You may not be aware of it, but many people purchase replicas and fake Honda car parts for their vehicles. These imitation components usually lack the quality and durability of the real thing, and also don’t come with warranties. Steer clear of these low-quality knockoffs.
Honda wreckers Sydney owner Craig Roeder explains that the problem of counterfeit parts in the automotive industry is a huge one, despite the Coronavirus pandemic (thanks to online avenues such as social media marketplaces). “The packaging and branding for counterfeit car parts are becoming so sophisticated it’s almost impossible to distinguish them from the genuine item,” said a mechanic who wished to remain anonymous.
When you’re buying Honda car parts for your vehicle, several warning signs will help you identify which ones may be counterfeit.
The price is too good to be true
If you find a deal on replacement parts that seems far too good to be true, then there’s a very high likelihood that those components aren’t OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer). Genuine OEM parts simply don’t come at such low prices so if you see any deals like this either the seller is including a low-quality replica or you’re wasting your time.
The parts are priced too high
A lot of people assume that if they find a cheap product then they’re looking at a knockoff, but this isn’t always the case. Sometimes a Honda car part will be so common and so widely produced that its price drops across the board to next to nothing. If you see a genuine OEM radiator being offered for $150, it’s probably going to be one of these super cheaply made products because good quality radiators aren’t generally in demand readily enough for their prices to fluctuate much. So, if you do spot what seems like an excellent deal on an authentic Honda car part, do a little research to see if something fishy is going on.
The seller has too many of the same product
There’s a level of trust that you place in a dealer when you buy from them and every good business knows this. If a dealership has just one or two listings for Honda parts then it may be because they have only recently started selling these items. However, if they have five listings for identical parts with zero feedback from other buyers then there’s cause for concern. In this instance, ‘new’ dealerships may be nothing more than duplicitous ops set up by counterfeiters in the hopes of stealing money from innocent consumers.
You can’t find an official website
Genuine manufacturers are happy to show off their products online. You should have no trouble at all finding the official homepages of Honda car parts manufacturers on Google, so if you can’t find anything more than a non-descriptive eBay listing, it’s probably best not to buy from this provider.
The seller refuses to provide detailed pictures or diagrams of the product
A legitimate dealer isn’t going to be concerned about protecting the designs of the parts that they’re selling. If someone is trying to safeguard their components with tight shots, dark lighting and simple CAD drawings, there’s a reason for concern.
No reviews
If you’re about to purchase from somebody online, you should always check to see what other buyers have had to say about the parts that they’ve sold. If there are no reviews available then ask this seller for them or simply use a different supplier.
The seller doesn’t provide any warranty information
There’s no excuse for a reputable third party company not to offer at least a 30-day warranty on all of their aftermarket Honda car parts. If an online dealer can’t prove that they’re willing and able to do this, stay away.
The manufacturer is catering directly to dealers
If the components suppliers are setting up separate websites just for businesses, it might be time for you to reconsider.
The product is significantly cheaper than similar ones elsewhere
This is very much related to the ‘too high’ point that was made earlier in this article. Genuine manufacturers don’t typically offer hugely reduced prices on their merchandise so if you do spot a deal like this then it’s most likely too good to be true.
The listing has spelling mistakes, bad grammar and poor punctuation
Careless retailers will present themselves with negligent language and spelling errors. If you find an online store with lazy wording or very basic sentences/paragraphs, there’s no reason for you to trust them since it means they don’t care enough about what they’re doing.