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My Auto Store is an ARA Authorized Airbag Reseller

My Auto Store Becomes Certified ARA Airbag Reseller with Impressive Score

My Auto Store recently received the 2023 Certified Automotive Recycler (CAR) and Recall certification from the Automotive Recyclers Association (ARA), who is the voice of the professional automotive recycling industry. The certification allows more than airbag sales, it also provides a guideline of compliance and excellence for businesses to follow a strict set of US standards through the CAR program.

My Auto Store is the latest business certified to sell recycled air bags and we are among a small group of businesses certified to sell airbags in the United States this year. As an authorized recycled OEM non-deployed vehicle airbag reseller, customers can legally purchase airbags on our website. Our airbags are a good alternative to ordering a new replacement for a fraction of the price.

This is the first time My Auto Store applied for the prestigious CAR certification, and we received an exceptionally high score of 98.57% that is remarkable for a newcomer. Most certified businesses during their first year usually average in the 80% range, according to Sue Schauls, the ARA consultant and Executive Director of the Iowa Automotive Recyclers who certifies each business. She was hired to enhance the CAR program because of her extensive background as an environmental and safety expert and experience in the auto recycling industry for 28 years. The certification ensures consumers know they are purchasing recycled parts from reputable businesses that have safe, compliant workplaces with quality parts in the United States.

While companies new to the CAR program that score well receive scores in the high 80s, My Auto Store exceeded expectations. “(My Auto Store scored) phenomenally well! Hardly anybody came through the program and scored that high up. Nearly perfect! Most of them that did really, really well came in right around 87/88%,” Schauls said. “I found myself acting like a regulator. I don’t even know these people. How can they be perfect? Having been in the industry for 30 years. I thought I knew all the perfect people.”

My Auto Store has been compliant with regulations before going through certification and we had all the proper paperwork in place for the process before the December 31st deadline. This ensures My Auto Store can sell recycled airbags on eBay this year. A pass/fail system was previously used to determine certification. ARA recently changed to a points system to encourage businesses to constantly strive for a perfect score each year.

“The reason why you scored so well. Probably the reason why when you first were presented with having to be certified. It might have seemed like a ridiculous thing to have to do because you already knew you were doing all of the regulator requirements of the program,” said Schauls.

“My Auto Store came in and scored as well as people that have been in the program for a very long time. The people that have used the program to increase their compliance. In comparing My Auto Store to the 150 members that had been in the program on an ongoing basis, (My Auto Store) still scored very high even in comparison to existing members that have been in the program for many years,” she stated.

Auto recycling businesses must pass a variety of scores ranging from environmental standards to general business standards during their ARA audit to receive certification before the deadline. In order to pass, companies must receive a minimum score of 70. There are approximately 1,000 auto recyclers who are

ARA members in North America and approximately 200-250 product and services vendors across the globe are associate members. So far, nearly 90 companies have been approved as airbag reseller in the US. Schauls estimates that a total of 300 businesses may qualify to sell airbags on eBay this year.

“The cohort. Up to 300 people could get there in 2023 because that’s how many people are in the CAR program. The 900-1,000 people that are ARA members have a path to getting the airbags on eBay Motors,” Schauls estimated. “With the 160 new members, not all of those have yet entered into the CAR program but their intention is to. We had an exist 150/160 members that have been in the CAR program. Not everyone chose to be certified every year, especially during the pandemic. Our entire universe of who’s in the CAR program or going to be in the CAR program is about 300 right now.”

The estimated 300 authorized airbag resellers might seem like many; however, that is only a fraction of the 11,000+ registered auto parts recyclers in North America. That is approximately 30% of the automotive recycling businesses in the US and Canada.

eBay Motors have recently required businesses have a recall certification to resell airbags on eBay since October 1, 2022. My Auto Store is among the businesses in that small group of authorized airbag resellers. eBay Motors reached out to ARA, who has been using their own industry-leading certification program for many years, to help them improve quality control for recycled airbags and other auto parts sold through the website. ARA reports to eBay for the certification. Businesses must be certified to sell airbags.

“We think our process is really good. If whatever recall comes down the pipe later then we’ll be ready. We have procedures in place on what do you do if you get notified that a part that you already sold was recalled. We’re going a little above and beyond what the law requires us,” she said.

Automotive recycling businesses must register each year to qualify the CAR certification. Companies must go through an auditing process with ARA to receive certification every year. Regulations often change so the ARA implemented a compliance checkpoint system for vehicle records in 2020 to stay up to date. This online record program improves the CAR certification process, making it easier for auto recyclers to go through each step. The certification adds value and helps businesses like My Auto Store maintain their safety excellence each year.

“That has really made it easier for everybody to be CAR certified. We’re really trying to make it a lot more user friendly and the entire purpose of the CAR program isn’t really to give people badges of honor but it’s to have every single automotive recycling facility in the ARA membership,” she stated. “As they go through the process they start to see that instead of being the award or the certificate at the end of it. They see that the value is actually in the process.”

Schauls explained the CAR certification’s advantages for new business, “We have all the resources that you need to get where you need to go. The new people don’t even know the real value because one day, sooner or later, an inspector, a regulator is going to walk into their facility and the minute they do…you say, ‘Well we have a program that we participate in. We annually audit ourselves.’ The whole thing diffuses the interview or inspection by the regulator.”

The CAR certification is a testament to My Auto Store’s high standards for providing top-quality and safe products for consumers. Whether you are ordering an airbag or another part from My Auto Store, you are purchasing from a certified business and you are receiving a 6-month warranty with each part.

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