The Issues Car Owners Have to Go through When Buying Used Parts in Kenya?
Several Factors Affect the Buyers when Buying Parts for Replacement no Matter how Careful They are
Buying a used car part is not without risks. Certain factors intervene when a car owner buys used parts in Kenya and even around the world. Used parts are taken directly from the same brand and model which means these are genuine parts. Fitting a used part in the car is going to give the same level of performance as before. With just one condition, the part should be faultless at the time of purchase. Used parts come with a guarantee but not every dealer does that.
Kenya is a place where used parts are manufactured inside the country as well as these are imported from other countries as well. But the Kenyan Government has restricted imports in favor of the locals. This arrangement was done to save the local market. Still, these parts reach the market in unlawful ways. But what reaches the market may not be the genuine part. These can be imitations of the original parts and not of very good quality. Making a difference between the two is very difficult.
Not only this there are other things as well that affect the buyer when buying used spare parts in Kenya. The buyer has to be careful when buying cheaper spare parts. Because with less price the quality also falls which is not of benefit for the buyer. Although there are not many cars in Kenya and the buyer of spare parts are also fewer, the market is growing and with changing times the attitudes are changing so are the needs.
Genuine Parts are Hard to Get
One very disturbing fact is that the part fitted in the vehicle may not be genuine. The Kenyan spare part market has grown drastically at a very fast pace. But the spare parts largely sold here are just copies of the genuine parts. These are not genuine second-hand parts. Most of the time the buyer is not able to distinguish it from the original. Not being the original product when fitted in the cars can be very harmful to the machinery.
It is said that every car in Kenya has one fake spare part fitted. Which is a disturbing fact. The buyer has to buy parts for the vehicle because there is no other way to get the vehicle back to work. The government has become very strict about the fake parts in the market and taking necessary steps to restrict the incoming of such parts. There have been strict measures to allow only high-quality parts to reach the market. These measures are taken to safeguard the people driving and traveling in automobiles.
Lower Price Lower Quality
Another issue is that there are affordable spare parts available but these are not good in quality. The lower the price the more quality drop can take place. But this is not necessary. Some parts can be of very good quality. This is another big problem. How can the buyer know if the quality of a used spare part is good or not appropriate? The buyer faces this question every time going to buy a spare part in Kenya. The one thing that can help is the experience of others. Surveying can uncover many things and the car owner gets a better idea of where to buy.
If the purchasing power of a person is good, then going for the higher-priced used spare parts would be a good deal. The pricing is not as high as a new part though. But the ones who cannot put much pressure on their pocket can get confused.
Availability of Spare Parts
The industry is still growing and the used spare part market is not well established as yet in the country. There can be a used part missing in the market. There will be no issue when buying a commonly needed spare part but for rare purchases, the problem can arise. For that time is needed to get the part imported and then sell it to the buyer. During all that time very precious time is lost. But there is no choice rather than wait for the part to reach the seller. With new cars being introduced slowly in the market this problem can become bigger in the future. Checking for the product online can be a good idea. However, the buyer still has to wait for a certain time until the delivery is done. The delivery time can be short or long accordingly on where the part is being delivered.
Reducing the Inconvenience
Selling fake parts or low-quality parts is not in favor of anyone. The sellers will face their doing one day or another in the shape of a shutdown. The best thing is to be helpful to the buyer. The inconvenience and mistrust must be eliminated from the business so that there can be happier buyers. The buyers at the moment in Kenya face many serious issues while buying a spare part.
The cost of repairing can be kept as low as possible with the use of advanced technology. The buyer and seller both can get profit from the deals made earnestly. The key is to improve the experience. The amendments can be implemented slowly but this should be done steadily without stopping. People are now well aware of what is right and what is wrong. So bluffing is not the right option. There have been many improvements for the buyer and still, more are being in order to make the experience even better.
The used spare part is a very fruitful business but the seller must understand that the more effort is put into it more fruit you get. People have a changed image of the world now in Kenya. Improvements can never be done if the citizens are not willing. Once they enter the right path all changes. Slowly but steadily Kenyan market is entering the world of spare parts. The buyers demand genuine used parts and these should be on the market, the only condition is that the seller is committed to selling only the original parts.