Receiving returned or open box items from vendors

zackcj7

zackcj7

TJ Enthusiast
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Supporting Member
Joined
Jul 1, 2021
Messages
557
Location
Atlanta, GA
I've been having a real issue lately with ordering parts and getting parts that were obviously returned or have been opened. Is anyone else having this problem? I've had 3 things lately like this from different suppliers. The person who does the packaging for shipment has to know.
 
Happened to me with a set of trailer locks from Amazon recently. The box was obviously taped back together but everything was in working order and nothing was missing, so I didn’t raise a fuss. Any vendors in particular you’re talking about?
 
I purchased a fan clutch from Rock Auto. When I recieved it it had been opened and the clutch was leaking fluid. Rock Auto was good about the refund.
I have decent luck with Amazon as long as I make sure that the item is sold and shipped from Amazon. A lot of 3rd party vendors will beat the Amazon price by a few cents and cause their item to get pushed to the top of the selection list. I've made this mistake a few times and recieved some obviously used or fake items. Amazon has been good with returns but it is a hassle boxing and shipping it back. Amazon resale used to have good deals but that is rarely the case now. I did learn to avoid thier open box electrical parts. I tried ordering a couple of Mopar sensors and recieved Mopar packaging with cheap parts store sensors swapped in.
In my experience Ebay is almost always a scam unless it is just a storefront for a known reputable company.
 
The most recent was Quadratec. Now I'll start by saying they are giving me a refund and were responsive. But I bought two shocks they had on sale as a closeout. Showed they were in stock. One shipped out and the other showed up after the fact as backorder. What am I going to do with one shock?

When the one shock showed up the box was obviously opened before and the shock had no bushings or other hardware and no binding holding the shock closed. The most curious thing is they want me to ship it back? Why, so they can repeat this cycle? Nobody needs a likely bad shock with no bushings...
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If the part isn't electrical (hence not returnable if installed), or obviously used/damaged, who cares?

Imagine ordering a pair of pants in your normal size from any retailer that offers mail orders... you get your pants only to discover that you've added a few pounds & they don't really fit as well as you had expected/planned.

You didn't wear them, but when you send them back for the larger size these are now technically a "used/returned" item in an opened package.

Same with car parts. People order & return the wrong items all the time.
That doesn't mean the parts aren't still new & perfectly usable, they just have more shipping miles on them than the unopened ones.
 
From now on when I return a defective product I'm going to write "return" and "bad" on the box in black sharpie so the moron packing the items won't be able to act like they didn't know.
 
The other recent one was an Autometer water temp gauge from Amazon. Luckily it was replacing a bad gauge of the same type. It was missing all the stud nuts and lock washers and the tamper seal was obviously peeled off. It seems to work fine though and I just used the nuts and washers off my old one.

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I’ve had a small problem with the local NAPA, bought tie rod ends and I should have checked them before I walked out. Both had been opened, one was missing the castle nut, cotter pin and grease fitting. They were good about it but didn’t really want to spend another 45 minutes and gas chasing down $5 worth of stuff.
 
zackcj7 said:
I've been having a real issue lately with ordering parts and getting parts that were obviously returned or have been opened. Is anyone else having this problem? I've had 3 things lately like this from different suppliers. The person who does the packaging for shipment has to know.
Click to expand...

There is little about that which doesn't suck for both sides. A "pro" mechanic ordered the wrong rotors. Found out they were wrong when they installed them and bolted up the wheel. Got in touch to swap them out. I said not a problem but I need them to be able to be sold as new and they can't have any install marks on them. He says no problem, that's how they are.

Anyone see the problem yet?

That's right, the only way the pro knows is he bolted them on. They came back, you can clearly tell they were bolted up, I explain I can't sell as new. Then I chat with next guy who needs them, offer a nice discount to take them as installed but removed immediately and he says hell no.

So now, I get to throw away a perfectly good set of rotors because I can't sell them, I'll never use them, and the pro got most of a refund.

If anyone needs a set of early TJ front rotors, I have some blems I'll sell for the cost of shipping and packing.

Amazon slightly made up for some of that though. I needed a pair of Set 10's. They had a listing and then down at the bottom at about 1/2 price they had used but good as new. What the heck, I'll try it. They arrive and they haven't been out of the original plastic they came in.
 
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I've got some good parts in the amazon warehouse deals. Most of the time it's damaged packaging.

I ordered a brady label maker from them for less than half price and they sent me an empty case. Assuming someone bought it and kept the label maker but returned the case.

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Contacted Amazon and they said keep the case and they'll send a brand new label maker. Which they did.

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