Genuine OEM vs Aftermarket, Online Seller vs Local Auto Parts Stores Return Policy | Not A DIY Video

This is not a "How-To" or DIY Auto Repair video. In this video, young mechanic Aiman discusses some of the drawbacks and advantages of buying parts for your car, SUV, truck, minivan and other vehicles, especially when it involves buying aftermarket parts from online sellers.
The main issue would be the return process, warranty & exchange policy. Aiman's dad has bought many aftermarket parts in the past from online sellers such as A1 Auto, Rock Auto, PartsGeek, Car Part Kings, Car Parts, Auto Parts Warehouse and more., but he had never had to return the parts or had a defective item.
This time around, they received a defective parts from AM AutoParts. They bought a set of Front Struts & Spring Assembly for a 2010 8th Gen Honda Civic (eighth generation Civic are model years 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 & 2010). Unfortunately the LH front shock was defective (the front RH was not). When Aiman's dad contacted the seller, he was told that the items were under warranty and they would be glad to replace it, unfortunately he would have to return both the front LH & RH because they were purchased as a set and not individually. Fortunately after back and forth on email, AM Auto Parts Customer Service decided to send a replacement part without having to send the defective unit back. So shout out to AM Auto Parts for their pro-active customer service and good warranty & exchange policy.
Aiman's dad has always prefer to buy parts from local auto parts stores such as AutoZone, Advanced Auto Parts, O'Reilly, Pep Boys and NAPA. For items such as brake pads, AutoZone would be the best choice because they offer lifetime warranty. Although a little bit more expensive than online sellers, these local auto part stores are great with return or exchange policy, usually no questions asked.
The best online sellers would be Amazon.com and eBay. They have amazing return policy especially if the items are not as described or are defective. With Amazon, all you need to do is bring the item to Kohl and they will process the return for you even without original packaging.
Although Amazon and Ebay are cheaper compare to local auto part stores, other online stores such as PartGeek, A1 Auto, Rock Auto & AM Auto Parts are amazingly cheap with their after market, or even genuine OEM replacement parts. Some of these seller could deliver the parts to your the next day without having to have Amazon Prime membership, and such was the case for AM Auto Parts. We received the parts the very next day, and that was incredibly fast. Even AutoZone nowadays offer the parts to be delivered to your home the next day, but AutoZone is not always the cheapest, and the quality of its products sometimes are not too great.
The other thing Aiman discussed was genuine OEM parts vs aftermarket. In terms of replacement or installation, if you want to avoid potential installation problems, and if you don't mind paying twice, 3, 4 or 5 times the price of the aftermarket parts, then you should always buy genuine OEM recommend by manufacturers from your local dealership.
Thanks for watching, please check our other DIY auto repair tutorial & guide videos on EyeOnAiman's channel. Obviously, Aiman's auto repair videos are mostly designed for entertainment purposes. If you're looking for instructions or steps on how to fix or diagnose problems with your car, SUV, minivan or vehicle repair, you should always watch more than just 1 videos. The videos should always be used only as a guide.
Related Videos:
1) Front LH Driver Side Strut Assembly Removal: • How To Remove Front St...
2) Front LH Driver Side Strut Assembly Installation: • How To Install Front L...
3) Front RH Passenger Strut Assembly Side Removal: • How To Remove Front St...
4) Front RH Passenger Strut Assembly Side Installation: • How To Install Front R...
5) Genuine OEM vs Aftermarket, Online vs Local AutoParts: • Genuine OEM vs Afterma...
6) Rear LH Driver Side Shock Absorber Removal: • How To Remove Rear Gas...
7) Rear LH Driver Side Shock Absorber Installation: • How To Install Rear Ga...
8) Rear RH Passenger Side Shock Absorber Removal: • How To Remove Rear Gas...
9) Rear RH Passenger Side Shock Absorber Installation: • How To Install Rear Ga...
10) KYB Excel-G vs a 200K Genuine OEM Shock: • KYB Excel-G vs A 200K ...
Recording Date: August 2, 2019
Video URL: • Genuine OEM vs Afterma...

[@daviderhahon]

Yeah, no technical stuff here, but there's a lot of useful info.
So, nice job Aiman.

[@joelb099]

question Aiman: Do you feel that aftermarket struts PERFORM just as well as OEM struts?..OEM struts COST 3-4 times MORE than aftermarket.. But do OEM struts really last longer and give a better ride?..or is this a myth put out by the OEM manufacturer?

[@ctgaming168]

For japanese cars like Toyota or Lexus the OEM parts are way better. Way better material and craftsmanship. Most of them are also made in Japan so quality control is the best in the world. Try ordering online and pick up at the dealership, they are cheaper than going to buy in person. Your wallet and mental health will thank you later for choosing OEM. I always buy online for OEM parts and some are even cheaper than aftermarkets made in China.

[@danielesbordone1871]

If you're going to buy aftermarket , make sure you're dealing with brand names. Don't buy coconut shock absorbers when you can buy Sachs or other well known brands.

[@EyeOnAiman]

Thank you for the heads up! I will pass that along to my dad! The advantages and disadvantages between aftermarket and genuine are always something to consider when replacing parts!

[@Ricardo-qv9jn]

When you deal with old cars, the solution its to get rid of the old car and get a more newer one