How to Sell Auto Parts on eBay?

There are many reasons to sell auto parts on eBay. eBay makes selling auto parts online easy thanks to its automotive segment, eBay Motors. eBay created eBay Motors to meet the demand of online shoppers who come to eBay looking for automotive parts and accessories.

As a seller on eBay Motors, you have access to powerful marketing and sales tools that will help you sell car parts to a large audience. eBay also gives you the tools to run promotions. And once you’re ready to expand, eBay enables you to extend your reach internationally. One of the most significant benefits of selling on eBay is how it protects sellers from dishonest customers through its Seller Protection Program.

Here’s how to get started selling auto parts and accessories on eBay:

Step 1: Create an eBay Seller Account

If you plan to sell parts on eBay in large quantities, register for a business account. Enter the required details, select Register, and click Sell at the top of the page. By clicking Sell, you will be directed to a page where you can list your products.

Step 2: Prepare Images of Your Products

You need to include one image per product. eBay has a long list of general requirements for product images that you should observe carefully. Only use images that you have the right to use and that do not infringe on the intellectual property rights of any third-party.

The images should use a white or grey background. They should not contain anything other than the product that is in the listing. They should not include any props, any test such as promotional text, watermarks, copyright marks, or borders. While other categories limit the maximum number of free images to 12, automotive parts listings are allowed 24; so, make them count.

eBay also has technical requirements for eBay product images. For starters, the images must be either PNG, JPEG, TIFF, BMP, or GIF. The image file size should be no bigger than 12MB. Should you choose JPEG, make sure they’re 90 or higher in terms of the JPEG quality scale. The minimum size for images is 500 x 500 pixels, while the maximum is 9,000 x 9,000 pixels.

For the best-quality images, use professional or natural lighting. One of the images will be used as the primary image and will be the first one seen by your potential customers. Choose a front view close-up of the product. For auto parts and accessories, the other images may be the packaging that the part comes in. Usually, the secondary images are the different angles of the product.

Step 3: Create Your Product eBay Listings

Selling auto parts on eBay is similar to how you would sell any other product. The difference is in the categorization. Start by creating a listing and providing the details of your auto part. Categorize your automotive parts under eBay Motors and Parts and Accessories. As you proceed, the details you select become more specific. You will need to specify the part’s compatible vehicle, specifying car, motorcycle, boat, etc.

On eBay Seller Hub, you can create listings more quickly. eBay charges two types of selling fees: listing fees (insertion fees) when you create a listing, and a final value fee when you sell your item.

When it comes to online parts sales, fitment data is an essential aspect of selling auto parts on eBay. Fitment, commonly known as compatibility, refers to the year/make/model that is compatible with the part. Without fitment data, potential customers wouldn’t know if your part fits their vehicle. Fitment is so important to the online selling process of car parts on eBay created the Parts Compatibility tool. The tool allows you to add fitment data by showing you options in the Compatibility section of the listing form.

On the Parts Compatibility tool, you can choose to either enter a compatible vehicle manually or choose a product with pre-filled compatibility. If your product already exists in the eBay catalog and Part Compatibility tool, most of the listing information should automatically pre-fill with the following:

  • Product title
  • Description and specifics
  • Category
  • Stock product images
  • Weight & dimensions
  • Parts fitment data

eBay Seller Best Practices

Because eBay Motors is one of the most successful marketplaces for automotive parts and accessories, it’s an incredibly competitive environment. To ensure your eBay listings get the most exposure, there are things you can do to drive traffic to your products. You need to pay attention to industry trends, study-related articles, and eBay success stories, and look at what other eBay accounts that also sell auto parts online do to become top sellers. Here are some best practices, tips, and tools that will help your eCommerce business increase sales, improve customer experience, and become a top-rated seller: 

Help potential customers find the part they are looking for. Start by using great, descriptive titles that make it clear what the product is. When presented with various options, customers will likely click the ones that not only have the best image but the ones with titles that are clear about what the product is.

While maximizing your profits should be a goal, you should also be pricing competitively. Most consumers are price-sensitive and will look for the best deals. Determine if you can offer free shipping. Offering free shipping doesn’t necessarily mean you will make less. The trick is to price your products so that shipping charges are already included. 

By providing free shipping, you also improve the experience for your customers whose shopping process is not disrupted by the mental arithmetic or the additional steps involved in calculating shipping costs. Of course, this may require some experimentation and recalculations if you’re part of the global shipping program as international shipping can be costly if you cover it entirely. You may also consider offering a flat rate to make mentally calculating shipping costs easier for potential buyers. 

Dedicating time and resources to answering queries promptly is ideal. However, it’s not always easy to provide rapid customer service, particularly if you also run a physical shop or eBay is not the only place you sell auto parts online. The key is to reduce the reasons why customers need to pause the shopping process and ask you a question.

Fitment or compatibility is one of the biggest concerns for any potential buyers. They cannot proceed with the purchase until they are certain that the part fits their vehicle. This is why providing fitment data is so crucial to your success as a seller on eBay.

Unfortunately, adding fitment data for a single listing is easier said than done. While eBay’s built-in inventory management tools are helpful, adding fitment data is still a labor-intensive process. That’s where myFitment comes in. myFitment helps you save time thanks to its design that enables users to add hundreds of eBay fitment compatibilities in minutes. The eCommerce solutions tool was created by fitment professionals with decades of experience in the aftermarket community to maximize fitment productivity. For information on how myFitment can help you get your eBay listings on eBay and in front of marketplace buyers, visit our homepage or call us at 855-4FITMENT.