A trip to the Honda dealerships for part replacements will probably shock you for such are the prices of the auto parts. Still, the cost of the part is not high per se, but the premium that retailers attach to it put its price over the moon. And, most of the time, because clients don’t know any better, such prices become standard.
Be an aware customer when buying auto parts. Read the following tips to help you buy genuine car parts without dealerships cheating you.
Do good research
Use the Internet and search extensively for websites that sell car parts, even those that sell used parts. In fact, you can get better deals from such sites, because they are more affordable, with only potential drawbacks.
Read customer feedback on these sites and know the delivery time. Sometimes, parts can take as long as a month for shipping. In that case, JTW Autoparts asks, can you wait that long, regardless of the price?
Verify
Before making that purchase, confirm the part number by calling the dealership personally. Failure to do so could land you with the wrong part and wasted money. Some auto parts are unique to certain engine and transmission combinations. Make sure that the part you are buying is appropriate for your vehicle.
Negotiate
After you have found a good seller, use your negotiation skills to finalise a competent price. Do not be too impolite, but ensure that you are not getting the part above the average market price either.
You may also consider buying a parts car from auctions. Additionally, remember the following:
- Buy rare car parts (or rare cars) in person rather off the web.
- Try to look for discounts and other offers that can fetch you more for money.
- Some parts are not available online; for such instances, check scrap yards if they have the parts that you need.
Still, flexibility is king when hunting for that elusive auto parts. Thus, if these means fail, then go the dealerships, as availability is typically never a concern from these sources.