With the Coronavirus lockdown being implemented in many parts of the world and Australia-wide, regional borders have been shut. Non-essential businesses and public places have closed shop, states have restricted the movement of people within territorial boundaries, and gathering of more than ten persons have been banned (Update: Social gathering should not exceed two people – as of today, 30 March 2020).
Containment Measures to Slow Down COVID-19
1. Social Distancing
Prime Minister Morrison asked for a significant sacrifice – refrain from roaming stores for non-essentials, limit encounters with people, and restrict travelling, to name a few. With social distancing as the general rule, the virus is changing our way of life as we know it.
2. Stay and Work from Home
As the COVID-19 cases continue to rise, more and more activities are restricted. And even if you were allowed to go out for something considered as essential, it would be for your own good to seek ways to procure it by practising social distancing. Better yet, do it from home.
3. Restrict Travel & Non-essentials
Non-essential travels are limited within regional boundaries, and violations to quarantine provisions carry a fine of as much as $50k in some states and territories. For people allowed to travel to work or shop for essential commodities, public transit and ride-sharing are not the best modes of transport.
This is one of those times when your car plays a significant role, and maintaining its roadworthiness is very important. It is for this reason that mechanics and car repair shops are allowed to operate, albeit with proper measures to implement social distancing.
Keeping Your Car in Shape While on Lockdown
As a car owner and responsible citizen, you have various ways at your disposal to continue caring for your car. Now, more than ever, you have to ensure that your vehicle remains in top shape and is ready to use whenever you need to go to work, shop for essentials, or bring someone to the hospital.
1. Have your car checked up
For now, mechanics and car repair shops are allowed to open and operate, but for how long remains to be seen. If you can still get an appointment now, do so ASAP to forestall any major problem with your car. You can skip this if you’ve been religiously following your car’s recommended maintenance schedule as stated in the owner’s manual.
2. Equip yourself with the necessary car maintenance know-how
As the government strategises how best to deal with the virus, a full lockdown remains an imminent possibility. If this happens, it would be to your advantage to have the skills necessary for maintaining your car. Feel free to browse articles from our Educational section to guide you on how to perform proper car cleaning, minor repairs, and auto parts maintenance and replacement
3. Locate car parts online
The recently enforced measures make online shopping more and more the preferred mode of procuring products and services. For car owners and repair facilities, Carpart.com.au proves to be a relevant platform made exactly for times like these.
This website is your gateway to a wealth of information about cars, for posting ads for cars or parts you want to sell, and for searching auto parts through our classifieds. And that's not all. We have two clever tools to help you further.
One is the Find Your Part function, which will simplify your search for specific car parts. The other is the Directory, which is a nifty means of locating auto electricians, car wreckers, repair mechanics, and other businesses dealing with automobiles. It will provide you with their phone number, address, email, website, and other contact links, including Facebook and Instagram.
Locating Parts the Easy (and COVID-19-Safe) Way
This car part finder is very easy to use. It involves three simple steps.
1. Request the part
Go to our website. On the homepage, there's a link that says 'Send A Parts Request'. Click it to open a fillable form, which is your way of telling us the exact part that you need. Fill the necessary information. There's a space provided where you can describe in your own words other aspects of the car component that you want the supplier to know. You may also attach a file or image that you want the seller to see. Press 'Send Request'.
2. Wait for suppliers’ quotes
After you’ve sent your request, our system will send it to suppliers nationwide. It’s worth noting at this point that you’ve filled out one form, gave specifics and descriptions only ONCE. In turn, hundreds of suppliers will be receiving your request and responding to it. Isn’t that neat? No repeats, no ringing, no emailing from your part, and all of these sellers receive a uniform description of the requested part.
During this period, suppliers who have the part you need will send their quotes to the email you’ve provided. They will all try to offer their most competitive price since they know they’re vying with other sellers. With their quoted price, you will also receive the supplier’s terms regarding shipping and delivery, warranty and insurance, if applicable.
3. Choose the Offer that You Like Best
The thing is not to grab the first supplier that responds. Wait for more offers, and choose the one that you think is most favourable to you. You don't need to deal with over-eager salespeople, and there's no obligation to the other sellers who sent their quotes. The best part about Find Your Part? It's free! And you can do it from the comforts and safety of your home – exactly what we need in this near-total lockdown.
We invite you to explore this platform for your car part sourcing needs and the rest of the website for updates and instructionals.
By JMSL