RockAuto

This company has the worst customer service if you ever get any sort of customer service from a live human. For the past three to four years I noticed the company completely changed every time I order something RockAuto either forget to send me something in the order or they send me the wrong parts for which I'm forced to pay the shipping to return. Plenty of other websites online that do free shipping, free returns and give you good customer service. Plus what makes it even worse is their website sometimes lists parts for your vehicle that are not actually for your model. This happened to me multiple times and again you have to pay to return the product to them even though they listed it wrong on their website. Save yourself a big headache order somewhere else. Believe me the products will be better and they will actually fit your car. I included a picture of part of my latest order. It's the front brake pads for my car they were supposed to come with stainless steel clips that you replace when doing the brake pads. That's how they were listed on their website that they would come with stainless steel hardware. And they didn't. I informed them that they forgot to send them and they weren't in the box. Got a rude email from them.

Total ripp off company
Please read this before you think about ordering from this crooked company.
I needed struts for a 2007 Sonata I wanted good struts so I searched Monroe. I found them on several sites at about $110.00 apiece. I saw RockAuto had them online for $70 a piece. RockAuto had a picture of Monroe strut exact part number of Monroe strut so I thought how the hell can they screw me, so against my better judgement I ordered them. They had fast delivery so I pulled my struts out and got it ready to install the new ones. I was a little surprised the box was a plain white box no marking except a Monroe part number written with sharpie! I'm thinking they screwed me. In the box were off brand strut with part number stamped in. I put in the part number it is the cheapest strut you can buy Amazon has them for $37.00. Needless to say I was pissed. I thought no problem I 'll call and tell them they made a mistake, well that's not happening you can't call them they don't accept calls, that's a red flag. I went on line to do a return after 20 dumb question they asked if Monroe part number was on the box I marked yes but told the the part I got was stamped with a different part number. They told me that part would still fit my Sonata! Okay yes it will fit my car but that's not what I ordered. So okay send them back and I have to pay for shipping. The box was 38lb which was about $50.00. As I said do not buy from this place If I can get one person the not buy from these crooks Then the time it took to do this totally honest review it is worth it. Thanks for reading my horror story about a horrible dishonest company that should be shut down. Also check rating on BBB it is horrible Now I'm out $144.00 for pars and $50.00 for shipping. Because they are refusing to give me my mony back because I put a BBB complaint!

I had been a happy rock auto customer in Canada for over 5 years. I only ever had one small issue last year, and I was able to get it resolved after talking with a customer service rep located at their head office in Madison, WI. Ive easily spent over $10,000 us with them since ive been a customer with them. As RockAuto have almost all the parts for my collector cars, and harder to find European parts.

This last order though was completely unacceptable. Simply put, I had ordered a fan clutch for my Mercedes, having experienced poor quality fan clutches from china in the past, for this car it had to be an original Sachs made in Germany (the original OEM supplier). I did a quickly lookup on their site, and they had about 5 options to choose from, ranging in price. I could clearly see from the photo which ones were "china brand" from the desgn, the 4 Seasons brand, was higher prices (in the range of the Sachs pricing), and the photo clearly showed a Sachs branded clutch with the words printed "Made in Germany" simply I could see that 4 seasons put a Sachs brand part in their box, and off it went. Not uncommon for "house brands" to do with parts. Also reason I ordered it from RA, and not elsewhere online is their shipping to Canada is pretty reliable, and I needed it asap.

Today box shows up, and on the packing slip, it clearly states "Country of origin - Germany", so I was glad. I open up the part box, and low and behold a cheap china knock off that clearly says "Made in China". I was disappointed, but needed it asap, so I paid more for express shipping and begun the order process to order a Sachs from another local supplier.

I call up their head office, and instantly get told that there is no one I can talk to and they "Discontinued" the customer service reps last fall. I was a bit disappointed, but regardless, I thought I would start the return process. Obviously with the notion that they sold me a "Not as described" part, and they should refund me the ship price to me, the part price, and the ship back amount for the return.

I quickly got a response back from customer service, and instantly they said, not their fault, not our problem, if you want to return it you will need to pay for the return shipping. After a lot of back and forth, I was getting nowhere. And I was completely dumbfounded, that they were treating this simple issue that was their fault, and blaming it on me.

I had to file a claim thru paypal, and will wait to see what happens.

I wish i have read these reviews before i purchase Stuff From RockAuto... Made a Big Mistake Do Not Buy i say it Again DO NOT BUY FROM THESE PEOPLE COMPANY ROCKAUTO.COM RockAuto Should Go Out of Business.
I order for my Kia Sorento 2011 - Two Front >>> MONROE 172712 Front Right and MONROE 172713 Front Left. Looks Good on Pictures and description looks Great. Order went in i paid around $260 for both. Took them 3days to arrived. It was fast and i was impressed. I opened The box look at it my first impression oh there's a mistake i can tell before even i can open my Car Tire to look at if this match. It was wrong part and plus description on this box was matching the Monore *******72713 but part was different and no writing on the box plus on the part. How this possible. They sent me wrong part i tried looking at ph no CC Service no Email or talk to. So somehow i got how to returned this i did that i just asked for my money back then they want me to shipped them with discounted Fedex label well they made a mistake why should i pay for it but no answer so i had to do. I shipped them backed. I lost like 40$ out of $260 these people are crook and making money of it shipping. And sending you wrong parts. Cheap and plus really bad service who does business without Ph No and not customer Service. Really these Rockauto need to go out of business. Why we can't do something about these cooks. I upload three pictures of that part they sent me has two sway bar links mine has only one sway bar links so i knew they sent me wrong part...

