I prefer Summit Racing to Rock Auto. Summit's pricing tends to be competitive and they have reasonable and quick shipping (maybe because they have a warehouse/store in my metro) and their shipping is impressively quick.
How do you guys feel about Rock Auto?
- Thread starter carmangary
- Start date
Any time I can, I order from Summit. It's not uncommon for my order to be at my door the next morning, never more than 2 days after I order. That included the wheels on my TJ that Quadratec told me were shipping "tomorrow" for over 6 weeks before i canceled the order & called Summit the same day. They beat the Quadratec price by 5 or 10% and they were in my possession getting tires mounted on them the next afternoon.
I have so far lucked out with RA though. My biggest gripe is what others have already mentioned: inflated shipping costs and extended shipping times (occasionally).
*Honorable mention to Jegs for fast shipping too, but Summit has usually won out on pricing in my experience.
I have so far lucked out with RA though. My biggest gripe is what others have already mentioned: inflated shipping costs and extended shipping times (occasionally).
*Honorable mention to Jegs for fast shipping too, but Summit has usually won out on pricing in my experience.
I used to use rock auto all the time but no more. They burned me twice and so I’m done with them. This last issue was a steering gear box they listed as compatible and once it arrived and I saw it in person, it clearly was not compatible. Rock auto wanted to dispute the return and shipping saying I got what I ordered but eventually they caved.
I’m giving Summit racing a try now so we’ll see how that goes.
I’m giving Summit racing a try now so we’ll see how that goes.
I have never had an issue with RockAuto until I started receiving this message:
“Part # 56041212 cannot ship to California because we do not have documentation required by Proposition 65 from MOPAR. Please choose a different brand..”
For those not aware, California's Proposition 65 (Prop 65) requires businesses to warn consumers about significant exposures to chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects, or reproductive harm. There are 900 chemicals on the list. The warning is usually satisfied with sticker or a slip of paper in the box…
It is somewhat ironic that California prevented me from purchasing parts to keep my vehicle compliant with California Air Resources Board regulations.
“Part # 56041212 cannot ship to California because we do not have documentation required by Proposition 65 from MOPAR. Please choose a different brand..”
For those not aware, California's Proposition 65 (Prop 65) requires businesses to warn consumers about significant exposures to chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects, or reproductive harm. There are 900 chemicals on the list. The warning is usually satisfied with sticker or a slip of paper in the box…
It is somewhat ironic that California prevented me from purchasing parts to keep my vehicle compliant with California Air Resources Board regulations.
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I have had very good luck with Summit and they’re reasonably priced and lightening fast shipping for products they have in the warehouse. I often receive packages from their Mesquite Nevada warehouse house to my home in California in just a day or two without requesting expedited delivery.
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I found out the hard way to be VERY careful buying parts from them for the old MBZ. Its not really their focus and I got a wrong V-belt one time that they wanted me to pay return shipping. Their warehouse roulette reminds me a lot of "Cheaper Than Dirt!" who does much the same thing.
I've only ordered from them once, about a week ago. Part came quickly (Bosch fuel pump) and was the correct part. Their price was about half of what Napa was charging. I'd order from them again.
I would so prefer to buy locally from a brick & mortar parts house, but as you have pointed out, the prices are nearly double that of what RA charges, even with their shipping rates. Sometimes my finances dictate my actions, and here is just such a case.
I would so prefer to buy locally from a brick & mortar parts house, but as you have pointed out, the prices are nearly double that of what RA charges, even with their shipping rates. Sometimes my finances dictate my actions, and here is just such a case.
Exactly. Tried 3 local chain stores hoping I could just pick it up. RA had the best price and quick shipping.
I’ve honestly never had a problem with RockAuto. They are a "drop-ship" company bte meaning they ship parts directly from other warehouses. I don't have an issue with that at all. They use Parts Authority (IMC) warehouses, which is one of the five? Big distributors in the country. To be honest, there’s a good chance your other favorite part sites are doing the exact same thing.
With RockAuto, you basically get what you pay for. Their prices are so low because they don’t pay people to answer the phones. Like Amazon, it’s mostly automated and handled through email. If you get the wrong part, it’s usually easier to just return it for a refund and start a new order rather than trying to do an exchange. Since you're dealing with a computer system, it can be a little frustrating if you have a specific problem that a bot can't solve.
Regarding those 9 yesr old brake shoes—I’m not a brake expert, but I’d probably use them.
Our Jeep TJs are getting old, and sometimes we can’t be too picky about the parts that are still available.
One thing to remember is that every seller is at the mercy of the shipping company. Once the box leaves the warehouse, things like delays, lost packages or damaged packages are out of their hands. It’s really about how the company handles the mistake afterward.
I usually get my stuff in two days because I know RA has multiple warehouses here in Southern California. Even parts from NV will come in two days. By the way most of these distribution centers have warehouses in Nevada and they all can offer two days shipping becasuse they have good rates with the shipping companies.
Shipping prices are getting crazy, too. If a company offers "free shipping," they’re usually just hiding that cost in the price of the part.
I will continue to use Rock Auto.
Would you be willing to pay more to talk to a real person who guarantees they'll fix any issues, or would you rather save the money and deal with having no customer support?
no local store can even come close to RockAuto’s prices.
