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eBay Motors creates ‘Virtual Tech’
New feature allows company to give customers instant access to ASE-certified technicians in U.S.
eBay Motors is now offering an enhanced experience and encroaching further on space occupied by service shops.
Through its new program called Virtual Tech, shoppers can connect with ASE-certified technicians. Customers will pay for access to seek expert advice from the convenience of their home, saving time.
The service is currently available in the U.S. only.
Virtual Tech sessions can be bought in 10- and 20-minute blocks. For 10 minutes, customers will pay $19.95, while 20 minutes will cost $49.95.
The goal is to help customers who may run into problems in the installation process and need questions answered or help, said Todd Madeiros, eBay’s vice president of parts and accessories at eBay.
“With our new Virtual Tech add-on, we’re bridging the gap and helping to connect shoppers with experienced professionals, while also providing them with our massive selection of inventory,” he said.
Further, the company recently gave the option to customers to buy tires from its site and have the product delivered to a service shop of their choice for installation.
It appears that eBay wants to make money providing assistance on parts purchased on their site. Both eBay and Amazon are going after the DIY business. They both know their customers may not be able to install the parts so why not offer a money making solution to help them with their problem. If we are going to compete we need to think about marketing ourselves and our expertise to eliminate the pitfalls that untrained people have when trying to install parts on their vehicles. It is coming here so lets be proactive before it is too late.