RockAuto

I had a customer service issue and asked to speak to the employee's supervisor. He told me that he and all of his coworkers are supervisors and that there was no one above him that I could speak to. Seems very strange that everyone is a supervisor and that no one is accountable to anyone. Very suspicious.

Rock Auto sent me the wrong part and contended that the correct one was shipped. Customer service changed the reason for the return from"shipped wrong part" to "part not wanted." They wanted pictures of the part they sent prior to my returning it. These were supplied. They still demanded that they shipped the correct part even though it in no way resembled the part pictured on their website. They would not refund shipping costs even one way or issue a credit. Misleading pictures of parts for sale is false advertising, and downright fraud. Attempts to explain this to them via email and phone were fruitless. Buyer beware!!!

I purchased a set of front sway bushing for my truck, when I received them (2) were blue and two were black, they were suppose to be blue. They refused to replace as so I would have all blue or black. Their customer rep. explanation was that they were not defective because I ended up with two different colors, and if I wanted a matching set I would have to return them at my cost and to reordered another set.

On 3/22/16 at 11:51 am. Placed and order for two Control Arms for 98 Lincoln Nav. Also paid for 2 business day shipping Fedx. Received one of the arms today. Invoice indicates that two where in the box ...only ONE was in the box!!!!!!!!!!! It dose not indicate where the other ONE is. Called Rock Auto asked to speak with Manager was refused to be transfered... explained that I was missing one part and that the next day the car was going into service and wanted to know where the other part was!! Was told it will be shipped out sometime next week. But was told it was in stock and they both will be sent and received by the 24th...hence paying for 2 business day (FedEx) was told there was nothing can be done and when I said. You an ship the part overnight, I WAS TOLD NO...IT CAN'T BE DONE...I ASKED 4 TIMES. AND THAT I WILL BE CHARGED ANOTHER 2 BUSINESS DAY TO SHIP THAT PART.. Then I ASKED FOR a refund he said that it will be sometime next few weeks!!! I have used your company in the past and so has others that I recommended to use your company. I will no longer used your company and will tell others of your representative response to my order and the conduct of your representative could give a rats [redacted] as to where my order was and what was going on!!! Also I will report it to the Revdex.com. So now I will have to pay at someother place to get the parts I need.... oh and I will have to cancel my car appointment which will costs me 80.00 to cancel at last minute. All due to your companies incompetence. There was a time when customers mattered but I guess you don't anymore.

Review: I ordered ball joints from their on-line web site. The item that I received is not the item that was advertised. I ordered MOOG brand ball joints that come with mounting hardware and are greasable and serviceable. What I received was a standard ball joint that is not serviceable and has no mounting hardware.

I contacted RockAuto customer service to return the items and they informed me that I had selected a "Wholesale Discount" item and because of that, the item would not be as pictured on their web site and would come in a plain box. They sent me a link to their FAQ stating their policy on Wholesale Discount items. They even admitted in the email chain that the "wholesale discount" item was the default item selected because it was lower in price that it was my fault that I ordered it because I did not specifically change the field to "regular inventory" before adding the item to my cart. They said I could return the item but that I would have to cover the cost of shipping. I have spoken with the several times via email with no change in their policy. They still claim that it is my fault for not changing the default field to "regular inventory".

I understand that as a internet business, RockAuto LLC cannot cover return shipping on every item that is ordered incorrectly by their customers. However, in my case, it is clearly the fault of RockAuto that the order was placed errenously. Yet their customer service department will not agree to cover said shipping.Desired Settlement: Shopping on their website is misleading with the "Wholesale Closeout" items. They are selected by default but the line item contains the manufacturer, part#, picture, and technical details of their "regular inventory" item. The result is that the consumer is lead to believe that the item they are purchasing is the regular stock item at a reduced price when in fact, that is not the case. They are purchasing a generic item that may or may not match the item in questin.

