Ordering parts from Audi Tradition (Germany)

[AudiPilot]

I wanted to share my experience with this resource in case it is of benefit/interest to anyone else: Though an individual in the U.S. cannot order/ship directly from the German Audi Tradition site (https://shops.audi.com/en_GB/web/tradition/spare-parts), it's possible for any Audi dealership to order an in-stock part for you -- after calling Audi of America, I was assured that there is an established procedure for doing so. The catch is that some dealerships (including mine in Virginia Beach) are completely unaware that the process exists. After a quick schooling from Audi of America, they sheepishly called me back to proceed with the order, despite initially telling me they can only order "parts that show availability in our system."

As a bit of background, in my case I spent 9 months looking for 4B1853190AJ1J2 -- the OEM carbon fiber trim insert above the glovebox. My enamel was spidered beyond repair, and I never found a pristine example of the one piece I needed. It seemed my only option was to source a complete set, but many complete sets I found in reasonable condition often still had a cracked glovebox trim piece.

Lo and behold, on one of my routine periodic Google searches I happened upon the Audi Tradition site, where the part showed "available" at €201.71 (including VAT, excluding shipping). Unless you have a contact who can order it for you outside the U.S. at that price (+shipping) and then send it to you (which I do not), the all-in price through the dealership came in at $381.60. Yes, that's a hefty premium to pay. However, exactly one month after placing the order I finally have my OEM trim piece, manufactured in Italy all the way back in April 2004 (I pray that this one doesn't crack!).

All you have to do is tell your local Audi parts department that you want to order something from Audi Tradition. They'll take all the info you have (some items have a "catalog number" in addition to the part number) along with the notes (for the trim piece it included "Catalog number: 290 Lifespan: 07.02>09.04 Description: Audi RS 6/RS 6 plus/Avant"), and payment up-front. Like most parts ordered even domestically, sales are final and there are no returns unless there's damage or a mistake. If the dealership responds that they can only order things through their primary parts system, call Audi of America at 800-822-2834 and ask for them to contact your dealership to explain the process!