How do I check an auto parts store’s online catalogue and web orders?

Browse the catalogue as a customer. Search for common parts by vehicle, and look for missing fitment, wrong photos and items showing in stock that are not on the shelf. Ask how stock levels are updated: automatically, by staff or not at all. A mismatch between the website and the back room means oversold orders.

Next, review orders. Ask for web order history by month, with returns, cancellations and refunds. Fitment mistakes tend to show up as returns, so ask what the main reasons are. Look at how orders are picked and shipped, who does it, and how quickly. Check whether web sales are separate from counter sales or mixed in the books.

Ownership matters. Who set up the catalogue, the domain, the payment account and the marketplace accounts? Make sure these belong to the business and not to a staff member or a former contractor. Your lawyer can confirm. Ask who maintains the catalogue day to day and whether they will stay. Check customer reviews for patterns, and ask what the seller would fix first. Ask who answers customer questions that come in through the website, since slow replies can cost orders that never show up in the records.

Key takeaways

• Search and order as a customer would, then check parts against the shelves.
• Ask for web returns and the reasons behind them.
• Confirm that the business, not a person, owns the domain and accounts.