[Frank8]

Ok, it is not be just mini mania but a lot of mini (supposed) specialists seem to over charge for everything.

The prices are marked up by these stores around 50% to 120% extra? Are we seen as an easy target? Compared to local hardware stores that sell exactly the SAME product, the so called specialist seem to charge more.

As for OEM the mark up seems to be just silly.

Eg: Chrome body panel – BMW £16+VAT – MiniMania £54 incVAT!!!!!

It is silly for people to buy OEM parts from a non dealer any way, but you wouldn’t think the mark ups are so much!

May be MINI buyers are seen as those willing to spend money, hence a lot of these so called specialist stores have sprung up who seem to charge over the odds for everything.

[MINIMANIAUK]

Frank8,
Would you consider the Dealers "specialists" then ?, Having seen cases of owners charged £1800 for a fault that was a pin damaged in a connector,or recently someone charged £745 for a bypass valve replacement? £1300 clutch? £600 power steering pump ? ....
Should you wish to use main dealers fine by me ,your choice.
Should you have a problem with your MINI you are also free to ask your local dealer for some advice,have you tried that? if you get no answer other than "book your car in sir",then perhaps you can use your local hardware shop,your reccomended alternative for parts.
Not everyone has the luxury of having a dealer just up the road,some people live in remote areas of the country,or their car is broken,and a visit to the dealers very time consuming.
main dealers do not deliver to your house,and ordering by telephone can be hard at some dealers due to the workload by the stores staff.
Are MINI owners seen as more willing to spend money -NO ,quite the opposite,as the cars are older and values dropped the "new " owners tend to be younger and less affluent ,they are however just as keen and enthusiastic about their cars.
It is possible that there are prices on our site that are incorrect,and that have remained unaltered,with a wide range of products ,upkeep of a website, development ,and sourcing of products this can happen,you are always free to email ,PM ,or tel 01525 841733 if you have a query.
Having been to various MINI shows and events around the country I cant say I have seen the springing up of many "so called "specialists ,and I have no idea how YOU would define one anyway,but from the first line of your post I guess we do not qualify?
.

[sef]

Ouch... Match point... Your serve MiniMania...

[MINIMANIAUK]

Having spent all week trying chasing up uprated drive shafts with metric threads for the locknuts or imperial thread locknuts,and all night looking at throttle body opening speeds and feedback loops for larger throttle body ,coupled with breaking my wishbone bush removal tool,I am not in the best of moods on a sunny Sunday morning.
If the guy has any knowledge of rate feedback servo loops on the MINI throttle system I would appreciate it more than his comments so far!
Based on his previous post on allowing brake discs to remain on a car,despite being advised to replace them ,because someone is trying to rip him off , I somehow think not .
Some people think the world owes them ,despite only being on it for 17 years!!!