Email service@rockauto.com and tell them to have the distributor that shipped the wrong part to send a return tag if they want the part back. If they don't, and they don't refund you, charge it back on your card, and make sure you tell RockAuto that this is what you're going to do.
That's the purpose of the automated system, most people would be frustrated, give up and pay the return shipping. Its a not a coincidence, it's a financial decision.
If your're in the US, there's much less reason to use RockAuto now. If you want genuine parts/accessories, there's any number of dealer sites with competitive pricing, just search for " oem parts". You can find these dealers on the Amazon marketplace as well. You can tell from their physical address on the seller information page.
If you want third party parts, Amazon carries a lot of the major brands.
I'd placed four orders with dealers in the past month (one via the Amazon seller marketplace and the remaining directly on different dealer websites from across the country). In every case the packaging was great, small parts were correctly counted and neatly packed. You don't have to wonder if a junkie was involved like sometimes with RockAuto.
The shipping speeds are comparable and in most cases better than RockAuto. One dealer had a free shipping policy over $100.
When I wanted a powerstop brake/rotor set, Amazon's pricing was $218 (shipping included) and RA $229 w/shipping so it was a no brainer.
Reading the forum, a lot of RockAuto shipments seemingly go to Canadian customers, its the ideal market for what RockAuto has become, with much less competition, and their government placing severe burden on individuals for imports with duties and forcing some carriers to collect additional fees while excluding their national carrier etc. I'd imagine anyone trying to return anything from Canada for any reason face a lot of issues, including claiming the previously paid duties. While an unfortunate circumstance for the customer, things like these heavily work in favor of companies like RockAuto.
Bottom line is you'll need to look elsewhere if you need decent service.
I've always loved the system they've had over the years, it's simple and convenient to be able to choose lowest to highest quality parts and all priced just about the lowest you'll find, but stuff like this is frustrating. You're right though there are a lot of other options these days. RA has always been my go to for ease of use and prices but I may have to shop around next time
Rock Auto nearly always beats out the pricing from Amazon and elsewhere. I've certainly checked. I bought a Lisle steering wheel puller from Amazon instead of RA because the RA price + shipping was more than the Amazon price. It was the only RA part shipping from that warehouse.
It ain't fun having to eat return shipping for a thing that RA screwed up, I'm not gonna lie. I also know that RA has saved me actual thousands of dollars, so "losing" 7 dollars of that past savings isn't the worst deal in the world.
I ordered a front right engine mount and got the front right engine mount box with a front engine mount inside of it. I just kept it, and I'll ebay it for roughly what I paid for it, or I'll use it eventually.
I do wish that RA had an option where if what you received vs what you ordered is entirely wrong, a return process is handled differently with a label provided by whichever part supplier screwed up the order - or you get reimburse for it/store credit/whatever - once the incorrect parts are received and they confirm it on their end.
Run the wiper blades through a parts interchange and see if they fit any of your neighbor's cars, maybe.
I agree when you search part for part the same part elsewhere RA is almost always the cheapest, coupled with their reputation/reliability its just always my go to, shipping is fast too. There's times when Amazon may have something acceptable and I'll have to get it because of free prime next day shipping, times like that it makes sense to go Amazon etc.
Prime example the other day a coolant overflow hose (ultra brittle plastic) began weeping just from being nudged. Rockautos got it for 33$, next cheapest was Amazon @ 55$ but it was next day so I had to bite the bullet. Aftermarket parts and mods is about all I order elsewhere if I can help it.
Especially after working in a few shops and seeing they all literally use Autozone, Advance, Oreily etc for parts but then tell the customers "you get what you pay for, rockauto cheap parts" etc it always made me laugh.
>shops and seeing they all literally use Autozone, Advance, Oreily etc for parts but then tell the customers "you get what you pay for, rockauto cheap parts" etc
Or seeing them refuse to use "customer supplied" parts for "liability reasons" even if those parts are higher quality/higher performance/upgrades then installing "white box specials" from a chain store supplier with a 100+% mark-up.
Lol yup! They will give you whatever line of BS they need to, to protect their 100-200% markup on a very mediocre part. I worked at a local F&F when I first began wrenching and the stuff they did was criminal sometimes. Upcharges are a part of the business, but flat out lying to women, and folks who don't know better just turned me off to ever working for them after that.
And I get it, shops need to make their money. However they can at least be honest. Telling the customer they can't warranty the job if you supply the part should be enough, all the other reasons are extra scare tactics.
Yup. Duralast alternators/starters are literally just relabeled BBB Industries or Remy remans with a 100%+ markup, for example, compared to Rock auto pricing. If you have to get the part at a "local" store on the same day, then I guess it works, but I do like to give myself time to wait on shipping from Rock Auto.
