The dealership charged $250 for the kit. So not THAT crazy of a mark up.
$190 shipped tax in for Rein kit with Pentosin, filter, gasket, crush washer from RockAuto.. If you have a good specialized indy can get away cheaper.
I found small, one -man show, brand specific mechanics charge their actual time rather than "book time" and their rates are lower. In my experience they don't mind if you bring your own parts and fluids (I guess it saves time, which is money for them)....
Just remember; if you buy the part (at a small markup usually) from the shop where you're getting the work done, you will and should get a warranty on the labour as well. If you bring your own part (even if it's the same brand), there is zero incentive for the shop to cover the labour if the part f*cks off or is defective, which does happen more than you'd think like any product.
I get the logic behind shopping around to save every penny possible but whenever my clients have been allowed to bring their own parts, they are warned verbally and in writing that there is no warranty on the labour. You're paying me to remove the part, give it back to you to deal with, then possibly put the car outside while you go get a replacement, then put it back together. That small 10-20% markup makes up for this should the part have an issue - I eat the labour (it's rare for the supplier to provide any compensation for this) and my service team will work with the supplier to get a replacement part same day.
We had a CLS 63 on Thursday with a failed air shock. We were able to source MB OEM (expensive - not recommended) or Arnott (lifetime warranty, great aftermarket brand for about half of OEM), both same day. The customer begged and pleaded to bring their own part, and my service manager knows him personally so we let it slide. Guy brings a used MB unit that's in worse shape than the one we took out of the car. Confirmed this with him PRIOR to install, he said it's guaranteed from wherever he brought it from, put it in, car was back on the ground at a tilt within 5 minutes, during the technician's test drive. He ended up paying for labour twice and getting the Arnott unit. That's just what the customer sees.
How about the wasted shop time while other cars are waiting outside before a long weekend, or the service team having to spend the time to call this guy multiple times and sort it out, or the tech having to get pi$$y having to do it twice?
Just sharing another perspective here.
