Buyer beware! The risk of buying car parts online.
04/02/2020
Online shopping has become normalised in just about every facet of our lives. It seems like people buy everything from groceries, shoes, clothes and even houses online! For the most part, this way of purchasing has opened up the market and given everyday people access to a greater variety and better prices, all from the comfort of their own home.
Shoes, clothes and other items that are easy to assess and return are great for the online market. There are some things, however, that can be risky to purchase online.
Your car is your main form of transport and a way to keep your family safe. Whether you’re just a beginner or you’ve got expert mechanical knowledge, purchasing car parts online can be risky.
What to Watch Out for
Misinformation – Online purchasing platforms are all about databases and product cataloguing. If you don’t know what exactly you’re looking for, you have to trust that a website designer, not a mechanic, has correctly entered the right products into the right categories to match your search criteria. Most people will rely on online search features within e-commerce websites to tell them what is best for their requirements. The risk is that you are given the wrong information, purchase the wrong part, and compromise the safety and efficacy of your vehicle.
Not only do you need to worry about well-intentioned online retailers, you also have to be extremely cautious about online vendors who are actively trying to deceive you.
Counterfeit parts – In the faceless world of the internet, there are always those who will do questionable deals in order to make a quick dollar, disregarding the impact it has on the other people involved. Counterfeit parts are a big problem with purchasing parts online. You may think you have a great deal, but counterfeit parts can look right to the untrained eye. However, they are sub par and unsafe, putting you and your family at risk if they are not identified before being fitted to your vehicle.
The liability for repairers
If a customer supplies the part (and not the repairer), the repairer is not liable for the part under Australian Consumer Law. However, the repairer is obligated under Australian Consumer law to comply with the consumer guarantees that relate to the services performed in fitting the part. This includes guaranteeing that:
- the services will be rendered with due care and skill;
- the services will be fit for a particular or disclosed purpose; and
- the services will be supplied within a reasonable time
What if the part fails?
So a repairer or yourself has gone and fitted a part and it has failed? Where do you stand now for warranty? As a repairer, We do not have to offer you a warranty on the part. Now you have to get in contact with the place of purchase (If they are still around) to try and get warranty. This can be a very difficult thing as they are behind a computer screen trying to interpret how the part has failed and if it should be warranty. These online parts store company’s are more often than not run by a mechanic and have little to no industry knowledge. Not to mention you will be paying more labour for a mechanic to replace your part again. Or to pull it off to send it away for warranty and could potentially be without your vehicle for days.
Wrapping it up
Buying car parts online is not like buying new clothing online. Do you think you need years of experience and a qualification to sell parts online? Well no, but it does help to correctly get the right part for your vehicle.
We have spent years of training and thousands of dollars on tools to do our job correctly to make sure your vehicle is repaired correctly and safely. Why would we risk it in the effort to save a few $$ on car parts that we cant even offer you a warranty on.
At Regos Plus, we pride ourselves on fitting the right part at a fair price to ensure the safety of all motorist on the road.
Call the team today to get the job done right. (02) 6862 2811
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