Aston Martin has created some "corporate policy" which prohibits Dealers form shipping overseas. For example a DB9 canopy Soft top would cost 7500 + tax at US dealers, while same can be imported from UK and delivers to my home at 50% price, but NO MORE. AM NOT only wants us to pay large sum of money for their car, they just want to continue to rip us off by allowing parts to be sold at double the price by US dealers only.

I had planned to buy a DB11 but NO MORE. Not that I can't afford those expensive parts, but I don't like people ripping me off.

I know that AM spies on us by reading this forum, so guys don't hold back thrash AM corporate in as much harsh words as you can, and don't hold back.

I am really angry at AM and if i had not wrapped the car my self and not invested so much time on this car i would even get rid of this car and buy Toyota Camry or even a mini van.

 

Hi guy...relax..when you get mad it is hard to find an answer...I really understand as many products sold for our cars are cheap if bought overseas...even with shipping.

Why not try Rich at redpants... Staurt at Velocity...both are good guys...I am sure there are a few others that can help quote to save you...

I have a coupe so I can not offer any help but I really wish you the best...!
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Redpants just posted on his website that he is having difficulty getting parts. so all OEM parts are out of stock.
BTW I made it before the policy change so I have soft top delivered at $ 3700 and dealer in us was willing to lower it to 5000, saying that was his lowest price anything below he will take a loss. I almost wanted to go back and tell him that if he is paying close to 5000 then he should go to my source and buy it for $ 3700.

BUT AM needs to hear for owners how unhappy we are and how horrible their policy is.

 

I’ve been trying to justify the why’s and honestly have to agree. What a disgrace. Sure, what US dealer would want competition from another source? Then again, how can it be justified that a US dealer couldn’t get it cheaper than a US consumer from the UK?

It makes no sense. An absolute disappointment. AM need to be profitable, and need to build the dealership network and leverage - absolutely makes sense. That said - don’t screw the loyal owners and advocates of the brand in the process.

What other brands do this? Porsche? AMG? Ferrari?

 

I am on your side...but even on this forum when you read the old threads...techs helped outright but now they are threatened and could lose their jobs when replying.

AM is going public in the future. I bet they are closing all gaps to boost the profit. Also the dealers are scared of the mentioned vendors. This is taking away dealer sales. Dealers sell the cars but live off the crazy high parts...

If I read correctly you did get your top. Great!

If you read a few other threads guys could care less and just pay the dealer...I am not one of them just as you are not!

Another great example is the O2 sensor...dealer wants double you can buy off rich or the internet. It is a 30 minute job to replace...but the dealers are not Wal Mart and know most clients will just pay.

The best support is giving the vendors as much business to keep them alive... Otherwise we all will be selling our cars as too much to operate and own.

 

Can you not get someone to buy it for you in the U.K. And ship it over?

 

Write a letter to Andy or ask him on Twitter. He has responded to me in the past.

 

I still have a bunch of parts in stock. I've been rolling sales revenue back into expanded inventory, so quite a few parts are here and ready to ship. I've got a large supply of routine maintenance items and even a couple AMR clutches in inventory.

 

When you buy from a dealer in the UK they don't charge the 25% VAT. I don't think you can escape that if you have a friend buy & ship, so 25% price bump right away.

 

This is the way the world works, you're not being ripped off, they're just finally putting a policy in place that should have always been there. It costs tons of money to be an authorized dealer and that dealer has ever right to expect to make money in all the ways dealers do. If you can just import cheaper parts because of poor or nonexistent manufacturer policy then that dealers margin are hurt.


In my business no dealer is allowed to ship anything across any border, anywhere in the world.

 

Well all I can say is if the depreciation on aston is bad due to a wrong perception of poor reliability, I imagine it wont get any better once parts become expensive as hell too.

Makes me think of mclaren with their dealer only service + part policy, its gotten to the point where even mclaren owner recommends getting extended warranty because it is so easy to get hosed with pricing on repairs

 

Although AM and dealers will say "this is the way the world works"...I am disappointed to hear such rationale. I think we all aspire to believe the world is what we make it.

This policy penalizes owners and pads the pockets of AM and dealers. It's classic corporate greed on steroids demanding more and returning less.

Take this comparison for what you will...this action mirrors pharmaceutical companies charging $$$$ for a medicine to one group while offering the exact same medicine for $ to another group. They do it because they can: sick people need medicine. In an admittedly different yet similar vein: we need parts for our cars.

I will communicate my dissatisfaction to AM and local dealer. I hope all will do the same. Although I won't lay awake at night expecting a change, if we make enough noise, there is a better chance they'll rescind the policy than if we remain silent and just accept it because "this is the way the world works".

P.S. -- In advance, this is not a flame against HabitualOffender for using the above verbiage -- no animosity is intended. I consider HO a valuable contributor to our forum. I'm simply using the same language to illustrate my point.

 

I wholeheartedly agree that we are getting ripped off. I’m still upset about paying over $1000 for my first simple oil change at the dealer. And the fact that AM authorized body shops won’t let us bring in our own genuine parts is ridiculous, too

 

You can still buy from Astonparts.com and Scuderia, as well as Redpants who is great to deal with.

 

I have thought of two options
1) find a friend to buy it for you and ship to USA, i think if part is being shipped by a friend VAT will be refunded.
2) We could create a large list of things to buy as a group, one of us flies to UK, buys it and ships to USA or brings with him back to USA. I don't think there is any way AM can prevent us from buying it like that. Also it won't take long before we won't need AM parts because we won't have AM cars.

I suspect other vendors will be prevented from shipping world wide as well.

Once the word is out on AM policy, their resell value will go down and so will the profit for the dealers will go down. so stick you dealer profit where it belongs.

I am in central florida and doing AM oil change for me is piece of cake, so is brake fluid flush and ignition coil and spark plug change. Just to protest against AM Stealership I will be happy to educate and help anyone in near by area on how to do these things.

Once i complete installation of my soft top I will also write up step-by-step instruction.