[urq] What is everyone's opinion about Audi's parts house, cleaning?

[DGraber460 at aol.com]

In a message dated 7/30/2006 8:16:16 A.M. Mountain Daylight Time,  
jbufkin at austin.rr.com writes:

Thats  interesting and sad Info Nathan.

I think its a final blow for  parts.  Completely inconsistent with what 
Audi is trying to become  which is a luxury sports car maker.
If I look on Ebay, I can find classic  well maintained Mercedes cars from 
about every year of the 50s and  60s.  Mercedes also has an active 
hertiage department to keep these  cars running.  Sure a fuel pump for a 
1930s Mercedes might be 3000  dollars, but it is available and the owner 
doesn't have to rig up a  substitute.   The point is that those Mercedes 
are worth almost  a quarter of a million dollars so nobody will care 
about spending that  money to maintain complete original spec.  

The Urquattro was the  closest thing to a Classic that Audi had.  Values 
were actually going  up!  The cars where at the point where a proper 
amount of factory  support to replicate little cheap parts that break 
often would go along  way with their owners.   Audi should keep in mind 
that the  owners of these cars are quite active and respected in the Audi 
community  and often influence new car purchases or are directly 
responsible for  friends and family buying new Audis.   Dis-enfranchising 
this  group because the bottom line says its not fiscally in the green to 
make  bumper cover plugs for 11,000 cars is BAD business.  

I have just  this past weekend spoiled the sale of a Q7.  I won't replace 
my A8L  or my wife's A6 with another Audi.   I will keep my urquattro and  
my rally car although I won't show my rally car at ANY Audi shows and  
will only run it on track debadged henceforth.   If Audi doesn't  want to 
deal with urquattros then I certainly don't want to be an unpaid  
salesman for them.   It pretty much means we have to scrounge  and 
scavenge for every single part on our beloved quattros.     Screw Em.

James Bufkin





I'm with you James.
The dealership I worked for had turned the high end marque into the  
equivalent of buying a Dodge or Chevy. At least from the consumer "deal"  standpoint, 
and I couldn't tolerate the sleazy crap any longer.
Every truly successful retail business of any volume understands the  concept 
of a "loss leader". That is an item that doesn't look terrific on the  books 
but generates enough other sales as to pay it's way and be well worth it  and 
validate it's existence.
Having seen it from the inside, I have always questioned whether Audi has a  
good grip on marketing, merchandising, and branding. This latest move proves 
my  doubts are well founded. As you stated - many of us have a broad influence 
over  a wide circle of friends as to automotive advice and what would or 
wouldn't be a  wise purchase.
Bean counters!!!!! Arghhh!!!! 

 
Dennis
Denver