Natural Talent

On 9/11, Mr. [redacted] ordered headlamp bulbs for his 1978 Cadillac Fleetwood. On 9/15, he went to our Order Status & Returns page to report that he received the wrong parts. In his report, he noted that the bulbs he received did not say the word "HALOGEN" on the front of the bulbs, as the...

images show. As our Help page explains, manufacturers sometimes make minor changes without changing the part number so the part may look slightly different than the picture in our catalog, but the fit and function should be the same (http://www.rockauto.com/help/?page=4#WRONGPRT). We authorized his return and provided return instructions. However, and as our Help page explains, shipping is not refundable unless the return is due to our mistake (http://www.rockauto.com/help/?page=4#Returns). He returned his parts and we issued a refund for them (less the cost of the return shipping label he used) on 10/2. We have no plans to contact Mr. [redacted] further regarding this order.

Our Warranties page explains that, like other retailers of branded products, RockAuto does not offer any product warranty of our own--we honor the warranty provided by the manufacturer of the product. As shown on this page and the Info page for the purchased part manufacturer warranties for A/C...

compressors require proof of purchase of an Orifice Tube, Drier, and A/C System Flush to prevent premature failure of the compressor. Miss [redacted] purchased the drier from RockAuto, but she is not able to provide proof of purchase for the orifice tube and flush, so the warranty is void.If Miss [redacted] provides us with a proof of purchase for the orifice tube and flush, we will provide return instructions with a pre-paid shipping label and issue a full refund once the part is returned.

This
customer placed an order for a differential rebuild kit. This kit is
sold as a single unit, which means kit components can not be returned
individually; rather, the kit must be purchased and returned as a
full kit.
The part listing specifies that the kit
is intended for vehicles with HD...

Positraction (Limited Slip)
or Locker differential carriers. The customer's vehicle has a G80
Limited Slip differential carrier, which this kit was not listed for.
As a result of ordering a kit for a differential carrier he does not
have, the carrier bearings included in this kit were too large for
his vehicle.
The customer has already installed the
remaining kit components. As our Help
page explains, we do not accept returns of parts that have been
installed or modified. Our initial offer of a partial refund was
given as a courtesy gesture prior to confirmation that the customer
did not have the HD carrier. However, after confirming that this was
misordered but that RockAuto listed this kit correctly and shipped
what the customer ordered, no refund is due. Fortunately, all
components except the carrier bearings will work for his vehicle. In
the future, we recommend checking that all
details in a part listing match the customer's vehicle to ensure
fitment.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.]So, all they have to do is say that they won't make a refund for a shady transaction that they did. If the roles were reversed, I know I wouldn't be able to walk away saying that I have nothing more to say to a company that knows I owe them money. 
Regards,
[redacted]

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
RockAuto continues to avoid the fact that they assured that I could place an order for the new part and would be refunded in full, including the cost of outbound ground shipping (copy of email attached and copied directly below)."This part is still covered by the manufacturer's warranty so we can replace it for you. Please place a new order for the same part number online. Once you've received the new part, installed it and verified that it works, you can visit our order status & returns page: http://www.rockauto.com/orderstatus and set up a return as Broken or Defective in the new order. We will refund the new order in full, including the cost of outbound ground shipping to get the part to you. We only ask that you pay to send the part back."As I mentioned before, I still have the brand new unused part (photos attached) and am requesting RockAuto to stand by their word and issue a full refund of $134.69 ($122.29 plus $12.40 S&H) in exchange for sending the part back. I regret I have no other recourse except escalating to DATCP and the Attorney General's Office if RockAuto does not agree to the solution that they had originally proposed.
Regards,
[redacted]

We are sorry the pads Mr. [redacted] ordered did not contain the hardware he expected, and that the replacement appeared to have been "molested". We provided return instructions and a pre-paid shipiping label to return the second set of brake pads when he contacted us on 6/28/16. A manager returned his...

call later that day and offered to have FedEx pick up the package as a courtesy. The package is on the way back and we will issue a refund for the cost of the brake pads and the associated shipping, within 3 business days of delivery. We will not try a third timeto meet Mr. [redacted]'s expectations, nor provide additional compensation.

