CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Online automotive repair marketplace Openbay Corp. will serve as the automotive parts and accessories searchable dashboard for business customers of eBay Motors.
Under the agreement announced Dec. 20, businesses can research, source and acquire automotive parts directly through OpenBay, which features OEM automotive parts, white label parts, national brand aftermarket parts and remanufactured and used parts.
Jordan Hettinga, director of Category Management at eBay Motors, said the collaboration makes it easy for automotive repair businesses to acquire the parts when they need them.
"With millions of items available on eBay — everything from OEM to hard-to-find parts, we're arming the Openbay community with the access to this inventory. With our wide spectrum of value, we're hoping to save customers time and money, all while improving their profitability."
According to Openbay, the majority of its registered users operate out-of-warranty vehicles or vehicles older than the 11-plus average age of vehicles on U.S. roads. The system, the company said, provides users with a convenient, easy way to book and pay for a wide range of automotive service parts.
Rob Infantino, founder and CEO of Openbay, noted that Millennials are of driving age and many are buying older vehicles as their first car. He said there are more than 60 million vehicles older than 16 years in age on U.S. roads and that those cars will require repairs.
"These trends translate to a large and growing opportunity to service a unique customer segment," Mr. Infantino said. "Openbay and eBay Motors are helping improve the customer experience when getting a vehicle serviced and helping increase efficiency and profitability for automotive care businesses."
Other benefits for automotive car businesses, according to OpenBay, are:
- An opportunity to stock up on parts used most frequently in bulk, including engine and cabin air filters, oil filters, light bulbs, wiper blades, fuses, fluids, shop supplies;
- Access to hard-to-find parts, obsolete or no longer available parts; and
- Unique accessories outside of a repair that might be requested by the customer.
