Rock Auto - now impossible to communicate with.....

[3930dave]

Perhaps Fedex is not as much of a train-wreck in the USA, but up here, 2 divisions recently merged.

So.... the Rock Auto delivery that was supposed to arrive @ my home yesterday, may not make it till next week. Packages arrived @ the Fedex terminal, about 2 blocks from where I work, early yesterday morning. On truck yesterday, but didn't get delivered. Got up after just a few hours sleep today, to get on the phone this morning with Fedex. After going through multiple rounds of their nightmare phone system, to finally get a live person, had said lady tell me:

"Shipper has directed that that package can not be held @ terminal for pickup." Then told me they had to attempt 3 deliveries, before considering allowing me to pick up @ the Fedex terminal, 2 blocks from where I work....

No phone number for the terminal, so I actually just got back from driving to the terminal, to speak to a carbon-based lifeform at the counter. Nice guy, and we had a good chat, but absolutely no question.... their deliveries here are a total train-wreck recently. He's trying to get the packages held @ terminal for tomorrow, so I can drive back (to the terminal, 2 blocks from work....) and pick them up, on my "day-off".......

So after all this, long, sad, whiney story ^..... I go to call Rock to ask " What the _________ is wrong with your Shippers ?" , in slightly more polite terms.

Turns out, Rock has ditched the 800 #, and won't pick up the phone @ Corp HQ. No email contact available either.....

I started randomly punching extension #'s @ Rock HQ, got one person's vmail, but don't have all day to play this # game of Find Random Person, Who will Just Ignore the Problem Anyway..... I get it, it's 2024, and companies really don't want to hear from customers.....

It's getting so, that if I can find an auto-part in-stock @ some northern border-town, it'll be faster, and less hassle to just drive to the USA, and pick it up myself....

Can't wait.... till AI takes over totally......

Rgds, D.

 

[kenmac]

I have only ordered a couple of times from rock auto. I called once and ask a question about a part I was interested in purchasing. The person that answered the phone basically told me they had no idea about said part, and all the info was listed on their site. I never ordered another part from them

 

[Jstpssng]

Based on my experience this side of the border, at least part of your problem is that they shipped via FedEx. I've had more problems with that carrier lately than with UPS and USPS combined.

 

[newbury]

Can't wait.... till AI takes over totally......

Yeah, but AI also stands for Artificial Insemination, and the consumer is the one getting the AI.

 

[3930dave]

Trust an Ag site, to figure out what is really going on here !



Rgds, D.

 

[Farmer495]

I've had good luck with Rock Auto. Hope it stays that way after reading this.

 

[Topzide]

Rockauto does't do the phones anymore, all done online through email. Haven't had any problems with returns or bad listing returns with them. Will continue to use them whenever possible to save on parts!

 

[newbury]

I've used Rock Auto too much (best place I've found for tail light lenses for my dually). Never had to call. Will be more careful next time.

 

[QRTRHRS]

I find Rock Auto's website easy to use and to find exactly what part I am looking for. Periodically they email wholesaler closouts to me specific to my vehicle at good prices.

I won't mention the name but when I try to research a part on another website that claims to have everything. I get listings for
vehicals that do not interest me
It's Rock Auto for me.

 

[LittleBill21]

My understanding is rock auto actually has nothing. they are front facing for the manufactures. what this means is when you order "bob branded rotors" bobs brand branded rotor company has boxes with rock auto's logo on them and ships it direct. rock auto doesn't actually stock any of these parts.

i also use them routinely without issue.

 

[mikester]

I have an account with my local commercial parts supplier. I call and have parts delivered "for free" within the hour. I'd rather pay a few dollars more to support local and get service. No website or call centres to wade through.

 

[hodge]

I've had great success with Rockauto.
Most online businesses are shielded and impossible to communicate with. It certainly isn't just Rockauto and FedEx.

 

[pmsmechanic]

I have an account with my local commercial parts supplier. I call and have parts delivered "for free" within the hour. I'd rather pay a few dollars more to support local and get service. No website or call centres to wade through.

In my case shopping local is usually roughly a 60% premium over Rockauto prices. I typically have the parts I ordered within about 4 days. I've had very few problems with either them or FedEx.

 

[John0829]

I find RockAuto has good pricing on the parts but loses it (IMHO) on the high shipping cost. I can order just about everything I need or want though Napaoline, have it delivered free to the store if it is not in stock and come out with a few extra dollars still in my wallet. In fact many times the guys at Napa have given me a better price than RockAuto.

