Four photographs, minimum
Front, rear, the connector or label, and any damage — of the actual part being offered. A stock image, or a photograph of a similar unit, means removal from the platform.
Standards
What a seller has to show you.
Sasta Spares does not test parts — we never hold them. What we do is set the standard sellers must meet before they can offer anything, and it goes further than photographs. Different components can be checked in different ways, and sellers must say which checks they carried out.
The honest version
Nobody can guarantee the remaining service life of a used component. What proper checks do is catch the units that are already faulty, damaged or outside acceptable condition, so those never reach a buyer. That is what these standards are for, and it is why a seller must also state the warranty on an eligible spare, or say plainly that the part carries none.
Required on every listing
The minimum, regardless of the part
Honest condition
Anything visible that a buyer should know about, described plainly. Cosmetic wear is normal on a used part; hiding damage is not.
Checks actually carried out
Which of the checks below were done, and which were not possible. Claiming a test that was not performed is grounds for removal.
Compatibility stated
Which vehicles, generations, engines and variants the part suits — and the OEM number where it is legible on the part itself.
Warranty on eligible spares
How long and what it covers, before a buyer accepts. Not every used part is eligible for one, and a seller offering none must say so plainly.
Legitimate stock
Lawfully obtained, from a verified business. Airbags and pyrotechnic restraints are not permitted on the platform at all.
Component by component
What can be checked, and what cannot
This is the reference we hold sellers to, and it is worth reading as a buyer so you know what to ask for. Some parts can be assessed thoroughly on a bench. Others can only be judged on a vehicle. Nobody should claim otherwise.
Alternators
One of the components that bench-tests best. A seller should be able to confirm: visual inspection of housing, mounting ears, connector and rear cover; pulley and bearing assessment for roughness or play; free-wheel pulley function where fitted; and electrical output and regulator behaviour across the operating range.
Limit: a bench test confirms it charges correctly today. It cannot predict how long it will keep doing so.
Starter motors
Visual inspection of housing, nose cone, mounting flange and terminals; pinion and drive gear condition; solenoid operation and pinion throw; and a bench test for motor operation and no-load current draw.
Limit: a no-load test does not reproduce cranking a cold engine. Brush wear is the failure mode it is least good at catching.
AC compressors
Visual and mechanical inspection of body, ports, mountings and the shaft seal area; pulley and clutch assessment for bearing noise and play; shaft rotation for seizure or drag; clutch coil continuity and engagement.
Limit: full performance testing needs the compressor in a charged, leak-free system. No seller can bench-prove cooling performance. Installation matters more here than almost anywhere — flushing, a new drier, correct oil charge and proper evacuation.
Brake calipers
Physical inspection of body, bleed nipple, mounting points and slide pins; piston movement and retraction; seal, dust boot and bore condition; electric parking brake actuator function where fitted.
Limit: safety-critical. Must be fitted by a competent workshop, bled correctly and road-tested. Sellers should decline rather than offer a caliper they are unsure of.
Sensors
Visual inspection of body, connector pins and sealing; continuity and resistance checks where the sensor type allows; signal output testing where equipment and reference values exist; part number verification against the application.
Limit: many sensors only behave meaningfully under real operating conditions. A bench check confirms the sensor is electrically sound, not that it reads accurately in service.
ECUs and control modules
The hardest category, and the one where a seller must be most explicit. Visual inspection of housing, connectors and pins for water ingress or previous repair; hardware and software number verification against the buyer’s application; donor vehicle history where available; vehicle-level testing where practical.
Limit: a control unit generally cannot be fully validated off the vehicle, and many require coding, programming or immobiliser matching before they will function at all. Sellers must disclose this. Buyers should confirm their workshop can code the unit before accepting a bid.
If a listing does not meet this
Tell us. Every listing is recorded permanently, so a description that does not match what arrived is a matter of record rather than argument.
- Misleading photographs mean removal from the platform
- Claimed checks that were not carried out mean removal
- Undisclosed damage is grounds for a return at the seller’s cost
FOR SELLERS
These standards are the product
They are what makes a buyer willing to send money to someone they have never met. A seller who meets them consistently builds a rating that wins the next deal without competing on price alone.
Any issue? Sasta Spares customer support will help you.
Part not as described, seller gone quiet, warranty claim, payment question — you deal with us, not with a stranger. We hold the record of every deal made here, and we take it up with each side ourselves.
Two sides. One marketplace.
Tell us the part you need and verified sellers come to you with photographs, condition and price. Or browse what they already have listed.