ARB Bull Bar and other accesories.... Help!!

[Markbell]

hi there,

Went into my local ARB to get a quote on a number of things including, bull bar, warn winch, bushranger shower, 2nd battery for my 200 series and was extremely surprised out how little they moved on the price and also how disinterested they seemed in getting the business.

For a quote of $8.5K they offered a 7.5% discount. Is it me or should i have been expecting a much larger discount for those sorts of bucks?

I'm considering perhaps going to an approved dealer rather than the store as i feel the labour charge on some of these things are a bit rich.

I'm based in Melbourne south east and was wondering if anyone out there has any thoughts on the above and also if they can recommend anyone else.

Thanks,
Marcel

[Jenko67]

HI Marcel, had a similar experience at a Brisbane ARB store.... I honestly can't understand how some do any business. Got a cheaper quote elsewhere..

Regards

Scott

[D4D]

You're lucky if you get 10% on ARB gear. If you have been to the ARB store I think you have I wouldn't get anything fitted there.

Give Phil a call and see what he can do http://ontrack4x4.com.au/

[Markbell]

Hi Scott,

Thanks fo ryour reply.

Where did you end up going? 4 x 4 specialist???

I dont have an allegiance to ARB but my issue is where else to go??

[Markbell]

You're lucky if you get 10% on ARB gear. If you have been to the ARB store I think you have I wouldn't get anything fitted there.

Give Phil a call and see what he can do http://ontrack4x4.com.au/

thanks D4D will give him a call.

I'm in business myself and i couldnt believe how inflexible they were.l I said to them where is my incentive to do it all at once. May as well hang onto to my hard earned and do it bit by bit on that basis.

They guy i dealt with was fine and when i said to him to speak to his manager about doing better the manager came back to him with " the price you gave him is as llow as i want to go".

I mean raelly, at least make the customer feel like you've moved a little!!!

[Bird]

how much off were you expecting?

As said ARB dont move much on their gear, but they do make large margins

If your lookin for other options, give Eddi a call at Opposite lock Mitcham, or Alan at TT in Seaford or John at Everything4wd in Cranny (E4wd on here)

[Markbell]

how much off were you expecting?

As said ARB dint move much on their gear, but they do make large margins

If your lookin for other options, give Eddi a call at Opposite lock Mitcham, or Alan at TT in Seaford or John at Everything4wd in Cranny (E4wd on here)

To Be honest a thought for that $ spend they would move 15%. It was probably more the fact that they didn't even seem hungry fo Ruthe business. In my world, for the manager to not do anything better than the kid on the shop floor says to me they have a take it or leave it approach. $8.5K is not a small amount of money.

Thanks for the options

[D4D]

$8.5K is not a small amount of money.

That's a typical sale for them

[Markbell]

That's a typical sale for them

I'm sure it is. My motto is if you don't ask you don't get.

Maybe 15% off was too much but hey.....make it look like there is interest in doing a deal.

[Bird]

I dont like to fawk around when I buy things.
I like the best price first time I ask. So maybe the kid was playing it that way.

I hate fake "Mate we will look after you" kinda Shit - just tell me how much I'm gettin robbed so I can either walk out or book it in.

You cant please everyone.

[FJWALLY]

It does seam to be a common thread with ARB smaller stores
I have gone direct to head office in Kilsyth Melbourne - My rig is there right now being fitted out - The sales guy handling mine did explain that some items they have room to discount and I could see he had done that when I compared to other prices I had been given elsewhere.

They ended up giving me around 700-800 off the total price which was nearly 9000 so 8.5 % which I was quite happy with.

It really depends what your after as there are few 4x4 stores that I have found that have the range that ARB do so you have to do a lot more running around to get what you want.

I think if you are getting around 7 to 10% they are trying to win your business at least as they are cheaper in my opine than many other similar product stores.

