Reliable Online Autofactors

[TheBALDpuma]

I just bought some drop links for my car from and autodoc.co.uk - they sent the wrong brand (stark their own brand stuff - something it looks like they do all the time and is just part of their business plan!) and had to endure a few days worth of back and forth to agree to a refund, and then for them to agree that they will pay for the postage.

Now I want to buy the droplinks again but I'm after some recommendations of where to buy from? Eurocar parts tend to only stock cheap stuff, and I thought autodoc looked good but they are a st show so after some advice

[119]

For odds and sods I’d always go genuine, and brakes etc would be eBay as many dealers sell cheaper through eBay than their own shop.

[TheBALDpuma]

I did call VW and the drop links are £100 for a pair, which is hugely expensive when you consider you can get a good brand like Lemforder for £50 a pair; it's just making sure I use a factors that actually send the part I order!

[Bobupndown]

Better going in person to a local motorfactors I find. You can ask for recommend parts and if they don't have in stock can often have it later the same day or next day. You can often get a good discount on parts as well.
As for brands I find Febi seem to make decent aftermarket parts. Quinton Hazell used to as well. There seems to be a lot of Napa parts about recently. Had a few filters from them. No issues.

[Krikkit]

Bobupndown said:

As for brands I find Febi seem to make decent aftermarket parts.

Febi Bilstein are a top tier OEM

[Dynion Araf Uchaf]

believe it or not, searching for your part on eBay is fast becoming your best option, they even have a warranty in place that if the part doesn't fit they'll pay the fitment costs.

Some decent internet sleuthing can help you find the OE part number and description and you can then begin to cross reference against after market alternatives on eBay.

What part , for what car is it out of interest?

[Xenoous]

Ordered discs from halfords, they sent the wrong part. Ordered through ebay, right part turned up the following day.

Ebay it is.

[TheBALDpuma]

Dynion Araf Uchaf said:

believe it or not, searching for your part on eBay is fast becoming your best option, they even have a warranty in place that if the part doesn't fit they'll pay the fitment costs.

Some decent internet sleuthing can help you find the OE part number and description and you can then begin to cross reference against after market alternatives on eBay.

What part , for what car is it out of interest?

Rear drop links for a mk5 golf gti

[TheBALDpuma]

Krikkit said:

Bobupndown said:

As for brands I find Febi seem to make decent aftermarket parts.

Febi Bilstein are a top tier OEM

Febi is the brand I ordered from autodoc they just didn't send it, they sent a stark part which is their own brand.

[Krikkit]

TheBALDpuma said:

Rear drop links for a mk5 golf gti

Try partsinmotion:

https://www.partsinmotion.co.uk/car-parts/steering...


They have a significant ebay presence but I find their website easier. Either way they're very quick to dispatch and cheap. No affiliation, just a happy customer many times over.

[TheBALDpuma]

Krikkit said:

Try partsinmotion:

https://www.partsinmotion.co.uk/car-parts/steering...


They have a significant ebay presence but I find their website easier. Either way they're very quick to dispatch and cheap. No affiliation, just a happy customer many times over.

Perfect, thank you

[Greenbot35]

Parts in motion seem pretty good, I won't use autodoc now. They are awful to deal with and are so bloody stupid when things go wrong.

I had a condenser arrive bent and it took days to agree they would collect it. Apparently 10% off to use it was acceptable.

[TurboRob]

Krikkit said:

Try partsinmotion:

https://www.partsinmotion.co.uk/car-parts/steering...


They have a significant ebay presence but I find their website easier. Either way they're very quick to dispatch and cheap. No affiliation, just a happy customer many times over.

+1 for parts in motion. Quite often you can get 10-15% off through ebay, too

[E-bmw]

TurboRob said:

Krikkit said:

Try partsinmotion:

https://www.partsinmotion.co.uk/car-parts/steering...


They have a significant ebay presence but I find their website easier. Either way they're very quick to dispatch and cheap. No affiliation, just a happy customer many times over.

+1 for parts in motion. Quite often you can get 10-15% off through ebay, too

But also try their online store as they are frequently a touch cheaper due to ebay advertising costs.

[darreni]

TurboRob said:

Krikkit said:

Try partsinmotion:

https://www.partsinmotion.co.uk/car-parts/steering...


They have a significant ebay presence but I find their website easier. Either way they're very quick to dispatch and cheap. No affiliation, just a happy customer many times over.

+1 for parts in motion. Quite often you can get 10-15% off through ebay, too

Another fan here, fast delivery & good prices.

[tux850]

Krikkit said:

Try partsinmotion:

https://www.partsinmotion.co.uk/car-parts/steering...


They have a significant ebay presence but I find their website easier. Either way they're very quick to dispatch and cheap. No affiliation, just a happy customer many times over.

Yeah I'd second this recommendation. Have found them excellent in the past, and they really went the extra mile in sorting out an issue with the database they use for looking up vehicle registrations and this gave me a real sense of 'real' people working behind what can often feel like quite a faceless and impersonal line of business.

Another recommendatuon for Ford owners specifically is that Ford have their own presence on eBay now so you can buy genuine parts directly from them at quite a discount compared to the dealers. With delivery included it's a particular benefit for me as my nearest dealer is still a 30-mile round trip away.

[Belle427]

I've found parts in motion good too.
Usually go for febi stuff.

[boyse7en]

Krikkit said:

TheBALDpuma said:

Rear drop links for a mk5 golf gti

Try partsinmotion:

https://www.partsinmotion.co.uk/car-parts/steering...


They have a significant ebay presence but I find their website easier. Either way they're very quick to dispatch and cheap. No affiliation, just a happy customer many times over.

I just looked as i need some rear shocks for my Honda. Their website lists the same parts for saloon and tourer versions, which is completely wrong as they have different suspension set-ups, so not impressed by their fitment info.

[ARHarh]

Another vote for Partinmotion. Been using them for years now. Always quick and plenty of choice..

[I-A]

Another vote for Partsinmotion - I've bought plenty of service items from them, Gates timing belt kits and so on.

I'd recommend messaging them via ebay to see when the next discount coupon is coming up.

One key thing that helps when buying online, is knowing the correct part number you are looking for so as to not rely on fitment info provided by the retailer, e.g. for example I would look at the mintex website to obtain the part number and spec of certain brake pads. GSF have been really handy on the telephone when it was unclear on their website which parts were compatible, checking your VIN against the database.

Generally I try to buy from independent local motor factors, sometimes it's a few % more in monetary terms, however going in-store builds relationships and rapport.