rock auto shipping cost, gave up

1

1978elcamino

Joined
Apr 22, 2016
Messages
1,237
So last week I decided I would order some maintenance items for the Fusion. My order was two sets of wiper blades, and three of each filter, oil, air and cabin. The purchase prices were good but no matter what I did the shipping was out of hand. I was trying to get all items sent from one warehouse but no matter what I did and which brand I chose the items were coming from three different places. If I changed a brand of filter the wipers shipping location would change, if I changed the wipers the filters location would change, swap out a oil filter brand the air filter shipping location would change. After an hour of constantly changing,swapping etc I gave up and paid a couple bucks more on Amazon on each item and saved about 30 bucks on the whole lot compared to RA and their shipping costs.

I hate to pass judgement but I felt as if RA's shipping logistics must be rigged to their benefit requiring the customer to pay more than needed when an order includes multiple items. Thoughts?
 
Yup, I've noticed the same thing. One time I was going to order 3 items, and they were going to be shipped from two different locations. Items A and B were going to ship from the same warehouse, and Item C was coming from a different warehouse. Then I changed my mind and decided to delete Item C. As soon as I did, Items A and B were going to ship from different warehouses. I ended up not ordering anything at all and bought the items elsewhere.
 
Originally Posted by exranger06
Yup, I've noticed the same thing. One time I was going to order 3 items, and they were going to be shipped from two different locations. Items A and B were going to ship from the same warehouse, and Item C was coming from a different warehouse. Then I changed my mind and decided to delete Item C. As soon as I did, Items A and B were going to ship from different warehouses. I ended up not ordering anything at all and bought the items elsewhere.


Classic example of the games RA plays.
 
Compared to buying from Canadian websites, RA is often still cheaper, even with their weird shipping calculations. I will play around with items as well and can sometimes amalgamate the shipping to a single source, if not, I leave it.
 
My last order from Rock Auto was great. Went to Amazon to buy OEM Hyundai LL coolant. Went to place order and Amazon jacked up price $10. Went to Rock Auto and bought Pentafrost A2 and wiper blades for less than Amazon total. Amazon was a lot higher for the same wiper blades also. I was frustrated with Amazon and Rock Auto in this case was great.
 
Sometimes RA wins, sometimes they loose when I shop for auto parts. Been that way since the dawn of time with them. I stopped getting miffed about it a long time ago.
 
Originally Posted by BigD1


Classic example of the games RA plays.

👆That...

Good deals can be had if you're willing to spend an hour finagling the shipping and product counts... and buy in bulk. Like the other person said, i check Amazon first and if the price is in my wheel house I won't even bother with RA.

As a side note, I'm sure Amazon loves RA's pricing/shipping strategy. ...

Originally Posted by RDY4WAR
I use Rockauto as a resource to get part numbers, and then copy/paste those part numbers on Amazon. It's usually about the same price but with free shipping.

Ditto..it is good for that and double checking Amazons parts finder. To RA's credit, I've personally never had a fitment issue with a RA purchase... now Amazon's on the other hand, Oy vey!...¨...
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted by Hootbro
Sometimes RA wins, sometimes they loose when I shop for auto parts. Been that way since the dawn of time with them. I stopped getting miffed about it a long time ago.



Same here . I look up the price + shipping , on RA then compare to AAP with the speed perks discount . I am guessing RA is probably charging tax , now ?
 
Yeah, gotta check total price.
I will say RA has been good the few times i have used them, but Amazon is soooo good.
For oil and filters Wally World on-line is hard to beat.
 
Originally Posted by 1978elcamino
So last week I decided I would order some maintenance items for the Fusion. My order was two sets of wiper blades, and three of each filter, oil, air and cabin. The purchase prices were good but no matter what I did the shipping was out of hand. I was trying to get all items sent from one warehouse but no matter what I did and which brand I chose the items were coming from three different places. If I changed a brand of filter the wipers shipping location would change, if I changed the wipers the filters location would change, swap out a oil filter brand the air filter shipping location would change. After an hour of constantly changing,swapping etc I gave up and paid a couple bucks more on Amazon on each item and saved about 30 bucks on the whole lot compared to RA and their shipping costs.

