Two sides but...local parts stores are dying for a reason

[85_Ranger4x4]

Dang I didn't know the managers will stop by. I really don't want them doing that. It was awkward enough when the guy stopped by out of the blue and then the secretaries were asking why I need an account there.

Guess I'll just keep buying stuff from RockAuto. I have gotten the local places to match them or Amazon a few times but I decided a while back that it's just not worth the time or hassle for a "maybe this time but not next time." 95% of the time I know days or weeks in advance of needing parts so waiting a week for stuff to ship is not a big deal.

Which for a shop kind of makes sense.

I don't know where we ranked but both places I worked at that dealt with parts stores were probably close to the top of their commercial customers.

The "hey, here is a pocketnife and a flier for the special we are running on brake rotors next month..." stops didn't seem weird in that setting.

 

[MISWFL]

Some of Rockauto's parts are factory OEM. I've bought 3rd gen Honda parts from RA that were OEM but packaged by Ultra Power IIRC. Same for early 2000s Hyundai/KIA. Look close at the pics. Often the cheapest option is a reboxed OEM part and the more expensive part is Chinesium junk. Not sure about Ford stuff. RA buys up wearhouses for pennies on the dollar and resales them.

 

[J_D43]

That's a hell of a note to leave on

 

[MISWFL]

That's a hell of a note to leave on

Don't get me started about RA's wearhouse shipping game. Sometimes it's cheaper to buy a few more expensive parts to keep the whole order being shipped by the fewest number of wearhouses.

 

[pentode]

Being in Canada where the shipping is at least double, I sometimes play Rock Auto slots where I see if I can get the order I need shipped from one warehouse. I almost always give up and just buy local.

Shipping one small box with them is always at least $30 so it's a real puzzle to put together an order that's worth the shipping (that obviously keeps going up as you add stuff on). Once it's impossible to avoid the second warehouse, I quit. Still, I've managed to hit the jackpot 8 or 10 times over the years.

 

[Roert42]

Before we shipped our manufacturing down to Arkansas we had our sales reps in all the time. Motion guy was in once a month, Windsor/ Grainger rep was in every other week, machine shop owner and sheet metal shop owner was in once a month.

After we stopped producing i can’t even get the machine shop to drop the parts off for the once every 6 months I need something.

 

[Roert42]

I must live super close to all the RA warehouses. It’s almost never more than $7 to ship and I can almost always get everything shipped from the same warehouse. 2 day shipping is the standard.

$7 for shipping a set of rotors is nothing compared to the Napa gold at $225 a corner in store.

 

[J_D43]

Don't get me started about RA's wearhouse shipping game. Sometimes it's cheaper to buy a few more expensive parts to keep the whole order being shipped by the fewest number of wearhouses.

Oh believe me i understand, I feel like im putting a down payment on a house when i see my final cost for whatever order im trying to get

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Dang I didn't know the managers will stop by. I really don't want them doing that. It was awkward enough when the guy stopped by out of the blue and then the secretaries were asking why I need an account there.

Guess I'll just keep buying stuff from RockAuto. I have gotten the local places to match them or Amazon a few times but I decided a while back that it's just not worth the time or hassle for a "maybe this time but not next time." 95% of the time I know days or weeks in advance of needing parts so waiting a week for stuff to ship is not a big deal.

The only visits I ever get is parts deliveries. Maybe the big customers get a visit but around here I get left alone.

I did the RockAuto thing until they burned me three times.

Commercial also gets more leeway in adjusting prices and paying for labor for warranty work. Problems usually get fixed with a quick phone call too.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

The store in Florida I worked at had either the commercial or store manager stop by like once every 3 months or so. I think the district manager might visit occasionally as well. But our district manager was an ass and he eventually quit and got in to pet cremations.

Guess it depends on the store and the location. My local autozone has gone through 9-10 store managers and 4 commercial managers in the last 20 years. The current commercial manager has been there for about 10 years. The only time I ever see either is when I stop in the store.

 

[Shran]

I can’t remember being really upset with RockAuto shipping. It’s almost always reasonable. I do try to do larger orders of stuff that I need plus stuff I might need just to make it cheaper in the long run and I cut the order off when shipping starts to get too high.

 

[Uncle Gump]

Last time I tried to use Rock Auto...

To get 6 spark plugs... they wanted to charge shipping from 4 different warehouses.

They can kiss my grits...

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Last time I tried to use Rock Auto...

To get 6 spark plugs... they wanted to charge shipping from 4 different warehouses.

They can kiss my grits...

I ordered them from Amazon last time.

They practically arrived one at a time. Some singles and some multiples but it was comical. Took a week for them all (qty 8) to trickle in.

But shipping was free...

 

[SenorNoob]

I find RockAuto is great for rotors/pads, wiper blades, and brake cleaner... Anything else is kinda hit and miss.