Yes, them again. Have used them for over 18 months now and while the original orders spanned brexit which caused unholy delays as a result, on the whole I can't complain about them. Made another order a few days ago, the first in a while and noticed they've changed carriers (to the UK and N. Ireland in particular at any rate). Used to be GLS brought things across Europe, then passed them to Parcelforce for the last part, though I believe GLS are owned by Parcelforce so shouldn't be a surprise. This order appears to be using Evri (is it just me or do you read that as Evil on first glance?) from the start, that's the new mask of Hermes incase you didn't know. Be interesting to see the imapct it'll have on quality / timeliness of deliveries... not had alot of good previous experiences with Hermes.
Not used them lately, but certainly before as you say. Nice not to get hit by some ridiculous taxes afterwards like others do.... I dont know why!!
3 days! I work on the assumption it'll be at least 3x weeks at best. You pay Autodoc the UK 20% VAT in the purchase price, they in turn pass that on to the govt. for you so you're not dodging it. My understanding is there's currently no import taxes on vehicle components coming into the UK from the EU with the proviso that they must've been made in the EU. We might still be in a transitionary period for that though and import duty could potentially be added on top of the VAT in the future... don't know enough about it and it's hard to get your head around all the tooing and froing going on at the minute.
Surprised to get delivery of the order today... just a week this time, so while I was in no rush, happy enough if this is how it's going to be from now on.
Always nice to get a present. I've just received an order direct from Classic parts today. That only took a week. I usually go through VW Heritage but ridiculously this way was cheaper as I kept below the 130 damned tax limit including postage
My understanding is in theory you're paying the same UK 20% VAT regardless of how much you spend (though unfortunately I believe that includes postage), it's how it's collected that differs. Up to whatever the threshold is (£130?) it must be taken by the seller and paid by them to the UK govt. on your behalf. Above that the seller doesn't have to get involved, though as with Autodoc they can if they choose. Makes life easier when that happens, if it doesn't the VAT is instead taken on entry into the UK which delays things at best and can result in admin. fees etc. if paperwork is wrong / missing. That's added to whatever they say you owe which might not be the same as the seller claims... eg. you paid €100, but HC say it's worth €500. Couriers can and do step in sometimes to preempt the taking of VAT before putting it though customs, some of the fees are eye watering ... call me cynical but they seem to have cottoned on that it's a real money spinner. It's when import duty begins to be taken (in addition to the VAT) that'll hurt more If you ever buy something over the threshold from an EU seller, make sure you're not already paying the VAT rate for their country. Their rates can vary and aren't necessarily the same current UK 20%, eg. think France is currently 19% If so have it deducted as you'll effectively be paying VAT again when it enters the UK. You can claim the extra back but it's just more complications.
My experiences have been good, average between 10-14 days for shipping. Would be good for emergency stuff. But if you plan your services and aren’t in a rush it works out well. My last order included stuff for my mk2 gti, my wife’s Mk5 GTI and my daughters fiesta. also worth putting stuff in the basket and check each day to see the level of discount.
I bought an Electronic boot Strut for our Mk2 Kuga from Autodoc and it arrived within the week (over the Christmas holidays), great service. Had an email a few days back that they've had a data breach and my accounts was one of those on the list so not the best!.
Think most of their bad reputation stems from the carriers they use. When it was GLS bringing it as far as the UK border the times involved were incredibly long. Once in the UK and Parcelforce took over it seemed to arrive within a day or two at most. Wonder was that why they seem to have moved over to Evri for the entire journey. Unfortunately for Autodoc the new look Hermes on this side of the Channel doesn't seem to have come with a new business model and they're still at their old tricks. After my latest order only taking a couple of days to enter the UK, it has now sat nearly a week somewhere in their network with no updates.
Might've mentioned this elsewhere, but worth repeating... Made another order this AM and have got into the habit of regularly checking progress up to the point of dispatch. Has ony happened one before, but they've again substituted something of their own Stark brand for the one that was ordered. Don't tell you they're doing it, you've to discover it instead. The live-chat works well I've found and todate they've sorted it without question... but something to be aware of.
I've used Autodoc loads, and found some UK-Unobtainium parts on there a few time, but recently its all got very sketchy and orders are taking weeks to arrive.
I think on the whole it's a good thing that they exist... Definitely cheaper than (or at least the equal of) prices elsewhere if you're canny and work their discount / bonus / free post system to your advantage, you just have to balance that with the potential for delivery delays which doesn't suit everyone I suppose. Having said that most of the other big names can drag their heels too, so it's not unique to Autodoc. Touched on above and I've found it's also the case... you can source items / brands with them that aren't available elsewhere. Side benefit is their site itself, it's a good resource if your checking part numbers etc. as it's linked into most manufacturers Tecdoc databases... not foolproof, but acts as an accessible way to double check info. against the likes of 7zap or makers own e-catalogues that can get a bit confusing otherwise.
I always Google part numbers to get a picture making sure the part is the right one at work (even when using OEM parts websites).
I use them all the time for parts for my Mercedes W211, never had an issue always cheaper than GSF or ECP, in fact last night i order 2 engine mounts for ~£56 each, the same Lemforder were almost £90 at ECP even with the discounts they might not be the fastest but i have never waited more than a week.
Cheers RJ - is it a bit of a rigmarole to set up an account in this site,as there is no checkout as guest option unfortunately? I think I may have come across this site a number of years ago and I think it was (at the time) a ballache to try and buy something.
Has anyone used mister auto here? I have used them time and time again for parts and they have never left me down - not sure what Brexit has done to their service but buying stuff for the Irish stable (profile pic) has not been an issue - I always check for the correct OEM part numbers before ordering to avoid any issues.