Also, they do not offer pictures, technical details, manufacturer, nor part#'s for their "wholesale closeout items". They do have a policy on these wholesale items in their FAQ. But that is buried on their site and is not presented to the user before they make the actual selection or purchase of a "wholesale closeout" item.

They need to change their default selection to regular inventory to prevent consumers from accidentally ordering an item that is not what is being advertised. They also need to honor return shipping costs for customers who have fallen victim to this unintended false advertising.

Business

Response:

We are very sorry this customer

experienced confusion regarding the differences between the

Wholesaler Closeout and Regular Inventory Moog ball joints we have

for sale. He makes a valid point that our Info box does not point

out the differences in serviceable (regular inventory) vs.

non-serviceable (wholesaler closeout) ball joints.

Due to the inconvenience he experienced, we have removed all Moog

ball joints that were non-serviceable in the wholesaler closeout

category. We have contacted our supplier to confirm that these

wholesaler closeout ball joints are indeed Moog stock, which it

previously confirmed. Additionally, we are seeking ways to list

these wholesaler closeout ball joints separately over the next few

weeks, though this project has not yet been completed.

As a “thank you” to this customer for bringing this issue to our attention -- and as a compensation for

his inconvenience -- we have set up a return for him that allows him

to return the parts via a prepaid FedEx label, for a full refund of

the part cost and the proportionate amount of original shipping he

paid. We hope he will keep us in mind in the future!

Consumer

Response:

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response. If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

Review: I am performing a full engine rebuild on my Fiance's Toyota Camry (I am a certified mechanic). I bought almost all the parts for the car from rockauto.com (around $1,000). One part I purchased was a timing belt component kit which came with the belt, idler pulley, tensioner pulley, and tensioner spring. I installed everything and the bid day came and I started the engine for the first time. It idled fine but at 2,000 rpm the engine died and I heard a loud clang. I discovered that the timing belt shredded which allowed the crankshaft to rotate while camshafts were stationary which caused a couple pistons to collide with the valves. Now I have leaking valves, hours upon hours of work ahead of me, and at least $200 worth of parts that need to be replaced. After further investigation I found out why the belt shredded, it was because of the tensioner spring was too long. I bought another spring from a Toyota dealership and compared them, the rockauto.com spring is significantly longer. This caused my belt to not have enough tension which lead to all the other problems previously stated. I called the rockauto.com customer service number and was told that all they could do was replace or refund the cost of the spring (around $2.00). This was entirely unacceptable considering I have hundreds of dollars worth of damage.Desired Settlement: I would like them to send me a rebuilt cylinder head for a 1997 Toyota Camry with the 4 cyl, 2.2L 5SFE engine as well as a complete upper gasket set. I am not asking to be compensated for my time, but I need these parts and I can't afford to buy them, not after all the money I've already put into this car (especially after the $1,000 I've already spent on their website).

At the very LEAST, I would like a full set of valves and the upper gasket set. This would mean a lot more work for me but it would at least get the car running again.

Business

Response:

We are extremely sorry this customer

experienced the aforementioned trouble with the timing belt tensioner

spring. When he called to let us know about the problem, we

apologized and immediately set up a refund for him for the cost of

the timing belt, $12.49, which he indicated was an acceptable

solution. He called us back over 1 month later to explain the trouble

he discovered with the tensioner spring was due to its length. We are

uncertain why this was not investigated prior to calling with the

problem the first time on August 4. At that point in time, the

customer informed us that only the timing belt was damaged and did

not mention any damage to valves or other engine parts until his

second call regarding the problem on September 9.

RockAuto has a 30-day return policy,

during which parts can be returned for any reason. After that 30-day

return policy expires, RockAuto honors the manufacturer's warranty.

Typically, manufacturers do not cover any extra costs under their

warranty. However, the manufacturer of this timing belt component kit

considers labor claims, but only for the labor costs. The

manufacturer will not consider shipping out parts of a kit that were

not included with the kit in the first place, nor will it absorb

costs for collateral damages to other parts of the vehicle. The

manufacturer will not consider shipping the customer a rebuilt

cylinder head, a complete upper gasket set or a set of valves.

