Ebay used to be really good. Now it's full of so many scams and "OEM" Parts that don't come close to fitting properly I only go there for a bit of comic relief anymore.

Some parts work out ok..
While others require ..M.A.N.S. ..work...
Modify As Necessary Stoopid......

Rock Auto.

Can't go wrong

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Originally posted by figmo59

Some parts work out ok..
While others require ..M.A.N.S. ..work...
Modify As Necessary Stoopid......

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I tend to follow the philosophy they taught me in the Air Force: Beat to fit, paint to match.

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Originally posted by Banjonewguy

Ebay used to be really good. Now it's full of so many scams and "OEM" Parts that don't come close to fitting properly I only go there for a bit of comic relief anymore.

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The funny thing is, you can say the same thing about Amazon nowadays with the "Amazon Marketplace". Especially because they have "mixed inventory", where if they have several sellers for the same product, they ship whatever sellers inventory is closest to you regardless of what you actually buy. So you might buy a legitimate product from a legitimate seller, but they ship you the fake product from a different seller because it's faster.

Ebay has become more reliable to me after I realized there's a lot of brick-and-mortar shops that also run ebay shops. So as long as you're buying from one of those accounts, it's alright. At least then you usually know what you're getting, or at a minimum, who you're dealing with. 

Companies sell through Amazon. For more expensive purchases, I make sure item is sold BY Amazon. I haven't yet had a problem returning items sold by Amazon.

I am just amazed that someone would bother to set up a factory to MAKE counterfeit sparkplugs!

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Originally posted by Richard Hauser

Companies sell through Amazon. For more expensive purchases, I make sure item is sold BY Amazon. I haven't yet had a problem returning items sold by Amazon.

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Yes, but they mix inventory. So if you buy "from Amazon", but they have "the same" item in a closer warehouse that's actually "From XYZ seller", they will ship you the product from XYZ seller rather than from Amazon. And because some sellers have authentic stuff and some have fake stuff, you can't really be sure that you're going to receive the product you buy.

For example, I recently bought a set of Mora 8" Ice Auger Blades off Amazon. Said it was Shipped and Sold by Amazon.com, the real deal. When it arrived, it was from some 3rd party seller, and they were not authentic. Returns were easy, yes, but I would have prefered to receive the product I bought.

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Originally posted by mike gregory

I am just amazed that someone would bother to set up a factory to MAKE counterfeit sparkplugs!

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I don't think they set up an entire factory. My understanding with a lot of Chinese counterfeit operations is that it's a legitimate factory that has a contract to produce say 10,000 units, and then they run other shifts to produce extra non-authorized counterfeits that don't have the same QC processes in place. 

NEVER buy car parts off eBay or Amazon PERIOD!

LOTS of counterfeit parts out there and they are prolific on those sites.

I will only buy online from secure sources like RockAuto.Com or SummitRacing.Com.

The cloning of automotive parts has been going on for many years & accounts for little of the actual items cloned . If the vendor (purchaser) can afford good QC at the factory & possibly at design of the cloned part (to eliminate shortcuts) , the better the parts will be but how the buying public can know this is difficult . Where this cloning really becomes tacky is for critical items such as aircraft , safety , & even poorly made electrical items for a household . Look closely for a tag that states approved by one or more US approval ratings & of course that also could be cloned ?

My wife has a bunch of "designer" handbag I bought her when I was in Korea. They will clone anything and they do it well.

I put a work truck together using a lot of Chinese body parts (bumper,mirrors,and grill) .The stuff is shiny but obviously cheap quality. Its been three years and I'm surprised none of the aftermarket parts have failed .

Living at the bottom of the South Pacific means I have to rely on a constant flow of goods from around the world bought through the various online outlets. I actually have not had many problems. I've also found that some very cheap.... hot rod components and performance engine parts made in China are of a very good quality...Easily comparable to USA made stuff, at a fraction of the cost. The only difference I have really noticed is the sellers have got no idea about anything they are selling, or the manufacturers sometimes miss some of the finer points of the component they are copying. I always carefully QA the parts and often have to do little jobs to correct a few things....There's probably not to many hot rodders in China to put them right...but I've no doubt they have some excellent foundries and machine shops.

I’ve bought much better “New old stock” made in USA auto parts off of eBay than what is available in auto parts stores today...or any online dealers mentioned. It all falls apart eventually...the Chinese stuff only quicker.

If you’re wise and know what your looking for...there are still some high quality vintage auto parts available on Ebay made in America.

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Originally posted by Texican65

If you’re wise and know what your looking for...there are still some high quality vintage auto parts available on Ebay made in America.

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True , & not just auto parts !   

It depends upon the part and the car. I've bought inexpensive replacement parts for a Toyota from Amazon, but would never consider buying on Amazon or E-Bay if I needed something for my Porsche 356.

It's like buying from Harbor Freight. If it's an expendable item, buy it there. If it's a tool that you'll use often and for a long time, buy better quality elsewhere.

I've purchased from Harbor Freight for a very long time & can attest to poor alloys used in some of their early hand tools but since , I feel quality has improved a lot & I do not hesitate buying sockets , wrenches , etc , w/ no failures or wear .
Lately , they seem to be sourcing some things from different vendors , or renaming existing things & charging almost double so my purchasing confidence has slowed , but there are still bargains . Recently bought a $110 twin cyl 3 ton floor jack w/ 3" clear to get under my Cross Fire front end & so far it works great -- & quick .
I'm not condoning buying from HF , just stating my purchasing experience .

Buying off shore parts is some times an unknown as far as integrity & fit--- I purchased some bolt on machined castings made off shore to adapt tube shocks to the front of my 34 Ford from Carid for $100 including the shocks ! --- they fit well & have held up --- I considered that a real bargain !

I used to do a lot of repair work from A to Z and found local auto parts stores as cheap (inexpensive) as any on line shopping offers. And if you buy a lot like I used to they even gave Mechanic discount. I liked being able to return it and getting it replaced right away rather than wait for the mail man. And for big ticket Items like fenders and hoods and body parts (among other things) find a good salvage yard that prides itself in good parts with guarantees. One other thing most auto parts stores if they don’t have something in stock they get it with-in hours not weeks.