Our Warranties page explains that, like other retailers of branded products, RockAuto honors the warranty provided by the manufacturer of the product (http://www.rockauto.com/docs/warranty.php). Mr. W[redacted] purchased a dash board cover by Coverlay in February and reported his problem in October. We...

provided warranty replacement options. Mr. W[redacted] chose to place a new order, then return the defective part for a refund of the new order. After he placed his order for the replacement, the manufacturer updated their warranty policy to state that "uninstalled products reported defective after 30 days of receipt will not be covered under warranty." When Mr. W[redacted] returned the defective part, Coverlay determined that the part warped due to not being installed within the first 30 days and denied the warranty, per their new policy. On reviewing Mr. W[redacted]'s order, we found that the change occurred after Coverlay authorized the warranty replacement for his uninstalled cover and issued a full refund for Mr. W[redacted]'s order on 11/16.We are sorry for our mistake on Mr. W[redacted]'s order and hope he gives us another chance in the future.

On 8/8/2016, Mr. [redacted] ordered a part by part number, not by using our vehicle catalog. On 5/25/2017, he went to our Order Status & Returns page to report that the part did not fit. In his report, he noted that he planned to install the part on a 2014 Subaru Legacy, which this part is not...

intended to fit. As our Help page notes, parts may be returned for a refund within 30 days of purchase (http://www.rockauto.com/help/?page=4#Returns). Since 11 months have passed since Mr. [redacted] placed his order, we will not accept his return.

On 4/19, Mr. [redacted] went to our Order Status & Returns page to report that he received the wrong part. We authorized his return and provided return instructions. We refunded him for that part 5/1/2017.On 4/21, he returned to our website seeking authorization to return a part from the same order...

that he did not want. He did not finish his report. We never authorized his return and did not provide instructions on how and where to return the part.On 5/21, he contacted us asking why we refunded him for just the part he was authorized to return. He claimed he returned the part he was authorized to return on 4/19 and the part for which he attempted to get return authorization (but did not) on 4/21 in the same box. We explained that we did not know he planned to return two parts because we did not authorize a return for more than one. We followed up with our warehouse and they confirmed they only received one part, for which we have already refunded. We will not refund Mr. [redacted] for a part he was not authorized to return and we have no record of receiving.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID 11725815, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.]
Regards,
David M[redacted]

Mr. [redacted] set up a "Part Not Wanted" return on our Order Status & Returns page. As our Help page explains (http://www.rockauto.com/help/?page=4#Returns), shipping charges are not refundable unless the return is due to our mistake. We provided return instructions that directed him to pay all...

brokerage and transport charges, but he did not pay these charges and chose to have them billed to the recipient. The package was therefore refused by our warehouse. Mr. [redacted] did not return the part with a label from our site, so we were unable to confirm why his return was sent back to him when he called. We suggested he contact UPS for more information. If he would still like to return the part, we advise him to carefully follow the return instructions for international shipments. We will issue a refund once the part is returned.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  I will be contacting a lawyer and filing in small claims court. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.]
Regards,
[redacted]

On 5/23, Mr. [redacted] went to our Order Status & Returns page to report a problem with the fuel tank & pump assembly he ordered on 11/17/2016. We authorized his warranty and asked that he place a new order for the same part. When he was ready to return the defective one for a refund, he would...

need to return to our Order Status & Returns page to obtain return instructions and, if he wanted, a return shipping label.On 10/26, he inquired about his refund. Our representative determined that Mr. [redacted] had not yet arranged a return for his defective part. We authorized his return and instructed him to enter his tracking number on our Order Status & Returns page so we could see if his part had been delivered to the correct place. We have not heard from him since.On 11/14, our warehouse received his part. We issued Mr. [redacted]'s refund later that day.

