Lesson learned buying used parts

I’ll start off by saying that I have a bit of a problem wanting as much as I can to be an OE part or as close to OE as possible for fit, function, and form. So I use car-parts.com a lot when I’m looking for something.

I recently changed careers and found myself working for an oil company that sells a premium product and started contemplating doing my own oil changes since I’ll be switching over. Since I have the regular black skid plate, I thought this would be a good time to see if the junkyards have any.

Found one off of a PRO that seemed to have some sort of thermal even, but the pictures looked good. Called up and asked about the condition, and they said it was A0 meaning no significant damage or missing parts.

Now I know salvage yards are a risky bet, but I was excited to get it for $125.00.

Long story short, it was not in the condition they had listed. I’m not here to bash car-parts.com or the yard I got this from. I should have know better being in the parts world for 20 years and having done business with other yards to have them text me pictures of the actual product. Needless to say I don’t think there will be any way I can salvage this and I’m out $275.00($150 to ship it). It’s missing the red TRD inserts that were there on the site, it looks like someone tried to chew through the Allen bolt, the oil access plate is gone, and none of the mounting hardware or jack block is there.

Oh well.

TLRD: if you’re buying parts from a junkyard online, have them send you pictures. If they don’t, move on.

 

I am confused. Did you buy the plate without having seen any pictures of it?

 

My experience with buying junkyard parts in this country is that if they aren't trying to extort nearly new prices out of you then you going to get shat on. It didn't take me long in FL to realise that by the time I'd paid my entry free to the yard, lost my knuckles pulling parts and time that would be better spent in a pub, then coughed up their extortionate price I could have just called my dealership's parts department and for a few cents more had the right part, bright and shiny, with all the usual peripherals expected and work no harder to get at it than pulling it out of it's sealed plastic bag.

Obviously buying online saves the time and knuckles but you are going to have to pay someone else for the privilege.

 

Damn... facts right here... I remember going to a local junk yard for a tail light long ago... I was in the Navy at the time and they hassled me over anything and everything.. literally... Anyway.. local yard wanted $350... looked online, stealership wanted $250 more or less. so I tried to negotiate the price with the yard and they wouldn't budge, so I walked away. 2 months later I got my tail light at the local base post office..

 

They had pictures of it on car-part.com. Looked all good from there. I called the yard where I got it from and can return it, but it was $150 to ship to me, I was quoted $450 to ship it back by UPS since they do dimensions and value.

 

Credit card. It’s already processed and I’ve received the product. Idk if I can still dispute it?

 

I just looked into it. Thanks! I didn’t even know you can do that now.

 

Thru your advise, I called my CC and they took care of it. So now I have this skid plate, to which I ordered the hardware kit that has every piece I would need to install it. The only thing I'm missing is the oil filter access cover. Found out the plate is 1/4" aluminum and I can get a 6" x 12" plate off Amazon. I just need the rough measurements of the access cover to make a new one, and order some red TRD letters from tough skins.

Feel like I cheated the system, but keep thinking back to what you said of not getting what was advertised and feel better about it.

 

Does anyone know off hand if the oil access cover is made out of 1/8” aluminum vs. 1/4” like the rest of the skid?

I only have a hacksaw and bench grinder and think it’s coming along ok, but it’s not setting down enough in the opening.