Dorman price fixing

[BHopkins]

First, what Rock Auto describes is not price fixing. Price fixing is illegal. What Dorman is doing here is not. It is a very common practice. Many companies have and do demand all suppliers sell at the same price. They want their product to sell on it's merits, not on price. This may not be the case with Dorman however.

Second, just because Rock Auto has made the decision to drop Dorman doesn't make them some great company that is watching out for the consumer. Rock Auto watches out for Rock Auto. Anyone who has done any amount of business with them should be keenly aware of that.

I will gladly pay a few dollars more to buy a part from the local NAPA or Autozone, knowing that their no questions asked return policy can be a real life saver. And I don't have to deal with Rock Auto's shipping damage issues. I can inspect the part before leaving the store. And I don't have to wait for it. Worst case, it's here the next morning.

 

[NGRhodes]

In the UK and EU they would not be allowed to do this, business suppliers can only offer suggested pricing for retail.

 

[BiffCIW]

So you were upset because they didn't overnight you a part just because you asked them to? I would be hard pressed to think of any retailer that would (regardless of fault). Apparently their policy is to re-ship the correct part as soon as the tracking for the return is valid. Not re-ship when the original part is receive . If you would have done this, you would have saved the $17.

 

[Carmudgeon]

Looks like Dorman is trying to protect its B&M retailers by applying MAP pricing to its online sellers.

For its part, RockAuto could easily circumvent this by not displaying prices until an item has been placed into a cart. But they've chosen to drop the line instead, and couch it as "price fixing," which it is not.

As an online storefront/drop shipper, it's hardly worth it for them to develop and support their own brand as a replacement.

The technique does protect margins and make it more fair across all distribution channels.

It's also used to protect brand status and prop up values, which is why it's common with luxury goods, but I doubt anyone would think of Dorman in those terms.

 

[Sayjac]

^^^Nicely posted Carmudgeon. Saw the topic in my inbox email this am and "price fixing" caught my eye and I was going to post it. As usual Bitogers all over it.

Somewhat related perhaps, I noticed while looking at tire prices recently that Goodyear Tires now have to be put in a check out cart to get a price revealed. WM even requires an email to do so. Probably other brands too but GY stood out because I've been looking at their tire prices recently, and the add to cart wasn't required some months back. It does make it more difficult to check pricing for comparison research for purchase.

Also similarly places like Best Buy have used the 'add to cart' to see price for some time.

Rock Auto has drawn a line in the sand on Dorman. It's their online store and certainly their right. Using the term "price fixing" with it to end the relationship makes it stand out.

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: MrHorspwer


If you believe this to be true, that they watch out for the customer, you've obviously never had to deal with their customer service.



+1 I had an issue with them and wasn't impressed one bit with their CS. That's the nice version. I'm also not thrilled about how they charge for shipping if items come out of different warehouses. I find myself using them less as a result. Having said that they can do whatever they want with Dorman products.

 

[Jarlaxle]

People still use Dorman?

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: dparm
Amazon sells Dorman stuff -- I wonder how this will affect them?


I wonder if AMZN is the reason this happened. Small retailers crying foul so Dorman tries to keep peace??? Maybe? Most Dorman products aren't that good anyway so it's no great loss for me.

 

[Kruse]

This should be a win for everybody.
Dorman protects the brick and mortar sellers. RA doesn't have to sell a brand that probably has a high rate of return. The consumer isn't tempted to buy a brand that's doesn't have the best reputation.
As far as the idea of RA creating a new house brand, it would surprise me. Should a RockAuto house-branded part fail and cause an accident, it would just open themselves up for a lawsuit. They make enough money just selling parts, quite often parts that have not seen the light of day for 15 years or have indications that they've been stored in high moisture, such as their oil filter closeouts.

 

[stroked93]

They are not telling anyone that they have to sell it for xx.xx just that is has to be above a minimum set price. Rockauto and amazon could raise their prices and The Big 3 would raise theirs more. There is a certain premium people are willing to pay to get it today vs order it. I do not believe it is in the best interest of the consumer. I think Dorman sees it as Cheapening their Brand. Because lets face it they do have an image issue. None of the posts above mine cite quality or good value. They are on the wrong track. Sell a Quality product then you can demand any price you want because we will pay it.

 

[NHGUY]

Most of NAPAs Balkamp line is reboxed or re-part numbered Dorman items.Shouldnt effect them,as Balkamp brand theoretically isn't Dorman brand,but a brand name (and only a brand name) owned by NAPA/GPC.

