When you’re looking for a place where you can buy a new or certified pre-owned car, it’s important to get your vehicle at a place you can trust. A bad seller could leave you with a poor-quality vehicle.
Never Buy Car Parts From This Place
Scotty Kilmer, an auto mechanic and YouTube personality, states that you should never buy car parts from:
- eBay
- Amazon
- Discount auto parts stores
It’s easy to get stuck with a bad part by buying online at eBay or Amazon, and it’s possible to pay too much at an auto store. Here’s more on what you should know.
Why Avoid Buying Parts from eBay or Amazon?
The parts may be cheaply made or fake. Of course, it does depend on what kinds of parts you’re buying.
Buying from a third-party seller you don’t know is asking for trouble. They might seem like cheap parts, but they may be knockoffs from China or other places where quality controls aren’t high.
Why Avoid Buying Parts From Auto Parts Stores?
Auto parts stores are notorious for marking up the cost of parts. They often have loss leaders in the front of the store to draw customers in, but other parts may be much more expensive than what you’d find online from other retailers.
In an extreme example, Scotty explains that one auto store was marking up the cost of headlights at night compared to during the day, since people needed them then.
In another auto store, he asked why they didn’t sell silicone wiper blades. Their reason was because silicone blades last longer, so they’d sell fewer windshield wiper blades to their customers!
What Can You Buy Online Safely?
Small Parts and Maintenance Items
If you want to buy oil, going on the internet and buying oil isn’t a bad idea. You can find the same oil online, and it may be cheaper. You can buy through retailers near you, on Amazon or elsewhere, but you do have to make sure it’s from a legitimate seller and is an authentic product.
OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) Parts
You can buy OEM parts online. You can buy that part anywhere, but you do need to make sure it’s perfectly made. Avoid knockoffs by buying from sellers that you know. Make sure it is always the OEM part, which will be Nippon Denso for fuel pumps, for example.
What Shouldn’t You Buy Online?
Avoid buying your electronic components online unless from a known manufacturer. Stick with the original equipment. There are too many knockoffs that can seriously impact your vehicle’s functions. Aftermarket components sometimes run poorly, or they go bad sooner than they should.
Avoid buying complex parts online, too. It’s too easy to end up with a part that doesn’t work well or have the functionality it should. You want to know that it’s working right when you install it.
Remember to Do Quality and Cost Comparisons
Remember to do quality and cost comparisons. Shop around, and compare identical products. If you see a large discrepancy, it may not be unusual. He mentions seeing batteries sold for $70 at one store and $130 at another, even though they were identical.
Do research when you buy parts so that you know you’re getting the right product. Check the pricing at different times of day or year, since they may fluctuate.
Don’t always go for the cheapest price, because those items are often the cheapest products. This is especially true with tools. It’s better to spend more for quality than to end up buying multiple sets of poor-quality tools.
You may be able to barter and price-match in-store, so don’t be afraid to ask.
Learn about Buying Your Next Vehicle at Vehicle History
At Vehicle History, you can compare vehicles and see which ones need the fewest repairs. Compare your next potential vehicles, so you can save money and time making your purchase.