I do price check RockAuto when looking for parts but seldom purchase from them because of the shipping, plus FedEx is terrible about deliveries in our area. We have had them hold packages for up to a week until they other deliveries in our area.

 

[pmsmechanic]

I find RockAuto has good pricing on the parts but loses it (IMHO) on the high shipping cost. I can order just about everything I need or want though Napaoline, have it delivered free to the store if it is not in stock and come out with a few extra dollars still in my wallet. In fact many times the guys at Napa have given me a better price than RockAuto.

I do price check RockAuto when looking for parts but seldom purchase from them because of the shipping, plus FedEx is terrible about deliveries in our area. We have had them hold packages for up to a week until they other deliveries in our area.

Where I live the price is a little over $30 minimum for shipping. I'll combine as many items as I can into one box. Generally anything that is light weight and not bulky ships with other parts for free.

FedEx fly's my parts to Calgary where they put a Canada Post label on it. It shows up at my local post office the next day. If I use any other shipper the parts take over a week to get to me. FedEx is very consistently about 4 days shipping. When it gets to one of their main hubs (usually Memphis TN) I know I'll have the parcel in 2-3 days.

 

[Topzide]

Rockauto parts are coming out of the same warehouses that supply the other national chains. They have the packaging to send it out from there. That's why you'll see warehouse A, B, C, etc. Always check the shipping as it defaults to FedEx. You can choose others.

 

[3930dave]

You Don't Have A Problem..... until you do.......

I've used Rock, personally and commercially, for a very long time. Engineer-founded (IIRC), so it made sense that it arguably has the best database in the business (def amongst public-access ones). I've grown to really like the database over the years. If they were a mediocre or worse company, I wouldn't waste my time typing one sentence about them.

The reason I wanted to contact Rock this week, is their Shipper never should have selected DO NOT ALLOW PICKUP @ FEDEX TERMINAL as a negative re-direct option.

Fedex just merged their Ground and Express divisions, at least up here. If that is Stateside as well, millions of packages have been screwed up lately. < Confirmed, by the Fedex counter-guy I talked to @ the counter, because you can't call there either.

THAT ^ Mega Charlie Foxtrot aside..... What If...... I live on a remote farm, and a bridge gets washed-out, with recent mega-rains ? Etc., Etc....... ^ Might actually be a fun outing, ATVing past the washed-out section to get to a pickup point..... having to scream @ Fedex for hours.... not so much......

I get it. It's 2024....... Corner-Offices piss-on fenceposts by Driving Efficiency...... Can't Waste Time Picking Up a Phone, to Listen To Customers. Rock has closed-off (General) email contact, for the same reason.

For another reason entirely, I was quoting the olde joke this week....... Zese German pencils have no erasers, because ve don't make mistakes ! It's Easy to claim No Errors, when you eliminate the feedback-path for Customer Communication.

I wanted to ask Rock, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot was your Shipper doing ? (I'd actually be more polite, on-phone, or keyboard....). Instead, I waste more of my time, posting here......

What the Hay...... I needed (badly) to sit down and get this coffee into me anyway !!!!

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

Shout-out to Fedex..... Local counter-guy just called me a second-time (left a vmail, when I was only in bed about 3 hours, that I haven't heard yet), to say packages are held @ the terminal I was @ yesterday (what I wanted, today).

Humans are the only things that will clean up automated mistakes..... that's why I'm irritated when contact is eliminated. Fedex system was kicking out (confirmed wrong, 5 minutes ago) messages indicating a wrong address for Terminal pickup last night.

Welcome to the AI World !

Rgds, D.

 

[JohnP3616]

i’ve used Rock Auto maybe a dozen times. No issue.

 

[3930dave]

Cost-wise (Closeouts aside) I find Rock up here to be (once Shipping considered) close to Commercial-cost, Give or Take.

What is a factor, is depth/width of inventory. A wise-wrench I know had a good recommendation for a Canadian source he's used for years, but they only had mostly brake-parts, and control arms for my '05 vehicle that needed recent repair.

Aside from market-size delta, for most of Kanada, 20 year old vehicles have rusted to dust by now. So the 30+ y/o daily-drivers that are common in many parts of the USA, just aren't seen here much....

Rgds, D.