I was promised a $100 gift card for buying 4 struts from rockauto.com, but its just a scam. I sent in everything RockAuto asked for and about 2 months later I get an email saying my rebate was rejected because of some items that were supposedly missing, but it was untrue. I called and they were closed but the answering service assured me they would have someone call me back. I also emailed explaining that everything they asked for was included. I never got a reply to my email and no one ever called me back. Finally I was able to get through to them by phone during regular business hours. The person I spoke to asked for my rebate id number which I gave him and told him that I was told the rebates was rejected. He placed me on hold for a minute or two. When he came back to the phone he said everything has been taken care of and that I was approved. Thats pretty fishy, I bet they reject 100% of all rebates initially. Now he proceeds to tell me that it will take 2 more months to process and I should get my rebate card in the. What the heck? It does not take 2 months to send out a rebate card. So I wait another two months and then check the status of the rebate online and guess what, it says rejected again. This is a total scam. Do not trust anything you hear from Rock Auto about a rebate, you will NEVER get your rebate.

I have ordered a LOT from Rockauto over the last 8 years or so. RockAuto have great prices, reasonable shipping, and big selection. The downside is when a part isnt quite right and you try to return it. They have an automated return process that asks you a bunch of questions to determine what went wrong, and ultimately if they will allow you to return the item(s). Answer one question wrong, and the part becomes ineligible for return, and you are stuck. If the part is simply defective, you probably wont have a problem, but if the part doesnt fit right, and they show it is correct for your vehicle, there's gonna be problems. MOst recent example was a set of wiper blades for my wifes car, (two different sizes). I installed the blades (trico) per instructions, and they seemed to lock into place properly. Well, in the first rain, my wife told me her blades were very noisy and werent wiping well. When I picked up the arm to look at the blade, the blade fell off the arm. The other side was almost as loose. The plastic inserts had weakened and bent inward during use, and the blades would no longer stay locked. I went through the return process for one, and got store credit. When I tried to do the other side, the website told me it was ineleigible for return because it was installed on the car. How would I know it didnt fit correctly if I didnt install it on the car? Of course now the part is locked on the website and the only recourse I have is go through the payment method, which is paypal in this case. All for a 7.00 wiper blade. BEWARE

I have purchased 4 power steering pumps from Rockauto. RockAuto have all been installed by professional, main dealers but despite that each pump has failed within or soon after the warranty expired. On the latest occasion, the pump had failed before it was even installed int he vehicle.

I live in Ireland so with expensive shipping costs and customs duties etc. it was easier on each occasion to just order a new pump and pay to have it shipped. Between these costs and mechanics costs, I have spent well over 2000 to get a reliable, working replacement steering pump and at this moment, I still have a car, in a garage with no power steering.

On this latest occassion I suggested to Rockauto that I would pay for a new pump if they would cover the cost of shipping it. They even refused that.

They did offer to ship the defective product to US and replace it but I have to bring the product to the shipping depot (90 minutes drive from me). So, to get a warranty replacement (including the 1/2 day I will lose form work) will cost me more money than it would cost to just buy a new pump.

But I don; t want to just buy another new pump because I am fed up with these defective parts - I don; t know if it is ACDElCO that is at fault (I presume it must be as they manufactured this latest pump) but Rockauto are the people I gave my money to..

Working on a old truck, ordered several parts. Most of the parts had something wrong or a missing piece. RockAuto had been repackaged. I know someone else was missing a custom bolt as was in a box and didn't go with the item. I contacted there website as instructed, they told me the part came that way. How can you have a lower ball joint w/ no boot to hold the grease? I could pay to ship it back and then they would take away the original shipping which was for the whole order. So they get the part back to sell again for someone else to go thru it, then give me zero refund. They are a online business, they will not speak with you on the phone. They say if they wanted to talk on the phone they would not be a on line business. I know there parts are a little cheaper than other places at times, when you get a cheaper part that is not usable then it is no good to have the cheaper part! There are many other places to get the same part cheaper than the parts store around the corner. Rock Auto does not care about the customer at all. They want the dollar and do not care who they steal it from by selling bad parts and not standing behind them. You might as well stand on the street and give the money away at least at the end of the day you will feel good about helping someone. With Rock all you will get is bad parts and stress. I know other people who have purchased and had the same problems! Wish I would have heard the issues before I purchased from them!

Dec. 01,2021:
I'm Posting a Review against Rock Auto's Bad Customer Service, as well as placing a complaint to the BBB.

We have been a loyal and repeated customer for many years. Never really had a big issue/problem with them, until our last purchase on Mon., Nov. 29,2021.

My husband's truck broke down, so we placed the order online, as we usually do, BUT this time, my husband decided that he needed the parts ASAP, because he has to leave by 5 AM, in freezing weather when using a motorcycle, to be at work and he comes home in the dark and freezing weather@ 5:30 pm, for an hour drive to work and an hour back.

So we paid an outrageous amount of $114.99 for NEXT DAY DELIVERY SHIPPING FEE.

• Tue, Dec. 30,2021, came and went and NO PARTS WERE DELIVERED.

• Wed., Nov. 01,2021, So again, my husband had to use his motorcycle in freezing weather@ 5 AM and coming home in the dark and freezing weather@ 5:30 pm.

Right now it's 8:15 PM and the packages from Rock Auto are NOT here yet.

I first called FedEx and RockAuto told me that Rock Auto is the only one that can make a claim about my package and request for my refund on the NEXT DAY DELIVERY SHIPPING FEE of $114.99.

So, I then emailed customer service and ASHLEY from Rock Auto stated that they CAN'T give us a refund for the NEXT DAY DELIVERY SHIPPING FEE of $114.99. She stated that the NEXT DAY DELIVERY shipping is not guaranteed.