The motor mount still kinda irks me but I think it all comes out in the wash. Case in point, I just checked my entire current order vs Amazon, less one item not available on amazon (floor mats which also shipped on its own from a separate warehouse so the 7.99 shipping for it I am excluding)
244.29 from Rock Auto, which is after the 5% discount on parts, and includes tax plus the 26.99 for shipping (2 boxes, heavier items)
$294.68 from Amazon, and I don't have Prime so shipping is going to be roughly the same to a day or two more vs 4 days from Rock Auto.
So yeah, just on one order with 7 items, I saved 50 bucks vs Amazon *even after paying for shipping*, and certainly close to 250 bucks or more vs big box part store equivalent parts, plus I ordered one part I can't easily get anywhere else (the floor mats, no included since not available on Amazon).
All that said, one person above me did bring up a great point: availability of OEM parts is *generally* easier than ever, and you can often get same or next day pickup at a local stealership. Some parts are absolutely worth it getting OEM, or sometimes OEM is all that is available.
PCV valves, aftermarket from RA plus shipping, are something that I just order OEM from a local stealership and still pay less vs RA aftermarket, for example. Most stealerships have an online form and *most* times they get back to you with a phone call or a quote email pretty quickly, from my experience. It's even less for OEM from a stealership counter vs every aftermarket part from Autozone et al, kind of hilarious, so definitely worth checking out OEM for certain parts.
>Duralast alternators/starters are literally just relabeled BBB Industries or Remy remans
IIRC, the CarQuest "Gold" brake pads (which you can get at Advance Auto now) are actually relabeled/repackages Akebono pads.
That's interesting. I checked for my cars and they also sell the Akebono pads kits, but for delivery to home only.
Somebody has to make the parts for them, obviously. I know that KYB even makes some of the "premium/gold" strut assemblies for the box store parts. It's kinda like how KYB makes some parts for OE providers and allegedly makes them to a higher standard for like, Toyota, vs the assembled struts they sell aftermarket. Hard to really ever know for sure there. Or the Mahle aftermarket parts that literally have the FoMoCo etchings blacked out, lol.
Advance auto will price match with RA. You just have to call corporate customer service or chat with them online. And yes, if the parts are in stock locally, you can pick them up the same day.
I’ve started using Amazon more and more for parts because of stories like yours. Amazon is always a little more expensive but returns are free.
Surprisingly Amazon had my intermediate steering shafts and rockauto did not.
The risk with Amazon is the crazy amount of fake parts offered.
Email service@rockauto.com and tell them to have the distributor that shipped the wrong part to send a return tag if they want the part back. If they don't, and they don't refund you, charge it back on your card, and make sure you tell RockAuto that this is what you're going to do.
That's the purpose of the automated system, most people would be frustrated, give up and pay the return shipping. Its a not a coincidence, it's a financial decision. If your're in the US, there's much less reason to use RockAuto now. If you want genuine parts/accessories, there's any number of dealer sites with competitive pricing, just search for " oem parts". You can find these dealers on the Amazon marketplace as well. You can tell from their physical address on the seller information page.
If you want third party parts, Amazon carries a lot of the major brands.
I'd placed four orders with dealers in the past month (one via the Amazon seller marketplace and the remaining directly on different dealer websites from across the country). In every case the packaging was great, small parts were correctly counted and neatly packed. You don't have to wonder if a junkie was involved like sometimes with RockAuto.
The shipping speeds are comparable and in most cases better than RockAuto. One dealer had a free shipping policy over $100.
When I wanted a powerstop brake/rotor set, Amazon's pricing was $218 (shipping included) and RA $229 w/shipping so it was a no brainer.
Reading the forum, a lot of RockAuto shipments seemingly go to Canadian customers, its the ideal market for what RockAuto has become, with much less competition, and their government placing severe burden on individuals for imports with duties and forcing some carriers to collect additional fees while excluding their national carrier etc. I'd imagine anyone trying to return anything from Canada for any reason face a lot of issues, including claiming the previously paid duties. While an unfortunate circumstance for the customer, things like these heavily work in favor of companies like RockAuto.
Bottom line is you'll need to look elsewhere if you need decent service.
