Rock Auto Problem
 

Warning: Complaint coming. I will never order anything from Rock Auto again until I hear that they have a number where you can actually speak with a person. I ordered shocks for my Suburban a week ago. Fedex tracking number said delivery this past Saturday. I waited around all day but they were a no-show. Now tracking shows that they delivered them at 4:58 Saturday. I don't know where they delivered them to but it definitely was not to my house. Fedex help desk on Monday said if I don't have them by Wednesday (today) tell Rock Auto that they are lost and to send me another set. Rock Auto help screen now says they are in transit and wait untill the 28th to see if they show up. From Rock Auto Help screen:

"Your package is still on it's way to you! If you are worried because the tracking does not work or has not updated recently, please note that it is possible for packages to go without a scan for days at a time. If you do not see any ADDITIONAL scans by May 28, please return to this page to report the package missing at that time. We will not be able to pursue the situation until then since we must allow the carrier a chance to deliver the part to you. Please see our Help page for more information."

I have no choice but to wait until the 28th as the help screens don't give me any other choice. Rant over, thanks for listening.

Re: Rock Auto Problem
 

"rock auto" is only a facilitator for a collective of independent auto parts stores (its the hubs, not the smaller stores). its the same way you can search salvage yards at car-part.com. except rock auto can access the inventory of the hub, negotiate the sale and shipping, and then takes a small percentage for themselves for arranging drop shipping from the hub. so you are really at the mercy of the integrity of the hub.

lately I order from amazon, the price is the same or even cheaper once you figure the free shipping. its the same deal, amazon is the facilitator, but they also punish harshly for non performance. I worked in a retail electronics company and we were always bending over (backwards? forwards? you decide) for amazon.

as soon as you said saturday delivery, I knew there would be a problem. a lot of unscrupulous delivery drivers work saturdays and dont get to go home till they finish their routes. they will see a delivery that is way off their route or in a PITA location, and they will "deliver it" without being anywhere close, and then make a note to deliver it another day. if I see I have a saturday delivery date, I call and request a monday, because I live 1 mile north of town on a dead end almost rural street, not a lot of delivery trucks make it this far out and on saturday I have "lost" a fair number of things on saturdays.

Re: Rock Auto Problem
 

A lot of Fedex drivers and especially on weekends are "contract" drivers who are considered to be independent rather then FEDEX employees. Usually someone working it as a part time job. I've had trouble with them walking past the box have set up to place packages in and setting packages on the hood of my wife's car or walking past the same box to set them inside the gate .

The mail man figured out the box the first time he drove down the driveway with a package, UPS figured it out and the driver (who is The driver for this town) thanked me for having it and he uses it all the time.

When DHL was around they were terrible and just pitched the package over the fence where the dog that I had then chewed up a couple of packages .

I had five packages stolen out of my mailbox out on the road in one day a couple of years ago by a couple who would follow the mail driver around his route and steal packages and look for checks. My driveway is 400 ft long so I don't have that issue with Fedex pr UPS packages but that is a thought. Someone could have stolen the shocks if they were actually delivered.

Re: Rock Auto Problem
 

A good portion of my day to day job is logistics.

I have paid massive amounts of money to have things delivered on Saturday.
I have sat at the office or job site all day waiting for Saturday deliveries.

Like JoeDoe, I avoid Saturday Deliveries at almost all costs. If a customer/factory wants to try it, I am quick to inform them that it likely won't work out.

Also, for <150 bucks, a doorbell cam is a nice investment.

The "GoControl" cam I bought requires no subscription, unlike the Nest, and captures pictures to send to your phone upon detection.
You would have been able to see the FedEx guy (or not).

Re: Rock Auto Problem
 

I'm always a little worried about stuff disappearing from my doorstep before I get home. I think a door cam would be a good idea.

Re: Rock Auto Problem
 

I've only dealt from Rockauto a few times but several forums are showing 866-762-5288 as a contact number. Press 0 then 3 then 4. Maybe this doesn't get a real person?

Also, several Amazon orders that I've placed were actually sold by https://www.autopartskart.com/ . I've ordered from this company directly to save a few more $$ and I've had good luck so far.

I'm watching prices more closely lately. I ordered a set of step bars from Amazon for $130. The seller left a copy of Amazon's invoice in the box. Amazon paid $49!!! I was a little upset about the amount of markup.

Re: Rock Auto Problem
 

most ups, fedex or postal deliveries around here get dropped on the step, the guy rings the bell and is driving away before anyone can possibly get to the door.like they sprint to the truck.I know, they are busy, but just a couple seconds would make the difference. there are a lot of people who survive with no job, they just steal deliveries from everybody's front door step and sell them for what they can get I guess. thats why door bell cams are so popular.

