Warranty is the question buyers ask most and understand least, mainly because the answer changes completely depending on who you're buying from. Here is what's actually normal in the South African used-parts trade, so you know what to expect before money changes hands rather than after.
Private sales: sold as seen is the norm
When you buy a part from a private individual, the sale is almost always voetstoots: sold as seen, no warranty, no returns. That isn't sharp practice; it's the normal legal shape of a secondhand sale between two people, the same as buying a couch or a bicycle off a classifieds listing. It means the inspection you do before paying is your protection. Check the part properly, ask your questions, and treat the moment of payment as final, because in practice it is.
Yards: an exchange warranty on the mechanical stuff
Established yards work differently, as a matter of business practice. On major mechanical parts, engines and gearboxes above all, most decent yards offer an exchange warranty: commonly around 30 days or a set mileage, whichever comes first. If the part fails in that window, you get a replacement unit or your money back on the part. Two honest caveats. First, exchange warranties come with conditions, and they're not small print to skip: engine warranties often fall away if the unit isn't fitted with a new cambelt, fresh oil and a flushed cooling system, and some require fitment by a workshop. Second, the warranty covers the part, not the labour to fit it twice, which is exactly why the pre-purchase checks in our engine guide matter even when a warranty exists.
What almost never carries a warranty
Body panels, trim, glass, lights and interior parts are generally sold as inspected, from yards and private sellers alike. The reasoning is practical: these parts either fit and look right or they don't, and you can establish that before paying. If a fender or headlight matters enough to you, inspect it or ask for detailed photos in good light; don't assume a return window exists, because usually none does.
How it works when we broker the deal
When you buy through our part-finder, the warranty is the yard's, not ours, and our job is to make it concrete: we confirm the exact terms with the seller before you pay, so "there's a warranty" becomes "30 days exchange, fitted by a workshop, cambelt replaced" in writing. If a sourced part doesn't match what was agreed, tell us straight away and we take it up with the yard directly first. That process doesn't replace your ordinary legal remedies; either side can still go to Small Claims Court or the ordinary courts. It just usually makes that unnecessary.
The practical summary
Private listing: no warranty, inspect before you pay. Yard, mechanical part: expect an exchange warranty with real conditions, and get them stated before purchase. Yard, body or trim part: assume as-inspected. Anything brokered through us: the terms are confirmed in writing before payment. If a seller of any kind is vague about warranty when asked directly, that vagueness is itself your answer.