If that was the case and if I knew this was going to happen and that customer service is this bad, I would have chosen the cheapest shipping method!

She said that even if it's the NEXT DAY DELIVERY SHIPPING METHOD that they can't guarantee that it will make it here and that FedEx is supposed to bring it today.

Well obviously she lied! Package is NOT here yet!

TERRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE!

Rebecca G

I took my car to a local auto shop where it was diagnosed as needing a new vacuum pump, and RockAuto placed the order number DORMAN 904820 as the part number.

I went to the Rock Auto website, used the filtering process for the pump, and it matched up. I ordered said pump. It was delivered, my personal mechanic was installing it and found it was the incorrect pump. It is actually missing a nipple that connects to a hose.

I reached out to customer service to ask what I should do upon finding out this error - I was told that because it had been thirty NINE days, the return policy is thirty, I was going to be issued a store credit not a refund. Using the provided system with Rock Auto, I was guided incorrectly. This episode was a result of the website, the COMPANY website mis-advising - not to mention, extremely POOR customer service. I have been in contact back and forth, and "We're sorry - we'll make a one time exception and give you store credit." How the company has an A+ on the BBB and a 1.5 star rating baffles me. Not to mention the poor reviews on various other websites for the POOR customer service.

I paid the $20.80 to return the part and have been waiting for correspondence for multiple days. It's really baffling that, as a consumer, I'm expected to be understanding of delays, etc - and again - I went off of what the website guided me to - during the COVID Crisis delaying the world, but the same isn't afforded in the opposite direction.

2008 was/is a confusing year for Mini Coopers, so I have some grace here - if you enter in 2009 Mini Cooper, the part I need comes up. 2008 was a transition year for Mini, the body style stayed the same as the year before, however the engine was modified and this causes some confusion in the parts realm.

I've done business with rockauto for years and have recommended to many many people all whom came back with a thank you. I've noticed about a year ago those friends started coming back with trouble stories. I continued on ordering my parts from them just as always with no problems. It's been months since I needed any parts but recently ordered a timing belt kit for a Toyota pickup for around $150 that claimed to be O. E. M. Parts.
NOT AT ALL OEM (AISIN) PARTS!
I first noticed these parts are terribly cast with burrs on gasket surfaces and such but grabbed a file and chocked it up to someone in the line having a bad day. Then I flipped the water pump over to find a Aisin STICKER not the company symbol cast into the part like normal. Very apparent someone grinded off this original makers symbol and stuck a sticker over it.
THATS STRAIGHT FRAUD!
RockAuto have no customer service and took me 45 minutes to even find an email on the website to send my complaint to with no customer service given. They even claim Aisin the manufacturer did this it's and not them... so I took my story to them.
Interested to see what they say (as well my attorney general) but I guarantee i won't be paying for shipping back on $50 eBay parts they bought, grinded off makers symbol and resold to me as $150+ O. E. M parts

Forgot to mention the fact that grinding on the water pump housing weakens it likely to crack there from heat now. It's not like it's the heart of the cooling system or anything...

When I purchased this item, I thought that the shipping and handling was excessive.
The return shipping was about half the original shipping. Meaning Rockauto offered
The item at a low price but charged extra for shipping to make up the difference.
Furthermore, as I stated in my original e-mail. The item was not in it original
Packaging and the clips and cotter pins were missing.
I ended up buying brake pads at Napa Auto Parts. I was given the correct parts for my
Truck the first time and all the hardware was included. My friend told me he only
Buys car parts from Amazon.com due to their free return policy.
I ask my readers.
What will Rockauto do to stay competitive?
Who will you buy your autoparts from?
A company that places all the risk on the consumer like Rockauto? Or you can go to a
Local store and not risk shipping charges in excess of 150% the value of the part
Itself! Or Amazon.com with free return shipping. I present to you only the facts on
Rockauto's return policy. The choice is yours._________________________________________________________________

It should be done by the program. Rockauto.com indicated these pads would fit my truck.
That was incorrect and you making me pay for it.-Brian

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

On Mon, Oct 4,2021 at 12:55 PM, RockAuto Customer Service<*******@rockauto.com>
Wrote: Dear Brian,

This vehicle used different size brakes - 4.7" and 5.3", both of which we list in the
Catalog.

When placing an order its up to you to confirm the part listing matches your vehicle
To ensure fitment. If not, the parts can be returned for a part cost refund but
Shipping costs are not covered.

Thank you,

Ashley
RockAuto Customer Service

RockAuto HELP
http://www.rockauto.com_________________________________________________________...⇄ />
Those dimensions do not fit a 2003
Toyota Tundra 4.7L V8 as specified in the search terms I used on Rockauto's website.

-Brian On Monday, October 4,2021, 11:05:58 AM EDT, RockAuto Customer Service
<*******@rockauto. Com> wrote: Dear Brian,

Thank you for contacting us. The brake pads ordered were listed with specific
Dimensions

In situations where parts have additional fitment notes and do not fit, the refund is
For the cost of the parts only. Shipping costs are not refunded.