Re: Rock Auto Problem
 

I know rock auto is cheap but consider them to be like something you buy at a garage sale.(if the parts show up) the stuff may not fit properly or it may be damaged but you just gotta suck it up cause they aint taking it back. resell I guess.

Re: Rock Auto Problem
 

I've never had an issue with deliveries from Rock Auto and one thing to remember is that normally they sell several grades of a lot of items.

What I do use their website a lot for is to find a part number for Moog or another name brand top rate part and then search that part number for the best price including shipping.

On Amazon if you have prime the shipping is included in the price and while it might be higher than some vendors it comes out far less when you factor in the shipping costs and we all need to be price shopping anyhow.

I was thinking this morning that I have a big aluminum truck tool box (cross box) that I bought to use on my car trailer but the thing is too big and that would be the perfect drop box for UPS or Fed ex as a guy could put a good hasp and padlock on it and ask that they lock it when they leave a package.

Re: Rock Auto Problem
 

I've bought lots of stuff from Rock Auto. Only had one radiator hose not show up. Rock Auto sent me another one in a few days. A week later my neighbor across the street found my package on his front porch, he doesn't use his front door much, goes in and out thru garage. I called them to see if they wanted one returned, and they said keep it.... Good company!:lol:

Re: Rock Auto Problem
 

Rockauto is my number one go to place for parts. They frequently have parts that others do not and the prices can be significantly lower. I have had no issues with delivery from Rockauto.
I have noticed that many Amazon prices have increased in the last couple of years (Amazon is my number two go to place for auto parts).

Wade

Re: Rock Auto Problem
 

Having lived in an area where it was hundreds of miles to the next town, I have to wonder what happens when brick and mortar retail is completely gone. Do we stop needing parts quickly? Do we get used to paying hundreds of dollars for overnight shipping? I try to make sure the stores near me get business, too.

Re: Rock Auto Problem
 

To play devils advocate a bit, there is a reason why rock auto is so cheap compared to the auto stores....low overhead costs. If you desire a hands on customer experience then you will need to pay for it, such as NAPA. Personally, I love Rock Autos low overhead model because I am cheap; I have ordered 100's of parts from them and I am amazed at how fast and well packaged my parts come.

Re: Rock Auto Problem
 

I understand the communication with RockAuto is one of the issues you have and that SUCKS. But on the FedX tracking, that is NOT RockAuto's fault and they have no control over it.

I have bought and sold thousands of items on eBay, the USPS tracking as of late has been HORRIBLE. I have left stuff off at the Post office just a block from my home, handed it to someone and three days later it's not even in the tracking, like they didn't receive it! Then, on the flip side, I have a box of parts from LMC trucking saying USPS delivered it, the USPS web side on the tracking said "Delivered" to my work address. Then THREE DAYS LATER I was personally handed it by the mail carrier without any reason why this happened!

So as I tell my customers when I sell something on ebay "Look at the tracking with a loose eye, don't take it too seriously" and tell them what I just told you so they fully understand. It's frustrating, it used to be way more accurate.

Brian

Re: Rock Auto Problem
 

As for ordering from Rock Auto quite often they are the only one who has the parts outside of an ebay seller who has the part listed by part number but not application.

I bought most of the chassis parts for y 71 3/4 ton by finding the Moog Part number and then searching the part number and finding it on Ebay for a real friendly price. A number of sellers who buy out store or ware house stock by the pallet just list it by part number and a basic description with their markup over what they paid for it.

Re: Rock Auto Problem
 

I never had any issues with RockAuto until I ordered a gauge cluster for my Trailblazer that had a $500 core charge. I found out that their customer service is a little lacking. It took 6 weeks for them to credit the core charge back to me. They claimed the core charge had to come from the manufacturer. If I had ordered it from Advance Auto, or Oreilly, the credit would be back in my account when I walked out of the store.

Re: Rock Auto Problem
 

Rock Auto has finally acknowledged that my parts are missing and said they would investigate it with Fedex. If no resolution by June 1st they would replace the parts. Fortunately it's shocks, so my Suburban is usable.

Re: Rock Auto Problem
 

On cores sent in like that I think that the rebuilder has to be satisfied the core is the correct (and rebuildable) core for what they sold.

Years ago when I was working in a parts house we had a couple of cores rejected because they weren't the correct core for what was sold on some hard to get cores.

Re: Rock Auto Problem
 

I get it, but it’s still frustrating when that much money is owed back to you.

Re: Rock Auto Problem
 

My frustration is that core acceptance/rejection is arbitrary and done "somewhere else" with no way to correct the issue. And they keep the core even if you don't get the credit! That is not right.