I’m done with Rock Auto

I've had good luck with Rock Auto - had an issue with an item years ago, and they sent a replacement with no hassle.  I also cross-shop prices with Amazon (Prime), and RA is almost always cheaper.  I've used Amazon in instances where I needed things ASAP, but RA's shipping is usually much quicker than their stated time (most things arrive for me in 2-3 days).

I still have mad love for RA. Just got my the last part of my order delivered today, most of it came yesterday, all of it about 4 days earlier than quoted. That's been the norm for most of my orders.

Have used them for returns, incorrect item shipped, item came defective, no hassle either time easy peasy. I also had a power steering pump go bad 3 times while under warranty, while I had to front the money to get the new part, I was always refunded when they old part was shipped back, and it's not their fault the rebuilds were garbage. I did all those through their online form and email, but I prefer that vs calling. 

Yes the shipping algorithm is wonky sometimes, yes it takes some work to make sure you don't end up with high shipping costs but the bulk of my parts orders go through them.

Of course I shop around like everyone else, most of the time I don't need instant gratification and will check ebay or amazon with a quick look at the FLAPS. This last order I ended up buying two parts from Advance with their free shipping and 25% off code nobody else was close on the pricing. Funny enough that order was placed before the RA order and came at the same time as the last item from RA. 

PS I love getting free magnets. My collection is quite decent if I don't say so myself.

Another option is that places like Summit Racing now carry a pretty impressive selection of replacement parts.  I've had excellent luck with Summit and their customer service is top notch.  I've ordered stuff from them, selected cheapest shipping, and gotten it the next effin' day.  (I'm in Maryland, and their closest shipping hub is Ohio).  Orders over $100 ship free.  

I have like 50 pages worth of Summit Stickers.  I'll never use them all.  

I just received my last refund for the returned parts. However, the return shipping tag they sent me, which I ASSumed they were covering due to it being their mistake, was deducted from my refund($5.88). 

In retrospect it probably is a very good thing they eliminated their customer service phone number after all...

I ordered 500 worth of miscellaneous stuff for the Mazda and Mercedes, it shipped from four locations; three boxes arrived. So; I got the belt but not the tensioner, the brake pads but not the rotors, the strut bearings but not the struts, the wheel bearings but not the seals, etc...

and the other box with all of that stuff in it is lost in Jersey.

Not sure if I've mentioned it before but I bought a Bosal system through Rock Auto and was thoroughly happy with everything.  Realized the body guys didn't change the Cali sticker on the hood and I now needed a center section for a Federal car.  Advance Auto was next day pick up next county over ordering from Sunday at list price.  Neither Amazon nor RA came close that time.  RockAuto is good but ya gotta shop around I've learned and I don't even spend that much.  And yes they do 'under promise over deliver' on shipping. 

My kid (2.5yo) loves the magnets, and I've been an RA customer for so long, we have about 40 of them. 

One time, there was a stack of boxes on the porch from RA.  He said to me "Dad, can you help me open those boxes so I can put a magnet on the fridge."  Who would say no to that?  So we did.  First box - no magnet.  Second box - no magnet.  Third box, he's getting antsy and I'm getting nervous - no magnet.  WhatTheberkeley. 

I fire up the old interwebs, looking for a customer service number.....found the corporate number, but called it and the recording makes it clear that it is not for customer service.  Eventually, I found a number, only to be told that not all of their warehouses stock magnets.  And, of the ones that do, when they run out, they run out.  I understand that, in principle.  But when a customer calls you (customer service) telling you that his son, who loves your magnets, is extremely disappointed that there wasn't a magnet in any of the 3 boxes you just sent, common sense would say that you tell the customer "we'll make it right, I'll drop a magnet off my desk into the mail right now."  You'd be keeping 2 lifetime customers for the cost of some goodwill and a stamp.

Anyway, I still order from RA, because the intersection of price/selection/quality and fitment/part number information meets my needs. 

The shipping algorithm needs serious work, but my workaround is to just add every part in a category to the cart, and throw them all out but the ones I want to keep. Works pretty well, ususally.

Just to bring this back up. Ordered a fender liner, came in. Tried installing it only to find out that half the holes don’t line up and the thing is so flimsy it won’t even stay in the inner lip of the fender. Try to do a return only to get denied because it was installed. Guess I learned my lesson. Sure it was not $21 but that’s the last $21 they will ever get from me. 

Terrible customer service. Tried emailing only to have the email sent back as undeliverable, incorrect address from their link. So purchase at your own risk. 

About the only thing they are good for is a parts cross reference site. It is sad as years back they were great to deal with. Now I think the have just got to big for there infrastructure and instead of expanding that to keep up with things the bean counters won and they decided to cut out the part of the business that was deemed as overhead. After all if you don’t offer customer service you can’t have bad customer service. 

I ordered a belt for the forester and they listed the belts for the turbo motor under the NA engine selection, so I got the wrong one and it doesn’t make sense fiscally to return it.  I think i’m just going to use them for finding part numbers so i can shop elsewhere unless they’re just so silly cheap that it doesn’t make sense to go somewhere else 

Yeah. Lesson hard learned 

Their email is now finally working. I sent an email showing my displeasure. I highly doubt I will get any resolution but at least I am trying. 

Ironically, I still see their ads on the site. 

BASICALLY told to go screw myself. Nice. 

