Over the years we have observed that people who have the time to spend, will price parts online, and buy the cheapest auto parts they can find. That is fine, if you are a DIYer. However problems arise when they cannot install the parts themselves and need to locate a repair facility or mobile mechanic. For some this can be a heated subject, and some may even get offended when they find out that the majority of shops will not install customer supplied parts.
Obviously there is some profit to be made to a shop or mobile mechanic when they supply the parts, just like any other business. When you get your own parts, the shop or mobile mechanic gives us that revenue causing profitability to dip on that repair. Most shops that do agree to install a customer provided part, typically has not built a solid client base. Therefore, they can be slower and looking for work, regardless of profitability. It’s a vicious cycle that leads to new, loyal customers being turned away because a shop or mechanic is busy doing discounted work.
Another obvious reason is Warranty. We personally offer a 2-Year Warranty when we repair and provide the parts. If we install your part and it fails, possibly leading to catastrophic failure, a court looks at the repair shop owner as the industry expert. They then can determine that the repair shop should have known better and refused to install the provided parts, therefore making a shop liable. Why would any shop or mechanic want to be legally liable for a part they did not supply?
Liability insurance also varies. A shops policy may exclude customer supplied parts. So like the warranty issue mentioned above, if a vehicle burns to the ground after a customer supplied part fails, the shop owners liability insurance may not cover it. Again, the shop owner should have known better in the eyes of the legal system.
Incorrect or Incompatible Parts. Everyone has a friend or relative that works in an auto parts store. Most do not care if you get the right part, and many may not even know for sure if it is the right part. They go by what the computer system tells them. but when we have your vehicle disassembled and find that the customer has the incorrect part, our productivity plummets. While you drive down to get the correct part, hoping that it is available and in stock, we are waiting around to finish the job, unable to move forward with any other projects for that day.
Don’t be mad at repair shops or mobile mechanics that refuse to install customer supplied parts. All the reasons mentioned above make it a no-go for any reputable shop or mechanic.
