eBay’s latest feature, “Shop by Diagram,” helps find any auto part — even if a shopper doesnt know the part name or number– by making the car’s schematic diagrams interactive.
E-commerce giant eBay has kicked off what it called a simplified way to buy automotive parts and, in turn, upped its competitive position against jobbers.
These two new ways are geared towards mechanics and do-it-yourselfers. Shop by Diagram allows customers on eBay Motors to use interactive schematics to determine which parts are necessary, and then quickly making the exact items they need available for purchase. Plus, a newly enhanced My Garage platform also launched, allowing buyers to shop a personalized “virtual garage” of parts and accessories tailored specifically to their vehicle.
The push behind the enhancements, eBay said, is to help reduce the number of wrong parts customers buy.
“Buying the wrong part or not having all the right parts to complete a repair is a common headache for both auto enthusiasts and professional mechanics,” the company said in its announcement.
eBay Motors’ “My Garage” allows buyers to shop a personalized ‘virtual garage’ of parts and accessories tailored specifically to their vehicle.
eBay commissioned a study that showed nearly half of respondents said they mistakenly purchased an incompatible part for their vehicles either online or in store. Furthermore, almost three-quarters said they started a car repair but then realized they didn’t have all the necessary parts to finish the job. As a result, eBay said it has built algorithms to connect its catalogue of 80 million-plus parts and accessories to its visual diagrams and fitment data.
“More than half of all U.S. adults have tackled some sort of auto repair by themselves, and not knowing exactly which part they need can be one of the biggest obstacles to online parts shopping,” said Jay Hanson, COO and vice president of eBay Americas. “The new features we’re rolling out today eliminate the guesswork by helping people find and buy the specific part they need — even if they don’t know exactly what it is.”
The Shop by Diagram option works even if shoppers don’t know the part number or name. It makes the car’s schematic diagram interactive, allowing users to use visual diagrams to find the part they need. My Garage has been updated to save vehicle details, like year, make, model, trim level and engine type, so searches will only show items that fit that vehicle.
In Canada, most of the premiere jobbers won’t sell to the DIY segment. Their return rate is substantially higher than the professional repair segment. It will certainly cost eBay a lot of money in “warranty” claims and shipping costs when parts are returned because they didn’t fix the problem. Professional repair shops purchase from jobbers for many reasons based on relationships they have established. You can’t put a price on that.
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