We contacted the manufacturer to look

into submitting a claim for this customer, and our request was

denied. The manufacturer stated the spring length difference should

have been caught before installation. At this point, while we cannot

ship out new parts to the customer that he did not order, we can

offer a settlement refund for the cost of the timing belt component

kit and the proportionate cost of the upper gasket set, approximately

$105. If the customer wishes to take advantage of this settlement

offer, we encourage him to email us directly as soon as possible at:

erica at rockauto dot com.

Consumer

Response:

Review: I ordered some parts from Rock Auto and I installed them on my vehicle without knowing they were the right or wrong parts, I just assumed that a auto parts specialist would know what they are doing. I did some research about these parts and they were in fact the wrong parts. We contacted Rock Auto and they told us that they could not do anything about it. So I took it upon myself to contact [redacted] of Rock Auto and he wouldn't do anything else for me. They hung up on me once on the phone and after that they were very rude to me.Desired Settlement: I just wish to send the wrong parts back to them and get the right ones shipped to me. The right parts cost less than the wrong ones and I don't care if I get my money refunded I just want the right parts please.

Business

Response:

We are very sorry this customer

received mis-boxed fuel injectors in February 2013, when he placed

and received his order. He contacted us 10 months later, 9 months

outside of our 30-day return policy, to notify us that his truck was

running badly and that he investigated the issue. According to the

customer, the poor running was caused by the incorrect fuel

injectors. He determined he received the incorrect fuel injectors by

comparing the part number stamped on them to the part number he

should have received.

We initially informed this customer

that there was no way we could process a return so far outside of our

30-day return policy. Additionally, the fuel injectors he purchased

were on wholesaler closeout (see our policies here:

http://www.rockauto.com/docs/warranty.php

and here: http://www.rockauto.com/lang/en/policy.html#Returns) and

carry only a 30-day warranty. Thus, a return at this point would be

both outside RockAuto's 30-day return policy and not covered under

warranty.

That said, there is clearly some shared

blame in this situation. While RockAuto obviously should not have

shipped him mis-boxed fuel injectors, the customer should not have

installed those fuel injectors and drove on them for 10 months.

At this point, a return of the

incorrect injectors is out of the question. However, we can offer a

negotiated settlement to the customer. If he would be willing to

place a new order for the same 8 fuel injectors, we can offer him a

50% discount off the entire cost of that order. If he is interested

in taking advantage of this negotiated settlement, we require him to

contact us personally, so that we may set it up for him. He must not

place the order before providing verbal or written confirmation to

RockAuto that he is willing to accept the negotiated settlement. We

encourage him to email erica at rockauto dot com at his earliest

convenience, to indicate whether he would like to accept the

negotiated settlement.

Review: I ordered a car part online Monday the 6th with ground shipping (1 to 2 business days). I was aware if would take 1 day to process order to be put out to FedEx. It is now Thursday evening and I just spoke to a customer service rep (did not get the gentlemen name) who was unable to help me understand why I paid for ground shipping and still do not have my product. I will not receive my part until Friday. I realize it is an estimate and sometimes is not correct. But I would think in this case they would offer a partial refund of shipping. I was then transferred to [redacted] (would not provide me his last name) who said he was a Supervisor for RockAuto. He took a rude tone as soon as he answered the phone call and was short with me and did not allow me to explain my side of the situation. I was not rude nor was I disrespectful and I did not appreciate the way he spoke to me. I did advise him I would file a complaint as I was not happy with how I was treated. I would hate to think this Supervisor spoke to other customers this way.Desired Settlement: I asked for a partial/full refund of my shipping because the shipping stated to me online when ordered was not correct.

