RockAuto Shipping Blunder

bobzilla said:

No, I usually get the wrong item and then get screwed on the return. Its why I refuse to use RA and advise others to do the same.

I got the exact same wrong item from them twice in the row despite replying to them with pics comparing the two. They did totally refund me though. It was an FA20 grooved serpentine belt pulley. I ended up regreasing the bearings on my old one and it's held up for many months so far.

I have a couple of random grooved pulleys I got for free if anyone's interested...

In the holiday spirit, I can't help but pile on, regarding FedEx. Never had a problem with them, until...

Ordered a couple parts from China (nothing made-in-the-USA was available). Went from China to Memphis in about two days, I was impressed... and then it just stopped. Expecting a note from Customs, and waited, and waited, and waited. Finally received a link to a Customs form, filled it out the same day, sent it back and waited a week. Asked if they needed anything else, no reply. Waited another week, asking again if they needed anything else, no reply, and the package sat in Memphis. A day later, my shipment schedule was updated to show that FexEx was shipping it back to China, and attempting to collect $600 in both shipping and reverse tariff from the manufacturer.

The manufacturer has been extremely helpful and understanding, and offered to try sending it again via UPS. Even though it's not their fault, they're trying to help me out, which is more than I can say for FedEx. To be fair, it's unclear who the real screw up is, them or Customs, but still.

In defense of rock auto the last couple of things I have got from them have been painless. Even had a coupe arrive a day early.  
 

No magnets though. My son was disappointed he has been "collecting" them and putting them on the down stairs frig since we was little.  He is 17 now but it started when he was 5 or so. It is still a thing for him and in a way for me as well as he is growing up so fast. 

Sometimes E36 M3 happens.

Back in the 1970s I ordered a super duper set of variable rate tapered diameter sports coil springs for my Volvo 1800 from the local Volvo dealership. They shipped from Sweden and would take over a month to show up by boat. After a month, I would call the dealership every week and to check up on their status. After 2 months they said that they where finaly in New York and were on there way to North Dakota. After another month or so, they said that they where in Los Angeles. They never did show up and they had to order another set from Sweden and eventually after over a year from my first order, they showed up. I suspect that everything ordered from Volvo shipped from Sweden by slow boat back in those days.

I've had a couple items I've ordered that weren't right, but nothing super expensive. 

Recently, I had an AC metal line show up folded in half to fit in the box. RA sent a second one right away and I had the replacement 2 days later. 
 

If I need something I think might need to be returned, or doesn't look right on the RA site I will get it locally, even if it costs more in order to make any returns or exchanges easier. 

The other thing with RA is to open and inspect what you get as soon as you get it.  I have herd many stories of people ordering something putting it on the shelf and then 2-3 months later when they need it they find out it is the wrong part.  

A really good experience with RA I had was I saw on GRM an add for complete cat back exhaust systems on RA and the benifits of using them versus piece a system together from parts. I looked it up for my wife's H2 as it needed replacing. Very reasonably  priced came in a couple days and fit really well. The install was painless. Overall a great experience.  

I've had issues like this with FedEx orders from RA. Usually going to FedEx is easier than dealing with RA.

I hate when RA sends me the wrong part and I end up having to spend more time and money on returning their berkeley up along with a reorder

In defense of RA, even though i have has issues with some things.

After getting a clearly counterfeit ac delco idler arm from Amazon, and also a counterfeit replacement from Amazon I went to rock auto placed an order for the same part  and got a genuine ac delco part and not a 12 dollar chinesium arm in an ac delco box.

Started with Amazon cause it was 10 bucks cheaper and free 2 day shipping( remember when prime had 2 day shipping???).  Shipping had played a big part cause I wanted to get the job done.

After all the bs I really wished I went straight to RA in this case.

There are a lot of moving parts here and so many potential pitfalls but..................it's hard to get good help anymore (or any help), massive increase in shipment volume in general compounded by the holidays, temporary seasonal delivery/sales help, bad weather etc. I sell a lot of things online and you can just expect things to get wonky around the holidays. I am not defending anyone or dumping on them just saying there are many steps and variables under the best of circumstances. 