I also received this notice from RA selling TJ parts at wholesale prices because im sure they have been sitting on them.
They willingly stopped selling in AZ until the sales tax dispute is settled. AZ states that RA owes 11 million in unpaid sales tax due to having a physical presence in the State by using distributors. RA's position centers on not owning the distributors, product, and or warehouses.
It is on the way to the AZ Supreme Court. I tend to agree with RA due to a technicality which is they are a 100% drop shipper and they don't actually own, store, or warehouse product anywhere. They don't purchase or ship anything from the distributors until it is purchased by the end user.
That's interesting. In fact, it made me go back and pull my last order to verify that I wasn't imagining things and that they do, in fact, charge WV sales tax.
WV has a law requiring anyone doing business/selling in WV to charge sales tax, physical presence or not. I can only guess AZ has no such law and RA is likely in the right by the loophole you mention. If AZ doesn't in fact have such a law (I'm too lazy to Google it right now), I don't blame RA for their position.
Kind of a strange situation that they would go along with WV's law, but take a position like that with AZ though. Although based on what you said, they don't seem to be breaking any laws in AZ.
I have a very simplistic non legal view of things. The legal folks I've discussed this with tell me I'm full of shit and RA will likely lose. I'd be just fine with a 50 State law that says we all pay state sales tax or none of us do for out of state sales. Forcing companies to track and pay all the various sales tax to the State of residence for out of state customers gets a bit absurd at times.
I've seen the excuse used that the collection of in state taxes for out of state sales was meant to promote keeping business in the State. The problem with that is there are a lot of companies that only have a single location to purchase from.
I agree with everything you just said. The "excuse" of keeping business in state is just that: an excuse. They just want a bite of the cookie. The end result is the government gets their money, the consumer gets the shaft in one way or another.
KennethS
TJ Expert
I've ordered from Rock Auto for many years and have recently had numerous issues with them. Ordered a set of new rear calipers and one was defective. It took me over an hour to sort through returning it, never could talk to a person, and when I did, they wanted me to pay $36 to ship a $50 part back. Next, had an incomplete order and spent a couple hours trying to get what I ordered sent. The last straw was a Mopar RMS I ordered recently. When I got the seal, the package was open and only 1/2 the seal was in it. Again, more than an hour spent trying to get an automated system give me a refund. I had to package and send the 1/2 seal back, then wait 2 weeks for a refund. 
I’ve went through this whole Tax debate with a client from Nevada who didn’t want to pay taxes because we didnt have a physical location in NV. I had to a explain to him we must charge taxes because we sell a certain amount that establishes “Nexus”. I lost out on the 10k sale because the customer didn't believe me.
- No Nexus: This is like being a total stranger to the state. Your business has no buildings, no employees, and no inventory there, and you haven't sold enough products to hit their "economic" limit. Since there is no connection, you don't have to collect or pay sales tax to that state.
- Physical Nexus: This is when your business has a "physical footprint" in the state. If you have an office, a storefront, a warehouse (even one owned by Amazon), or even just one employee working remotely in that state, you have physical nexus and must collect sales tax.
- Economic Nexus: This is a connection based purely on your sales numbers, even if you’ve never stepped foot in the state. Once your online sales hit a certain "threshold"—in Nevada, that is $100,000 in sales or 200 separate transactions—the state says you have enough of a connection to start collecting sales tax.
My biggest issue with Rock Auto is the lack of customer service. When/if you have an issue- good luck is all I can say.
Unless it's a big ticket item, I still buy +90% of my auto parts (and stuff in general) locally.
To me, helping keep the local businesses open is part of being a good neighbor.
Does RA sponsor a local Little League team in your town or buy a market pig from a local 4H kid? Do they contribute anything when the local Fire Department is having a feed?
What about when you're in a bind and need it right freakin now? If the local guy shuts down, you're shit out of luck!
The ac compressor on my pickup went tits up on our way up the mountain last fall. It wasn't in the delivery area for any local parts stores, but they were still able to find someone to run it up to me.
Would RA have done that?
Are they cheaper than buying stuff locally?
Sure. Even with shipping they are still way cheaper in most cases, but in the end is it really worth it?
How much is customer service worth to you? If I buy something locally I can almost always get any issue dealt with immediately by the same guy who handed me the part in the first place.
I happen to put a lot of weight on buying locally, and also "Made in USA" because I do think it matters.
Sorry for the rant.
Unless it's a big ticket item, I still buy +90% of my auto parts (and stuff in general) locally.
To me, helping keep the local businesses open is part of being a good neighbor.
Does RA sponsor a local Little League team in your town or buy a market pig from a local 4H kid? Do they contribute anything when the local Fire Department is having a feed?
What about when you're in a bind and need it right freakin now? If the local guy shuts down, you're shit out of luck!
The ac compressor on my pickup went tits up on our way up the mountain last fall. It wasn't in the delivery area for any local parts stores, but they were still able to find someone to run it up to me.
Would RA have done that?
Are they cheaper than buying stuff locally?
Sure. Even with shipping they are still way cheaper in most cases, but in the end is it really worth it?
How much is customer service worth to you? If I buy something locally I can almost always get any issue dealt with immediately by the same guy who handed me the part in the first place.
I happen to put a lot of weight on buying locally, and also "Made in USA" because I do think it matters.
Sorry for the rant.
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