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This is mostly a question for the Canadians out there...
I'm just about to order a couple thousand dollars worth of parts... I used to deal with Johns Bug Shop for my old dune buggy...
I just started a new project... 1968 VW Karmann Ghia... I checked out the prices on www.Cip1.ca .... They seem WAY cheaper than Johns Bug shop... what gives???
are their parts any good??? How can their stuff be so cheap???
thanks!!!
Hiya Eric,
CIP1 is a retailer of scale and so customers can enjoy a lower price for many of the parts sold there.
However, (and there usually is a catch, isn't there?) you really need to use some care in purchasing parts online. You will pay for what you get and sometimes you'll get what you paid for. I'm thinking it would be a very good idea for you to check around (here is a very good spot) and find those retailers who are going to sell you quality parts - not just schmuck you around with lower prices on crappy stuff. This is not a direct knock on CIP1. It is rather a caveat emptor.
I only buy from CIP1, or German Supply for rare stuff, to avoid customs. I just went through three tries to get some parts shipped from a guy in PA. to B.C.
CIP1 is honest about the quality and often has several choices for the same part. Good, better best sort of thing. Shipping is free over a certain price with some heavy exceptions.
Many parts are the same from each dealer as there are only so many manufacturers anyway.
It doesn't hurt to ask on a forum about parts quality though. I just bought the pedal repair kit for buses from CIP1 and it was all useless. I also bought accordion tubes that were way too long for my '78 bus so therefore were mislabeled. They took them back no problem and will send me the proper length ones which are labeled for pre '67 Beetles.
They are very good on the phone with tech support.
jim
Thanks! This is good to know... I'll make up an order, then post it here before actually ordering it to get any suggestions as to whether there are any problems with any particular products 
thanks!
comparing jbs to cip1 is a bit like comparing home depot to your local hardware store. where do you prefer to shop? who has better advice on the items you need? is lowest price the main criteria you use to choose your parts or part supplier?
for me, i will shop at jacob's hardware on queen street before going to the home depot. not to say i will never buy anything from home depot, but i want there to be a local hardware store for me to go to, on my bike, in my neighborhood, so if i have to pay a few bucks more for my light bulbs, i don't mind. i want jacob's hardware to exist more than i want to save 50 cents on a light bulb. this principle applies to any retail situation and it's a founding idea beneath my VW parts business, the idea that price is not the only criteria for making buying decisions.
by the same token of me buying from home depot on occasion, we also buy from CIP1, through their wholesale program. they are a very easy company to deal with, they have a huge selection of products and shipping from canada they are a good choice for canadians. we also even buy from john's (and sell to them too). we spread our dollars around and that's a good policy for anyone, most of the vendors have positives and there are items that one has that another does not. spread the wealth around!
Last edited by germansupply (2010-07-13 17:04:38)
I do think that the quality of parts from Wolfsburg West beats any of the others, but to be honest I have also had success from CIP1, MidAmerica Motorworks and JCWhitney.
It just depends on what you are buying and what you want/need to pay... example: I found some awesome replacement seats on JCWhitney that I had scoped out on another site wanting twice as much money, and all turned out well.
Like a previous poster stated... buyer beware, and be smart.
"I want my local shop around to answer my questions free of charge but to buy parts from him? He is way to pricey"
Apples to oranges
And All of Wolfsburg west parts are not good. Most are better but not all some are from the same supplier. I have bought from most of them.
My opinion
"I want my local shop around to answer my questions free of charge but to buy parts from him? He is way to pricey"
oh, don't get me started. one of the strangest things i have noticed about this local/online vendor phenomenon is that for many of the VW folks who are local to germansupply, we are their last resort for buying parts. we get the locals who need stuff immediately, or who need parts that are out of stock at their favorite online vendor. then we have customers from halfway across the continent for whom we are their first choice and who call us off the bat whenever they need parts. it's odd. the thing is, that if you don't patronize local shops, whether it's for VW parts or light bulbs or what-have-you, those shops will not be around when you really need them. home depot is fine, but mom and pop is nice to have around too.
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