Finding a reliable automotive supplier or service provider can be a real challenge, especially if you’re doing it for the first time. I recently went through the same arduous task trying to source the best car wreckers in my city. Although it can be an exhausting exercise, it’s not that hard when you know what to do.
I found the best car wreckers near me by asking friends, family, and local mechanics. It took time, but they pointed me in the right direction. Online directories help a lot, but make sure to read reviews to separate the good wreckers from the bad. Lastly, nothing beats first-hand experience. Explore your city and discover wreckers yourself!
So, whether you’re looking for the best car wrecking yards in Melbourne or anywhere else in the world, here are some steps that worked for me and will certainly work for you, too.
5 Ways to Find the Best Car Wreckers Near You
I'm the type who likes to find everything I need online. No need to worry if you’re not like that at all. In this list, we'll go through valuable methods of finding the best car wreckers near you, both online and in real life.
1. Ask Friends and Family
Don't underestimate the value of word of mouth, whether you're promoting a business or finding one. In this case, you're searching for the best car wrecker in your city, which means you should start asking around.
Start with your friends and family. Every social circle has at least one car guy or girl, and there’s a good chance they’ll know where the local wreckers are located. If they don’t, they’ll surely know where to look.
More important than asking is listening – people have experiences to share and from which you’ll learn. For instance, a wrecking company with a fancy website might be notorious for its lousy customer service compared to another that looks a little rougher around the edges. Imagine learning all that minus the stress!
So, bottom line, start with the people you know.
2. Talk to an Auto Dealer or Your Mechanic
Next, try talking to someone plugged into the local automotive industry and has plenty of first-hand knowledge. Two people who fit that description are your local auto dealers and trusty mechanic.
Auto dealers will likely know who’s who in the local auto industry, including wreckers selling used parts. Better yet, your mechanic will undoubtedly know where you can find excellent second-hand parts because they certainly need to know that information for themselves.
3. Pound the Pavement
Another effective method is to pound the pavement, i.e., drive and walk around the areas where you think there might be a wrecking yard.
Wrecking yards usually consist of vast open spaces with old cars piled up, so they're hard to miss from a distance, like when you're driving down the highway close to an industrial part of your city.
Perhaps, one fine Sunday when you’re free and feeling adventurous, take a drive where you’ve spotted wrecking yards before. Then, park your car and walk around, as there’s also a good chance of more than one in the same section of your city.
4. Use an Online Directory
I'm slightly biased towards finding the best car wreckers online in my town, so one of my favourite methods is using online directories.
Sure, you can’t find out too much from an online directory, but it certainly makes for a great steppingstone.
For example, by using Carpart.com.au’s Directory, you can filter out all the wreckers in your local area quickly. From there, you can click on each business’ name and find out information like:
- Business name and location
- Phone number and email
- Website and social media links
These essential pieces of info are all you need to get started. From there, you can take a drive out to the location to see the places for yourself, call them, or browse their websites. Alternatively, you could start doing your online research as I did by Googling the name and checking out customer reviews.
5. Use a Car Part Finder
Suppose you’re looking for something very specific, like a rare car part, or if you find calling and personally vetting each location tedious, then you can use a car part finder. It will bring the wreckers to you, rather than you searching for them!
How does a car part finder or locator work? This online platform is easy to use – you only need to fill out an online form (the specs of the part you need and your contact details) and press Send Request. Wreckers and other parts sellers who have the car part you’ve specified will then contact you with their best offer.
That’s it, you only reply to those you prefer – maybe the ones nearest to you or with the lowest quotations. You may then pick one you think is the best wrecker with the best offer.
This way will save you a ton of time and effort. Instead of pounding the pavement in the literal sense, you’d be doing it from your home, using your computer and your telephone.
Choosing the Best Wreckers
Let’s say you’ve done one or all the above and shortlisted two or three prospects. How do you vet the candidates and choose the best wrecker?
1. Check Online Reviews
Remember: we’re not just looking for any random car wrecker near you. Instead, we’re looking for the best car wreckers in your area. So, how do you separate the excellent ones from the not-so-good ones?
Sure, word-of-mouth from friends, family, and your mechanic is great. However, their experiences might not represent every aspect of wrecking, used car parts, and the services you need from these wreckers. That's where online reviews come into play.
The second-best method of separating the good from the bad is to look online for reviews. A Google search of the business' name will help you find any existing reviews online. You can also ask about the company on local automotive forums if you're a part of any.
2. First-Hand Experience
So, if checking online reviews is the second-best method of finding the best car wreckers, what’s the first? Well, nothing beats first-hand experience.
Gathering word of mouth and researching online reviews is helpful, but only to a certain point. After that, you’ll have to try the wreckers to figure out whether it’s the best one for you.
Understandably, you’ll feel like taking a gamble on a large and expensive used car part – a used engine, for instance. No worries! There are other ways to test a business.
Before you make any large purchases, start by buying something minimal and cheap. The experience of purchasing that part can tell you about the business more than any review or opinion ever could.
More importantly, it’ll help you feel comfortable buying from the business before you dish out your hard-earned money on a big-ticket item from them.
We hope that helped. To find the best car wreckers in your area, check out the Directory at Carpart.com.au so you can filter automotive businesses across Australia by type and location. Better yet, request a part and make a tedious task a breeze!
By Ray Hasbollah