A Market That Was Long Overdue for a Disruption
Once a car part was needed, it was a case of take it or leave it; the local dealer or parts shop was to be dealt with as they saw fit. A car part was purchased for a price that the local dealer or parts shop would call for, and that was that. You didn’t have the option to compare prices, didn’t have the ability to see other offers and there wasn’t any simple strategy to figure if the offer was reasonable. But that all changed with the rise of online marketplaces, when car owners and independent mechanics were given the power to place the prices of cars on the table for the first time.
How the Model Works
Online auto parts marketplaces are just like any ecommerce site except for the search filters dedicated to automobiles. Enter your Registration or manually select your vehicle make, model, year and engine variant. The platform then displays all the parts compatible with you ranked by price, ratings, and availability, based on the network of sellers. The platform takes care of the payment and dispute resolution, and you are selling from the seller.
The Scale Advantage
These platforms are effective because of the scale. One seller may have parts for fifty models of vehicles. There are thousands of sellers in a marketplace that collects them all. This will greatly increase your chances of locating the part you are looking for, even for unusual or hard to find parts for older or less common vehicles. PartHunt24 is a good example of this as it allows buyers to search for parts from suppliers from all over Europe, whereas they would not be able to do so locally.
Trust and Accountability
The review and rating system inherent in these platforms is one driver of accountability. The seller that ships the incorrect part, misrepresents condition or does not honor warranties will gain negative reviews and not appear in search results. This encourages truthful specification and good service, and the parts market has never come close to this. The buyer protection policies provide another layer of protection.
The Effects on Individual Garages
The online parts marketplaces have been a great help for independent garages. They can achieve competitive pricing on components without carrying high inventories; pass savings to the customer; and have access to true OEM components which used to be available only via dealer channels. Some garages have even embedded marketplace ordering into their workshop management systems to make it even easier.
What Needs to Be Improved
For all but the most prevalent parts, same day delivery is difficult. Fitment accuracy relies on vehicle data quality, and there are still occasions when it is incorrect when catalogues are not updated for vehicle changes for those vehicle model years. Return processes are improving but slower than walking in to a local shop with a receipt.
Conclusion
Online auto parts marketplaces have revolutionized the car parts buying process. They provide transparency, competition and choice where it just didn’t exist before. You’re paying more than you should for each repair, unless you’re already using them.