I tried to buy oil, air, cabin filters and oil drain plug washer/gasket for my 2003 Honda CRV. The prices for the items seem to be really cheap until I got the shipping charges. The items are stored at 3 different warehouses and I would have to pay 3 shipping fees. This is crazy. I don't know if they do this on purpose to recoup the cheap part prices. these items are for basic maintenance so you would figure a person would order these items at the same time and keep them in the same warehouse. At the end, I didn't order the items. Just doesn't see right to pay such high shipping fees which double the price of my order.
Rock Auto shipping charges....
- Thread starter JimmyG23
- Start date
AutoMechanic
Site Donor 2024
That’s one thing I don’t like about RockAuto is the shipping charges. What sucks too is when you get two of the same thing one for each side or something like that and they list two different warehouses so it gives two different shipping charges. Personally I think there should only be one shipping charge then if you buy a certain amount the shipping should be free.
Look for the picture of the truck 
One thing that helps is using the same brand for all three. They will often come from the same warehouse even if you don't see the picture of the truck, but not always, so be careful
I tried it out for your 2003 CRV, and got everything from a single warehouse
Mahle OC707 oil filter
Mahle LX1768 air filter
Mahle LAK122S cabin filter
Beck/Arnley 016-0088 drain plug and washer set
Total parts cost 28.56 (don't forget the promo code!)
Shipping by Fedex Ground 10.99 total (one warehouse)
The exact shipping charge can depend on your zip code, but it should still come from a single warehouse.
One thing that helps is using the same brand for all three. They will often come from the same warehouse even if you don't see the picture of the truck, but not always, so be careful
I tried it out for your 2003 CRV, and got everything from a single warehouse
Mahle OC707 oil filter
Mahle LX1768 air filter
Mahle LAK122S cabin filter
Beck/Arnley 016-0088 drain plug and washer set
Total parts cost 28.56 (don't forget the promo code!
)Shipping by Fedex Ground 10.99 total (one warehouse)
The exact shipping charge can depend on your zip code, but it should still come from a single warehouse.
Add an item to your cart and immediately add your zip code. Any other part that ships from the same warehouse will have a little truck beside the part and saves you shipping.
That being said, most discontinued items ship from the Sugarland, TX warehouse.
That being said, most discontinued items ship from the Sugarland, TX warehouse.
I quit Rock after the last go round, it would have to be a part I cant get anywhere else in a similar price range. The part did not fit, the Chicom aftermarket part was physically bigger than the original and hit other parts, they charged me shipping both ways because they do not see that as a defect.
4WD
$50 site donor 2024
They best hope Fred and Barney remain loyal customers
4WD
$50 site donor 2024
It can be high though - at Summit Racing I always had to drop a C note to get free shipping
I was going to do a copy / paste from a previous post I made here but now I can't find it.
There's ways to make it work in your favor.
There's ways to make it work in your favor.
Buying multiple products might have to upgrade to another part for the cheaper shipping but it still can cost less upgrading.
Rock auto has always been that way. I started using them in 2001, in that 20 years I've only had the best service from them.
I won't place an order that ships from warehouse A, B, & C at the same time.
I buy from them 3 times per year, with no issues. I'v got over 60 magnets on the fridge.
I won't place an order that ships from warehouse A, B, & C at the same time.
I buy from them 3 times per year, with no issues. I'v got over 60 magnets on the fridge.
They aren't trying to be all things to all people like Amazon.
Shipping costs money. You pay it one way or another.
Inventory costs money, and they don't have much-- they drop ship from wherever stuff comes from.
If they can help you, great. If they can't, they don't seem to mind.
The stuff you're after is often cheap on eBay, but a flat of oil filters from RA is a good deal. Keep adding them to the cart until the shipping price jumps.
Shipping costs money. You pay it one way or another.
Inventory costs money, and they don't have much-- they drop ship from wherever stuff comes from.
If they can help you, great. If they can't, they don't seem to mind.
The stuff you're after is often cheap on eBay, but a flat of oil filters from RA is a good deal. Keep adding them to the cart until the shipping price jumps.
Ah, it's that time of the month again with the never ending monthly RA shipping complaint thread.
RA has saved me a boatload of money over the years. Plan for future maintenance ahead of time, and do your best to combine shipping-- it takes some work, but the shipping can be cost effective if the items are in the right warehouse, or you're careful about picking brands that come from the same place.
You should realize that Rockauto doesn't own the inventory in most cases-- they drop ship from warehouses / other companies where the items are located. It's absolutely not an Amazon, O'Reilly, Autozone, etc. But the prices tend to be much cheaper (not always, but I find 80%+ of the time, especially on more expensive brands and OEM parts) but you have to put in the work. Some don't mind, some do. Sounds like you're one of the latter, and if so, shop on Amazon or other retailers.
For me personally, I get the most bang for the buck on closeout parts which tend to be plentiful for older vehicles, and all the closeout parts typically ship from the same place. I've refreshed entire suspensions (control arms/balljoints, tie rod ends, sway bar end links, struts & mounts, the whole nine years for less than $200 shipped, with mid-grade or better brands using their closeout deals. The fact that they sat on a shelf for a decade or whatever, doesn't bother me.
They also have some hidden gems, like brake fluid, anti-freeze, tools, bulk hose, etc. I've purchased and had shipped with other parts that became less expensive (and much better quality brand) than my local parts store when I was able to get the shipping just right. For me, it's absolutely worth the effort. The parts stores around here typically carry cheap Chinese stuff (with their own house brand label slapped on), and stuff of reasonable quality is prohibitively expensive. Amazon has some great deals (sometimes surpassing RA's) which makes sense for me if I'm only ordering a single part or two.