Thank you,

Ashley
RockAuto Customer Service

RockAuto HELP_________________________________________________________________________

Rockauto, I was issued my "refund"
Today. I purchased a set of brake pads for a 2003 Toyota Tundra 4.8L V8 for the cost
Of $14.13 plus $11.99 shipping and handling plus tax for a total of $27.69. Rockauto
Sent me the wrong brake pads (it was the correct box containing the wrong pads). This
Is not my fault. This was a mistake committed by Rockauto. I returned the pads and
Rockauto inspected the shipment and issued me a refund (plus tax) minus the return
Shipping cost of $6.59. My "refund" equals $8.39. The total out of pocket cost to me
Was $34.28 minus the "refund" of $8.39. Therefore, Rockauto's mistake has cost me
$25.89. If you had sent me the correct brake pads and I had simply decided I didn't
Want them, that would be a completely different story. But this was your mistake, not
Mine. This is unfair to me as the customer. I need to conduct my business with a
Company worthy enough to stand behind their work. I have been swindled. You need to
Refund me the additional $25.89 otherwise I will no longer be shopping at Rockauto and
I will be bringing this issue up the Better Business Bureau as well as leaving a
Detailed review/warning to other would be customers. And of course telling all my
Mechanic friends how much RockAuto stand to lose by shopping at Rockauto. Stand behind
Your work and I will trust your company and continue to buy parts from you. I
Understand mistakes happen and my issue may have fallen through the cracks of an
Automated system. But now you know all the facts and it is time to see what you will
Do._____________________________________________________________________

Once the return(s) have arrived at the warehouse, we will inspect it and issue the
Refund within 3 business days. We will email you when the refund is issued.

You can also monitor the status of your return using our Order Status and Returns
Page.

For more information, please see our Help pages.

Thank you,

Rodney
RockAuto Customer Service
www.rockauto.com

This is in regard to order # 186589856.
I ordered brake pads for a 2003 Toyota Tundra 4.7 V8.
The box I received was the correct box; however, the box had been previously opened
And contained the wrong brake pads. The brake pads were not in their original plastic
Wrapping and no retaining clips or hardware was included.
The brake pads were the wrong size and do not fit on a 2003 Toyota Tundra 4.7 V8.
I have shipped the pads back to Rockauto. But you made me pay for the return
Shipping. I trust you will refund me the cost of the brake pads. But I am concerned
About the return shipping cost and the original shipping cost totaling ~13 dollars.
The mistake was Rockauto's not mine. You sent me the wrong brake pads. I should not
Have to pay the shipping for your mistake.
If I am going to continue to do business with you and need to trust your service.
Kindly refund me the original cost of the brake pads, as well as the original shipping
Cost and the return shipping cost.
Thank you, Brian

Ordered simple antenna to replace broken antenna on my vehicle. Entered correct, year, make, model etc for my vehicle. The part came, it looked similar, but the stud (threads) to attach it to the vehicle are 1" - 1.5" too short. I informed Rock Auto of this, and RockAuto offered to send a replacement for free (So far so good). The replacement came, but it was identical to the first part; i. E. way too short and would not fit. The part itself was only $4, but the shipping was $7; ($11 total). Still, cheaper than other sites of $17. However, when I tried to get a refund, Rock Auto says "neither of us made a mistake, so we'll issue you half of the price of the replacement part and shipping." Well the second (replacement order) was sent with complimentary shipping. So they offered to refund me $2 on an $11 purchase. More importantly, yes they did make a mistake. It was not my mistake, they offered a product stating that it would fit my vehicle, but it did not. They try to blame it on the part manufacturer, claiming it is their error. But Rock Auto has the relationship with the manufacturer, not the consumer, and if the manufacturer is providing Rock Auto with bad information, and they perpetuate that "lie" I don't know how Rock Auto can then say it is the consumer's fault. I've had previous experiences with Rock Auto and they were very positive, but this time they failed. Finally, as the title indicates, I think this could be resolved with a simple phone call and explanation, but they admittedly have no customer service line or "human being" to address the situation.

I've had my second fight with Rock Auto customer service and have
Deleted my account.

If you receive what you ordered and it arrived in usable condition
Such that you never have to communicate with Rock Auto customer service,
Then you will probably rate them highly as their prices are hard to beat
(except for their shipping charges on multiple items.)

If you need to return an item / deal with their customer service:
1. Prepare for a fight.
2. Any savings you thought you would realize by using Rock Auto will vanish.
You may even realize you'd have been better off buying from ANYONE else.
3. Do not be surprised if RockAuto insist you pay return shipping even
If they ship you something other than what you ordered
(Hard to believe ANYONE in business can survive with a policy like this.)

My last botched Rock Auto order:
Ordered a Denso fuel pump listed in their online catalog for my application.
Specifically avoided cheaper pumps, such as Walbro, based on
30 years personal experience.
Received a Walbro pump in a Denso box.
If I had wanted a Walbro pump I could have gotten one in
A Walbro box for $20 less than the Denso.
The failed pump I was replacing was, no surprise to me, Walbro.
Contacted Mario at Rock Auto.
Mario claimed that Denso informed him that this type of part substitution
Was common practice at Denso.
I contacted Denso America and Denso Japan and they tell me Mario lied.
Denso America referred me to their online catalog for proof:
Denso does not offer a fuel pump for my application.
I explained this to Mario who informed me I would be charged for return
Shipping anyway.
They refunded $57.42 of my $68.68 purchase price.
So, BUYER BEWARE:
If Rock Auto makes a mistake, the customer will pay for it,
Literally.

P.s. Wonder what would happen if you ordered a lug nut and
Rock Auto shipped an automatic transmission in error?
Their policy seems to indicate the customer would be responsible
For return shipping charges. One thing I know for certain:
Rock Auto would NOT ship you that lug nut until they received
Their transmission back.

