eBay Motors asked me to team up with them to test out a new service called Virtual Tech. This blog post was written as part of my collaboration with eBay Motors and the HireInfluence team.
With the cold weather upon us, it’s a good time to talk about winter maintenance for your car. Depending on what part of the country you are in, winter maintenance can mean very different things. I like to check my wipers, belts, battery, hoses, lights, and a few more items, but your car’s tires are among the most important things to inspect. I’m not just talking about wear-and-tear. You need to make sure you have the right tires for challenging weather conditions.
Luckily, I’m in Southern California. That means I usually don’t have to worry about switching to snow tires, but I do plan on driving up to the mountains this season. Before the trip, I figure it’s a good idea to swap out my sticky summer compound tires for some all-season tires.
To backup my assumption, I used the new Virtual Tech service offered by eBay Motors to determine which tires would be the best fit for my BMW this winter. Virtual Tech sessions are offered in 10-minute and 20-minute intervals, which you can purchase directly on eBay Motors.
After buying a 10-minute Virtual Tech session on eBay, I quickly received an email with a dial-in number and access code. Once I hopped on the phone, I gave the technician basic details about my car, as well as the weather conditions I would be driving in. Just as I suspected, he steered me toward an all-season tire, and he suggested a less-expensive brand. That made a lot of sense, as I’d only be using them for a few months and a few trips. Before long, it’ll warm up enough for me to put my summer tires back on the car.
The Virtual Tech not only confirmed the proper tire size for my car’s OEM wheels, he also suggested alternative sizes that would fit. Keep in mind, the Tech can’t really help you if you have modified your car. Once you start changing wheels and tire sizes, there are endless options. Fortunately, my daily driver is a stock.
The Virtual Tech not only confirmed the proper tire size for my car’s OEM wheels, he also suggested alternative sizes that would fit. Keep in mind, the Tech can’t really help you if you have modified your car. Once you start changing wheels and tire sizes, there are endless options. Fortunately, my daily driver is a stock.
The best part about each Virtual Tech session is that it can help with just about any kind of repair or issue with your car. Can’t figure out what is causing your car’s misfire? Or how to install the power window regulator? The Virtual Tech can walk you through those diagnosis and repair processes. Each Virtual Tech is an ASE Certified technician with years of experience and access to digital service and repair manuals for your vehicle. You also get access to those manuals on your computer for 30 days. That means you can reference them long after your service call.
Now that I knew what tires to look for eBay Motors, I simply typed in my tire size and then adjusted my search preferences. They include useful filters such as Free Shipping, New Items Only, and Price Range. My query brought up more than 5,000 results, and that kind of selection makes eBay Motors one of the top destinations for wheels and tire purchases online. In fact, a wheel or tire part is sold on eBay Motors every 7 seconds. In order to get my tires as quickly as possible, I sorted the results by distance to find the pick-up spot closest to my home.
After looking at my options, I decided to opt for a Buy It Now deal that offered local pickup and was just 30 minutes from my house. This kind of flexibility is why I love shopping on eBay Motors. I was able to tailor the options to just what I am looking for, select my price range, and look for items that offered free shipping. Now that my tires were ordered, I could plan my weekend in the mountains.
A few minutes later, I received a notification that my order had been processed and I could pick my tires up the next day. I have a local tire shop just down the street that I’ve worked with for years, but if you don’t have a tire-installation shop you trust, don’t worry. eBay Motors offers the option of having your tires shipped directly to an installation center near you. You just bring your car, and the installer will mount and balance your new tires while recycling your used tires. With 9,000 installation centers across the U.S., chances are there's one near you. eBay Motors’ program eliminates the hassle of transporting tires from your home to an installation center.
Now I have my tires mounted, balanced, and ready for whatever winter throws at them. After a quick wash, my car is ready for my trip to the snow and a winter of safe, worry-free driving.
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