There’s no doubt the best deals can be found online. That applies to replacement passenger seating as much as anything else.

But buying passenger seats online isn’t simply a matter of looking for the cheapest price. You need to buy high-quality products direct from a trusted UK manufacturer to get the best possible value. Which is easy to say.

But what should you be looking for in the manufacturer or supplier you choose? Here’s a short tick list of how to identify the best new seats for the coach, bus, or minibus you’re upgrading or refurbishing.

A quality product

No surprises that this is top of the list. Of course, you want the best possible product that your budget allows. After all, poorly made seats won’t last very long and are a false economy. You don’t need to be told that. But how do you gauge the quality of a product from a photo on a website?

One way is to look at the website. If it’s an auction site and the seller isn’t known in the trade, the chances are the seats are cheap imports from the far east. Avoid.

If, on the other hand, the website belongs to a British manufacturer of long-standing you know each seat will be subjected to rigorous quality control and MUST be made to conform to UK and EU industry standards which are the toughest in the world.

Short lead times

There’s not much point in tracking down great seats if you have to wait months for them to be delivered. Some suppliers or manufacturers simply don’t have the resources or capacity to deal with bulk orders. They’re able to cope with an order of one or two seats but that’s not much use when you’re looking to refurbish a full coach or bus.

Make sure you call the company before placing any order to reassure yourself they have the capacity and resources to deliver on time.

Must read article: Best minibus seats

Cut out the middleman

It makes sense doesn’t it? You can cut out the middleman (and his profit margin) by going straight to the manufacturer. Most suppliers of van seats source their inventory from manufacturers either at home or abroad. The margin they need to put on their seats when they resell them make them prohibitively expensive.

But by going directly to a manufacturer like Alpha Seating you can buy at trade prices. Buy quality and help your bottom line by buying passenger seats online directly from the British manufacturer.

The sale shouldn’t be the last word

On worry when you buy your new passenger seats online is about the after sales service you will receive. It’s fair to say that sellers on auction sites and even most suppliers think their obligations end when your money hits their bank account. Plainly this isn’t acceptable.

Alpha Seating provides a full after sales service. We’ll make sure you’re completely satisfied with the seats you buy from us. We won’t be happy until you’re happy and the seats are installed and ready for use in your vehicle.

Must read article: Van Seats Buyer’s Guide

A little bit about Alpha Seating

An experienced manufacturer of passenger seating we have been producing high-quality products in our Leicestershire premises for many years. All our seats meet industry standards and we have many, many satisfied customers up and down the country.

One of the things we at Alpha Seating pride ourselves on is our short lead times. No matter how big or small your project we can manufacture and deliver your order faster than anyone in the trade.

Our guarantee to you is that we will ensure the seats for your project will be of the highest standards and will be delivered on time and on budget every time.