I live in Canada, and I've placed multiple orders for several vehicles I've owned such as 97 Chev Blazer, 96 Chrysler Sebring, '02 Mazda Protege, '06 F150, '06 VW Tiguan, '05 Jeep Liberty, '08 Toyota FJ, and an '05 Toyota Tundra. All orders have been complete, delivered on time, with no hassle, and always the right part. Parts prices are 70% or less than prices at local parts stores, so it does make sense to check local prices to account for shipping costs and exchange. Note: it seems that auto parts are NOT subject to duties! Some key hints to get the right thing at the right price and efficient delivery price: 1) Make sure you know exactly your year, make, model, engine, and accessories package. 2) Make sure you know the exact part you need, and understand that there are some variations on the part, even for the same above specifications, so do some research if different variations pop up on RockAuto's parts list. 3) To get the optimum pricing on parts price and delivery cost for a number of parts, I always select the same part from different sources, and then eliminate some from the list to get the optimum delivered price. I figure that most parts manufacturers make parts of equivalent quality so I am not partial to a specific brand. RockAuto has an ordering feature now to optimize shipping costs - a real plus.

Sebring Convertible: Parts from RockAuto: grill, head-light assemblies, brake components, cooling system components, timing belt replacement kit.

Rodney,
Thank you for your response.
I guess the point was lost on you or sarcasm is not your strong suit.
I tried to make a valid point about my issues, as well as those of the same people who turned me on to Rockauto to begin with.
In fact, no response would have been better than your irrelevant commentnow I'm just pissed off.
Goodbye Rockauto.
Steve

From: RockAuto Customer Service <*******@rockauto.com>
Sent: Tuesday, May 21,2019 2:03
Subject: [Ticket#104820878] Amazon is kicking your butts at your own game

Hello,
We're glad to hear that you look forward to receiving our magnets! Most of our warehouses stock magnets and include them in the box, but some do not. Magnets can also be purchased on RockAuto.com by clicking here.
For a chance to have your vehicle featured on a RockAuto magnet (or another publication, such as our monthly newsletter or social media), please see: Tips for Taking Pictures of your Car
Thank you,
Rodney
RockAuto Customer Service
www.rockauto.com

Dear Rockauto Service Team,
Of course, I've been a regular customer. You guys have been good to me and that is
Difficult for me to say about ANY business. So thank you.
I've noticed that the last few orders are getting more expensive and the shipping cost
Is increasing. By a lot.
Rockauto is an auto parts ONLY supplier, right? Specialized. Amazon, of course, is
Not. Seems like that would be a marketing advantage for Rockauto.
In the case of this order I reference here, I saw three different shipping payments
From three different warehouses, for 6 items.
Today, I ordered the exact same items I had in my Rockauto "cart" from Amazon. I will
Get it tomorrow and the total is $50 bucks less than the same order would have been
At Rockauto.
Based on my order, that represents 30% more if I get it from Rockauto and it would
Take a week to get it. We're only talking about a $150 dollar order. The amazon
Price's per item were a couple of dollars more than Rockauto's price's but I still
Came out way better with Amazon... and it will all be delivered by tomorrow, not in a
Week.
I hate amazon. I'd love nothing better than to use Rockauto than Amazon. It simply
Cannot be justified as it is now.
Consider creating a flat shipping rate or provide free of discounted shipping to
"prime" customers. I understand the shipping costs are great profit centers for
People selling junk on TV adds but should not be part of an auto parts suppliers
Business model. The little fridge magnets thrown in the box are nice but not worth 30%
And a week of down time.
You guys gotta do better. Until Rockauto changes this practice, it's Amazon and the
Local (albeit horrible to shop in) parts houses for me and my six vehicles.
Regards,
OZ

I ordered the wrong part by mistake.(To save confusion, I will call it Part#1). The estimated time of arrival came, and when I got online to see where it was, USPS said that Part#1 had never been received by them.

Under normal circumstances, I would have waited for Part#1 to come in, but I have head and neck cancer and it's life and death important that my car is operational so I can get my treatments, not to mention that my time is very limited... so, I went to the RockAuto website and followed their instructions to get a replacement part,(I will call that one, Part#2).

Several days after Part#2 was ordered, Part#1 shows up at my door, and Part#1 came along with an immediate email demanding that I either return Part#1 or pay for Part#2,(they, ~RockAuto~ said that Part#2 had shipped... BUT... the USPS showed that RockAuto had not yet received Part#2, so I waited for verification from USPS, that they had actually received Part#2, before making my decision on keeping and replacing one or both parts [hubs]).

I decided that both hubs were probably in the same shape, so I went ahead and paid for Part#2 as soon as it arrived.

THEN... My mechanic gives me the bad news, that I had actually ordered the wrong part... so not only did I have a part that I didn't need... I had TWO of them.

As both Part#1 and Part#2 were never installed, and in the exact same condition as they arrived in,(including the original packaging), I contacted RockAuto about getting a refund.

RockAuto's reply was to tell me that they could not give me a refund on Part#1(the original purchased part, that was lost and arrived late), because they have a 30 day limit on refunds... and that they cannot mail me a shipping label for Part#2. I am not a business, I am an individual. I do not own a printer, and I do not have access to get the label printed out... so, that boils down to me not being able to get a refund on that one either.

Order Number 145500103 Order Date 06/29/2020 Order Status Shipped Order Total $26.88

Order Number 143703722 Order Date 06/13/2020 Order Status Shipped Order Total $36.87

It may not be much money to most people... but it is a lot of money for me... and others may not see this as much of a hassle, but, I'm sorry... to me, the slightest bit of complication in my life, brings about massive amounts of instant and lingering pain...

I feel a deep need to help warn others about the way that this company does business.