7000 to 9000 is not that big a deal for these guys so you need to put it in context.

fitting costs - it should possibly be charged on an hour base might make it better for us but given tradesman's rates these days a 2 day job could easily set you back 1200$ for one guy.

my 2cents

[Markbell]

It does seam to be a common thread with ARB smaller stores
I have gone direct to head office in Kilsyth Melbourne - My rig is there right now being fitted out - The sales guy handling mine did explain that some items they have room to discount and I could see he had done that when I compared to other prices I had been given elsewhere.

They ended up giving me around 700-800 off the total price which was nearly 9000 so 8.5 % which I was quite happy with.

It really depends what your after as there are few 4x4 stores that I have found that have the range that ARB do so you have to do a lot more running around to get what you want.

I think if you are getting around 7 to 10% they are trying to win your business at least as they are cheaper in my opine than many other similar product stores.

7000 to 9000 is not that big a deal for these guys so you need to put it in context.

fitting costs - it should possibly be charged on an hour base might make it better for us but given tradesman's rates these days a 2 day job could easily set you back 1200$ for one guy.

my 2cents

Thanks FJWALLY

Perhaps I'm expecting too much and getting used to the massive discounting that is going on generally right around the country at retail.

My initial reaction was that i could come is and order 1 item only that i have had quoted and gotten close to the % off that they have given me for a bulk order but i take it on board that this is a standard order for them and if i don't go with it someone is will walk in 5 minutes later and put in an equivalent order.

[D4D]

Whether you spend $50 or $10,000 the discount is somewhere from 5-10%. That's the way ARB operate, if you don't like it buy their shares

[jaycamrie]

My experience was much the same the young fellow did not seem to care at all when asked can they do better then that just give me a blank look worst customer service i have ever come across ,the thing is when you walk out the door there is ten more people walking in so i dont think they worry to much

[Bird]

My experience was much the same the young fellow did not seem to care at all when asked can they do better then that just give me a blank look worst customer service i have ever come across

was the service bad, or cause they didnt give you 50% off?

the thing is when you walk out the door there is ten more people walking in so i dont think they worry to much

[Markbell]

was the service bad, or cause they didnt give you 50% off?

There is a bit of a difference between getting 15+% off than 50% off!

[jaycamrie]

was the service bad, or cause they didnt give you 50% off?

come on lost .. honestly service sucked not a very enthusiastic fellow . and like i said i dont think they give a xxxx because plenty more coming in mate i would be happy to get 5 % i was more critical of service.

[swanny]

Great thread, i just got back from ARB Newcastle, and i must be one of the lucky ones or have no idea, but the service i got was great, in fact the guy who did the first qoute was busy so i ended up with a young bloke, who couldnt do enough for me.

I spent just a bit of 5K, and after he done the numbers for me he had got it back to a bit over 4200k, now might not seem a lot, but i was happy, which i think is a real factor when spending ur hard earned, if ur happy with the deal then thats wat matters.

On top of that when the first guy become free he come over to check on how things were going, and then tweaked the numbers a bit more for the young bloke, i would also have to say that not just saving my dollars impressed me, but they both were solid with there advice also, EG, i am ready to buy a winch, and was onto the Warn 9.5XP, after some advice and discussion on the type of winching i will likely do, they advised me to look at the XDC9.5, a cheaper, but realiable winch, so to me not always are they just out to fleece ur cash.

Anyway, my experience was positive, thay have ordered the bits and made time to get my truck in for fitting before we head away for a break over xmas.

Cheers Swanny

[FJWALLY]

Yeh - Swanny is spot on - you cannot take an experience with one lacklustre salesman as being the company norm - I was/am wrapped with the service the team at ARB Kilsyth have given me - they have kept me up to speed with all the new products slowly making there way into production for my FJ and having bought one themselves have the experience to back it up with tested install methods - fingers crossed the finish is spot on when I get t back on Wednesday.
The FJCC I am associated with has had a similar mixed bag of experiences with ARB also so you are not alone by any stretch.

