Buying Auto Parts? Here's How You Can Keep More Money With You
There are a handful choices for you when you are looking to buy auto parts. Here are some tips on how you can buy genuine products for your automobile and save money.
With over 1 billion automobiles in use in the world, the large spectrum of automobile spare parts is wide open and the customers' requirements have no ends. Being an automobile owner, it is important that you are aware of the following:
The right advice has only brought about good results. Hence I hope you keep in mind the following points while you purchase a spare part for your favourite automobile.Understand the Part
Understanding the required spare part is important as this will help you in purchasing the right product that suits the automobile. Moreover, proper understanding will help identify genuine products in the market whether you make the purchase online or offline.Genuineness of the Product
There are three kinds of spare parts that you can procure:
The OEM products are those that are manufactured by the registered or approved manufacturers by your automobile brand. The products that they provide will be genuine. This can be procured directly from the manufacturer's service centers or through the manufacturer's website if your manufacturer offers the parts online.
The Aftermarket products are those produced by companies that are not authorised by the brand but make matching products. Not recommended from a quality standpoint, as in few cases it may affect your vehicle's performance and warranty.
The final type is the second hand or used products of which the quality and genuineness are not assured.Compare the Price
Once the above checklist is cleared, it is time to look into the financial aspect of the purchase you are going to make. The road map to finding the best deal is:
COMPARE > ENQUIRE > PURCHASE
In the case of online purchases, it is extremely easy to compare prices.
Warranty/Guarantee and Return Policy
It is important that the WARRANTY/GUARANTEE and RETURN POLICY is affirmed from the seller's end. You should also be aware of the return policy in case there is some misfit or requirement for replacement.Installation Policy
With the online purchase storm hitting the market, people have taken up the DIY (Do It Yourself) culture. Despite globalization, the DIY culture is on the rise. The products come with instruction manuals where a person who is trying to fix the part will be guided thoroughly. Many online websites also offer onsite installation services. This is done mainly by automobile manufacturers' websites.Take your Time
Take time to decide. Do not rush! Be it a new car or a spare part. Proper research will land you to the right deal and a great product.
Moving on to the second major part, the best platforms to purchase automobile spare parts. For this, we have four major platforms;
Online Websites – The E-Life
Economic Times observed that online purchase in India is to cross $63.7 billion by 2020, the country is going to buy most of its requirements online. There are many reasons behind it and a few are:
With the rise in e-commerce transactions, rose the number of e-commerce websites. To buy your automobile spare parts too, there are enough online websites- you need to rightly choose where you can get genuine parts.
Compare & Procure: The best part of purchasing online arises when you wish to compare prices with either other websites or online portals. It is not only the price that you can compare. You can also compare the quality of the variants of the same product.
Trusted Websites: There are handful choices for you when you are looking to buy auto parts. However, you should always buy genuine products, there are many online sites that sell second quality items. Buying parts directly from the manufacturer's websites is a good way to weed out bad quality products.
Automobile Showrooms and Authorised Service Centers - The Old School Way
As I mentioned above, visiting the automobile showroom or the authorised service center to buy the spare parts is an age-old custom. Automobile showrooms provide you with genuine products from the manufacturer. And thus, you may trust them with quality.
If you are looking to save some money on the parts, as well as fixing them yourself (DIY), you can look to procure it online.
Salvage Stations - Rescuing Parts and People
This is another option if you are looking to buy used or second-hand spare parts for your automobile. Visit your nearest salvage station to find literally rescued spare parts from vehicles that have been given away or trashed.
Salvage stations are a huge relief for many buyers as you may find the perfect piece of your vehicle there, that too at much less cost! The variation in cost is extremely large but the same is applicable for the quality as well for important parts that have to do with performance (but you can rely on them for certain parts- bumper, body kits, etc).
Automobile & Trade Shows
In India, you will find at least three to four automobile or trade shows in a month. These shows might be for an enthusiast like you. They not only bring new vehicles and have test drives, but also provide you with auto parts.
Before you are off to one of the shows, check the promoter website, where you will get a brief on what to expect.
Narrow Down - The Best of All
Clearly, with internet penetration and the surge in the smartphone market, the digital world is being welcomed in every home. The online market is the easiest way to make a purchase and they offer comparisons and the best price in most scenarios. And the manufacturer's websites claim the top position while purchasing spare parts online. 100% Genuine products at great prices is what you can expect. Since the products come directly from the manufacturer unlike the Aftermarket products, this becomes the safest platform of purchase.
These websites also offer manuals and guides that let you fix the part by yourself which in turn saves time and money. Most of the fixing can be done by yourself and this culture is extremely common outside India. It is making its way here too. For major concerns such that of an automobile engine or likewise, one may approach the showroom directly.
So the next time you need to get your vehicle bucked up, remember the points mentioned above. Hope these tips and the online resources above will be of great help. I hope you find the best in the market for the best price!