Thank you for taking the time to read my review about this business... if I could make a suggestion,
It would be to read customer reviews on the site before ordering anything from them... if you don't see any customer reviews, there is probably a pretty good reason for the company to omit your access to review them... I hope that you are not taken in by them.
Kathy

Kathy M.
Cherokee, Alabama

I have been in the Automotive industry for 38yrs. I have been dealing with RockAuto now approx 2yrs and haven't had a problem with the thousands of dollars worth of parts I have purchased. To try and reduce the number of warehouses my order shipped from I selected a brand that I had never experienced before SKP. The 2 x distributors looked okay in the photos but their function was totally unacceptable. On both the caps don't locate on the male locator. On both the upper shaft has over. 040"(1.00mm) of lateral movement and the real topper is it r. E. t. A. r. D. s the spark before it starts to advance. I'm in Australia and emailed RockAuto the details of the problem. Their customer support is completely unsatisfying. I would say RockAuto didn't even read it but just sent a generic reply to say return it freight paid and we will send the same defective product back to where we sent it originally, which was my freight forwarder in Florida. Not happy with that I thought I would contact SKP direct. So 3 x comprehensive emails and 6 x messages later left on Brent Baldwin's voice mail and not an ounce of professional courtesy in responding. Both RockAuto and SKP have absolutely no professional integrity if they will not deal with their supplying of inferior defective parts into the market place. I will not be purchasing another SKP product and will be taking every opportunity to tell people how unsatisfied I am with the whole SKP Skyward Automotive experience. Scott Robertson

Absolutely disgusted. Been referring to them for parts for almost a decade. Been going back and forth over emails. All RockAuto do is copy and paste their policies. I'm exhausted from this today so I will paste my emails here:

1) I opened the package when it was shipped to me and there were 3 fuel filters in plastic packaging and an air filled plastic bubble thing to keep all the filters in place in the box. There were no other boxes included in the packaging. I understand you have policies to follow, yet I would hope that you take the time to reach out to the manufacturer and see if they have run out of boxes or are no longer using boxes. I would really appreciate it. Especially since I'm almost at the end of my relationship with RockAuto.

I previously ordered a Gates timing kit for my sweet 2002 subaru outback and the Chinese made thermostat shut closed after 2 weeks and left us stranded in Texas. This forced me to buy a truck just so I could get home. I'm still paying on this truck.

2) Why would there be a supplied plastic bubble in the box with the parts? Do you think that those filters could fit in boxes within the box you sent? Do you think the plastic packaging around those filter would slide into a box? How big of a box do you think you sent me? Tear off the return label and see that is the box you sent me with the filters.

3) Interesting news. I spoke to a friend of mine that referred me to you almost a decade ago and he reports the same issue. He says there is a likelihood that the boxes were scanned and then thrown away to use a smaller box to lower shipping costs. He also said that one time he bought a couple shocks that where in two large boxes, inside a massive box, and how ridiculous it was. Well, I'm going to tell you when I say there were not any boxes then, as the customer, I would believe that should be the most important thing I would hear. Because at this point I feel that I am being called a liar. We have a tree company, not a car shop. We have no reason to pull every filter out of every box and then try to ship it back. I always replace original packaging to any and every store. The total cost of the items I believe was maybe 20 bucks and 8 in shipping. Now, I spent another 8 bucks to ship it back. So what is really left for me? 12 dollars? At this point it is not about the money. It is about principal. If you want to lose a decade long customer over 12 bucks, then that is simply bad practice. My package came with what you recieved and shipping receipt. Nothing more.

I would recommend that this email gets forwarded to someone in management

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I didn't feel it necessary to fill in the boiler plates they sent me. Irrelevant. But for them to lose a lifelong customer over 12 bucks!? Really!?

I purchased (4) Shock Absorber's and RockAuto arrived quickly. I installed the first 3 without any issue. Due to the Corrosion in the North East, I was forced to "CUT" the shocks off of my truck in the Front to facilitate the replacement. When I opened the Box for the 4th Shock, I noticed that "MONROE" mis-boxed the shock and I received a 34529 instear of a 34520 and they are completely incompatible for the application (Front vs Rear) (again, this was NOT ROCKAUTO's fault).

I went to call them and discovered that you had to do the return on-line without any Customer Service. The Descriptions said they would ship it out as soon as it entered the FEDEX System. I quickly boxed it up, labeled it and watched it put into the hands of a FEDEX EMPLOYEE. I then called their phone number and was treated with such disrespect, ZERO CARE for Customer Service and told that he was going to "TERMINATE THIS CALL".

I told him that I was forced to "CUT THE SHOCK OFF" and I can not safely drive the vehicle without a Shock and then I asked him how can I get the CORRECT SHOCK mailed out today as I have done everything asked of me and he again told me he was going to TERMINATE THE CALL...

LESSON LEARNED = If you get the Correct Parts (as I have numerous times before) it works well and you can save a lot of money. If you get the Wrong Part, you are at the Mercy of a Computer and you can hope and pray they send out the right part the 2nd time around.

