To ensure impeccable quality, our technicians only use genuine parts from home appliance manufacturers, also known as OEM parts. But if you’re handy and want to repair an appliance yourself, you might be tempted to order cheaper spare parts online—from an Amazon retailer, for example. Are the savings worth it?
The Cheaper It Is, the Greater the Risk
The saying goes, “You get what you pay for.” This is especially true when you buy home appliance parts online.
Be wary when a home appliance part is sold at 50% or 75% off the MSRP: this is usually below even the cost price. To be able to retail an item at a lower price than the wholesale price only distributors and authorized repairers enjoy, you have to cut corners somewhere
Even a more reasonable 10% or 15% discount is no quality guarantee. It’s more likely that the retailer is making a disproportionately large profit margin on a poor product.
These parts are often made in factories worldwide, with little or no quality control and based on reverse engineering rather than the manufacturer’s technical specifications. For example, less durable metals or plastic may replace some steel components to lower production costs. Sometimes the replacement part won’t properly fit into the appliance or is delivered without essential surrounding components.
As a result, you risk ending up with a replacement part of inferior quality and uncertain lifespan.
Buying Household Appliance Parts Online: Watch Out for These Red Flags
When you read the description of a home appliance part online, consider the terms below as clear signs that it’s not the real deal:
- Refurbished
- Remanufactured
- Compatible
- Generic
- Third party
- Aftermarket
Basic Precautions When Buying Online Appliance Parts
First, look for clear wording such as Factory-Authorized Part or OEM Part in the product description. While you can’t be 100% sure, this makes it already more likely that the replacement part is genuine.
To make sure this isn’t misleading or false advertising, take the time to carefully read customer reviews at the bottom of the product listing. Don’t just check on the five-star rating: read the detailed reviews too. These should have been published over a reasonably long period, come from different users and ideally be more elaborate than just a brief sentence or two.
Nothing is perfect, and even the best companies sometimes make mistakes. So be on your guard if no review is negative or below four stars. When there’s a dissatisfied customer here or there, there’s less risk that all the reviews end up being fake.
Ask Our Parts Specialists for Help
Even if you follow all the advice above, what if you buy the wrong part? Not all online vendors allow returns and refunds, so potential savings may vanish. Consider ordering your home appliance spare parts directly from Service 2000 instead.
Let us know your appliance’s make and model number, along with a brief description of the problem. Our specially trained staff will then recommend the exact OEM part you need and provide valuable installation advice. Yes, genuine parts are more expensive … but at least you’re already saving on labour!
Order your parts online