Business

Response:

We are sorry this customer felt our

customer service was rude or disrespectful. All RockAuto employees

are trained to to administer company policies and clarify any

confusion. This customer purchased a part and chose FedEx Ground

shipping, which can take between 1 and 5 business days to arrive:

http://www.fedex.com/grd/maps/ShowMapEntry.do.

She likely saw a 1-2 business day ship

time estimate on our website when she placed her order. This estimate

is accompanied by a statement on our checkout page, as seen here:

https://www.rockauto.com/catalog/catalog.php?ckout=1&isajax=yes.

“Please allow one business day for

our warehouse to process your order, plus transit time for selected

shipping method, plus any delay shown above for non-stock items or

outlying warehouses, before expecting your order to arrive. "Receive

by" dates are best estimates considering these factors but are

not guaranteed.”

The part ordered had a 1 business day

delay, so it shipped the day after she ordered it, on Tuesday, Jan.

7. The part was in transit Wednesday and Thursday, arriving the

morning of Friday, Jan. 10, less than three business days after

shipping. When we explained this shipping time to the customer, she

requested a refund for her shipping. Since FedEx delivered the

package well within its 1-5 business day estimate, we declined

refunding her, stating that we do offer FedEx Express expedited

shipping options, which she did not choose. She then stated that if

we did not compensate her for a portion of the shipping paid, she

would contact the Revdex.com.

We are sorry if she was inconvenienced

by the package arriving later than expected, but we do not find it

reasonable to refund for a service the customer chose and received

within FedEx's allotted time frame.

Business

Response:

We are sorry if

this customer is confused by the conditions stated on our website. We

did indeed explain this part would take two business days to ship, in

various different places on our website. As stated previously, the

part was listed with a 1 business day delay in the part description,

so it could transfer to our warehouse from the manufacturer. We also

allow our warehouses 1 business day to process and ship all orders.

This note is listed on our Checkout page: “Please allow one

business day for our warehouse to process your order, plus transit

time for selected shipping method, plus any delay shown above

for non-stock items or outlying warehouses, before expecting your

order to arrive.” These conditions can be seen on the website here: [redacted]

Thus, in this

case, a potential 2 business day delay should have been expected, as

we now have explained thrice. We received the transferred part on

Tuesday evening, within the two business days allowed – one

business day for it to transfer from the manufacturer and one

business day for our warehouse to pack and ship the order. It was

picked up Wednesday morning by FedEx, two business days after her

order was placed online.

We

understand if this customer no longer wishes to do business with us,

but we cannot offer her compensation to assuage the mistaken

perception that our warehouse did not ship the part out on time.

Consumer

Response:

Review: The Power Window Motor was purchased November 15, 2013 after the original became inoperative. The repair was attempted by a dealer on May 14, 2014 and found that the part did not fit, it would not bolt in as an exact replacement would do. This was the passenger window, the driver side window motor was also bought under a separate order.

The time span between these should not matter . The onset of cold weather prevented the intended repair from being done; if it had been done by December 15, the same conclusion of

not fitting would have been found. The part was supposed to be an exact replacement . In fact, it was Not . If one did not fit, neither would the other.Desired Settlement: Authorize return of two power window motors.

Business

Response:

This customer

purchased two products from RockAuto, one on 11/15/13 and another on

11/25/13. At the time the customer purchased these parts, they were

labeled Wholesaler Closeout parts that carry a 30 day warranty

for any problems (fitment, function, damage) that arise. Had

the fitment difference been reported by December 25th, the

returns would have been accepted. However, all warranties have limits

and having promised a 30-day warranty we will not accept a claim six

months later. (Were a customer to buy a shirt off a clearance rack

and wait six months to try it on only to find he requires a different

size, the retailer would not be expected to accept the return.)

