Pay up front for parts

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AuntPeggy

AuntPeggy

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A friend just bought a plane knowing that it needs a little work done. The mechanic at the buyer's home drome is asking for pay in advance for parts. We've never been asked to pay for parts up front. Have you? Thoughts?

My thoughts go like this, either the mechanic distrusts the owner or the mechanic is working on very a short shoestring or that he doesn't have enough credit himself.
 
I have two separate mechanics that work on my airplane, and I've paid up front for parts when using both of them. One of them was very honest with me about his financial situation and I understood, as the particular parts I wanted were quite expensive. I've never had any issues paying up front, but I did already know both of my mechanics quite well; I may have a different opinion or reservations if it were someone I wasn't familiar with.
 
AuntPeggy said:
A friend just bought a plane knowing that it needs a little work done. The mechanic at the buyer's home drome is asking for pay in advance for parts. We've never been asked to pay for parts up front. Have you? Thoughts?

My thoughts go like this, either the mechanic distrusts the owner or the mechanic is working on very a short shoestring or that he doesn't have enough credit himself.
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Many of us simply can't afford to get stuck with a dead beat. I'm not set up to do resale, so I simply tell the owner to buy the parts them selves.

When you come to me for an oil change, I'll tell go do it your self, if you don't know what filter to buy, your too stupid to be a good customer anyway.

just saying....
 
AuntPeggy said:
A friend just bought a plane knowing that it needs a little work done. The mechanic at the buyer's home drome is asking for pay in advance for parts. We've never been asked to pay for parts up front. Have you? Thoughts?

My thoughts go like this, either the mechanic distrusts the owner or the mechanic is working on very a short shoestring or that he doesn't have enough credit himself.
Click to expand...

Depends, I don't have a problem paying upfront, particularly for big ticket items. Seems a lot more of the one-man band guys are really operating on a tight margin. All that being said, the conversation also includes a discussion of what the mark-up will be.

Gary
 
My mechanic lets me source and order the parts myself and get the mechanic discount; use his name if I need to. That works for me. Ex. saved well over $200 on a starter.
 
For a big shop, paying for parts up front is largely unheard of. For a solo mechanic, it's a financial necessity due to lack of capital and the difficulty of recovering costs if for any reason the customer doesn't pay for the parts, especially when the parts are not something the mechanic can either use elsewhere or easily resell (e.g., a left-handed framistat specific to a rare model versus a box of REM 37BY spark plugs or a CH 48110-1 oil filter).
 
I have had to ask for advanced funds before, due to the expense of the parts. Most of the time it is never an issue.
 
Ron Levy said:
For a solo mechanic, it's a financial necessity due to lack of capital and the difficulty of recovering costs if for any reason the customer doesn't pay for the parts, especially when the parts are not something the mechanic can either use elsewhere or easily resell (e.g., a left-handed framistat specific to a rare model versus a box of REM 37BY spark plugs or a CH 48110-1 oil filter).
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I used to be able to carry a part if it was under a 1000 bucks, but not anymore since things have slowed up. For example I bought a tube and tire for a bonanza two months ago and just now got paid, that was a long stretch.
 
Ron Levy said:
For a big shop, paying for parts up front is largely unheard of. For a solo mechanic, it's a financial necessity due to lack of capital and the difficulty of recovering costs if for any reason the customer doesn't pay for the parts, especially when the parts are not something the mechanic can either use elsewhere or easily resell (e.g., a left-handed framistat specific to a rare model versus a box of REM 37BY spark plugs or a CH 48110-1 oil filter).
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common parts?

I bought a set of 8 REM40E plugs to put in a fresh overhauled 0-200, the owner wants to use his old(25 Hour)plugs. now I must hold them and sell them to other customers, maybe a year o more to get paid for them.

not some thing I like doing.

that's 250 bucks off my credit card that I must pay, and wait until my customers need plugs, to recoup my money.
 
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Many more big shops are asking for payment of parts up front. If the part is going to be installed in a customer's airplane as soon as it arrives, why should the shop be at risk for the cost?


