Shopping online has become the easiest and the most convenient option available amongst buyers. Ranging from cosmetics to electronic devices, anything that you can imagine is just a few clicks away. 

Having an automobile is an even more urgent necessity than before, as traveling in public transport or taking a private cab is a lot more expensive and dangerous as well. But things that add convenience to our lives need maintenance almost all the time and cars are no different.

Given the circumstances, when the majority of the world is under lockdown and even at the places that are experiencing a lower ratio of COVID, people are still uneasy to create any sort of human contact. That is where online platforms for cars and spare car parts become lifesavers.

Some benefits of buying cars and spare part online include:

• A wider variety of choices to choose from
• Easy buying that only involves a few clicks
• No need for unnecessary haggling
• Easy return
• Time-saving

Now buying cars online is also possible but this should only be considered when you have a reliable website. Websites such as Truecar offer a one-stop solution with a wide range of makes and models available of both used and new cars. Is Truecar legit? Yes, most definitely. The site has helped millions of customers buy and sell cars in a safe and professional manner.

Now that the car buying is taken care of, the even more important issue at hand for most car owners is maintenance. The one thing that confuses car owners is whether they should stick with brand new genuine car parts that tend to be extremely expensive or find used parts that may or may not last or to opt for parts made by not so well-renowned car part manufacturers. Buying spare parts online is by no means the wrong thing to do, however, one needs to consider a few points before going forward with the decision.

Online portals such as Car Care Portal have tons of details regarding automobiles. It has an inventory database with tons of options that new and veteran car owners can relate with.

Visit different online stores

The best thing about going online is the ability to compare the prices, brands, models among different sellers at home and without going through the biased suggestions from the local car dealer because he may have underlying benefits from the sale.

Read up on reviews

Reviews are such powerful tools that have made online shopping ten times easier, one can skip a shady seller just by looking at negative feedback. It is wise to always check the reviews before buying anything online, suggestions from your friends, family, or neighbors can help a lot. There might be a chance that your local dealer is also somewhere on the internet. 

International Franchises

There is a huge variety online so there can hardly be a car part that one cannot find online. This is especially useful for consumers from small towns as the demographics around the area might not have what one is searching for, the car might be too modern or too expensive in comparison to normally what the local dealers are keeping in stock.

Always check the history of the auto parts

People online are not the most honest people around the planet, the same goes for offline deals/ The most important question one needs to ensure is, how old or used the spare part is, this is very important as to not get cheated by buying an already damaged item.

Plenty of times an item may go through the process of ‘correction’ which basically means that the part is renovated to look new and flawless but it is not. That is where inquiring a little knowledge and having research beforehand will also play a key point in securing your money. Websites have quick chat options where their representatives can answer and satisfy customers. 

Always Check Refund and Warranty Policies.

People have refunded thousands of articles and have always felt secure with this feature. It has become such a common feature that the majority of buyers consider it default when buying online, but sadly it is not always the case.

Always check the refund policy, the terms and conditions on which the refund is applicable, such as the number of days after buying, and if there is even a refund available. The same goes for the warranty policy. The warranty policies online can be complex and might have unnecessary clauses to make claiming a warranty difficult.

Compatibility with your car

It is crucial to check if the part is compatible with your car or not. Sometimes the part is compatible with the car brand but it does not support a particular model in the series. 

What not to get second hand

While people who buy second-hand parts are mainly on a tight budget, there are a couple of things that should be considered before making this decision. 

For example, buying a second-handed side mirror won’t be a big deal, however, would you buy a second-handed engine and compromise the efficiency of the vehicle?

Parts that need rather more maintenance should be replaced with brand new ones, they are crucial to the overall performance of the car. Buying new parts also comes with a warranty which sadly spare parts don’t have very often.

Don’t buy parts at an exceptionally low price

Counterfeit products are more common online and offline than one would consider. There are markets, online pages that are dedicated to selling counterfeit goods with equally devoted buyers. While some sellers are upfront with the quality of their products, sadly there is a vast majority that is not. One way to identify them is if a buyer is selling something at an unbelievably low price, then it is 100% fake. Always match the color and style to the original. Buyers can also post their queries online. 

Keeping these points in mind, one has to be very careful with online purchases. While there are a lot of conveniences in buying things from the comfort of your home, there are some disadvantages too. It is important to have a little knowledge about the product that you are looking for.