On some items, I have a suspicion...
Do Amazon and RA use the same auto part suppliers?
- Thread starter The Critic
- Start date
On some items, I have a suspicion...
Order both, and see if both are fulfilled or one is canceled 
It is the same stock photo. But they could share drop shippers.
Amazon has their own warehouses all over, sellers could easily cross post the same listings across multiple eCommerce sites as well. The internet is a hodge podge mix of APIs, FTP inventory files and carrier pigeons that if it was mapped on a whiteboard you might as well have your kids scribble all around and then try to make sense of it.
Well, when I needed a USA keyboard for my Sony Vaio laptop, that is ten years old. Several websites, incl. ebay, had sellers that said 3 left in stock.... there was actually NONE in stock, even websites that seemed like stand alone companies with their own warehouse were using the same supplier..... so a slapped in a Spanish layout keyboard and called it good.
Soooo....a carrier pigeon flew all the way from Spain with a keyboard in its toes? Who needs drones?
I have a very strong suspicion that Amazon drop-shipped my latest engine air filter order
(which said sold by, shipped by amazon.com) from this distributor...
package arrives tomorrow via UPS
(which said sold by, shipped by amazon.com) from this distributor...
package arrives tomorrow via UPS
Are your deliveries normally brought by Amazon's own vehicles ? If it comes by UPS, I'd guess they didn't have any in their nearby warehouse(s) and brought it from one further away. I think there's only so much "intra-warehouse" transferring they can or will do.
yes. live 20 min. from the local delivery hub; and the metro mega-fulfillment center is just over the state line 40 miles away.
Package coming from Plattsburgh, NY. near the shores of beautiful Lake Champlain!
The main reason why I think that my air filter is a drop-ship is that the model code is used only by that distributor. I'm guessing that the my air filter is a private label version made for that distributor of Wix's equivalent.
I can't remember if I ever got any RockAuto packages from Plattsburgh.
I would not trust Amazon for any car part ever, except if it was something non-critical like a cabin air filter. Rock Auto atleast has some vetting process for their suppliers so the chance of getting a counterfeit is rate. That being that these suppliers are usually larger warehouses that may also be supplying parts to various auto repair shops or retail stores.
With Amazon, there is a small vetting process in that for sellers to be allowed to sell in the automotive category, they need to prove themselves to be somewhat of an actual automotive business (eg. incorporated). But that has no guarantee on how these sellers obtain these parts. It is unfortunately very easy to get a cheapo knockoff part from China, throw it in a Toyota stamped bag, and sell it as OE on Amazon. Sellers might even inadvertently be sourcing counterfeit parts from their sub suppliers not knowing where these parts came from, just that they are cheaper.
In fact, I would go as far to say it would be a good idea not to be using Amazon for any part in a critical service. Not just cars, but for electronics, appliance, house, etc.... There was a recent video on Youtube where Louis Rossman exposed how a popular 5 star reviewed pack of automotive fuses actually did not meet their rating. eg. a 2 amp fuse took 8-10+ amps to blow. Imagine how many DIY hobbyist or even repair shops bought these thinking they were cheap and convenient only to be installing them in countless vehicles.
With Amazon, there is a small vetting process in that for sellers to be allowed to sell in the automotive category, they need to prove themselves to be somewhat of an actual automotive business (eg. incorporated). But that has no guarantee on how these sellers obtain these parts. It is unfortunately very easy to get a cheapo knockoff part from China, throw it in a Toyota stamped bag, and sell it as OE on Amazon. Sellers might even inadvertently be sourcing counterfeit parts from their sub suppliers not knowing where these parts came from, just that they are cheaper.
In fact, I would go as far to say it would be a good idea not to be using Amazon for any part in a critical service. Not just cars, but for electronics, appliance, house, etc.... There was a recent video on Youtube where Louis Rossman exposed how a popular 5 star reviewed pack of automotive fuses actually did not meet their rating. eg. a 2 amp fuse took 8-10+ amps to blow. Imagine how many DIY hobbyist or even repair shops bought these thinking they were cheap and convenient only to be installing them in countless vehicles.
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