We are sorry if our employees were less than professional. We are not mechanics or technicians, so we are not able to provide technical assistance when choosing parts but we do have an extensive Help page to help with part selection. Mr. [redacted] placed his order Sunday afternoon and requested to...

cancel his order on Monday when we explained that we could not add additional parts to an order that had already transmitted. His order was confirmed canceled on Tuesday and we emailed his confirmation at 8:11 am CST. We are not sure why he did not receive this notice.RockAuto does not charge the credit card until the order ships. However, some banks put an immediate "hold" on the account in response to a request to authorize a transaction. Pending authorizations are temporary holds by the bank, not RockAuto, and the bank is responsible for releasing the funds back to the account. The pending authorization for $69.53 would have been released into his account in accordance with his bank’s funds availability policy.

I am rejecting this because the part was not damaged when it left my possession. I did pack it back into the box just as requested. I used everything to pack it back in that it was shipped in. I did as instructed. I can't say enough that it was not damaged when it let me. I feel this company doesn't want to give me my money back because I did not reorder a part from them. I just would like my money refunded. I know I will not get my shipping cost refunded but I do feel I should be refunded the cost of the grill. If the part would have been damaged in my possession, I would not have returned it, but it was not. I am asking that I please be refunded my money from this company.

On 3/13, Ms. [redacted] went to our Order Status & Returns page to report that a part she ordered on 1/17 did not fit. As our Help page notes, we have a 30 day return policy. We denied her request for return authorization given that she waited more than 30 days to arrange her return.

"We have not discontinued customer service, nor communication with customers by email.During the month of September, Mr. [redacted] ordered two Davico brand catalytic converters, part numbers 18327N and 18326N. Both parts carry a 25,000 mile manufacturer warranty. During the month of November, Mr. [redacted] visited our Order Status and Returns page to arrange a warranty replacement for both catalytic converters. To replace these parts, he chose to purchase new units of the same brand and part number, with the intent of returning the defective units for a refund. He placed his order for the replacement units on 11/24/17.The first replacement was delivered to Mr. [redacted] on 12/1, in the afternoon. The second replacement arrived minutes after the first, but was refused by Mr. [redacted] for unspecified reasons; it was returned to our warehouse. Late in the evening of 12/1, he arranged a return for the defective unit whose replacement he received and accepted. We refunded Mr. [redacted] for the replacement unit he refused, part number 18326N, on 12/8. On 12/12, we issued a refund for the defective unit that he returned in order to complete his warranty claim for part number 18327N.We are not sure why Mr. [redacted] refused his replacement for part number 18326N. So long as he has not exceeded the warranty mileage interval, he is welcome to complete his warranty replacement for this part, either by returning the defective unit in exchange for a replacement, or by purchasing a replacement unit and returning the defective one for a refund. However, we must advise Mr. [redacted], as our warranties page does, that warranties cover replacement only, and neither of the two parts mentioned in this message are eligible for a refund (http://www.rockauto.com/docs/warranty).

On 12/26/2017, Mr. [redacted] contacted us to report that a part he originally ordered on 11/30/2011 failed again under warranty. We authorized a return and provided return instructions.Our warehouse received his part on 1/6/2018. We attempted to refund the Visa card Mr. [redacted]'s originally used to place...

his order, but the card issuer denied our attempt. When card issuer's deny our refund attempts, our system automatically issues a refund in the form of a store credit (to prevent violating merchant agreements we have with credit card companies). He received his store credit on 1/17.On 1/18, Mr. [redacted] contacted us again to request a refund. His concerns were escalated to one of our managers, who promised to mail a refund check. Due to confusion between our manager and our crediting department, a refund check was never sent to Mr. [redacted], for which we apologize. Rather than mail him a check (which might get lost and will create work for Mr. [redacted] to deposit), we will refund $98.64, the balance of his store credit, to the Visa card he used on his most recent order (Confirmation # [redacted], placed 11/12/2017).We apologize for any frustration caused.

We have nothing further to say to Mr. [redacted].

We are sorry Mr.

[redacted] waited 8 months to report his problem. We have nothing further to say to him.