It’s no wonder that used parts from Autoparts will cost you much less than brand new ones, but you may be pleasantly surprised at the cost difference. While the cost of used parts will differ depending on factors such as rarity, need, condition, and so on, you can sure of finding low-cost but high-quality parts for much less than brand new ones. So, why buy second-hand? The answer is simple: when a part of your car gets damaged, it costs money to fix it – even if you just have to get another part. When you buy an Autoparts vehicle and the only thing that seem to be missing is the engine part you need, then you’re getting what you want at a cheap price.
Before buying second-hand from an online Autoparts distributor, take the time to research their business. Autoparts distributorships buy and sell used parts for cars and trucks in a variety of circumstances. Some may have been damaged or have had their adverts displayed illegally for spam reasons. This doesn’t mean that a legitimate distributor is damaged goods or doesn’t sell valid product – just that they are unlikely to be running their advertisement campaigns in the same way as a standard car dealership. For example, a vehicle dealership will display their sale items on the showroom floor with a specially marked ad, on their website, in magazine advertisements, and so on. A legitimate online Autoparts distributor will avoid this by placing all their sale adverts online and only displaying the ad of the vehicle in question on their website and any other website where appropriate.
This is a particularly important point for those looking to buy used parts. While genuine adverts from reputable dealers are always clearly displayed, the wording of some adverts can appear sneaky. In the case of adverts that are displayed online, the retailer could be using sneaky text to entice potential customers into clicking on a link to view the used parts, which could be false. Repairers who place ads on newspapers, magazines or online directories should always display a contact phone number with their website and along with a physical address.
Repairers who operate under the banner of the insurance industry have a slightly different situation to the used parts dealer. When running an advertisement campaign, they must adhere to the UK Advertising Code for the insurance industry, as specified by the Code of Conduct for Advertising. An insurance advertisement must not contain the word “repair” anywhere in the copy and it must also include a prominent warning to “avoid unnecessary delay”. It is also important that the advertiser is not permitted to claim in any way that the adverts are “pre-owned” or “used”.
It’s important to remember that there is no such thing as pre-owned parts. What you may think is a used car part has been used by somebody else, even if it has been refurbished or reconditioned. It would be extremely misleading for a car dealer or the wholesaler to supply you with auto parts that have been reconditioned or refurbished. Repairs and refurbishment are an entirely different business and require entirely different resources. Similarly, there are no two identical-used car parts – different ones are required for different makes and models.
It is also worth remembering that the Repairer and the advertiser need not be in direct competition with each other in an effort to sell used parts. It would be highly unethical for a repairer to sell parts at a cheaper price than his competitor simply because he is selling new ones. Rather, he would be well advised to offer the customer the opportunity to buy new ones. This is what the adverts are all about – giving the customers the chance to buy new from the same shop where they have purchased an original part.
As a word of caution, this does not mean that the ads for used parts have to feature all new parts being sold by every single repairer. This just means that the parts advertised have to be representative of all of the available options. You do not want to buy a part for your car and discover that it is not suitable, or even worse, that it does not work. This is why a wise advertisement reflects on the honesty, integrity and quality of the service provided – not the products being displayed.
So where should you look for used parts? As always, the Internet offers the best places to find used parts as you can have access to the largest number of suppliers and distributors. In addition, most of these websites also allow comparison shopping so you can get an idea of the cost difference between two similar options. And, crucially, many of these websites offer warranties so if you find that your parts do not work, you will have the option of returning them or refunding the money – this is an important safety feature as the vast majority of salvaged or parts can easily be fixed (even with slightly worn parts) and will generally be covered in the owner’s manual.