I have been a huge supporter of this company for the last few years, as I am a licensed auto tech who is semi-retired and look after a small fleet of my own, the farm, and family's vehicles, also taking on friends and neighbors jobs. Probably around $20,000+ in the last 2.5 years. And I'm in my mid 30's so many decades of spending left I would reckon.
So with that back story which I told when I made my emailed inquiry (since you can't actually ever talk to human!) about a wrong part (timing belt) that was part of one of those big kits that come with all the goodies like water pump/tensioner/pully's, you would think RockAuto might consider the years of revenue and potentially hundred's of thousands of dollars I may spend or refer to them. Nope no care given at all!
I had already installed the rest of the kit on a Saturday and went to put the last part on which is the timing belt, when low and behold it was too short. It came out of a factory sealed box so it was the packers at Continental to blame. I sourced one from the local dealer before they closed as the Honda I was working on needed to get back to the customer for work use Monday.
Rock Auto wanted me to disassemble what I had already installed (with high torque lock tighten bolts into aluminum which in my opinion best not to take in and out any more than necessary (as they kinda have a finite amount of times that can be done before thread damage becomes a risk) which would disable the vehicle and take time as well. They wanted it all sent back to get a refund and wait about 10 days to get another belt/kit. Don't know who would be paying for a rental car at that point either I guess me or the customer?
They sold a wrong part and make it your responsibility to deal with it even if it includes huge inconvenience, cost, time, energy. Also the local belt I had to buy at the stealership was 5X the cost which kinda throws my estimate out the window! I told them to keep the money for the belt instead of refunding it and they would never hear from me again and I won't be recommending them anymore. They need to look at the bigger picture sometimes it would have been a big win for them to keep me happy! Now it's off the "PartsAvatar.ca" to order parts lol!

I came online and saw all these horrible reviews and thought that I had actually clicked on the wrong company name. I live in Canada and parts up here are ridiculously expensive. I discovered rockauto a few years ago and I swear by it. I live in a different country and get my parts within 3-5 days and the pricing is amazing, even after paying customs. In Canada, I would pay $471 CAD dollars including taxes for 4 rotors and 4 sets of brake pads for a 2014 Honda Odyssey. It cost me $223 + tax and shipping so about $300 from rockauto. I will agree with a few things from peoples' complaints: the customer service is not amazing. I've neer found a phone number to call although RockAuto did reply to my email within a few days and yes, you must know your stuff before ordering. In 6 orders, only once did the part not fit even though the system said it would (apparently that part was aluminimum on canadian cars but steel on the ones made in the U. S). The return process is VERY easy... you follow the steps and they generate all the paperwork for you. I got my money back minus about $30 for the shipping within 3 days. I was actually impressed with how easy it was to return. So, if you know what you're ordering, it's a great site to save money, I'm sticking with them.

I purchased an Arnott replacement air suspension compressor kit from RockAuto, this is where the nightmare started. I received the compressor minus the kit RockAuto advertised making the installation plug and play.

Their advert states "The Arnott Air Suspension Compressor P-3431 is designed to replace the problematic Hitachi O. E. compressor. This Arnott air supply unit is built to O. E. specs and includes a bracket and cover so it can easily replace the OE pump and cover. This new compressor includes an integrated dryer, new relay, thermal overload protection, hoses and fasteners and comes pre-wired for fast plug and play installation. If replacing the OE Hitachi compressor a dealer provided software update is required."

In the reply from RockAuto (Jerry) on 12 Mar 21 I was advised:

"We're sorry for the problem with your order. We have asked our warehouse to look for the fittings and send them along with the relay."

When I queried the shipment despatch on 16 March 21 I was told the following by RockAuto (Jen):

"I'm sorry for the confusion. We're still shipping the extra parts. The order says "Canceled" because we didn't notice that you were in Australia at first, so we have to ship the parts from somewhere else instead. We'll send you tracking once we have it, but that may take a couple of business days."

Subsequent emails back and forward just resulted in nonsense replys from inarticulate staff, with a final email stating the kit does not ship with the items they advertise and I should source these elsewhere. Luckily for me I contacted Arnott direct and they acknowledged the problem and shipped the misssing components via Expresss mail.

I will never buy from RockAuto again.

I warn: Do not buy from RockAuto. You are asking to get screwed over. You plug in your vehicle information and RockAuto give you a list of results that are supposed to be compatible with your vehicle but that's not the case. I simply ordered brake pads for my front rotors on a 2012 Grand Caravan and they send me brake pads that arent for my van, or any van at all! Paid 11+$ to ship, 10+$ for the pads and now, i have to pay to return ship them after pulling my pads off and finding out the hard way! They werent for my van at all! Half the size of the original pads, sent me ones small enough for a civic or metro!
Also, customer "service" IS SH*T!
They should honestly stop charging people to return the wrong items they send. They did not help me at all and they cost me valuable time and extra money. They are very unprofessional when dealing with returns on items that do not fit your vehicle at all when they are under specifications on their website. If you look up anything under a specific model, question if it will really fit, and ask yourself "do i have the time and money to pay for return of this item if sent weong part by company-fault?"
Ill say this! If they can't get brake pads right, they can't do anything else right.
Anything you order, question yourself if you have the time to explain to customer service why you shouldnt have to pay return shipping on an incompatible item they sent you.

STAY AWAY FROM "JOKE AUTO"
"ALL THE PARTS YOUR CAR WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO FIT, PAY EXTRA SHIPPING THEN PAY TO RETURN IT TOO BECAUSE OF OUR MISTAKE, JOKE AUTO"

Purchased a Truck Carpet, Arrived Covered in Grease. Contacted RockAuto.com and sent them photos. Response was: "I can see some small grease marks, but only on what appears to be the bottom rubber/plastic portion of the carpet. If you can demonstrate that there are in fact grease stains covering the top of the carpet, we can move forward with a resolution, but as it stands, we would not be able to send you a replacement." I sent more photos showing that the entire carpet was in fact covered in grease - no reply. Their customer service is anti-customer and RockAuto find it acceptable to send BRAND NEW automotive carpets covered in grease. They are very slow to reply to me and I had to go so far as to open a paypal claim. Absolutely miserable shopping experience, and worst of all, their refusal to take the return and supply me with a clean carpet is delaying my project as my only free time is over the weekend. This was my first and last time EVER shopping at RockAuto.com. All the positive reviews I see here must have been paid for, because when you have a problem with a $200 carpet, they treat you like absolute garbage. That and I paid $55 in shipping for my order because this company decides it is going to ship from 3 separate warehouses. Absolute incompetence.

