Conventional wisdom after a car accident is to speak with your auto insurance company, and then compare prices from different shops before buying the parts or the auto parts from the same store. Maybe your auto and life insurance are bundled with the same company, but either way, your car insurance company should keep you from having to call your auto and general insurance customer service number. Let’s be honest, if everybody did that and wouldn’t shop around, nobody would shop at all. Auto and homeowners insurance companies are notorious for honoring dollars over service, unless you check up on them. Check OEM prices to see if they match those of the other shops and stores. Otherwise, you won’t be able to buy motor parts. Let’s forget for the moment if you’re buying a bunch of parts from one supplier that may have a limited assortment and also have high shipping costs. You should still evaluate each estimate if you can, especially if they are rated 4 or 5 stars, and compare them to each other. It’s much more likely that the best estimate will be 4.5 stars or better. It’s highly recommended that you do at least two estimates before you buy an used auto parts. It might take longer to get what you want, but there’s a better chance you’ll get the best estimate. The listed prices should allow you to determine the amount of the parts or service you want, at the cheapest price, and usually only because the prices seem extremely low. It doesn’t guarantee that the service part is what you need; it just allows you to determine if a lower price would be better, by comparing the part descriptions. At the end of the day, your work might make it so that you get brand new parts, and your auto insurance bill isn’t any higher than you’d expect.
You love your car, and why wouldn’t you? There’s really nothing like taking her out on the back roads or along the scenic coastline to open her up — the wind whipping in your hair, your favorite rock band tearing out a sick riff on the radio. It’s hard to imagine life getting any better than the roar of the engine working in concert with a distorted six string to compose that perfect symphony.
As you know too well, pushing the car you love that hard isn’t without its consequences. How many times have you had to strip off the brake pads and brake rotors to put on new ones? How many sets of tires do you go through in a good summer? Yeah, it’s worth it, but it absolutely adds up. If you love everything there is about living in the fast lane but you’re tired of buying replacement parts at a premium, here are a couple things you should know to buy discount auto body parts safely to keep the beast alive.
Three Pointers for Safely Buying Discount Auto Body Parts
- Go to a Pick-Your-Own Junkyard with Tools in Hand
As Popular Mechanics details, going to a junkyard to find discount auto body parts can be a great way to get what you need on the cheap. That being said, you’ll always want to go to a yard that lets you pick your own parts, ensuring you get the best available. Just make sure you bring the right tools to tear the piece you need off without damaging it.
- Be Wary of the Lack of Guarantees
There’s always the danger when buying discount that “discount” actually means utter garbage. That’s why you should always look for guarantees when you’re buying from an online or brick-and-mortar vendor. If they aren’t willing to take returns or guarantee their discount parts, you really ought to wonder why.
- Look up Any Recalls for the Parts You’re Looking Into
Especially with all the recalls that have been happening over the last few months, writes BankRate.com, you really need to check to make sure a part you’re buying isn’t on discount because, well, it’s completely defective. Manufacturers will list parts currently under recall on their websites, making this a necessary but simple step to complete.