Three Tips For Negotiating A Purchase Price With A Car Part Seller Online

If you don't want to pay an excessive amount of money to get your car fixed at a dealership or mechanic's shop, purchasing the individual part you need online is often a viable option. But since it's easy to be intimidated by the whole process if you don't buy car parts for a living, it's important to have a plan when you start communicating with the seller. To help you with negotiating a purchase price with a car part seller online, use these three tips.

Ask How Many Miles The Part Has Been Through 

The car part seller should list whether the part in question is new or used on the website ad. If the part is used and there's no indication anywhere of how long or how often it was used, make sure you ask these questions in your initial email or phone call.

This will both help you to make a decision about the purchase itself and ensure that you don't go into price negotiations with a dearth of information. In addition to how many miles the part traveled in its old car, it's also useful to ask whether the part was obtained from a totaled car that was in an accident.

Enter The Part In A Search Engine To Find Present And Past Prices

The more examples you can find online of the specific part in question being sold at a price that's similar to the price you're asking for, the more leverage and credibility you'll have in the negotiations. Even if the prices you find are a little higher than what you're asking, it's often easy to convincingly say that you deserve a discount due to a lack of other offers for the part. The rarer the part is and the fewer potential customers there are that browse the website with the seller's ad, the more amenable the seller will be to the idea of giving you a discount.

Emphasize How Knowledgeable You Are About Installing The Part

Even if the seller doesn't offer a return policy, assurances that you know how to install the part without problems will be welcome news. This is because many eCommerce websites have reputation systems and buyer reviews. If you buy an auto part that's appropriate to your vehicle and install it without making any mistakes, you probably won't feel the urge to write an undeserved negative review about the seller. Since the seller isn't taking as much of a risk, it'll be easier to negotiate a lower price.

One way to convince the seller that you're knowledgeable is to ask about the part's serial number at the first opportunity. While the seller will probably mention the necessity of comparing the serial number with the make and model of your vehicle, you'll inspire confidence by bringing the issue up yourself.