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RockAuto.com?


Nick Winter

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Jordan I appreciate the input.

Bill My problem with local stuff is that they only had 1 of this or they would have to order it in, or they didn't have it, so I'd like to buy everything all at once, and have everything so that I know what I need to save as I remove parts. As For price, they are about par.

Nick

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We have used them without too much problem. Something to think about is that depending where they ship from you may have tax, duty, and brokerage on your order when it crosses the border. If they ship UPS, their brokerage charges can be outrageous. Your local dealer may have to order it, but I bet there won't be any shipping.

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In the last two years or so, Rock Auto has changed their shipping system, so that it makes it near impossible to combine items so they can ship from the same location, i.e. the brake drums ship from warehouse A, and the booster ships from warehouse B....you pay extra shipping is the short version of the story. RA does always have the 5% discount code, which usually amounts to covering the 5.6% sales tax for me, since they are located in WI.

I used to order a lot from RA, always got great service, and found a lot of things there I couldn't find elsewhere (hydraulic clutch line for a manual trans Chevy Astro, etc.), but I find Advance Auto is cheaper, for the same parts, and AA always has at least a 30% discount code online...plus $75+ ships for free. I have literally saved hundreds shopping at AA, and they have several stores within ten miles of my home. Granted, I don't buy the cheapest house brand AA offers, but they have many of the same brands RA does.

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I see. I mention it since I get Jobber prices on part from my local parts stores. Usually, if they have to order anything, they can have it within a week, most times with no shipping costs. About the only time I order online is for items that simply aren't available at the flaps, then I go to the specialty sites for my vehicle.

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My son ordered 4 pistons for a Pontiac OHC 4 from Rock Auto, and recived 3 of one design, and 1 of another, althoe all four were correct size, ect. Rock Auto saw no problem with that and could not understand why my son would. It took FOREVER (many e-mails, long distance phone calls, pictures, ect.) to get an exchange of 4 alike pistons. And Rock Auto was not happy about it at all. Added 4 or 5 weeks to his rebuild.

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RockAuto is great. I buy most of my parts for all of my cars through them. And we own four cars, everything from a 2007 Mazda to a 1968 Impala.

Shipping is incredibly fast, sometimes the parts arrive next day, and it's never more than 3 days.

The selection is almost too good.

The prices are better than anywhere else, bar none.

The only thing to watch out for is the multiple shipping locations. Sometimes it is cheaper to buy a slightly higher priced item from them just so you can get everything shipped from one place.

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Same here. For hard parts you can't beat them. I bought KYB gas shocks for the rear of the Barracuda and the front struts for the Wife's VW, along with sway bar bushings. Got all the parts within 3 days but the VW parts were sent separate from the Plymouths shocks the day after. By the weekend I had everything ....

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There are pros and cons to everything and based on the comments here, people have had good and bad experiences dealing with them. I work for NAPA and technically RockAuto is considered a competitor even though they do not have a storefront. They are able to offer great prices because they do not have multiple locations and drop ship parts from their suppliers instead of having to stock them.

Like anything bought on the internet, take your time to make sure what you are ordering is what you need to complete the job.

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I took a look at their prices on some random parts, just out of curiosity. Nothing out of the ordinary, just standard replacement parts for a reasonably late model truck. While they were lower on shocks for this particular vehicle, O'Reilly beat them on everyting else, in some cases by a $30 margin. Plus the parts were all listed as in stock. That was even regular walk in customer pricing, with my Jobber discount, Rock Auto can't touch any of the local parts stores I go to.

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I took a look at their prices on some random parts, just out of curiosity. Nothing out of the ordinary, just standard replacement parts for a reasonably late model truck. While they were lower on shocks for this particular vehicle, O'Reilly beat them on everyting else, in some cases by a $30 margin. Plus the parts were all listed as in stock. That was even regular walk in customer pricing, with my Jobber discount, Rock Auto can't touch any of the local parts stores I go to.

That is the big difference. If you already have an account with a local parts store, chances are you are getting a better deal than what you can on the internet. Places like Rock Auto have a single location and deal strictly via the internet and therefore can price against other online prices. All of the major parts retailers (NAPA, Auto Zone, Advance, O'Reilly) have an online price, a walk in price and a shop price. Usually the retailers will price match legit prices, so don't be afraid to ask.

Like our hobby, the auto parts business has seen the internet as a tool and a weapon and the smart players have figured out how to use social media and the internet to their advantage.

Just remember two important things:

1. Buyer beware

2. You get what you pay for.

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