Crazy Amazon Pricing vs Distribution

It’s pretty wild isn't it? There’s also a lot of cartridge filter elements/orings/etc that are cheaper on Amazon too. It all adds up in the end and when I can (if I have enough time) I’ll order stuff like that from Amazon and save some money.

They also are way cheaper on things like split bolts, conduit and liquidtite’s for doing repairs. 

It all adds up to your bottom line at the end of the year! 

We do buy almost all of our replacement cartridges online. Sometimes it just doesn’t feel right charging the amount we need to when buying from distribution. 

Yea I’ve felt that way too. At some point the manufacturer's/supply house are going to price themselves out. With the manufacturer’s adding 5%-10% in increases what seems to be yearly now, pumps will soon cost $5K to install and people just won’t do it. 

Agreed. I was told about getting some heater parts off Amazon, and was skeptical about it at first. I tried it and haven’t had any issues. They’re cheap enough I “warranty” them. We like to buy o-rings, filter cartridges and a few other misc parts from Amazon as well. To Chlorine King’s point, I agree that the manufactures are likely going to price themselves out if they keep raising prices every year. We’re already up to $2400-$2750 for a pump install here in Las Vegas

I agree.  If we replace a part enough, I’m willing to “warranty” it too.  I don’t provide a warranty timeframe on the front end.  But if something happens, I will replace it free of charge.  

Some of the polaris 280 cleaner bags and parts are cheaper on amazon.  I ship the parts straight to my techs’ house.  So wasteful with boxes, etc - so that’s another thing to consider...

Its crazy that you can get a pack of 5 or so bags for the same price as 1 bag from distribution. 

That’s pretty wild. I’ve seen a lot of knock off stuff on Amazon but didn’t know this intellichlor power pack existed. Has anyone tried the $100 version?

generally I’d just install all OEM components, but this might be good for some of my lower price point pools. 
 

also just to point out, with all these price increases make sure your getting your 1, 2 or 3% back from PoolCorp, and make sure your on the manufacturer rewards programs. Jandy you can get 5% back if you do enough volume. Also try and find a good cash rewards credit card, I use one that’s 2.% on everything. All these small things will help build more margin. Just for what it’s worth. 

We absolutely take advantage of distributor points, manufacture points, and credit card points. All that added  up can get you close to a 10% return. We also use cards to get airline miles so we can take trips.

Looks like on some items using the generic stuff outweighs the oem. I can make up that 10% pretty easily when the part is this cheap. 

We will be using one of these salt cell power centers soon. I’ll keep you posted. Wouldn’t be surprised if it comes from the exact same plant. It’s kind of like the intermatic 3hp relays that are the exact same as pentair and jandy but a fraction of the cost. 

buy the amazon one and sell it for a good profit… if it works it works….

I don’t ever discount the install unless it's disclosed as a generic option.  Just because you got a better deal on the part, you are not required to pass that savings on.  You should be checking all distributors and asking for a price match anyway.  The generic options we give a little bit of a discount, not an extreme one.  You still have to get the part, install it, and warranty your work.  They are paying for your time and expertise, so make sure you're making a profit that's worth it.  

If anyone has a Horner branch near you, they will have the best prices on filters.  Highly recommend reaching out to them for pricing on things. They are extremely competitive in our area and are cheaper on almost everything, including chemicals.  

We try to purchase all of our replacement parts through distribution for various reasons. We also typically only buy the manufacturer replacement parts for warranty and quality. I stumbled across this today and it isn’t the first time I've seen something similar. I was quoting a salt cell power center for a customer and the price difference between the generic part, the amazon manufacturer part, and the distribution part is absolutely crazy. The generic power center is less than $100 a day and I can have it on my door step the same day on a Sunday. Distribution is over $600 and that usually requires me to go to distribution to get it. I know buying the $100 part on amazon is a risk but one I’m considering to start taking more. I can mark the amazon part up to a much higher margin than the other. I will make more on the part and the customer will pay less. Sounds like a win win to me. What are your thoughts on this? Has anyone ran across other parts with such big differences?

 

I have used these, and they work fine.  In fact, look at the CaliMar brand replacement IC40 or IC60 version salt cell and then match it with this power center, and you can offer your customers a very good price to convert to a salt system and still maximize your profits.  They also make Hayward T15-style systems and cells that we use regularly and have never had any issues.  

I just assumed everyone was doing this type of thing with the continued increases and constant issues anymore with the “name brand” parts.