I've needed OEM Mazda components a few times and figured I'd use the Mazda Motorsports portal for them, after all, they have the best prices. Every single time I get all the parts together and the shipping kills any sense of a deal.

For example, today I needed 3 small bits for a shifter. A plastic washer, paper gasket and another small component. All of them should easily fit in a padded envelope and weigh less than $1.

$12 for the components, $32 for shipping.


People talk about this discount/service like it's really worth it, but I've never found that to be the case. Am I missing something?

 

I've found the same, but not just Mazda. When ordering from any OEM online their shipping fees are insane. I just assume it's handling fees thrown in there and they don't care to make it affordable.

 

It used to be good until about 5 years ago. I bought all kinds of parts from them. But they've just gone nuts with the shipping costs now, and the value is pretty much gone.

If you want a real laugh, they want $31 to ship ~$20 worth of decals required for contingency claims.

 

Ran into something similar with Ballenger a few days ago. $33 worth of parts and $29 for shipping (UPS). Checked back 3-4 days later and all of a sudden USPS was listed as an option, shipping was $6 this time.

 

Pretty sure I had the same experience with the contingency decals. I kinda assumed they'd be free, or at least cheap, since it's basically free advertising for Mazda and then they want $50 for like 3 stickers?

It's cool that they want to support their customers, but when it's cheaper to source the parts elsewhere then it's not really much help.

IIRC the same thing happened for me with Mishimoto too. They have a "sponsorship" program which basically gets you 10% off, but even with the discount I'm pretty sure it's still cheaper to buy their stuff via Amazon.

 

It’s been a while since I’ve gone through Mazda Motorsports, and it was not as economical as it was 20 years ago when I was using them for Stock class autocross parts.

I suspect their audience is mostly Spec Miata, Global MX5, and whatever else. Allowing teams to buy large orders of parts needed to support new builds for the pointy end of the field, where used parts aren’t worth the trouble.

I believe I no longer qualify for their discount because I’m not using a Mazda motor. At this point, the number of Mazda parts on my Miata-shaped object is pretty small.

 

It's the same all over. I tried to order a $6 plastic part to fix my Starrett calipers. They wanted 28 bucks to ship a part less than a quarter inch in any dimension.

I ended up making the part myself out of aluminum.

 

You gotta order more ****. It doesn't get much more expensive. Just looked at a $369 engine gasket set, shipping was $33. Added a pressure plate, clutch disc, and x2 NB2 oil pans (random heavy big ****), shipping is still $33.

Are shipping prices high right now? Yes. But Mazda Motorsports was not designed for one or two part orders. Plan your build ahead, order everything at once, shipping will look cheap. They're not Amazon.

 

Good point Curly. I can see why they'd cater more to someone who runs a larger operation and is order enough spares to stock a trailer for a season or something similar. I assumed that they'd charge less for a padded envelope than a freight crate, but I'm not well versed in commercial shipping.

 

Again, you're probably thinking as a small business owner/operator, where if you save money/time/boxing, you'd pass it along to a customer (good for you). Often the handling part of "shipping and handling" is the bulk of shipping costs, which is the same whether you stuff something small in a small envelope, or large in a large box. A place like Mazda parts has such a large discount from UPS/FedEx/USPS, they probably count it as almost nothing. So as labor rates around the world go up, "shipping" prices go up too.

 

I banged up a fender recently and bought one from Mazda and thought it was a decent value. Surely paid more than a junkyard, but none in the area have an NB. Total price after shipping was still cheaper than buying one on eBay, about the same price as locals wanted for their dented ones.

I've used them once or twice before, the shipping is relatively high if you're just buying a small bit. There's always something that could use replacing, or a spare, or a friend needs stuff, to make shipping hurt less.

If nothing else, I'm just glad they exist and support. Not sure how many other car companies will ship you body panels for a 25 year old car from their web store. Found them super friendly on the phone too, although the SPlan price for the wife's new car wasn't a ton of savings...

 

The shipping costs from MMD have always been weird. Sometimes high, sometimes low -- I once bought an undertray and it was only like $5 in shipping. No idea why.

--Ian

 

The address on their website says Irvine, CA. Do they have "will call" in Irvine? That would be convenient for me.

 

AFAIK, they do not have will call in Irvine. I tried to find out the same thing as I'm fifteen minutes down the road and got quoted $25 for shipping contingency stickers as well, lol.

But yeah, not gonna dispute what Curly said. Makes sense.

 

FYI, it's not getting any better. Bit the bullet and paid the expensive shipping for a larger order. Forgot an upper radiator hose, hate all the aftermarket ones. Tried to go back and order just the $13 OE hose, they wanted $47 to ship it from Irving California to my house in Oregon City.

Meanwhile, @turbofan sent me my Supermiata order, 10 miles from Irving, for $11. Vote for Ed.

And no, I didn't follow my own advice and plan my build ahead. Too used to rerouted builds without the need for upper hoses.

 

Haha. Thanks Josh. We are tiny so shipping must be a very efficient endeavor for us!

 

Just try adding shipping to Canada from the US.
I tried to order a turbo oil gasket from Flyin Miata, part around a $1.50 or so. Shipping cost, Fedex only choice offered, $65.
I called and asked if they could just throw it in an envelope and send it USPS, but no, that's against policy and no exceptions will be made.

Mazda Competition parts (old name I guess, MazdaSpeed now is it?) , while a great deal on large orders, as Curly says, stopped shipping to Canada at all around 5 years ago. So no price at all, but no service either.