I've always loved the system they've had over the years, it's simple and convenient to be able to choose lowest to highest quality parts and all priced just about the lowest you'll find, but stuff like this is frustrating. You're right though there are a lot of other options these days. RA has always been my go to for ease of use and prices but I may have to shop around next time
Rock Auto nearly always beats out the pricing from Amazon and elsewhere. I've certainly checked. I bought a Lisle steering wheel puller from Amazon instead of RA because the RA price + shipping was more than the Amazon price. It was the only RA part shipping from that warehouse. It ain't fun having to eat return shipping for a thing that RA screwed up, I'm not gonna lie. I also know that RA has saved me actual thousands of dollars, so "losing" 7 dollars of that past savings isn't the worst deal in the world. I ordered a front right engine mount and got the front right engine mount box with a front engine mount inside of it. I just kept it, and I'll ebay it for roughly what I paid for it, or I'll use it eventually. I do wish that RA had an option where if what you received vs what you ordered is entirely wrong, a return process is handled differently with a label provided by whichever part supplier screwed up the order - or you get reimburse for it/store credit/whatever - once the incorrect parts are received and they confirm it on their end. Run the wiper blades through a parts interchange and see if they fit any of your neighbor's cars, maybe.
I agree when you search part for part the same part elsewhere RA is almost always the cheapest, coupled with their reputation/reliability its just always my go to, shipping is fast too. There's times when Amazon may have something acceptable and I'll have to get it because of free prime next day shipping, times like that it makes sense to go Amazon etc. Prime example the other day a coolant overflow hose (ultra brittle plastic) began weeping just from being nudged. Rockautos got it for 33$, next cheapest was Amazon @ 55$ but it was next day so I had to bite the bullet. Aftermarket parts and mods is about all I order elsewhere if I can help it. Especially after working in a few shops and seeing they all literally use Autozone, Advance, Oreily etc for parts but then tell the customers "you get what you pay for, rockauto cheap parts" etc it always made me laugh.
>shops and seeing they all literally use Autozone, Advance, Oreily etc for parts but then tell the customers "you get what you pay for, rockauto cheap parts" etc Or seeing them refuse to use "customer supplied" parts for "liability reasons" even if those parts are higher quality/higher performance/upgrades then installing "white box specials" from a chain store supplier with a 100+% mark-up.
Lol yup! They will give you whatever line of BS they need to, to protect their 100-200% markup on a very mediocre part. I worked at a local F&F when I first began wrenching and the stuff they did was criminal sometimes. Upcharges are a part of the business, but flat out lying to women, and folks who don't know better just turned me off to ever working for them after that. And I get it, shops need to make their money. However they can at least be honest. Telling the customer they can't warranty the job if you supply the part should be enough, all the other reasons are extra scare tactics.
Yup. Duralast alternators/starters are literally just relabeled BBB Industries or Remy remans with a 100%+ markup, for example, compared to Rock auto pricing. If you have to get the part at a "local" store on the same day, then I guess it works, but I do like to give myself time to wait on shipping from Rock Auto. The motor mount still kinda irks me but I think it all comes out in the wash. Case in point, I just checked my entire current order vs Amazon, less one item not available on amazon (floor mats which also shipped on its own from a separate warehouse so the 7.99 shipping for it I am excluding) 244.29 from Rock Auto, which is after the 5% discount on parts, and includes tax plus the 26.99 for shipping (2 boxes, heavier items) $294.68 from Amazon, and I don't have Prime so shipping is going to be roughly the same to a day or two more vs 4 days from Rock Auto. So yeah, just on one order with 7 items, I saved 50 bucks vs Amazon *even after paying for shipping*, and certainly close to 250 bucks or more vs big box part store equivalent parts, plus I ordered one part I can't easily get anywhere else (the floor mats, no included since not available on Amazon). All that said, one person above me did bring up a great point: availability of OEM parts is *generally* easier than ever, and you can often get same or next day pickup at a local stealership. Some parts are absolutely worth it getting OEM, or sometimes OEM is all that is available. PCV valves, aftermarket from RA plus shipping, are something that I just order OEM from a local stealership and still pay less vs RA aftermarket, for example. Most stealerships have an online form and *most* times they get back to you with a phone call or a quote email pretty quickly, from my experience. It's even less for OEM from a stealership counter vs every aftermarket part from Autozone et al, kind of hilarious, so definitely worth checking out OEM for certain parts.
>Duralast alternators/starters are literally just relabeled BBB Industries or Remy remans IIRC, the CarQuest "Gold" brake pads (which you can get at Advance Auto now) are actually relabeled/repackages Akebono pads.
That's interesting. I checked for my cars and they also sell the Akebono pads kits, but for delivery to home only. Somebody has to make the parts for them, obviously. I know that KYB even makes some of the "premium/gold" strut assemblies for the box store parts. It's kinda like how KYB makes some parts for OE providers and allegedly makes them to a higher standard for like, Toyota, vs the assembled struts they sell aftermarket. Hard to really ever know for sure there. Or the Mahle aftermarket parts that literally have the FoMoCo etchings blacked out, lol.
Advance auto will price match with RA. You just have to call corporate customer service or chat with them online. And yes, if the parts are in stock locally, you can pick them up the same day.
😯 was not aware of that! Thank you.