.g.

1. MZ380402EX - Outer Scuff Plates - Stainless Steel (Font & Rear):
RRP=A$137+ CCJ= A$112.00



The cost price to me as you can see is A$111.60

Would you help someone buy this part and then ship it at cost for a 40 cent profit?

PMR had agreed to this arrangement of supplying us these parts at significantly reduced pricing as part of their sponsorship agreement and on the condition that they would transact only through myself in my capacity as Chief Buyer.

Those in VIC are still welcomed to turn up at their sales counter to purchase parts but these will be treated as RRP sales with NO club discount applied.

Problem

In recent weeks, the parts manager at PMR has seen a spate of calls from people claiming to be members of this club asking to purchase parts. These people have claimed to be members of ClubCJ and have requested for courier interstate and further discounts due to them "name dropping" ClubCJ. A couple of instances have also bordered on being down right rude and offensive.

Ralliart Parts
Please also note that all Ralliart Parts are protected by Mitsubishi Australia and buying most of them require you to provide a Ralliart VIN. Dealerships found openly selling RA parts openly risk losing their Ralliart and Parts sales contract.

Please note that PMR do not courier parts and will NOT transact at the club discounted rates to anyone simply by you quoting Club CJ.

Thoughts

I cannot believe some of what I've heard.
- The fact that we supply parts cheaper than most Australian suppliers isn't good enough to some members on this forum. Still asking for more discount on top of the CCJ discount.
- That the member doing this has told PMR parts guy that I'm profiteering by huge margins off this? So they want to transact directly?
- That these people can actually abuse vulgarly over the phone some parts guy whom you've NEVER met in your life simply to chase a wanted part? Disgusting to say the least.
- I wouldn't be surprised if this person isn't even a premium member, never ever paid any membership fees in his life on here and is using the club name to try and trade a discount, I don't even know what to say about such free loading behaviour.

In summary

The PMR staff in parts have now been instructed to take down your name and nick to "transact". They will go through the whole purchase with you before referring member names to the admin of CCJ.

The committee will not tolerate any harrassment of our members, sponsors or vendors online or in real life whilst representing or associating themsevles with ClubCJ.net, such behaviour will be referred to the committee and dealt with harshly, where penalties can include a permanent ban from the site. Depending on the level and severity of conduct towards our sponsor, this may be a very likely outcome..

[SXLancerMum]

Sounds fair Irving.

People have just become rude and obnoxious in our society and a lot are out for what they can get.

Anyone caught out being rude and obnoxious and saying they're from the club need to be named and shamed IMHO.

Keep up the good work mate

[INVUR-1]

yes these should be banned, they goes around causing headache to our sponsor and spec for you ofey + random accusation this and that. it just giving ClubCJ a bad reputation

[lachies24]

Agreed, Name and shame, then ban them. Clearly causing nothing but grief!

[tjoz]

Ofey, you dont have to answer this if you dont want to but remember something you told some of us about a year or so ago?

Why dont you actually go ahead with it as these things keep happening?

[ofey]

sorry tim but my memory is abit hazy. Could you remind me via PM?

[shaine]

Name and shame!!

[ofey]

Difficult to do at this point as the part guy didn't get a name.

[The X]

Well I'm quite disappointed and dismayed to hear that this has even occured, but most of all I'm so freaking furious right now.

PMR have been an oustanding sponsor and hence supporter of the club. Nick and the team have been invaluable to have on board as a partner and supply us with a wealth of knowledge and frienship. The have brought us many benefits, such as BBQs and open days, etc and including these slightly discounted spare parts.

I'm quite pissed off that there are a few dim witted idiots out there in the chase for an extra imaginary discount over and above the supplied trade pricing, think that being quite vulgar and abusive to the great staff @ PMR is OK. I won't tolerate that, neither will the rest of the committee. I wonder how many of these guys would talk that way face to face to the local dealership? They'd end up with a greasy wrench to the face, deservingly so.

I'm not sure how these people are rationalising their behaviour, over some random dollar value in their head they think they're getting ripped off by? What?! All this over $5, $10 or even $20?! Seriously! The actions of this minority suggest they think cutting out the middle man (i.e. Irving as a representative of ClubCJ) the part can be had cheaper. Well they need a reality check.

