eBay Motors said it has added two new tools designed to simplify the process of online shopping for auto parts.
“Shop by Diagram” enables shoppers to use interactive schematics to determine which parts are necessary, while a newly enhanced “My Garage” allows buyers to shop a personalized “virtual garage” of parts and accessories tailored to their vehicle, according to the company.
According to a June eBay Motors survey of 1,000 active automotive DIYers, nearly half of consumers (49 percent) have mistakenly purchased a part, online or in store, that was incompatible with their vehicle. Additionally, more than 70 percent have started a car repair before realizing they didn’t have all the right parts to finish the job.
To address this, eBay has built algorithms that connect its catalog of more than 80 million parts and accessories to its unique visual diagrams and fitment data, according to the company.
“More than half of all U.S. adults have tackled some sort of auto repair by themselves, and not knowing exactly which part they need can be one of the biggest obstacles to online parts shopping,” said Jay Hanson, COO and vice president of eBay Americas. “The new features we’re rolling out eliminate the guesswork by helping people find and buy the specific part they need – even if they don’t know exactly what it is.”
‘Shop by Diagram’
eBay’s “Shop by Diagram” is designed to make it easy to find any auto part – even if a shopper doesn’t know the part’s name or part number – by making your car’s schematic diagrams interactive, according to eBay.
“For the first time, professional and amateur mechanics can use visual diagrams to shop for the exact part needed for a project,” the company said. “eBay’s proprietary technology combs through millions of listed parts that match the visual diagram for each vehicle, and eBay’s fitment technology guarantees compatibility with the year, make and model of the vehicle selected by the shopper.”
Enhanced ‘My Garage’ Experience
The updated “My Garage” experience offers a custom storefront for every auto shopper.
“By saving the details of their cars, trucks and motorcycles, including year, make, model, trim level and engine type, to the ‘My Garage’ destination, shoppers get streamlined access to the parts specific to their vehicle,” eBay Motors said. “When a shopper searches for any item, eBay will only surface items that fit the vehicles in their virtual garage.”
