New Seller Vetting Process for Airbag Sellers at eBay Motors Adds a Measure of Buyer Confidence
By Caryn Smith, Editor, Automotive Recycling Magazine and AutoRecyclingNow.com
The eBay Motors platform is a popular go-to marketplace for many in the collision repair business to find quality ROE–Recycled Original Equipment® auto parts to complete vehicle repairs. Recently, eBay Motors sought to increase confidence in the buyer experience through the qualification of sellers, specifically, of recycled airbags or airbag related components. To accomplish this, an agreement was finalized this fall with the Automotive Recyclers Association (ARA), the industry trade association that provides two certification programs to measure automotive recycling facilities on the highest industry standards currently available to them.
Those who are members of the ARA who are Certified Auto Recyclers™, and Gold Seal™ certified facilities have passed rigorous environmental and quality control standards and are operating at the highest levels of excellence. This provides their customers a measure of assurance that ROE parts are safely handled using quality-driven best practices and processes.
eBay Motors now requires all sellers of airbags or airbag related components on their platform to be an ARA Certified Auto Recycler™ with a Recall Procedure in place. An ARA Gold Seal™ certified facility will not sell ROE-Recycled Original Equipment® auto parts that have safety recalls issued by an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) for re-use or repair of another vehicle. All parts and components known to have recalls, such as airbags, are also VIN checked for recall at point-of-sale. “ARA is excited that our certification program has garnered the respect and endorsement of eBay as a solution to ensuring competent sellers of safety components, such as airbags, have the necessary qualifications and training to protect consumers,” says Sandy Blalock, ARA Executive Director. “We believe this level of quality assurance will allow collision repairers to continue to rely on automotive recyclers with confidence for auto parts in the procurement process.”
The professional automotive recycling industry places significant emphasis on the importance of certification, and for over 20 years the ARA Certified Auto Recycler certification (CAR) program has provided professional automotive recyclers with a set of standards for general business practices, environmental and safety issues. CAR certification is based on compliance with environmental and safety regulations, while the Gold Seal program focuses on excellence in customer service. The program is one of the cornerstones of ARA and its industry partners recognize CAR and Gold Seal automotive recyclers as market leaders.
Collision repairers can refer to ARA Certification standards for Recalls at https://aracertification.com/recalls to view the recommended recall policy for certified facilities. This approved certification, along with their ARA membership, allows auto recyclers to sell air bags and supplemental restraint components on eBay. No other auto recyclers will be permitted to sell airbags, per the new eBay Motors policy.
To further ensure the safety of others in the shipping process, ARA also offers a discounted program to their members through InfoTrac, to meet the DOT requirement for an emergency hotline service that is required if shipping hazmat materials.