Review: Rock Auto's shipping policy clearly states: " We never add extra charges after the order is submitted--what you agree to pay when you enter the order is what you will be charged." Yet, I received a phone call this morning (11-5-14) after placing an order last evening informing me that the part in question, a $153 bumper, with a $128 shipping fee, was going to cost me an additional $67 in shipping. I had previously found this bumper on another site, priced at ~$200, including shipping, but was willing to spend the extra money it would cost me due to the shipping charges Rock Auto charges, mostly because I had come to trust Rock Auto, as I am a repeat customer. I told the sales person, [redacted], that this was contrary to their stated policy, and that if he could not honor the price I had already been quoted on my order, then to let me speak to someone who could. He then informed me there was no one else who could honor that price, and that he himself had made this decision to charge me the additional $67.Desired Settlement: I want Rock Auto to simply honor their policy, and charge me the amount I was quoted for the same part I ordered, and now, due to my time in handling the phone call, and posting this complaint, a $50 rebate to my order. I would also like, as a good faith measure on Rock Auto's part, to restore my confidence in ordering from them in the future, a 20% discount on all future orders, with a 2 year expiration, and a limit of $200 total discount. That may be asking for much, but I want something in the way of a concession from Rock Auto, to regain my trust in their company, after what I feel was a flagrant mishandling of a customer complaint.

Consumer

Response:

I received your email re Revdex.com cannot request punitive damages. Duly noted; please proceed with my complaint.

Business

Response:

When

this customer ordered, we thought we could ship his bumper from a

warehouse close to the customer. When we discovered it was out of

stock, our only option was to purchase one from another supplier

located across the country. We apologized for our inventory error and

asked the customer if he was willing to pay the higher cost that

solution required. He did not want to pay that cost, so he asked us

to cancel the bumper from the order and we did so. He was not charged

for the canceled part. No additional compensation will be issued.The

quote the customer references was taken out of context on our

Policies

page. That note explains we will not add additional fees after

checkout in situations where shipping costs include special-order

supplier fees or transfer fees for international orders. The shipping

cost on this customer's order did not result from either of these

cases, but from trying to get the customer the bumper from an

alternative supplier. To avoid future confusion, we have removed this

quote from the site.

Review: Paid for 2 day shipping to receive parts 6 days later. Received incorrect parts due to a "catalog error". Company is unwilling to do anything to resolve situation. I was told that I could go online & order the correct part & pay to ship it again while I wait for refund to my card & my customer sits additional time down without a vehicle.Desired Settlement: I want the correct parts shipped overnight so that I can complete the job I was employed to do. I would also like a full refund of all shipping fees due to delay of shipment.

Business

Response:

We're sorry this customer got the wrong

part. We corrected the catalog, provided him with a prepaid shipping

label to return the part, and refunded him in full including all

shipping costs.

He is welcome to purchase the part he

needs online. He is responsible for shipping costs on a new order.

Ground shipments usually arrive in 1-5 business days, or he can

choose a expedited shipping method if he needs the part quickly.

He ordered the evening of New Year's

Eve (Wednesday) with 2 business day express shipping. Due to the

national holiday (New Year's Day) Thursday, his order shipped Friday

as our site told him it would when he checked out online. Weekends

are not considered business days. It was delivered Tuesday, 2

business days from the day of shipment, as our site told him it would

when he placed his order.

Consumer

Response:

Review: I ordered parts from rockauto and was told by them to make sure I check the parts before signing for them with the trucking company. The parts arrived at my house and when we checked it the label on the box sent was for the wrong year of parts. 1983-2004 Blazer. I have a 2005, which is a totally new model from those. I didn't sign for the parts and the trucking company took them back. After contacting rockauto several times I was told that even though the box was marked with the wrong year that it was in fact the right part. After hearing all the bad reviews about getting money back from this company I did not want to take any chances. The box had the wrong years on it. Out of 311.00 they refunded me 73.07. They kept 238.00 for shipping to me and back and sent me a box with the wrong year of parts listed. I do not believe I should pay shipping for their mistake. No where on the box or paperwork did it say for a 2005 Chevy Blazer. It clearly said 1983-2004 on the label on the box. That would be like me ordering a couch and a chair show up instead and me signing for it anyway. Do I have any rights in this situation?Desired Settlement: $238.00 back to my Pay Pal account

Business

Response:

The

customer ordered parts for a 2005 Chevrolet Blazer and was shipped

what she ordered. Our order confirmation reminds customers to “PLEASE

UNWRAP AND INSPECT ALL PARTS.”