There is retail pricing and trade pricing. You're very luck to be even getting a chance at a trade price. So be grateful for getting any discount at all.

Here is a very simple proposition for those idiots.
Go to or call your local Mitsu dealer. Ask for the part's price.
Hit up Irving for a price (most likely it will be at trade discount rates).
Is there a SUBSTANTIAL saving once you factor in postage from Melbourne?
* No, go to your local Mitsu dealer.
* Yes, go for the CCJ option.
* Yes, but you think you're getting "ripped off" or it's "too much" - then piss off, you can go without - live within your means, or go trawl a wreckers yard.

If you're really nice with your local Mitsu parts guy, you can ask what the trade price is, just for reference (they're unlikely to sell to you @ trade price) and compare what Irving has quoted you.

As Irving has on many occassions pointed out, he does this for no personal gain, other than rounding up here or there to the nearest dollar on total price.
Is this not reasonable?
How many times have we bought off eBay to be charged $20 for postage to find that the post mark has $15 on it. Is $5 a "fair price" for the packing materials and time taken to post it to you?
Why is that fine and "part of doing business" for an eBay seller (someone you will only have a 1 time dealing with) and not fine for someone who works tirelessly for the club providing you this stuff at trade discount?
If you think not, perhaps your time is less valuable? Then I encourage you to step up and take on this function over from Irving. you'll be a great asset to the club. Clearly everyone would be happy to have you charge nothing for your petrol and time going to PMR and the post office. You clearly could do it cheaper than Irving and save each person, 20 cents, a dollar or even two here and there on each transaction and also save the poor PMR person from having to listen to abuse from some tightarse clowns out there over a few dollars.

If there are any further reports of this, I will recommend to the comm that we cut off supply of these cheaper parts and restrict the service to PREMIUM members only, and if it continues, then I'll push to shut the whole arrangement down.
I'm sure Irving and the team at PMR could do without the headaches and dramas.

[scraverX]

Totally agree with Pete and Irving here.

[LZY_EYE]

Agree 100% with Ofey and Pete.

One thing to note that Pete did not quite get right is that most of the prices we get from PMR are actually under trade!!

I have a friend who works for a dealer, and often he cannot even beat the price PMR are offering.

Pretty embarrassing for the club to be honest. I am sure Nick has had to work hard to justify the amount of discount we get with his bosses etc, and then people still are not happy.

[ofey]

Based on my spreadsheet, to date the club has spent well over A$36,000 in parts from PMR's Parts Department.

Some of their trade partners haven't even hit that in 10 yrs.

Whether or not that helps PMR's bottom line dollar profit has never been a concern for them.
It does however help them retain their buying status with Mits Au.

[goatio]

your doing a great job!
shame on these *****

[Dire]

Very disappointing...

Largely that people still think they're getting ripped off by ofey. Sure the price for some things is ridiculous but thats not ofey or PMR's fault, its just how it is.

Also the fact that they think they're getting ripped off, so they go and try to rip PMR off instead because of selfish greed.


I'm concerned that they're also lying about who they are or their status as a club member. Its possible they've never posted and are claiming to be a long-running member or something.
Now this is unlikely but if a name were to come out I'd hope people could wait for it to be confirmed before they condemn the person.



So are CCJ PMR prices not restricted to premium members? I didn't know that... Thats very generous of PMR but I think we'd all agree they're not only able to, but welcome to restrict that if they're getting anonymous abuse or harassment over it.


Thank you, like always, to ofey for your continuous service and to PMR for the support of the club.

[Meaty]

i read this post at work......i could not even find the words to say then and still struggle to understand how Anyone, Premium or not, could ring and abuse a salesperson at a business because they didnt get a price they felt name dropping was going to get them......

Anybody who has had dealings with Irving should be able to tell straight away he is a stand up man, who possible is so unselfish that he will do anything for others, so much so that it ends up costing him....

Ofey Represents CLub CJ, And PMR has a business deal with ClubCj Through ONLY Ofey, not anybody else. If it was ME i would never Be out of pocket, count yourselves lucky you get a discount at all.