For those that protest about Rock Auto shipping

Joined
Apr 27, 2010
Messages
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Location
Suburban Washington DC
Your results may vary and this is just a real world example of my experience today. I put a pair of wheel bearings and brake pads in the shopping cart. Shipping at $7.99. Added 4 spark plugs. Shipping upped to $8.99. Not bad. Figured I'll check filters. Add air filter. No change to shipping. Add cabin filter. Ditto. I'm replacing the transmission so the cooler in the radiator might be gunked up. Could flush but a new rad is pretty cheap. Add one to the cart. Shipping raised one buck to $9.99. Wow. A/C was blowing warm and I see junkyard markings on the condenser/drier. That is pretty cheap too. Put one of those in the cart. Shipping still at $9.99 and I check out before their computer changes it's mind. The $16 discount code more than covered the shipping. The key to keeping shipping costs down is to look for the delivery truck symbol in the search results. That indicates other parts that ship from the same warehouse as the first part you placed in the cart. So find and put the most important (expensive) part into the cart first. Then you have a choice of your second, third, etc. part that while not be your preferred brand, may still be satisfactory based on the none or minimal added shipping charge.
 
You think RA is bad-I've been looking at new Element3 coated rotors for the xB-autopartskart had them for under $20 each! With EIGHTY-TWO dollars ground shipping! What a scam!
 
That's pretty good for shipping all that. It's nice that we always have discount codes that people post here, thanks to all for that!
 
its ALWAYS the delivered price that counts!! unless you need it NOW mail order usually beats typical store prices + always check the return policy
 
I posted recently that their rates (from any single warehouse) have really improved.

I've been looking at new Element3 coated rotors for the xB-autopartskart had them for under $20 each! With EIGHTY-TWO dollars ground shipping!
This is what I bought recently that I'm referring to - 2 sets of pads and 2 sets of rotors. Total shipping was around $20 (about $10 from 2 warehouses).
 
What was the shipping time? I have heard this has gotten kinda long... Thx!
The estimated times the carriers will take have remained the same. For some carriers, mostly USPS, what they say on paper vs reality are two different things.
 
The other tip is to deliver to a business.

If you can get mail at your office, use that perk!
In the case of Fedex Ground, I think they factor more than just business vs residential though too. In my case, they'll deliver 1 day faster to my work vs home.
 
Last week I ordered a bunch of stuff, the shipping zones were A and B, the shipping cost was $16. I added a heater hose and the shipping jumped up to $34, all the stuff that was coming from A was now coming from C and D and the single hose I added was coming from A (that is insane).
I tossed that hose out and shipping returned to what it was and I bought the hose locally for $2 more.
Still, they have nothing on Car id when it comes to multiple items, they are real idiots.
 
Your results may vary and this is just a real world example of my experience today. I put a pair of wheel bearings and brake pads in the shopping cart. Shipping at $7.99. Added 4 spark plugs. Shipping upped to $8.99. Not bad. Figured I'll check filters. Add air filter. No change to shipping. Add cabin filter. Ditto. I'm replacing the transmission so the cooler in the radiator might be gunked up. Could flush but a new rad is pretty cheap. Add one to the cart. Shipping raised one buck to $9.99. Wow. A/C was blowing warm and I see junkyard markings on the condenser/drier. That is pretty cheap too. Put one of those in the cart. Shipping still at $9.99 and I check out before their computer changes it's mind. The $16 discount code more than covered the shipping. The key to keeping shipping costs down is to look for the delivery truck symbol in the search results. That indicates other parts that ship from the same warehouse as the first part you placed in the cart. So find and put the most important (expensive) part into the cart first. Then you have a choice of your second, third, etc. part that while not be your preferred brand, may still be satisfactory based on the none or minimal added shipping charge.
Thanks for the tip- much appreciated
 
That's pretty good for shipping all that. It's nice that we always have discount codes that people post here, thanks to all for that!
You can always find the rockauto discount codes on retailmenot.com. They also list discount codes for many other sites too. Sometimes I check that whenever ordering from a new site.
 
Your results may vary and this is just a real world example of my experience today. I put a pair of wheel bearings and brake pads in the shopping cart. Shipping at $7.99. Added 4 spark plugs. Shipping upped to $8.99. Not bad. Figured I'll check filters. Add air filter. No change to shipping. Add cabin filter. Ditto. I'm replacing the transmission so the cooler in the radiator might be gunked up. Could flush but a new rad is pretty cheap. Add one to the cart. Shipping raised one buck to $9.99. Wow. A/C was blowing warm and I see junkyard markings on the condenser/drier. That is pretty cheap too. Put one of those in the cart. Shipping still at $9.99 and I check out before their computer changes it's mind. The $16 discount code more than covered the shipping. The key to keeping shipping costs down is to look for the delivery truck symbol in the search results. That indicates other parts that ship from the same warehouse as the first part you placed in the cart. So find and put the most important (expensive) part into the cart first. Then you have a choice of your second, third, etc. part that while not be your preferred brand, may still be satisfactory based on the none or minimal added shipping charge.
Didn't realize this was a thing. Just messed around with some combos and got a cabin and engine air filter, with shipping, for about $26, including $6.99 shipping. Wix. Not too shabby.
 
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