I hate to pass judgement but I felt as if RA's shipping logistics must be rigged to their benefit requiring the customer to pay more than needed when an order includes multiple items. Thoughts?

Originally Posted by exranger06
Yup, I've noticed the same thing. One time I was going to order 3 items, and they were going to be shipped from two different locations. Items A and B were going to ship from the same warehouse, and Item C was coming from a different warehouse. Then I changed my mind and decided to delete Item C. As soon as I did, Items A and B were going to ship from different warehouses. I ended up not ordering anything at all and bought the items elsewhere.


My experience also. It's just a new way to jack up the shipping charges.

The one time I ordered from them, shipping charges were from two different warehouses - but the parts came in the same box. So I will never order from them again.
 
Originally Posted by RDY4WAR
I use Rockauto as a resource to get part numbers, and then copy/paste those part numbers on Amazon. It's usually about the same price but with free shipping.

That's what I do. I also look at eBay and other sites as well, even Walmart.com.
 
My experiences with RA have been good overall, even with having to return cores. They provide a return FedEX shipping label for $10, much less than paying to ship the core back yourself. The only time I got "caught" in the multiple warehouse shipping charges is when I tied to add "cheap" oil filters to an order. That $1.77 oil filter would have cost an additional $6 in shipping. Easy enough to take it off the order though. While there is no phone # for customer service I've had no problems using their internet communications to return damaged or incorrect items and getting prompt refunds.

Whimsey
 
Originally Posted by JLTD


My experience also. It's just a new way to jack up the shipping charges.

The one time I ordered from them, shipping charges were from two different warehouses - but the parts came in the same box. So I will never order from them again.


Did you ask Rock Auto to refund part of your shipping charges?
 
Originally Posted by exranger06
Yup, I've noticed the same thing. One time I was going to order 3 items, and they were going to be shipped from two different locations. Items A and B were going to ship from the same warehouse, and Item C was coming from a different warehouse. Then I changed my mind and decided to delete Item C. As soon as I did, Items A and B were going to ship from different warehouses. I ended up not ordering anything at all and bought the items elsewhere.


This is exactly what I was doing for an hour. I found wipers and all three filters in warehouse A, but once I put all items together the system changed to A, B and C. So I found wipers on Amazon and removed them from RA's cart, added the three types of filters only and gave warehouses A & B, removed the oil filter from B trying to all A and then it shows my air and cabin filter coming from A and B no longer together in A. I got mad and gave up.
 
Originally Posted by BigD1
Originally Posted by exranger06
Yup, I've noticed the same thing. One time I was going to order 3 items, and they were going to be shipped from two different locations. Items A and B were going to ship from the same warehouse, and Item C was coming from a different warehouse. Then I changed my mind and decided to delete Item C. As soon as I did, Items A and B were going to ship from different warehouses. I ended up not ordering anything at all and bought the items elsewhere.


Classic example of the games RA plays.



This is my only complaint of RA. Even with this, the times they've been more expense than other options has been extremely rare. Maybe if I ordered a larger quantity of items from RA this wouldn't be the case, but from what I use it for, I've not seen a cost advantage of other retailers.
 
Originally Posted by 1978elcamino
I was trying to get all items sent from one warehouse but no matter what I did and which brand I chose the items were coming from three different places. If I changed a brand of filter the wipers shipping location would change, if I changed the wipers the filters location would change, swap out a oil filter brand the air filter shipping location would change.

I hate to pass judgement but I felt as if RA's shipping logistics must be rigged to their benefit requiring the customer to pay more than needed when an order includes multiple items.

Originally Posted by exranger06
Yup, I've noticed the same thing. One time I was going to order 3 items, and they were going to be shipped from two different locations. Items A and B were going to ship from the same warehouse, and Item C was coming from a different warehouse. Then I changed my mind and decided to delete Item C. As soon as I did, Items A and B were going to ship from different warehouses. I ended up not ordering anything at all and bought the items elsewhere.


Those cases are perfect examples, to me (and others), of how RA is squeezing out add'l profit from shipping charges. Some might think a couple dollars here and there aren't worth it but multiply that by tens of thousands of orders they probably get on a daily basis and yeah, it does add up.
 
Originally Posted by tcp71
Compared to buying from Canadian websites, RA is often still cheaper, even with their weird shipping calculations.

+1
 
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