Drivers put foot down on repair bills

SAVVY Aussie car owners are saving cash on service and repair jobs for their vehicle by taking the BYO approach to replacement parts.

Fed up with paying extra when parts come from suppliers, drivers have found they can buy parts online and present them to their mechanic, so they pay only for fixed fees and labour.

Websites such as onlineautoparts.com.au, automotivesuperstore.com.au and others provide a range of parts suitable for all major makes of car and often offer free delivery and special clearance sales, which enable big savings.

One recent start-up, Sparesbox.com.au, boasts more than 150,000 parts from 140 brands and can fit 10,000 car makes and models. So far, the site has had more than 130,000 Australian users.

“Purchasing parts online and taking them to the mechanic will save consumers up to 60 per cent off the normal retail price, because there’s no middle man, no mark-ups and no handling fees,” co-founder Leon Saliba said. “We’ve had customers buy the exact same brake parts at half the cost their dealership quoted. Sometimes this is a $300 discount and for more expensive vehicles it can even be a $1000 saving.”

Users of such sites enter the make, model and year of their car to find a range of parts options. Items are shipped free for purchases of $50 or more.

While buying online can be cost-effective and convenient, it is important for motorists to exercise caution, says Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries CEO Tony Weber, who says there is an “enormous global trade in counterfeit automotive spare parts”.

“What appears to be authentic when presented in the online environment may not be the case,” he said, adding that fake parts were “very convincing in their packaging and initial presentation”.

Sydney mother of two Amanda Tucker and husband Chris began buying parts online after a couple of expensive mechanic bills.

“We’d been shocked with the quotes on all the parts for repair jobs,” she said. “We bought windscreen wipers and oil online and saved money.”

Sparesbox also offers home car servicing, which Ms Tucker finds convenient as she works from home running a mortgage business, Uptown Home Loans.