Has anyone had any expereice with Griots Garage products, http://www.griotsgarage.com/ ? I just got my hands on one of there catalogs and they have all kinds of quality looking Goodies for the Car and Garage. Any feedback would be nice, thanks.

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96 C280

Some of their stuff is hard to find, while other things are just over priced products that can be purchased elsewhere. Also don't be misled by their often hyped complete satisfaction money back guarantee. I had a problem with a cheap hose nozzle and like a lot of warranties, the cost and time involved in meeting their terms just wasn't worth the hassle to get a $10 item replaced. I thought they would just replace it based on their advertising. They didn't and so I voted with my check book. I am no longer a customer. The nozzle in question was later found to be carried at a discount store for about 1/2 the price Griot was charging.

Roas:

Bob is right; the most important thing you can do is to educate yourself about what is available elsewhere.

However, that said, the most interesting thing about Griot's Garage is the convenience of shopping for things that might take longer to do on your own. Don't forget, Mr. Griot travels to Europe to inspect some of the things he sells, he owns a number of expensive cars and flounts them in his catalog, and he is doing that on the profits of your purchases. This is slightly similar to the way Automobiole Magazine uses their profits (or expenses) for their road trips; staying in expensive hotels, eating in expensive restaurants. Road&Track, for example, is much more technical, and less "life style fascinated".

So if you like the convenience of shopping from a single source catalog, and don't mind paying the huge mark-ups, then Griot's is for you. I just think there are other sources out there for similar, if not identical, products at half the price......Andras

The reason I asked about is because they are expensive,(the older I get and the more I earn, the less I want to throw away). I do agree they have some goodies that I've yet to see elsewhere, but I believe I will be using there Catalog only as a reference guide and do my shopping online, thanks.

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96 C280

Roas:

I couldn't agree more. I also use their catalog for reference, and then try elsewhere for reasonableness.

It's funny, but I have followed a number of these places over the years, and I see a trend, a pattern. I guess this comes from being an old fart, but I have seen other catalog places, such as Automotion, Performance Products, etc. all start out with reasonable prices, and then once they get a customer base, they start raising their prices. Griot's was once reasonable. And then Mr. Griot started buying Ferraris, and Delahayes, and other exotics, and his prices went sky high. How else can one describe a hose faucet for $95? I guess this is the way he can afford his expensive toys.

Though this may be the American Way, thank God for another American Way, which is to have competition. Thus we have the Vertex Group, the EuropParts, etc. which have come into business with reasonable prices, and this may or may not cause the Griot's of the world to reconsider who their customers really are. Think of the cigar craze of the late 90s (was that so long ago?????), and you'll know what I mean. They could sell cigars for $10 a PIECE, but now, those companies are all out of business, and we can again buy some very fine cigars for $2 and less.

So, how do we counter this kind of gouging? Don't buy from Griot's; perhaps he'll go out of business, and then the new kid on the block will start out with reasonable prices, and perhaps the cycle will start all over again. But perhaps not.

This is America, after all.......Andra

Regarding the "American Way" and "Competition" -- wish the same could be said for gas prices. You folks in the Midwest and East Coast being handed the same bull@#$% as us Left Coasters? 92 Octane running around $2.13 out here -- what's it running in your particular communities?

Brian

Nope, we're still running under $2 here in NY ($1.89 is the highest I have seen)...but that could change when it really gets hot outside
But hey its better than the $4+ Europeans pay!

hehe...i only pay 1.63/gallon here.. sorry guys...

Prices are starting to come down here. Just filled up yesterday. 92 octane at Amoco for $1.49/gal (non-oxygenated to boot!). The regular (87 octane) is going for $1.35/gal.

Hey you GRIOT BASHERS! I KNOW RICHARD PERSONALLY AND FEEL THE OVERWELMING URGE TO SET YOU STRAIT!Richard is absolutly passionate in offering the best products he can possibaly find.He is the most fussy detail freak I have ever met and an avid car nut. The cars you see on his sales catalogue are invariably owned by customers (collectors,microsoft people and others),his ferrari is a FIAT dino.Although he does own a couple of old vintage race cars,he is much more conservative than you persieve.I challenge you to try his paint cleaning clay/Best of show wax and then measure your attitude about quality and value.
BSP
1994 E500
1967 ALFA DUETTO
1993 TOYOTA LANDCRUISER

In defense of Griot's Garage, I too have ordered from the catalog for the last 4 years and have been very happy with everything I've tried, including leather care products, Best of Show wax, and their machine polish applied with a random orbital polisher. I particulary like their vinyl and rubber protectant, which, while somewhat pricey, lasts a long time and, IMHO, works better than every other product I've tried on dashes and tires.

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'93 400E

I have to agree with previous posts. I am absolutely amazed with the products I have purchased from Griots. I am the most demanding person I know when it comes to my cars and I will research until I am blue in the face to find just the right product. Their wheel cleaner and interior cleaners are first rate and easy to use.

Maybe Richard needs to spend less time traveling and more time checking to see how his employees handle problems. Answering emails from customers about product problems would also be a good company policy. I too thought he ran a decent company until I purchased one of his over-hyped products that proved defective. That is when I determined that Griot's Garage was more interesting in marketing than they were in customer service.