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Used Honda Parts - How to Protect Yourself

Used Honda parts can be had for much lower prices than buying new. And it's not just because of the retail markup.

Getting used Honda parts may not even be something you've thought of because it's never marketed to you to do so.

When was the last time your local mechanic looked at your Honda Accord and said "I think we should put in a used Honda transmission".

No, they always want to sell you a new one so they can make their huge retail markup. The reason they give to justify the high price is "We can only guarantee it if it's a new part. We can't do work on something and have an unreliable used part go out on us 2 days later."

There are some valid concerns when it comes to buying used Honda parts. These concerns apply to buying any used car parts as well as used or refurbished goods in general.

So what are the benefits to buying new parts or used Honda parts. First let's look at the used ones.

Here's what to look for to protect yourself:

-Reputation of the merchant. Who are you buying from and do they have trust symbols like Truste, BBB online, Verisign, or other services so you know you're buying from a serious merchant and not some fly by night.

-Initial look. Does their website look and feel like a solid merchant? Or does it look like a 12 year old in his mom's basement in North Dakota?

-Guarantee. What kind of guarantee? Is there even a guarantee? At least 30 days is preferable so you know the merchant is standing behind their work. At a minimum no dead on arrival is a must. If you don't see a "no dead on arrival" then buy your used Honda parts elsewhere.

-Selection - In this game having a good, wide selection is another clue it's a serious merchant. Someone who only has a few products and a cheap looking site indicates they don't put the time and effort into their business.

-Phone number & address - Do they have a phone number? Call the place first to make sure someone is there or gets back to you within a 3-4 hour time period during business hours. This goes a long way to telling you what kind of customer service you can expect. If there's no phone number, fax and address listed I recommend taking your business elsewhere.

These 5 steps will have you well on your way to saving hundreds even thousands of dollars putting used Honda parts into your Honda instead of paying the retail markup.

Now the beauty of buying new parts:

- They're easy to be had at your local in-person auto parts store

- There's always a guarantee and usually a double guarantee. Many times the auto parts store and the mechanic shop that does the work will guarantee it for 30-60 days.

- You can be comforted knowing you're getting a part which will yield maximum life. You don't have to worry about someone else driving it hard and wearing it out before you got it.

Bottom line, you have to decide which of these factors is most important to you.

Cars (and their parts) are a depreciating asset which drops in value the moment you buy it. Used Honda parts already have the benefit of someone else taking lots of the depreciated value and they've already paid the retail markup. This way you don't have to.

Take the few pre-cautions to protect yourself and insure you're getting quality used Honda parts and you'll have more money to use on things you want.

And if you decide to go with the new part at least you know you made an informed decision and won't ever feel like you've been ripped off.

Seed Newsvine

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