[WilSurf]

Service depends also on the car you have.
When I came in to have my towbar installed (ordered by ARB for my car) they told me that it doesn't fit. It had to be modified etc.
So I went to my mechanic with the towbar and it took him more time to drive my car inhis workshop, unload the new towbar then fitting it.
No modification needed, a straight bolt on job.
As long as you drive a Patrol or a Landcruiser they are happy to serve you.
That is my experience in one shop.

[Bird]

i was more critical of service.

thats kewl, wasnt sure which way you were sayin thats all
I've also found sometimes their service aint the best - but I find that at all 4wd stores. They are all full of eager kids that own a $2000 4b with $30,000 of gear on HP to the boss..

Main issue with most stores would be 90% of their customers are tyre kickers - most times I am too..

[dno]

IMO,
There is a certain store in that area that's not worth any of my hard earned money, Very poor attitude's and very little intrest in the customer as a person. You don't have to kiss ar$e, but there seems to be a real problem with attitudes in this store.
Happy to spend my money in another store, as Lost said there are other good stores around. There are also some good store's in Warragul, 4 from memory well worth a look.

[Markbell]

I've put a call out to another branch as well as an independant dealer to wuote me up......lets see what they come back with.

Having said that, the time spent on the phone by the independant dealer going through my requirmenst and throwing out other suggestions has already impressed me.

Lets remember, we can all get a bit gung ho in terms of bells and whistles but sometimes its nice to know that someone is challenging your thought process as to what you really NEED vs what you really WANT

[LC]

Great thread, i just got back from ARB Newcastle, and i must be one of the lucky ones or have no idea, but the service i got was great, in fact the guy who did the first qoute was busy so i ended up with a young bloke, who couldnt do enough for me.

I spent just a bit of 5K, and after he done the numbers for me he had got it back to a bit over 4200k, now might not seem a lot, but i was happy, which i think is a real factor when spending ur hard earned, if ur happy with the deal then thats wat matters.

On top of that when the first guy become free he come over to check on how things were going, and then tweaked the numbers a bit more for the young bloke, i would also have to say that not just saving my dollars impressed me, but they both were solid with there advice also, EG, i am ready to buy a winch, and was onto the Warn 9.5XP, after some advice and discussion on the type of winching i will likely do, they advised me to look at the XDC9.5, a cheaper, but realiable winch, so to me not always are they just out to fleece ur cash.

Anyway, my experience was positive, thay have ordered the bits and made time to get my truck in for fitting before we head away for a break over xmas.

Cheers Swanny

I too have had very good service from the guys at ARB Newcastle, and this was also backed up recently while we were in the Barossa Valley and the DC-DC charger died. They sourced me a new one from a non ARB store that was nearby, all I had to do was pick it up and istall it. They / Ctek covered the cost. On the other hand some of the other ARB stores around the country that I have been into have staff who struggle to even acknowledge you.

Perhaps they maybe a bit more expensive than some of the other retailers, but I know if I am away and have problems it does not take too many phone calls to get it sorted.

A few months ago the ARB price list appeared briefly on this forum and I must say that I was very surprised at how little margin is actually in some things.

[Bird]

I always query people when they say they *need* lockers. I seem to go most places they do without them, always have... So do many others.
Same with Winches... and dont get me started on Bolt on Hi-lift show pieces. Never seen one used off road in my life.

Nobody spends money on driver training at all.. probably more important than $20,000 of gear from ANYBJMLOCK.

You will find it hard anywhere for people to talk you out of spending... anywhere, not just camping/4wding, speciall if you walk in with a shopping list. Many places are going to assume you know what you want if your that organised!

Versus

Bloke in my club that couldn't get up a certain track.. so dropped his car off at a place SE melb (not specifically 4wd) with a blank chq and said make my car get up there... just under $20,000 later he had 6in lift, 35's Centipedes on beadlocked, chip, lockers, radios, manual hubs, crawler gears, you name it it had it.. did it need it? No.. DDR got up there in a Surf with 32's.

There are sharks in every form of business.


ARB have fixed prices on their brand gear and usually dont like people changing from those prices. I think its part of the deal with selling their stuff.. yes it could be considered in some circles as price fuxing.