How I imported a vehicle spare part online from the USA to Nigeria

Buying vehicle spare parts is something a lot of Nigerians do on a periodic basis when they have the need to replace a malfunctioning part of their vehicle.

In Lagos for instance, there are special vehicle spare part markets around such as Ladipo Mushin, ASPAMDA Trade Fair and Idumota Lagos. Vehicle owners and Mechanics who do repairs normally go the these specialized markets to buy those parts that they need but ONE problem I've noticed with such markets is that most produced being sold are used and not brand new.

Why is it so hard to find brand new and original vehicle spare part in Nigerian markets? I asked a mechanic once about the possibility of getting a new car part and he said that it's not available in the market and so technically impossible to get. Another spare part seller I asked said that it's because brand new car parts are normally more expensive and majority of Nigerians want cheap items and that's why they don't mind buying used or low quality parts imported from China.

What if a person in Nigeria wants to buy car parts that are brand new and original and doesn't mind the price. I believe that there are some Nigerians who may want to change a delicate part of their vehicles and don't mind how much it would cost them. There is a saying in my language which goes like this "Whatever is good is good" meaning that it doesn't matter how much that good thing will cost as long as it's good and of high quality.

Well, there was a particular vehicle spare part a friend of mine wanted to change but the only available replacement parts in the market in Nigeria were used ones. His mechanic told him that the part was scarce since the vehicle was assembled in the USA and only the second hand parts that were available. If he had purchased and used that part, it would still end up being faulty in the short term and so didn't really make sense considering the cost. Well, I told him I could help him buy it directly from the USA and have it delivered to his home through DHL and he agreed even though it could cost him double the product price because of DHL shipping costs. Well, he agreed and I did that within a week.

What I did was to buy the item online from a US website and have it first delivered to my US address since the seller doesn't ship outside the USA. I was able to track the delivery process online until it arrived at my USA mailbox and after that I ordered my USA shipping agent to send it to me in Nigeria using DHL and he just charged my Naira Debit card for the international shipping cost.

I got a US shipping address from my US agent after registering for a membership plan and afterwards, I was able to buy anything I want on several US websites that accepted Nigerian debit cards. After the vehicle replacement part was delivered to my US address, I was able to get it in Nigeria within 5 working days and was able to track the progress on DHL's online tracking website.

What I'm trying to say is that you can import vehicle spare parts into Nigeria from the USA through fast delivery service providers like DHL, FedEx or UPS by just making use of your Naira card and a US shipping agent. It may cost more than buying a used version of the spare part from the local market but it probably makes more sense given that you know you are buying an original and brand new replacement part for your vehicle.

How much does it cost to import items through DHL or other courier services? Well, it depends on things like the weight and size. Mine was about 10 lbs and that cost me about $180. You can always estimate your shipping cost before making your order.

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