Motoring Discussion > Audi - OE price for a spare vs China price Miscellaneous
Thread Author: henry k Replies: 10
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New Wed 25 Jan 17 20:37 
 Audi - OE price for a spare vs China price - henry k
I have been looking re an OE sensor that fits in the door handle of many VAG models with keyless entry.
Various prices $140 reduced to $115 = £95. Cheapest, only one found is £61
Have not yet got the Audi UK price.
Then I found the same item from China at £10 and free postage.
That is a a very big difference in price.

I am surprised clones of an item like this are being made.
From web chat it appears that there were problems with the OE sensors but is it an indicator that there was a real demand and hence worth copying.
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New Wed 25 Jan 17 22:30 
 Audi - OE price for a spare vs China price - Bill Payer
>> Then I found the same item from China at £10 and free postage.

Is it a part that's easy to fit and try, or does it involve major dismantling?

When my beloved Microsoft mouse packed up I was dismayed to find it's no longer made and it's a favourite of gamers so any that are available are at ridiculous (like £200) prices.

I found one on eBay from China for £15 so bought it, knowing it was a gamble. It more or less works (one of the buttons doesn't do the same function as the old one) but it's not as precise and it feels completely different.
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New Wed 25 Jan 17 23:58 
 Audi - OE price for a spare vs China price - henry k
>> Is it a part that's easy to fit and try, or does it involve major dismantling?
>>
it looks a fairly simple job ( 15mins says one poster)
One fits inside each of the door handles.
I have found some good photos of how to do it so must study them.
Also some queries re the China sourced versions.

One poster was charged for a complete door handle.
Another, a few years ago was charged £350 for two to be fitted.
At least we know where the problem possibly is
( The car was bought with this known fault)
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New Thu 26 Jan 17 00:39 
 Audi - OE price for a spare vs China price - rtj70
Maybe example of why keyless entry on cars is not really that much of a benefit.

I know on the Mazda6 I looked at getting the car would auto lock when you walked away. But that did not engage deadlocks. VAG cars like the Q5 might be different of course.
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New Thu 26 Jan 17 09:47 
 Audi - OE price for a spare vs China price - madf
I had to buy a front ABS sensor for son's 2002 Yaris.
Toyota £110. Ebay £25..

I bought ebay as 1> it was so cheap and 2> easy to replace if it went wrong.
STILL working 4 years later when car was scrapped.


Rule: buy cheap if replacement is easy.. If replacement is a PIA, think twice or buy on recommendation of others who have bought before.
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New Thu 26 Jan 17 10:11 
 Audi - OE price for a spare vs China price - Haywain
"Rule: buy cheap if replacement is easy.. If replacement is a PIA, think twice or buy on recommendation of others who have bought before."

That's why I don't buy cheap bulbs for the Focus and Astra; cheap ones don't last long, and refitting is, indeed, a PITA.
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New Thu 26 Jan 17 11:08 
 Audi - OE price for a spare vs China price - DP
>>
>> Rule: buy cheap if replacement is easy.. If replacement is a PIA, think twice or
>> buy on recommendation of others who have bought before.
>>

Completely agree with this. I would also add buy cheap if it's a frequent replacement. Front suspension bushes on Fiestas and Pumas for example, or Ka door handles. The OE / expensive stuff doesn't last any longer, or work any better than the cheap stuff, and in two years you'll be doing the job all over again anyway.

I'm putting a new clutch in the Focus tomorrow and could have got some unbranded tat off eBay for as little £75. Spent almost double that on a Sachs kit as it's going to take me the entire day to do the job.
Last edited by: DP on Thu 26 Jan 17 at 11:08
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New Thu 26 Jan 17 10:19 
 Audi - OE price for a spare vs China price - Haywain
"Have not yet got the Audi UK price"

I have always been suspicious of Audi spares/accessory pricing and have an aversion to the marque (not to mention the associated compulsory tailgating!).

A few years ago, a colleague went into his local Skoda dealer for a tow-ball (bar?) for his Octavia; the assistant passed it over the counter with the words "Good job it's in the Skoda box, if it were in an Audi box, it would cost twice the price for the same thing".
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New Thu 26 Jan 17 12:30 
 Audi - OE price for a spare vs China price - Shiny
"Good
>> job it's in the Skoda box, if it were in an Audi box, it would
>> cost twice the price for the same thing".
>>

VAG parts have all been in boxes that are cobined VW, SEAT, Skoda and Audi branded as long as I can remember. images4.postadsuk.com/2015/02/03/postadsuk.com-audi-a5-a4-front-genuine-brake-pads-new-in-box.JPG
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New Thu 26 Jan 17 12:34 
 Audi - OE price for a spare vs China price - henry k
>>I have always been suspicious of Audi spares/accessory pricing

Certainly some eye watering prices for add ons.
Book price, new, for sons version is about £10K over expensive high spec list price.
The price list on a new build 2010
www.audi.co.uk/content/dam/audi/production/PDF/UsedCars/Refresh/Q5/Q5%20-%20Feb%2010.pdf

Bought a VAG warning triangle, from Ebay of course. Identical item but a vast list of part numbers for various models and VAG brands ( some folks must have the right logo ) :-(

I am certainly looking at a DIY job with the cheap China option.
worth a go and if OK then a few spares will live on the shelf.
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New Thu 26 Jan 17 22:07 
 Audi - OE price for a spare vs China price - PeterS
Conversely the Audis we've had recently - 2007 to 2017 (A3, A4, A3 e-tron) have been remarkably cheap to service. And the service has been exemplary. VW with our Up! were merely average. Though I still go to them for screenwash as they are nearer than the Audi dealer ;)
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