Ron Levy said:
For a big shop, paying for parts up front is largely unheard of. For a solo mechanic, it's a financial necessity due to lack of capital and the difficulty of recovering costs if for any reason the customer doesn't pay for the parts, especially when the parts are not something the mechanic can either use elsewhere or easily resell (e.g., a left-handed framistat specific to a rare model versus a box of REM 37BY spark plugs or a CH 48110-1 oil filter).
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Tom-D said:
re-coop.
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recoup.
If you have to carry customers that long, you about have to mark up the parts. After all, you are paying interest on the money tied up in the parts or you could loan the money out at interest.
A local FBO makes it pretty tough to bring in your own parts. They want full traceability on yellow tags. Is it to prevent liability issues or to make it too much of a nuisance to use customer parts?
 
jnmeade said:
recoup.
If you have to carry customers that long, you about have to mark up the parts. After all, you are paying interest on the money tied up in the parts or you could loan the money out at interest.
A local FBO makes it pretty tough to bring in your own parts. They want full traceability on yellow tags. Is it to prevent liability issues or to make it too much of a nuisance to use customer parts?
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Fixed that just for you.

My customers are long and loyal customers that for the most part buy and bring their own parts to the job. It'll will be a year or more before I find a customer that will need new plugs.

Carry customer is a wrong term, My customers carry me.
 
I had four mechanics in four different states that I used as I flew long stretches in my plane. I always paid up front for parts. Even when I was AOG for a few days due to an exhaust repair, I paid for shipping and repair bill to another shop. The actual mechanic never fronted my parts costs.
 
AuntPeggy said:
A friend just bought a plane knowing that it needs a little work done. The mechanic at the buyer's home drome is asking for pay in advance for parts. We've never been asked to pay for parts up front. Have you? Thoughts?

My thoughts go like this, either the mechanic distrusts the owner or the mechanic is working on very a short shoestring or that he doesn't have enough credit himself.
Click to expand...
Paying for parts on order is not uncommon. If I have to carry your parts, I have to charge you a lot more, simple as that; I get 10&10%P&O. If you are a known good customer and I'm getting terms from the supplier I may chose to pass terms on to you.
 
Henning said:
Paying for parts on order is not uncommon. If I have to carry your parts, I have to charge you a lot more, simple as that; I get 10&10%P&O. If you are a known good customer and I'm getting terms from the supplier I may chose to pass terms on to you.
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Didn't know you'd gotten your A&P and were in the aircraft maintenence business now, Henning. Congratulations!
 
Ron Levy said:
Didn't know you'd gotten your A&P and were in the aircraft maintenence business now, Henning. Congratulations!
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A&P is not required to repair things, not even airplanes. The principle of carrying parts is the same no matter what one fixes.
 
Depends what the part is. I've had mechanics (especially ones who didn't know me) ask me to pay for things that were more than a few hundred bucks in advance (like a new Cylinder for the Navion).
 
OK, additional information. The mechanic is just starting out, so doesn't have inventory and probably not that much credit either. So, I guess with the economy going the way it is, the "up front" request is not out of line.

Also, our annual is coming up in a week at a new (to us) shop, so I guess I'll find out whether we get the same request now. Hubby takes off time for the annual and he is there to make decisions and (I guess) pay for parts as well as do whatever work he can.
 
If your mechanic is on shaky grounds financially it may be to your advantage to buy the parts yourself. As I understand it, if the mechanic buys them on credit and cannot pay for them, his supplier still retains ownership of them. This makes for a sticky situation for you if they have already been installed on your aircraft. If you have bought and paid for them your ownership of them is clear.
 
AuntPeggy said:
A friend just bought a plane knowing that it needs a little work done. The mechanic at the buyer's home drome is asking for pay in advance for parts. We've never been asked to pay for parts up front. Have you? Thoughts?

My thoughts go like this, either the mechanic distrusts the owner or the mechanic is working on very a short shoestring or that he doesn't have enough credit himself.
Click to expand...

Has your friend owned an airplane before that this mechanic ever worked on?
 
