Dealer Parts Prices?

[Daniel Hussey <GY3WSX@UNIVSCVM.CSD.SCAROLINA.EDU>]

        Hey y'all,

            I was entering the parking deck and I tried to close up the passeng
er side window today and a scarry thing happened.  It wouldn't go back up!  It
went down, but it would not go back up.  Knowing that it was going to rain SOON
, I decided to make a run over to the local Audi dealer and see if I could get
a new window switch (I figured that was the problem...commonm in a 5kTQ).  When
I get there a nice guy from the service department came out to assist.  I told
him the problem and we played around with it until the window finnaly came back
up.  The switch was definately at fault and on it's way out.  So I figured, wha
t the hell, I'll get a new switch and I won't have to worry about it anymore.
So, I go into the parts department and ask for the switch.  I don't think the g
uy behind the parts counter had a clue what he was doing, and certianly didn't
know much about Audis.  I told him the make and model ('88 5000CS TQ) and he lo
oked it up on the fiche and then asked me what color the switch was.  I said "b
lack", the only color I've seen any Audi window switch come in!  Then he went a
nd grabbed the part and it was indeed the exact right switch I needed!  Then he
said, before you buy it I just want to warn you about the price.  He said "Do y
ou know how much the switch is?"  I said "Yes, about $25, right?"  He said, "Wh
o told you that?"  I said "Jim Ellis Porsche/Audi in Atlanta....I bought a wind
ow switch there a few months ago."  He then proceded to tell me that thier pric
e on that switch (same one BTW) was $65!!!!  I said "What!  You've got to be ki
dding me...are you sure you didn't get those numbers wrong?"  He said "No..that
's the price alright."  I said "That's rediculous...I've bought the same thing
at the Audi dealer in Atlanta for less than half that price!"  I then left in u
tter disgust!

         I bought the exact same type of switch from Jim Ellis Audi in Atlanta
(a typical overpriced Audi dealer parts dept) and got it for like $24.50 (or so
mething like that...around $25).  So why did this Audi dealer want almost 3 tim
es the price for the same switch?  I thought that all dealers charged about the
same...some sort of suggested retail price.  I figured I could wait a week and
order one from Carlsen or GPR for around $20.  BTW, This dealership is CARL Aut
omotive (Porsche/VW/Audi) in Columbia, SC and I would stay away from them and t
hier service department!  And I thought Jim Ellis was bad!

          A salesperson in there also told me that the 1.8 liter turbo 20V 4 cy
linder was not comming to the U.S.  I said that I had heard otherwise...anybody
care to comment.  I take what those guys say with a grain of salt!

                                                          Later,
                                                          Dan