 

[eljefino]

Originally Posted By: stroked93
They are not telling anyone that they have to sell it for xx.xx just that is has to be above a minimum set price.


not so much that but they can't ADVERTISE any cheaper (and maintain a bulk pricing contract or some other punishment)

 

[PFP]

Originally Posted By: zvm77us
Originally Posted By: MrHorspwer
Screw Rock Auto.

Amazon is cheaper and actually takes care of their customers when the warehouse screws up.


Do you purchase your items on amazon after you used rockauto's vast catalog to find the correct items? If so ....


Actually, no..... Amazon is nearly always able to supply the correct part that is the right one for my vehicles.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
Plot twist, Rock auto will come up with their own store brand that's Dorman but not Dorman but we all know it's Dorman.

Dorman's a reboxer anyway, right?


Droman

 

[Linctex]

Originally Posted By: Colt45ws
And no, the 5% off doesn't neutralize shipping when your order has to come from 3 or 4 warehouses.


Or SIX!!

I'm trying to get an order ready, and it wants to ship from ABCDEF!!

what is REALLY frustrating, is change the quantity of ONE item, and all the warehouse codes change again!!

 

[BigD1]

Just did a top end rebuild including new head and head bolts, water pump, oil pump, timing cover, Gates hoses and belts, and a new timing chain set. I have Amazon Prime, but RockAuto got my cash because there was significant savings.

The warehouse codes changing is aggravating especially on smaller orders. For about a year, RockAuto had some goofy shipping prices to my zip code. I quit buying from them during that period. Now, it's normal shipping charges. Must have been a glitch in their system.

 

[HangFire]

It's amazing to me people complain about RockAuto shipping. Their shipping is the cheapest. They give you the tools to choose which parts come from what warehouse, they give you the tools to pick separate shipping types per warehouse, all their shipping rates are not highly layered with shipping and handling charges.... I think the "Chinese Menu" complexity of finding the best shipping deal from multiple warehouse choices just BLOWS PEOPLES MINDS.

I guess people prefer "free shipping" with a $99 yearly free and inflated prices to cover the shipping. Yes, I buy car parts from Amazon. I buy car parts from Rock Auto. As a DIY I can handle a 2-4 day turnaround. I order a week or more ahead for the best price. Need it for this coming weekend? Amazon Prime (yes I'm a member). Need it now? Local retailer. What's the big deal? I have options, and guess what, different options are better for different situations.

As for "I WANNA GET MY PART/SHIPPING/NEXT-DAY FREE NOW BECAUSE YOUR MISTAKE!!!!!!" customer service has a term for these customers who order under KNOWN return policies and then want special treatment. Noted on account, "Explained customer terms but customer wants BJ". If you don't like the rules of mail-order, don't mail-order.

I also know people who will cry a river on a blog/FB/Twitter about Amazon sending them the wrong thing, but say "too much hassle to return it". Well Big Box retailing was made for you. Go pay inflated prices and spend time and gasoline money.

Yes I've been INCONVENIENCED by shipping mistakes. Mostly by Amazon, why? Because I order the most from Amazon. In the end it always gets sorted out. I do the return (oh my gotta find a box and the tape gun oh my) and get my shipping, product or time comp'ed later via Chat support. I've never had issues with RockAuto (knock on wood) but if I did I'd read the terms and comply by them and BE NICE. I found that family business don't like to eat consumer rage. But if you comply by their terms and then follow-up AND BE NICE often you'll get a shipping comp on your next order. The BEING NICE is a forgotten aspect of being a consumer, we think that's a one-way street I'M THE CUSTOMER.

In the reloading world, Lee Precision often gets slammed for: charging for parts and bad customer service. Well, they have the LOWEST prices on replacement parts (crazy low, like pennies) and they charge actual shipping for those parts (Oh, my). All because a competitor (RCBS) charges 3 times for new equipment and then gives away free parts. Well, I've gotten lots of free parts from Lee, and even had some exceptional customer service tracking down hard to find parts. How? I'm nice on the phone. I don't rage. I tell them how much I like their products. Then I get great customer service. And if I have to pay, guess what? It's not much.

OK, rant done.

 

[eljefino]

Originally Posted By: slacktide_bitog
Originally Posted By: eljefino
Plot twist, Rock auto will come up with their own store brand that's Dorman but not Dorman but we all know it's Dorman.

Dorman's a reboxer anyway, right?


Droman

For my Bucki ElSabre!

 

[ted s]

holly, msd and other have similar pricing rules