I have a fridge half full of rock auto magnets, I could count my issues on hand. I got the wrong part right box one time, and they sent me a brake caliper for a jag I don't own another time.

DHL is the only carrier I've never had any issue with. In fact, they beat their delivery estimates pretty consistently.

Guess I'm lucky?

Cactus said:

I have a fridge half full of rock auto magnets, I could count my issues on hand. I got the wrong part right box one time, and they sent me a brake caliper for a jag I don't own another time.

 

DHL is the only carrier I've never had any issue with. In fact, they beat their delivery estimates pretty consistently.

 

Guess I'm lucky?

Ditto here. I've got almost a full fridge of magnets and I've had one issue with RA. They shipped a metal framed oil pan gasket (for LS motor) in the same box as a pair of 3/4 ton truck shocks, so the gasket got all bent up. I made my online claim, they shipped a replacement out free of charge and I had it in my hands 2 days later.

I'll also echo the fact that DHL is my favourite shipper. Living in Canada, FedEx and UPS have customs fees that are basically extortion. DHL has always been cheap and reliable in my experience. Canada Post/USPS is also cheap, but slow.

Cactus said:

I have a fridge half full of rock auto magnets, I could count my issues on hand. I got the wrong part right box one time, and they sent me a brake caliper for a jag I don't own another time.

 

DHL is the only carrier I've never had any issue with. In fact, they beat their delivery estimates pretty consistently.

 

Guess I'm lucky?

I've had mostly good experiences with them as well, I think apart from the wrong pulley(s) issue I've only had a problem with 1 other order over the years.

I forgot I've had oil filters with crush damage more than once. Nothing bad enough to not use them though.

I think I only had one problem with them that I can blame on them.  I bought an A/C clutch for a Ford and apparently there are a couple different part numbers and their descriptions didn't really make it very clear which was which.  I can't remember exactly what it boiled down to, but whatever the way to tell the difference was not part of their description - they said it was only for models without the overhead AC and Heater.  The car did not have those, but it was still not the right clutch.  Their position was that I had to pay return shipping because they called out what the difference was and I should have used that information to select the right part.  When I tried to explain that my car met their description but it still didn't fit, their response what that the part would only fit if my vehicle met the requirements of "w/o aux overhead AC and Heater".

Other than that my only problems with Rock Auto have been with the fact that they use FedEx.  It's a couple bucks cheaper to send it to a commercial address and I work on everything over at the shop anyway, so why not just have it shipped there?  Sometimes the driver will just leave the package if I'm not there.  Sometimes, he'll sneak in, drop the package and leave and I won't know he's been there.  Sometimes, he makes me come out and sign for the no signature required package.  Sometimes, he leaves it at one of the other suites.  Sometimes, I watch the berkeleyer just drive past if the parking lot is busy and he doesn't feel like trying to navigate it and I immediately get a "delivery attempted, bushiness closed" status.  Sometimes, he knocks on the garage door which is 50-60 feet away from the office instead of following the "office ->" note and arrow on the garage door and coming around the side of the building to where the man door is open.  The last packages I had, I called FedEx and told them that it was okay to leave them.  I even have a vinyl on the door that says "FedEx / UPS: If no answer please leave packages here".  I've also physically talked with the driver in the past and told him explicitly that if I wasn't there, it was okay to leave packages by the door and he said that was fine.  But this time he left a second door tag.  I called fedex a second time and had them put another case on my address and on the package's tracking number.  I got a third door tag.  One of those times, I was actually there and he wasn't going around to the man door.  Finally, I put a note on the garage door that said "HEY FEDEX:  1) The office door is around the side. Note the word "office" and the arrow directing you to the side of the building. 2) JUST LEAVE THE DAMNED PACKAGES!"  That finally worked. 

The part that kills me about that is that home deliveries never have a problem like that - they don't even ring the doorbell; they dump and run.  So they charge me less to make three extra stops and three extra loading and unloading of the package....

I've used RA a lot with no problems.  Now I have a problem and (like most things these days) there is no way to talk to a person to explain or hopefully resolve the issue.  My issue does not fit any of their boxes on the "help" part of the website.  Amazon is no better.  Nor is UPS.  Customer service is going, going, nearly gone.