Jimny headlight: unexpected hiccup

This is just a general share of experience. My rebuild is in for its 3rd MOT and it was to be given an advisory for a glazed headlight, drivers side. I want no advisories (another story) and expected this, no issues I have a spare, perfect headlight. Except I discovered it to be for the pax side. So I ordered a replacement from onlinecarparts.co.uk. And fell into a huge hole. First it is not UK based, but Germany so I lost 10 days waiting for the part to arrive, but more importantly I did not become careful to confuse LHD and RHD parts. After fitting the headlight (for which I must pay, obviously) it was found to be for a left hand drive vehicle when they tried to set the beam. And here is what lead to this: when entering the vehicle particulars it did not warn that the part was for a LHD vehicle or that it did not fit. They used the wording "for right hand traffic" in the description. This means a left hand drive vehicle, as I now realise. On their other headlights they used the phrase "Left hand drive / right hand drive".  I have since sourced one locally and problem should be solved soon but be aware of the subtle difference in wording when used to describe parts relating to LHD and RHD vehicles. My fault entirely, the phrase is actually perfectly clear in true German fashion (I live in Germany, just work here.....), but for the unsuspecting, I guess easy to misinterpret.

(now.....anyone want a brand new drivers side headlight works great in LHD vehicles, going cheap.....? )

That's an easy mistake to make! I've been caught out with LHD clutch cables before.
Glazed headlights can be easily restored with polish. You can get kits specifically for the job, which also include a UV protector to delay further degradation. I tend to just use some Autosol polish.

Onlinecarparts, Buycarparts and autodoc are all appear to be the same company. I had a terrible experience for my other car (German make).

It needed new O2 sensors, I had the part numbers, but Buycar... told me the part numbers were wrong and I needed different ones. OK, they said 2 days delivery, after 5 days nothing arrived so I contacted them, they hadn't even left the warehouse in Germany.

Just to add insult to injury, I then found the part numbers they had given me were wrong and were not going to work. I then tried to cancel the order, they said they couldn't, the order had left, it hadn't didn't leave for another 3 days.

I bought the correct parts in the UK, for less money (PartsInMotion) and they arrived next day, so got agreement to cancel the order from Buycar.... To do that I had to reject the parcel when the postie tried to deliver otherwise I would have had to pay postage back again.

They got the returned parcel back in about 5 days, but took another 3 weeks to give me my money back, I had to threaten to go VISA to get the refund.

I am sure mine is an isolated case, but no way can this company deliver in 2 days to the UK from Germany, not when it takes them a week to ship it out of the factory.

Unfortunately, I won't buy from one of these companies again.

If you buy from a UK company it arrives quicker and if you get the wrong part, you can usually send it back.

Robin

I had tried sanding & polishing the old (itself a replacement @ £40... what was I thinking) headlight but I was not successful. It looks great front on, but when viewed from the side I could see myself the level of remaining glazing was unnacceptable. I have no issue with the examiners advisory, he is very strict but fair.

As Robin mentions below, it is extremely frustrating when dealing with what intentionally fully appears to be a local UK company only to find it is based outside the country. When you strike any form of problem you are sunk.

From the reaction so far I will not get my £170 back. What makes it worse is I was able to get the part locally for 30% less, and within 2 days of order.... (bad luck had it that the local supplier was closed when I originally needed the part).

Well, we learn. Win some lose some...