[3_dirty_5]

Im looking to do some exterior mods on my 335i and i am fairly new to all this (grill, splitter, spoiler, diffuser,exhuast all that good stuff) and im the type of person to search for things for hours on end to find the best price. One place that i look at often is ebay and i always wonder why the prices are always different. for example i found a black kidney grill from $114( the first option) and another for $60! both the sellers have great feedback too. So im wondering, is there a difference between the two? is one possibly fake?

should i just spend a few more bucks and buy the parts from a site like getbmwparts.com which i believe is legit.

also, thoughts on just plastidipping my front grill?

if these questions are stupid please go easy on me im just a noobie trying to learn :-)

[retiredmarine]

I think $60 is the normal price for each kidney grill, you might have seen a quote for both. I check getbmwparts, ebay, **********s, and just shop around. I actually just got my splitter from a BMW dealership in Pennsylvania for $420 shipped off ebay. However, I found the best price for the rocker panel extensions at getbmwparts. So it just depends. I always am kind of cautious on ebay, and check the reviews. Hope that helps!

[Fanitron]

99% of the stuff you'll find on eBay, especially if it's being shipped from Asia (i.e. China, HK, Taiwan, etc.), is not "authentic" and will usually be either lower in quality or have fitment issues. A lot of times for things like a spoiler, you'd have to use excessive pressure to make it sit flush on the trunk which can be an issue over time as the adhesives breakdown and the part starts to pop back up. Anyway, it's not always true so if you decide to go that route just be aware of the inherent risks.

[mike@x-ph.com]

Products on ebay are cheaper because they are made and shipped from China.
Vendors in the US have more labor cost to make the product, more cost overall (rent,technicians, salesmen, advertisements), they have to pay membership to be able to be vendors in forums (like this one), plus they provide warranty on their stuff.
I know ebay has a buyer protection thing BUT you still have to pay for shipping.
Doubt it anyone is going to pay ~100-200$ to ship a product back to China.
My advice to you is to get Ebay stuff if what the part that you are getting is small, inexpensive and easy to install. If your product does not fit all the descriptions mentioned, jut get the product from a reputable vendor.