eBay Motors is one of the most popular destinations on eBay. It’s where millions of buyers and sellers come together to buy and sell cars, car parts, and other automotive items. eBay Motors is a huge marketplace, and as such, it needs to have a system in place that ensures that buyers are getting the right parts for their vehicles. That system is eBay fitment.
In this article, we’ll take a look at what fitment data is, how it works, and how it fits in with the ACES and PIES automotive aftermarket industry standards. We’ll also look at how all of this translates to eBay Motors.
What Is Fitment Data?
Fitment data is, quite simply, the information that tells potential buyers whether a certain car part or accessory will fit their vehicle. Unlike most other industries, the automotive aftermarket sector has to deal with this particular issue. Third-party auto parts are generally compatible with around 30 different vehicles. This can obviously create a lot of confusion. Buyers may not be aware that a part is compatible with their vehicle, or they may purchase the wrong part because they didn’t know that there were multiple options. To make things even more complicated, different model years of the same vehicle can often have different compatibility requirements.
Fitment data includes information like make, model, and year, as well as more specific details like engine size and trim level. This data is important because it ensures that buyers are getting the right parts for their vehicles. Vehicle fitment data is essential to the automotive industry as it provides information for consumers and technicians. This data can be used by dealerships, retailers, and other stakeholders within the supply chain to create ACES or PIES-compliant automotive data feeds. In other words, everyone from manufacturers to customers can use this type of data to know whether a part will fit on a specific vehicle.
What Are the ACES and PIES Industry Standards?
Aftermarket Catalog Exchange Standard (ACES) and Product Information Exchange Standard (PIES) are two product data standards employed by automobile manufacturers and suppliers. The Auto Care Association (ACA) established them to standardize fitment information and other aftermarket automotive part information.
The standards- ACES and PIES- ensure that general vehicle information will be easily comprehended by customers, dealerships, manufacturers, suppliers, etc. They are utilized to form a precise fit for a specific car and label the product’s specific details. While ACES is employed by dealer retailers so they can convert fitment info into their systems; automotive companies mainly use PIES internally when requiring fitment data from parts distributors.
The fitments listed in the ACES and PIES-compliant data feeds can be transmitted directly into consumer-facing web apps or mobile applications through APIs (Application Programming Interfaces). These APIs make it possible for consumers to research fitment compatibility on specific vehicles before making purchases online. In other words, both fitment data standards allow critical information to be accurately transmitted between stakeholders in various aspects of the automotive industry.
Aftermarket parts retailers use online fitment tools to help consumers find the right parts for their vehicles. These tools use data from ACES and PIES-compliant feeds to generate accurate suggestions based on a vehicle’s make, model, year, engine type (petrol or diesel), transmission (manual or automatic), etc.
How Fitment Data Works in the Automotive Aftermarket Sector
Fitment data categories such as category, subcategory, subset, and application are used to define fittings in the ACES and PIES standards. The following is a list of fitment categories:
- Vehicle type – This is a catch-all category that refers to the vehicles that use this set of fittings. For example, “car” or “truck.”
- Category – This is less specific than the subclassification designation but more specific than the vehicle type. It also determines how many parts from a given manufacturer’s product lineup can be used with a certain car model (e.g. It fits both a Honda Fit and Civic).
- Subcategory – This is more specific. It determines which parts are used with a given vehicle type (e.g., It fits only the front seat of a Honda Civic).
- Subset – This fitment data attribute helps to identify if the fitment can be applied only to one specific part of a car. As an example, this would work for an individual door panel that is located on the right side of every sedan that exists (e.g., Fits Right-hand drive manual sedan front seat only).
The fitments listed in ACES and PIES-compliant fitment data feeds must fit within one of the fitment data categories listed above. Automakers, dealerships, and retailers use the fitments in data feeds to match up with the same designations included in a manufacturer’s product specification database. This helps everyone ensure compliance with ACES or PIES standards.
For a manufacturer’s database to crossover with an automotive fitment database, there needs to be an exact match. If not, then the parts cannot be transferred from dealer or wholesale catalogs into the retail marketplace. Let’s say Honda has Fit Front Seat Only as part of its original vehicle equipment specification but this category doesn’t appear in an automotive fitment feed. Consequently, it won’t create a fitment and the component won’t be available for purchase in the retail aftermarket.
What Is eBay Fitment?
Also known as “Parts Compatibility,” eBay fitment is a more logical approach for vendors to list parts that fit several makes and models. It’s also an excellent method for consumers to locate components that match their vehicles. You may use new part compatibility listings to create one listing describing a single component and including a comprehensive list of compatible automobiles. This eliminates the need to maintain multiple parts listings to ensure that all suitable vehicles are discovered in the search.
Sellers can now include a detailed list of compatible vehicles for a single part in one listing, saving time and money. Compatibility information is visible on the item page and searchable. The best match listings benefit from increased prominence in the Best Match search, and you have the option to incorporate your 80-character title into popular search elements such as brand or part number to boost exposure for your ad.
It’s critical to remember that, at launch, part compatibility will be optional. However, listings that include compatible vehicle data generated using the new function may help you get your relevant items in front of customers via search and prevent the use of multiple listings for the same product, which is against eBay’s Duplicate Listing Policy.
How Does the eBay Listing Process Work?
eBay’s new part compatibility feature is designed to streamline the listing process for sellers while also increasing eBay Motors’ search relevance. There are two methods for indicating compatibility with components; here’s a look at how it works:
- While you’re selling your goods on eBay, use the search function to look for them in their parts catalog. Your listing will include a comprehensive list of vehicles that your component fits. The eBay parts catalog is presently available in Car & Truck Parts & Accessories categories only.
- If you don’t see your product in eBay’s catalog, you’ll have to fill out the necessary compatibility information for tires and wheels using specifications. For all other parts, you’ll need to use vehicle details.
eBay Motors included a parts compatibility function to help you run your firm more effectively by streamlining listing creation and management, as well as reducing frequent listing. Buyers will be able to discover parts faster and with greater confidence that they fit, resulting in fewer returns and queries. Also, fewer items mean you pay less in charges.
If you are unsure about the accuracy of the information returned to you when you input your part type, manufacturer or number, use the manual process to input vehicles that fit the part for sale. If you’re looking to sell a compatible part, you can use the “sell similar” or “relist” options in the Sell Your Item form. This way, you’ll be able to include information from your existing listing. Just be sure to create a catchy title that includes popular search elements like brand and part number. Remember, the information you transfer over must be accurate since buyers will rely on this compatibility information when making their decision.
How Can myFitment Help?
myFitment is a third-party tool that can help you manage your eBay Motors fitment data. myFitment allows you to quickly and easily add, update or delete fitment information for any eBay listing that you have created. myFitment also provides a Fitment Data Management System (FDMS) that can be used to manage the eBay Motors fitment data for all of your eBay listings in one place.
myFitment can help you save time and money by managing your eBay Motors fitment data for you. With myFitment, you can quickly and easily add, update or delete fitment information for any eBay listing that you have created. myFitment can also be used for bulk relisting, which can help you save time when relisting multiple items. Put simply, myFitment is the eBay Motors fitment data management solution that you’ve been looking for. If you are interested in learning more about myFitment, please contact us directly.