The only thing I dislike about RA is their return process-- few times came out in my favor (they let me keep the part and refunded my money when a mistake was made), but often you have to go through an elaborate questionnaire, and the result depends on the answers you chose-- I've figured out how to answer the questions just right to get the desired result in most cases, but sometimes it's nearly impossible to get them to pay for return shipping. There's no phone number to call or real tech support either.
RA has saved me a boatload of money over the years. Plan for future maintenance ahead of time, and do your best to combine shipping-- it takes some work, but the shipping can be cost effective if the items are in the right warehouse, or you're careful about picking brands that come from the same place.
You should realize that Rockauto doesn't own the inventory in most cases-- they drop ship from warehouses / other companies where the items are located. It's absolutely not an Amazon, O'Reilly, Autozone, etc. But the prices tend to be much cheaper (not always, but I find 80%+ of the time, especially on more expensive brands and OEM parts) but you have to put in the work. Some don't mind, some do. Sounds like you're one of the latter, and if so, shop on Amazon or other retailers.
For me personally, I get the most bang for the buck on closeout parts which tend to be plentiful for older vehicles, and all the closeout parts typically ship from the same place. I've refreshed entire suspensions (control arms/balljoints, tie rod ends, sway bar end links, struts & mounts, the whole nine years for less than $200 shipped, with mid-grade or better brands using their closeout deals. The fact that they sat on a shelf for a decade or whatever, doesn't bother me.
They also have some hidden gems, like brake fluid, anti-freeze, tools, bulk hose, etc. I've purchased and had shipped with other parts that became less expensive (and much better quality brand) than my local parts store when I was able to get the shipping just right. For me, it's absolutely worth the effort. The parts stores around here typically carry cheap Chinese stuff (with their own house brand label slapped on), and stuff of reasonable quality is prohibitively expensive. Amazon has some great deals (sometimes surpassing RA's) which makes sense for me if I'm only ordering a single part or two.
The only thing I dislike about RA is their return process-- few times came out in my favor (they let me keep the part and refunded my money when a mistake was made), but often you have to go through an elaborate questionnaire, and the result depends on the answers you chose-- I've figured out how to answer the questions just right to get the desired result in most cases, but sometimes it's nearly impossible to get them to pay for return shipping. There's no phone number to call or real tech support either.
Once I figured out the game with brands and the shipping truck, I’ve cut my shipping costs way down. I’ve even bought a more expensive part because it shipped from the same warehouse, but saved me another 8$ in shipping.
It’s a game you have to play. They pretty much supplied the parts to rebuild our New Beetle engine.
I go to RA first, but always check locally after seeing what shipping will cost.
It’s a game you have to play. They pretty much supplied the parts to rebuild our New Beetle engine.
I go to RA first, but always check locally after seeing what shipping will cost.
Exactly this... the only thing I wish is if the warehouses were made more obvious, so you could figure out how to put together the best order.
What I like best about RockAuto is I don't have to worry about counterfeit stuff like I would with Amazon or eBay. And I find the design of their website easy to navigate.
I have generally had good luck with RockAuto. I agree the prices are good and I love the fact I can shop and find the brands I prefer that I cannot get other places.
I am probably in the minority here, but I would pay a "membership fee" to get discounted/free shipping. I have enough cars and always seem to be buying parts for something it would be worth it.
I am probably in the minority here, but I would pay a "membership fee" to get discounted/free shipping. I have enough cars and always seem to be buying parts for something it would be worth it.
I don't think that would ever work-- shipping is shipping, and shipping is getting more expensive by the day-- I'm certain that Rockauto isn't profiting off it, they simply use the shipping rate of whatever third party warehouse gives them that is sending the part to you.. If you pick parts from all different warehouses routinely, no amount of membership fee would cover that.
My approach with any shopping and RA in particular in this case is - cross reference parts at manufacturers' sites or elsewhere, always!
Some parts may be listed under your car make and model but are not right parts, some may not be listed but listed under diff make and model and are right parts for your car. Also, always make sure parts ship from same place to minimize shipping costs. Sometimes making two carts and shipping two orders is way cheaper. Using RA for years and never (knock on wood) had a single issue. I do my part in research before ordering thou.
Some parts may be listed under your car make and model but are not right parts, some may not be listed but listed under diff make and model and are right parts for your car. Also, always make sure parts ship from same place to minimize shipping costs. Sometimes making two carts and shipping two orders is way cheaper. Using RA for years and never (knock on wood) had a single issue. I do my part in research before ordering thou.
That's great advice-- and pay close attention to vehicle trim levels as well. I've had a couple wrong orders that were attributed to me not knowing a particular trim had a different part. One example is on a brake rotor I purchased-- only one size rotor was available on RA for that application, none of the brands listed a trim level.
So quite easy to assume that brake rotor fits all trims for that make/model/year, only to receive it and realize your "GT" or whatever trim had a larger rotor that Rockauto didn't happen to carry. Had I gone to Autozone's website or cross referenced with OEM parts (Rockauto is fairly decent with showing manufacturer's part no) I would have realized there were two rotor sizes available.
Last time I bought from RA was about two years ago. Denso alternator shipped from Fullerton CA to Montreal Canada, $15 cdn. To me that's a really great price.
RA lost a lot of my business because of their shipping charges and horrible return policy/process. I will use them on occasion for certain items coming from one location, the minute I see shipping from more than one location and the shipping cost reflecting that they lose the sale. My loyalty is to my wallet.
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