Rockauto - Do not trust them

[Silverghost]

I selected the Champion 9409 (RER8WMB) iridium sparkplugs as suggested by their website as fitting my 2018 Stinger 3.3 V6.
I ordered them believing they would fit when I was ready to replace my existing plugs.
Well 157 days later, they are the wrong size and do not fit.
Not my fault. I followed their recommendation based on my vehicle.
Now they refuse a return because it is in excess of the 30 day window.
I am even offering to buy more expensive plugs that will fit.
But to them the $40.00 of this order is worth their reputation and they will not consider making an exception.
So, I want to draw members' attention to this site and to not believe what they say: their parts may not fit our cars.
I suggest to avoid this outfit. They seem to only sell the parts based on misinformation.

 

[Meckman]

I’ve never had an issue ordering from Rockauto. Actually just got my Denso plugs from them yesterday, installed them, and the runs great. I order from them at least 3-5 times a year for air filters, cabin filters, plugs, and windshield wipers for each of my 3 cars. Again never had an issue.

why not go with the Denso or HKS as everyone else does?

 

[Silverghost]

I am buying Densos now - from Sal.
On Rockauto, after you enter your car details, the Densos were not an option, so I selected from what they had to offer, for my specified vehicle. I grant that they might be good for other or a lot of items. This was my first experience with them. I ordered some air filters at the same, again for specified vehicle, and these fit.
My gripe is that they won't bear responsibility for misrepresented items.
There are numerous complaints against this company. Check pissedconsumer.com for one.
I personally will never buy from them again. They lost a customer for the sake of $40. What is the life-value of a new customer in today's economic environment? A little would have gone a long way in engendering "Good will".
Good luck to them.

 

[nhcowboy28]

Are you saying it took them 157 days from the time you ordered for them to arrive? Or that you waited that long from receiving them to try to install?

 

[Silverghost]

Are you saying it took them 157 days from the time you ordered for them to arrive? Or that you waited that long from receiving them to try to install?

I waited that long to install them.

 

[SafetyPilotCal]

I have a love/hate relationship with RockAuto. I've been ordering from them for over a decade now because I am NOT going to play the private label auto parts game that AutoZone, Advance, Pep Boys, and the others like to play. I don't know WTF is in a "Duralast" or "Pro Steer" box. I DO know what an AC Delco, MOOG, KYB, etc. part is. I'm not going to sit at a parts counter and cross reference numbers trying to figure out whose nomenclature the number lines up with, and paying 2x RA's price for a shitty Mevotech part. 99% of the time, I have absolutely no problem with RA.

The other 1% is when I have to deal with their customer service. You USED to be able to call them and talk with a human. I don't believe you can do this anymore. The problem is RA gets their part information directly from the manufacturer. If the manufacturer's data is wrong, so is RockAutos, and they will NOT side with you even if you show them photographic evidence that they're wrong. I fought with them for days over an O2 sensor on my old Altima SE-R. Denso's parts catalog showed that the 2006 3.5 Altima had two different O2 sensors (or maybe both the same, either way it was wrong). The RA rep told me, in so many words, that I must be too stupid to figure out how to plug a connector in and to let a shop install it. I offered to send them pictures showing that the connector was clearly different and their parts catalog is wrong. They still REFUSED to cover the shipping back to them. I was pissed. Not because of the $5 shipping, but because they refused to acknowledge that I was right and it was the principle of the whole thing.

As for pissedconsumer, it's just that. People ranting about bad experiences. Even companies most people generally agree have good customer service get bashed relentlessly on there. You really can't use them for any unbiased opinion of someone.

I ended up getting a Commercial account at my local Pep Boys (they require very little to do this, for what it's worth). My buddy worked there and was willing to put the effort into figuring out who manufactured what parts. I got most of my parts from there until I moved away and started using RockAuto again. So far, they've been good and I can't complain, but they've also fulfilled every order correctly. I'm sure the cycle will start all over the next time I have to deal with their customer service.

tl;dr: do not trust their parts catalog. Verify everything for yourself when ordering something.

 

[Spaceme17]

Do your homework and make sure the parts fit before you order. Also, don't wait over 5 months before you install parts, find out the don't fit, and then expect that you can return them.

Rock Auto is probably one of the best, cheapest place you can order parts from. The stock probably millions of parts and of course the won't get everything right.

 

[Silverghost]

I agree with all views.
I am just ranting.
I will donate the $40 of sparks to my dealership to use when they can.
I did also check the supplier website, and Safetypilot is right: they say this sparkplug fits our cars. So that is where the problem lies. I have started a complaint with them.
But this does not absolve Rockauto of some basic customer satisfaction, despite that I waited so long before wanting the item installed.
It irks me no end.
I provide excellent customer service in my job. I pride myself on that.
I do not nickle and dime my clients. Quite the contrary.
I think this just shows an example of the huge divide with companies and their attitudes to customer satisfaction.
Rockauto places zero value on customer satisfaction.
That is their choice.
I make my choice.
Lesson learned, for me anyway.
Thx for listening to my venting.