Buying car parts

[scot850]

Now, let me first say that I have become the grumpy old guy, but having said that, for all the 'modern' technology of on line buying, is it just me or is it getting harder to buy stuff?

Spent multiple days trying to buy an Ebay item to repair my P80 load covers. You know a part to fix the flimsy plastic end/locating cap that breaks off if you look at it wrong.

Had to wait a week and 2 requests to the seller to get the confirmation the item 'kit' included a left hand an right hand repair item. Apology for being tardy from the seller and confirmed that it was a pair. So need to order 2 kits as naturally both covers have the same end broken!

Tried to place and pay for the order, but Ebay kept saying that seller does not ship to Canada, even though the item listing and the seller says they do!! Seller checked his end again and confirmed all is good, box on Ebay he fills in has Canada ticked! Try to place order again and it says seller does not ship to Canada, so buy from someone else!!

Spent 20 minutes with a Chat helper on Ebay (only took 7 minutes to get through). Very helpful guy got me to try again. Went back to try to order again and this time took me to a page selling the item in US$, previous one was in UK pounds???

Price is higher in US$ (not much but still higher). Had to press the COMMIT TO BUY and then it mad me log in again to my account (I was already in there??). Eventually it let me buy the parts. Ebay then sent me an e-mail saying, Commit to buy the part and wanted me to pay again!! Fortunately the Ebay helper said I didn't as payment has gone through ok. Oh, as you paid on your eBay account you do not get a confirmation e-mail....................??? So you just pay twice or more??

Now don't get me started on trying to pay with Paypal. The system that does not allow you to pay using your money in your account..........! Paypal says it is not their issue??

Then there is buying Toyota parts on-line. First, don't buy a Toyota as they rust and badly!!

2nd, their parts drawings look like a kid in kindergarden drew them making it hard to see especially as many seem to be blurry (maybe I need to clean my glasses or get my eyes checked again?)

The end caps for the original side step on the 03 4Runner Ltd I have, have a useful light either end to light the step when you open the door. However, Toyota make the metal bracket holding the end cap and light unit out of steel and the step out of aluminum. Now doing that is a stupid combination anywhere they use road salt and that evil de-icer stuff that eats bridge decks and the re-bar. The end caps collect all the salt and snow and pack it in on the end caps which ends up rotting out the point where the end cap mounts to as well as the end cap metal bracket that contains the mounts for the plastic cover piece and the plastic light unit.
I did say they are dissimilar metals!!

So I have 3 used sets and realised many of they light mounting brackets are just flakes of rust. No problem, just buy new metal brackets! Nope, not listed separately, so surely part of the 'End cap assembly'. After waiting for over 2 months the parts finally arrived from Japan as not available in Canada from Toyota. Opened the box annnnd? Just a very expensive plastic end cap set but no metal bracket.

Go back and check again. Then call dealer. After a long time on the phone and several waits on hold, sorry sir, you cannot buy that part separately. You have to buy the whole $1500 CDN side step section to get the brackets at each end. 'WHAT'???????

So you sell the cover plastic, the light unit, the rivets and the bolts separately but not the metal bracket. Nope!

With benefit of hindsight I found a 4Runner web-site where someone else went through this stupidity and ended up making brackets out of aluminum plate. Took days to make the 4 and a lot of cutting and shaping. Do't think my hand arthritis will let me do that!

So unless I have 4 serviceable metal brackets out of the 12 (I know 4 are un-usable on my original steps) the I will be throwing all 3 side step units in the re-cycling and buying a cheap set of aftermarket rock crusher units (did I say cheap? No almost as expensive as the OE units!).

Time to get rid of the Toyota and buy an XC90 Gen 1 and all the issues that go with those. At least then I have a chance!

Neil.

[volvolugnut]

Sometimes it just helps to vent.
volvolugnut

[scot850]

If that were the case, my thread would be a lot longer like the NLA part I found after a 3 month search was lost by USPS in the 3rd week of March. Although I paid for shipping, item and insurance I can't place a claim or search request although their system allowed me to. Now sender can't get a search done as you can't have 2 requests on the same lost parcel. Add to that they said don't come back until end of May earliest to ask for a search (so 6 weeks after loosing the package) so they can make sure they have no hope of finding it!

Same with 2 parcels from China, both arrived (allegedly) at Canada customs in 3rd May. One got here 10 days ago. Won't look for it but can't claim until mid-July???

And there are loads more where those came from!

Neil.

[matthew1]

Sorry about your troubles, Neil. That sounds like a gigantic headache.

[abscate]

Send me a picture of the bracket and we will get them made up. I got peeps.

[volvolugnut]

Maybe we (MVS and friends) need to start manufacturing NLA parts? Metal forming, 3D printing, machining, other processes?
volvolugnut