Rockauto shipping $ improved ?

[Hall]

I'm looking for pads and rotors and generally, RA can't be beat but their shipping policy / costs often had me compare the final cost with places like Amazon. I've also bought pads at one place and rotors at another and so on....

So I found some pads and rotors and without spending endless time clicking, adding to cart, and so on in order to get parts from the same warehouse, it kept shipping the pads from one place and rotors from another. Positive thing is, each shipping charge (Fedex Ground) was around $10/each or only $20 total shipping. That seems a LOT cheaper than I've seen in the past. Others see a similar drop ?

FWIW, many of the same parts from Amazon were 2x RA's prices (I've seen this previously as well) making the non-"free" shipping less of an issue anyway.

 

[Rand]

so here is what you do as someone told me on bitog when I was complaining.

Add one part to cart.

Now on the parts list find the Truck icon that shows shipping from same warehouse when browsing for second part.

here was my complaint thread

RockAuto Sucks! or How Rockauto charges excessive shipping with pics.

Alternative title: How rock auto made me rage quit buying parts from them. So shopping for wiper blades for the 2020 hyundai.. oem inserts arent available.. and oem blades are $55 for pair(at local dealer) So I go on rock auto and select 2 blades.. ooo clearance total is 10$.. but wait there's...

bobistheoilguy.com

on page 3

"It would help if RA had a feature that said "Hey if you switch this X brand part to this Y brand part, you can avoid an extra shipping fee""

They do: https://www.rockauto.com/help/?page=2#MINSHIPCOST

That link explains it.

 

[Zee09]

Rock auto rules.
Where can you get factory fresh new antique parts from straight off the shelf.
Hard to find new 25 year old filters around here these days.

 

[JMJNet]

From my experience, for brake parts, RA price is the best.
Also, for hard to find parts which we don't have any choice even with shipping.

 

[oggb]

Click that check box at the top right corner of the parts list and select all of the available parts you're willing to use if it's something you're not picky about or that there is a large selection and it will choose for you based on lowest cost+shipping.

 

[Hall]

Now on the parts list find the Truck icon that shows shipping from same warehouse when browsing for second part.

I know how that works but I am not picking parts based on the warehouse they're in.

That said, it really does look like they've tweaked it (improved) a bit for the consumer as well as very, very competitive shipping charges. I mean, $10 to ship (4) rotors ? It's $10 to ship (2) sets of pads as well and anyone can realize the weight difference.

 

[Trav]

Choose Fedex and spend the extra few bucks, no problems at all. USPS is no longer priority mail it is that friggin smart post or similar ends up in the corner till we feel like delivering it service. 12 days for a set a set of pads.

 

[edyvw]

I ordered two days ago with them bcs. huge difference on Bilstein B6 struts and shocks compared to other places.
But, this required some gymnastics.
RA does not ship to Colorado Springs and Denver. Vendors have to pay tax separately to city governments and state. So RA just decided that they are not doing that, regardless that much smaller vendors (like all I buy from) do not have that issue.
So, I ordered to address in a small town in the mountains where my work colleague lives.
It is ridiculous, and besides this order, I am not sure when is next time, if ever, I will order from them.

 

[Hall]

Choose Fedex and spend the extra few bucks

This is Fedex (Ground) shipping. USPS isn't even listed as a choice.

Interesting - I had selected my work address since deliveries tend to be more reliable when it's Fedex Ground and Fedex (air) or Ground were the only options. If I change to my home address, they offer to ship the pads via USPS and the rotors still with FG. I can override that with FG for both for a few more $.

 

[RAR]

I stopped using the USPS delivery for my stuff because out where I am, our mail carrier is an older woman, and lifting or getting heavy parts is not easy. Okay, she might be overmatched for the job, but there aren’t any new candidates to replace her.

So I opt for FedEx, since the drivers know that I’m getting auto parts a lot and place them by the garage if I can’t meet them.

 

[14Accent]

I just ordered brakes for my GC from RA. I couldn't have found a better price if I tried. Closeout semi-metallic pads for $9.40 and 2 Powerstop rotors for $18.59 each. -$2.33 with 5% off code, $15.98 shipping (2 warehouses) and $4.83 tax for a grand total of $65.06. No one could touch that deal.