The customer did not open the package to see if the correct parts

were sent or to check for damage. Instead, she refused the delivery

based on a label on the box. The label was not an exhaustive list of

applications these parts would fit, and it is not uncommon for labels

to only list the most popular vehicles the parts fit. The parts cover

a range of vehicles including the customer's 2005 Blazer. As our

Policies

page explains, shipping charges are not refundable unless the

return is due to our mistake. Since these parts were cataloged and

shipped correctly but refused without being unwrapped and inspected

as we instruct, we refunded the customer for the cost of the parts

less the cost of return shipping. No further refund will be issued.

Consumer

Response:

Review: Purchased Brake master Cylinder for my car. master cylinder Arrived it was the wrong one.. Called them, they said there was a disclaimer and it was noted in the bottom small print the particular about this item. but It was not.. there was only an abbreviated Explanation which by no means explained what they were talking about.. my car has Anti lock brakes.. it said that this was for my car. but in the bottom it said: "EXC" which only the staff know's that that excludes the cars with Anti lock brakes. and so.. by no way shape or form was I Informed that this item did not fit my car. in fact I was informed that it did and I was aware that this did fit and was the proper item for my car. the item costed $38.43 and after fighting with them having my car broke down for weeks they send me a refund for nearly have the total. and I hope wisconsin excludes them from having a business license. because in my opinion they are a fraud. and I should have at least received a replacement or at least a full refund because they cost me damages.. shipping to and from my house.. I had to pay for them to ship it too me.. and I had to pay to ship it back to them.. and they only gave me a 22.19 cent refund.. so it actually cost me about 50 dollars.. and I still don't have my car fixed.. !! so pleasure doing business with ya RockAuto.... !!Desired Settlement: Full Payment and Apology

Business

Response:

We are sorry for any confusion. The Wholesaler Closeout master cylinder that Mr. [redacted] ordered was listed in our catalog for a 1995 Chevrolet Monte Carlo 3.1L V6, with a note specifying “EXC ABS”. We are not sure what he thought “EXC” might stand for, but RockAuto and the Oxford dictionary (attached) understand this to be the standard abbreviation for “except”. As our Help page explains, if there are limiting factors (like "RWD vs. 4WD" or "w/ A.C. vs. w/o A/C"), they will be listed in the description. Please read listings carefully to ensure they match your application. Per our return policy, every part we sell may be returned within 30 days for a refund of the part price, but shipping charges are not refundable unless the return is due to our mistake. We refunded the purchase price of the part, $22.19, on 3/29/16. No additional refund is due. Reference:exc.. Oxford Dictionaries. Oxford University Press. http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/exc. (accessed April 06, 2016).

after placing many orders from them I can now say they stand above almost all internet online companies I do business with..was sorta hoping for an error so I could "test" that part..but so far it has been 100%

Good Parts,Good Price

Always fast service and great customer service.

Good prices fast shipping Quality Parts

AWESOME!! DURING SHIPPING PRODUCT WAS DAMAGED EMAILED THEM INFO. ON 4th OF JULY HOLIDAY WEEKEND NOT EXPECTING RESPONSE... WAS EMAILED BACK AND TAKEN CARE OF THAT WEEKEND!!!! EVEN HAD A LIVE PERSON TO TALK TO WHEN I HAD RETURN QUESTIONS. EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE!!
YOU'VE EARNED MY BUSINESS!!

Best Price for parts anywhere

Great Compamy, enjoy fast, reliable service of parts and the price is great also