I recently purchased a Brake Pad and Rotor kit from RockAuto paying a total of $328.63. Once it arrived, it did not fit my vehicle. RockAuto has a sneaky way of not pointing out directly whether the part fits your car or not. RockAuto listed the trim level in the same font and writing as all of the other information so it does not stand out. Other major part sellers such as AutoZone, O'Reilly's, and even Amazon all directly tell you in big, bold, colored lettering that "this does / does not fit your vehicle." They will flat out tell you so you can be sure you're purchasing the correct items the first time. RockAuto does not.
When my parts finally arrived, RockAuto shipped them in 2 separate boxes. However, when I attempted to return the unusable order, they only provided me with 1 discounted shipping label. The second box of products cost me $71.08 to ship back! RockAuto did not have any other options nor was there anyone I could call in order to get some help. I understand RockAuto does not set the shipping rates for other companies but how can they only provide 1 discounted shipping label when they sent me 2 boxes of products? Now I am out $71.08 on top of the discounted shipping label they take away from my refund. I will not be doing business with RockAuto again. Buyer Beware! You are truly on your own if you buy from them.

If i can rate this without star i will do it, i had horrible experience purchasing items from rockauto.com first is incorrect water pump housing. I Need to repair my old water pump housing because the item is a mismatch, the next item is the shock absorber, it didn't fit in my vehicle. The 3rd time is this radiator, i don't even know what kind of radiator is this. I've tried to contact rockauto.com via phone and email these guys never had a good answer. RockAuto want me to be liable to send the items back to them which is they are the one who's not doing their job and sending and selling all these incorrect items.
I already spent $200 of this useless radiator and they want me to sent it back? It means i need to spent $100 to sent back the items and claim $125.
In my case, I need to suffer out of their negligence? I need to suffer because they have the unprofessional employee?
I won't shopping and recommend this website anymore, they are doing scam. Making money from selling their OLD stock and USELESS items.

DO NOT BELEIVE ON "CUSTOMER LOBBY" REVIEW THAT IS NOT THE RIGHT REVIEW. THEY ONLY PUT THE STAR REVIEW, THEY ARE PAID SITE BY ROCKAUTO.COM.

I CONTACTED THEM THEY SAID THEY ARE ONLY CUSTOMER LOBBY REVIEW. NONSENSE WEBSITE REVIEW SO DON'T BELEIVE IN THEM

My recommendation would be to avoid this company like the plague. RockAuto will sell you parts that they claim are a match for your vehicle, but that will not fit once you begin the installation process. To be fair, I did not specifically measure my ordered parts to be certain they were going to fit, but then again, when I've ordered parts from Napa, Autozone, Advance, etc. I never had to measure items to see if they were going to fit... if the sites said they fit, they fit. Additionally, upon further scrutinization, the manufacturer of the part I ordered does not even identify any of their auto parts as a match to my vehicle, meaning the mistake was solely RockAuto's. Shockingly, RockAuto absolved themselves of any responsibility and denied refunds, as the part had been installed and could not be sold as new, thus making them unable to accept a return. Basically, RockAuto deceived a customer, by stating the part would fit the automobile, in direct contradiction to the manufacturer, but somehow it is the manufacturer's fault and even more so the customer's fault. Do not order from RockAuto, as there are above average odds that you will receive a wrong part... and if you feel a need to order from RockAuto, please scrutinize and measure each detail of your original part and the ordered part, prior to fully unpacking the ordered part.

Not sure what everyones talking about here or why so many bad review but I've order over a dozen parts from Rock Auto and I've never had an issue with the way it was packed or being the wrong part. Always received brand new working parts without issue and fast. No I don't work for them but I will say you best make sure you enter all the proper information for your vehicle or ya you will get a wrong part.

If your not at least intermediately mechanically inclined then dont order from here because if your a beginner you most likely will order the wrong part.

This site is for people who are mechanically inclined and know what RockAuto are doing! After reading some of these bad reviews you can see a lot of people don't seem to have any accountability for ordering the wrong parts.

Ive ordered every part to replace my AC system new in an 07 Dodge 3500 plus belts, tensioners, power steering pump (they had a after market replacement as the factory part was discontinued) still worked, water pump, all hoses, condenser, compressor, dryer, seals and a transfer case motor and not one part has been wrong and everyone of them are still working almost a year later without issue.

Rockauto has saved me a ton of cash over buying local. 50-75% in some cases!

Absolutely worst online buying experience to date! I made one order purchasing several items, only for ONE item out of SIX To be shipped properly. I received an email notifying me that magically my address was changed on the other five items I was expecting causing those items to be sent back to the warehouse! Even after contacting them before expected delivery attempting to Correct their negligence, The best solution Ralph in customer service could provide me was it was somehow my fault the address changed even though I received a fraction of my order fine and the rest of my parts even though RockAuto was a town away "literally a 30 minute drive" they would have to ship the rest of my items back to their warehouse wait three days then refund my money and I could try ordering again?! I desperately tried to reason The logical solution would be give the correct address to FedEx since my package was on hold waiting on their feedback to give the same address that shipped the first part of my order and would only chance being a day late. You can't reach these guys by telephone only email and "Ralph" who gives you the impression your emailing Helen Keller's ignorant and rude step sister is your only chance of help? I would chance eBay parts out of the darkest depths from China before doing business with these folks again. Ralph your the worse excuse of customer support I've ever experienced. I pray you learn some people skills, common sense, or terminated one. Your skills and work ethics wouldn't be good enough for free community service.