 

[Wolf359]

I just ordered brakes for my GC from RA. I couldn't have found a better price if I tried. Closeout semi-metallic pads for $9.40 and 2 Powerstop rotors for $18.59 each. -$2.33 with 5% off code, $15.98 shipping (2 warehouses) and $4.83 tax for a grand total of $65.06. No one could touch that deal.

I get parts from FCPeuro. Lifetime warranty on all the parts they sell including brake pads and rotors. You do have to pay shipping back to them to get the free 2nd set though. They only do a few car brands, just Euro.

 

[sloinker]

Many of the same weasels that used to say they are done with RockAuto seem to have come back into the fold if this thread is to be believed. You know who you are. Shouldn't you haters be spending many hours laboriously adding and deleting items from your cart to save a buck fifty? Then scream like little girls when Rockauto doesn't bend to your expectations? Why are you back?

 

[14Accent]

Many of the same weasels that used to say they are done with RockAuto seem to have come back into the fold if this thread is to be believed. You know who you are. Shouldn't you haters be spending many hours laboriously adding and deleting items from your cart to save a buck fifty? Then scream like little girls when Rockauto doesn't bend to your expectations? Why are you back?

Because the prices can't be beat. I will say, I'm not one of those weasels. I understand exactly how RA works, and I appreciate the availability of parts at low prices. I have no issue with their business model, although their customer service does leave something to be desired. That being said, I just had to return parts to them and although they did charge me a modest ($6) return shipping fee, all I had to do was tape a label on the box and hand it to our FedEx guy. I had a refund in 4 days.

Using my example of the brakes I ordered, even at cost +10% plus tax, getting parts at my shop would have cost me at least $30 more. Same with Amazon. I didn't spend hours playing with my cart on RA to save $1.50. I spent maybe 10 minutes picking and choosing to save myself at LEAST $30 vs. buying local.

 

[Jimmy_Russells]

The front pads for my car are $570 from the dealer. I got OEM equivalent on RA a few months ago for $8.50. Yes, $8.50 lol.

They've been in the car about three months maybe and they work just fine, need a little more heat to get the same bite, but that's about it.

 

[14Accent]

The front pads for my car are $570 from the dealer. I got OEM equivalent on RA a few months ago for $8.50. Yes, $8.50 lol.

They've been in the car about three months maybe and they work just fine, need a little more heat to get the same bite, but that's about it.

I have to assume that was for the RS3... wow.

Then again, I had a 2020 Ram 2500 come in today with smoked front brakes and a stuck caliper (at 47k miles, transport truck) and literally the only place to get pads was from the dealer. $217.50 cost, $450+ retail. I almost crapped my pants. $145 each for rotors, $138 for the bare caliper (no bracket). Turned into a $2k brake job really fast.

 

[Delta]

I don't mind spending a little bit extra shipping to get good parts. Case in point I just got a set of Raybesto's coated rear rotors, street performance coated fronts, and their Element 3 pads for the beater Talon shipped to my door for $135. Can't beat that! Advance wanted $56 just for a standard front rotor! That and my FedEx guys knows where to set the stuff out of sight. Really funny since I work at that hub and if I see him he'll be like "quit ordering that heavy [stuff]!"

 

[Hall]

I don't mind spending a little bit extra shipping to get good parts. Case in point I just got a set of Raybesto's coated rear rotors, street performance coated fronts, and their Element 3 pads for the beater Talon shipped to my door for $135.

For the application I'm looking at, I'm all in at $140 - pads, rotors, and shipping. These are name-brand pads and rotors in my shopping cart too, by the way.

This thread - not directed at you - isn't about the (total) "cost" as much as it is about how it appears to me that RA has actually listened and made improvements or changes in the customer's favor.

 

[KastGrin]

Rockauto shipping improved significantly compared with the beginning of 2020. I've ordered several automatic parts from them and expected not to receive all items on time but they surprised me in a good way. I had some issues with them the previous year when some parts simply didn't arrive. I had to argue with their support team a bit, but they accepted their failure and solved my problem for free (found the missed parts thanks to tracking china post services and send them back with a lil chargeback). But now their shipping has become much better, and the prices are reasonable too. Don't even mention the quality of their products...it's always high.

 

[tblt44]

Rock auto rules.
Where can you get factory fresh new antique parts from straight off the shelf.
Hard to find new 25 year old filters around here these days.

In some cases old is correct, 25 years is pushing it, 8 to 10 yes.
It's just a crap shoot with them on some parts. I still go there first