How to sell auto parts online: catalogue, fitment and returns

Start with the part number. Nothing else works without it. A brake pad set has a maker’s number, your own stock code, the OEM number it replaces and several rival brands that interchange with it.

Store cross references as searchable fields. Mechanics type the number stamped on the old part, and a search that cannot find a superseded number sends them straight to a competitor.

Mark exchange parts such as alternators, starter motors and steering racks, where the buyer sends back the old unit once the new one is fitted. Weight and box size matter too. Carriage quotes depend on them.

Fitment says which cars take the part. Each row ties one part to a make, model, generation, year range and engine code, with notes such as front axle only or manual gearbox.

Buy fitment data or load the supplier’s catalogue files, then let counter staff flag the rows they know are wrong, since they see the same mistakes every week.

Plan for awkward cases. Left and right sides, front and rear axles, kits and universal parts such as hose clips each need a rule, or the filter shows them against wrong cars.

Garages expect a trade price after login. Drivers expect one retail price on sight. Keep two lists, and decide in advance what a visitor who has not signed in may see on the product page or in search results.

Record aisle, rack and bin. A picker finds a wheel bearing in moments when the location is exact, and the site shows a true count instead of a hopeful one.

Hold back a few units for the counter, or the website and the till will both sell the last clutch kit and one customer will wait for nothing. Both channels draw on one stock record.

A part you do not hold is either on order from a supplier or gone for good, and the page must say which of the two it is. A buyer will wait three days for a timing belt kit but will not wait at all for a kit that carries no date.

Record the supplier, the order date and the promised delivery on each back order line, and tell the buyer when the date moves, not after it passes.

Split shipments need a rule. A brake job wants discs and pads together, so let the buyer hold the whole order until both are in the warehouse. Otherwise a car sits on the lift.

Returns come in four kinds: wrong fit, change of mind, faulty on arrival and failed after fitting, and each kind needs its own route. A wrong fit return starts by comparing part ordered against the vehicle’s engine code and year, to find whether the fault was in the lookup or the order.

Failures need a claim file. Put in the invoice, the vehicle registration, the fitting date and the mileage, then tag the failed part and keep it for the supplier to inspect. Electrical and sealed items usually carry narrower terms, so print those terms beside the price, and remember that consumer rights differ by country. Check the rules where you sell.

Open with thirty fully fitted parts. Then place a test order for each part type, from a brake disc to a sealed sensor, before the first real customer does.