So yeah. Don't buy from Rock Auto if you want quality, correct or accurate parts. 

I have had complete success with every order from Rock Auto so far.  I'm sure it won't last.

From my local parts store (and the guys there know me well), have given me the wrong part, given me the packaged-wrong part, and have given me a used-part-in-the-right-package as well.  They have also re-sold me parts I've personally returned as defective. Plus that used part? Yeah, that was re-sold to me again, a year later.

It's just a problem with people and business.  It shouldn't be, but it is.

SkinnyG said:

It's just a problem with people and business.  It shouldn't be, but it is.

Unfortunately that’s same everywhere.  I returned a cracked shower surround to Home Depot and let them know it was cracked when I opened it, and the box was taped up and back on the shelf the next day.  From menards last week we got a railing box that was still strapped but someone cut the tape on the end and took the brackets out, and a pocket door frame with no hardware inside the still strapped packaging.  I try and check packages but when you’re loading a van full from a forklift it’s hard.  

The worst rock auto one was they sent me an axle, it wasn’t even the correct type in the box with the right part number.  They wanted me to pay the return shipping on their berkeley up.  Stupid axle is still in my parents basement 10 years later 

volvoclearinghouse said:

Another option is that places like Summit Racing now carry a pretty impressive selection of replacement parts.  I've had excellent luck with Summit and their customer service is top notch.  I've ordered stuff from them, selected cheapest shipping, and gotten it the next effin' day.  (I'm in Maryland, and their closest shipping hub is Ohio).  Orders over $100 ship free.  

I have like 50 pages worth of Summit Stickers.  I'll never use them all.  

They have a deal with the usual carriers to just leave a trailer on site.  Two or three times a day, the carrier drops off an empty and takes off with the loaded one.  Summit does all the legwork on the packing end.

Patrick said:

I ordered a belt for the forester and they listed the belts for the turbo motor under the NA engine selection, so I got the wrong one and it doesn’t make sense fiscally to return it.  I think i’m just going to use them for finding part numbers so i can shop elsewhere unless they’re just so silly cheap that it doesn’t make sense to go somewhere else 

Thats all I have used Rock Auto for for 15 years.  Amazon and Ebay get 100% of my online parts buying business.  Rock Auto is a pain in the butt but their cross referencing and part details are nice.  I get 5% on anything bought from Amazon which helps lessen the blow, I live in WI so I pay sales tax on Rock Auto anyway (not that I wouldnt pay tax if they were out of state, just sayin), and Amazon Prime shows up in like 30 seconds with free painless returns if something is wrong.  My time is worth enough that it is not worth the Rock Auto struggle.  

bobzilla said:

Just to bring this back up. Ordered a fender liner, came in. Tried installing it only to find out that half the holes don’t line up and the thing is so flimsy it won’t even stay in the inner lip of the fender. Try to do a return only to get denied because it was installed. Guess I learned my lesson. Sure it was not $21 but that’s the last $21 they will ever get from me. 

Terrible customer service. Tried emailing only to have the email sent back as undeliverable, incorrect address from their link. So purchase at your own risk. 

I still am flabbergasted that they would claim you can't return a part that was made wrong because you went through the step necessary to learn that it was made wrong. That's pretty sad and terrible.

dculberson said:

bobzilla said:

Just to bring this back up. Ordered a fender liner, came in. Tried installing it only to find out that half the holes don’t line up and the thing is so flimsy it won’t even stay in the inner lip of the fender. Try to do a return only to get denied because it was installed. Guess I learned my lesson. Sure it was not $21 but that’s the last $21 they will ever get from me. 

Terrible customer service. Tried emailing only to have the email sent back as undeliverable, incorrect address from their link. So purchase at your own risk. 

I still am flabbergasted that they would claim you can't return a part that was made wrong because you went through the step necessary to learn that it was made wrong. That's pretty sad and terrible.

No kidding. I'd take that up with my credit card company at that point.

it's $21. I've learned a very valuable lesson and I will make sure I spread that word to everyone I can. 

Dead_Sled said:

I got three magnets with one order once, twas a pretty good day! 

I like the idea of a RA magnet trading pool, I know I have a few duplicates.

Hey!

I also have some duplicates.  

If you want, just let me know which ones you have available and let's do a trade!

On my side, I have these duplicates available for trade : 

all between 2 and 30 (except #5), 47, 62, 133, 144.

Let me know!

Used to be the worst complaint you could get was the one you didn't get. Maybe not so much anymore. 

I'm guessing I have placed roughly about 200 orders total from Rockauto. I do know that I placed exactly 61 orders from RockAuto in 2018, totaling roughly 10k dollars. Not one single complaint. I had to return two items out of all that and it went seamlessly.

2019 is off to a hell of a start with my RA orders and still not one complaint.

Amazon and eBay just can't touch them on prices delivered to my door.

This was five years ago and it still irritates me to the point that every time I see there commercials on tv I think about it and get pissed off. 

https://classicmotorsports.com/forum/grm/rockauto-playing-games-with-prices/90314/page1/

I have used them since but checked prices carefully. I have never had a bad or wrong part shipped and cores have been handled in a timely manor getting credit in about 10 days usually. 

But the whole playing games with the prices is still a sticking point with me and has permanently soured me on them.

I will use them as a last resort now.  Amazon is the go to source now.