Years ago when I ran a fleet of cessna 172's for a flight school we bought almost all of our own parts and supplied them to the a&p. Tires, filters, oil, and other consumables. I also kept a starter, alternator, and other common, but bigger ticket items on hand to speed up repair times. Made it nice when something broke on a Friday afternoon not to have to wait until Tuesday for a part. My a&p's never had a problem with this.
 
N2124v said:
Years ago when I ran a fleet of cessna 172's for a flight school we bought almost all of our own parts and supplied them to the a&p. Tires, filters, oil, and other consumables. I also kept a starter, alternator, and other common, but bigger ticket items on hand to speed up repair times. Made it nice when something broke on a Friday afternoon not to have to wait until Tuesday for a part. My a&p's never had a problem with this.
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When you own a fleet of aircraft the situation is a bit different, Down time is a loss of income, not so with a private owner.
 
Henning said:
Nope, not easy, requires recency of a job or school.
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No it doesn't. Documented experience showing 30 months experience for combined rating, or 18 months experience for either powerplant or airframe. The A&P's you worked under (or CRS) can sign and notarize a letter stating such experience, take it to the FSDO and get the written authorizations.
 
RotorAndWing said:
No it doesn't. Documented experience showing 30 months experience for combined rating, or 18 months experience for either powerplant or airframe. The A&P's you worked under (or CRS) can sign and notarize a letter stating such experience, take it to the FSDO and get the written authorizations.
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Why would he do that when he has no liability with out it?

Once again you demonstrate a basic lack of understanding of the repairman and how they function in a CRS.
 
Tom-D said:
Why would he do that when he has no liability with out it?

Once again you demonstrate a basic lack of understanding of the repairman and how they function in a CRS.
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I didn't realize he was still working under a CRS.

Of course if someone is working under a CRS it still doesn't preclude them from obtaining an A&P rating. Repairman certificates are not valid outside of the CRS nor are they transferable to another CRS.

As far as liability is concerned, no one escapes that. Even under a CRS the repairman still signs for work accomplished. The lawyers on this board can explain how far reaching liability is in such a situation.
 
We have costomers pay up front for big ticket items.

We don't mark up said parts though. You give us your credit card info and we order the part with it.
 
RotorAndWing said:
I didn't realize he was still working under a CRS.

Of course if someone is working under a CRS it still doesn't preclude them from obtaining an A&P rating. Repairman certificates are not valid outside of the CRS nor are they transferable to another CRS.

As far as liability is concerned, no one escapes that. Even under a CRS the repairman still signs for work accomplished. The lawyers on this board can explain how far reaching liability is in such a situation.
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That's simply not true, the director of maintenance returns the item to service and approves the 8050-3

How would a machinist boring cylinders qualify for an A&P certificate ?

How would any Avionic tech qualify for the "P" certificate.

Seldom does any repairman do enough work in all fields to qualify for either certificate.
 
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Tom-D said:
That's simply not true, the director of maintenance returns the item to service and approves the 8050-3

.
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So you are contending a repairman doesn't sign a work card, an inspection sheet or any other form when accomplishing a task?

Then how does the CRS do Quality Control? What about the requirements of the CRS manual? Are you contending there are no records of work or inspections performed?
 
RotorAndWing said:
So you are contending a repairman doesn't sign a work card, an inspection sheet or any other form when accomplishing a task?

Then how does the CRS do Quality Control? What about the requirements of the CRS manual? Are you contending there are no records of work or inspections performed?
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Of course they have quality control, but the repair man will only get fired never sued. they work under the CRS insurance umbrella.

getting the A&P requires the applicant take the letter to FSDO the get the authorization to take the test, FSDO will have an interview where they ask what experience the applicant has.
 
RotorAndWing said:
Guess all those people with repairman certificates coming through the office with their experience letters for the A&P must making it up then.
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No, your probably not asking the correct questions and signing them off on time alone.

no wonder we have so many poor A&Ps in the field.
 
RotorAndWing said:
Guess all those people with repairman certificates coming through the office with their experience letters for the A&P must making it up then.
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Isn't it your job to figure that out?
 
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