chain auto parts stores vs internet sellers

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dynoflo
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chain auto parts stores vs internet sellers

Post by dynoflo »

Recently had to get sbc bbc water temp warning light sender. Was floored when sales clerk said $24.00. I bought it because job was a rush job. Later that day still fuming i looked it up on internet. $ 5.00 to 8.00 dollars. Needed a 7.3 diesel air cleaner and was quoted $ 45.00 for generic. Went on internet and bought genuine motorcraft for $ 10.00. Advance, Autozone, Orielys, Napa there all the same. All there stock is over $ 100.00 share and they brag about 48% mark up. Whats a guy to do. I hate rush jobs because. If i know job in advance i can order internet. That doesnt happen all the time. I needed a l/w piston , wrist pin and rings for a 6.125 rod. summit and jegs wanted $ 750.00. I found same kit on internet for 550.00 delivered. Is it just me or is the market crazy?
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Re: chain auto parts stores vs internet sellers

Post by BillK »

I needed a set of valve stem seals for a set of Vortec heads a couple of weeks ago. I normally have them in stock but let myself run out. I called the local Carquest and had a set in 30 minutes delivered to my door. I dont even remember what they cost and really didnt care. I got the job finished and paid for and whatever the seals cost I passed the saving on to my customer.

I try to buy local as much as I can because I want those guys to be there when I need them.

Also, In your case I really have to wonder if the $5 or $8 sending unit can be worth a darn for that price ? Knock off ? To me its not worth taking the chance.
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Re: chain auto parts stores vs internet sellers

Post by dynoflo »

Bill im not going to have p------ match with you. I checked rock auto and the sender was a standard auto parts sender. $ 6.00 and change. It was not the cheapist. All major auto parts stores are controlled by corporate thugs. They wear $ 1,000 suits and $ 500 shoes. They couldnt put a plug in a lawn mower. All they are hired to do is make money for the corporation. A few years back i did 13 engines, 2 drag racers and 11 circle track guys, I didnt buy one part locally. Every part was internet sourced. None of them blew up or complained. All im trying to say is all the major parts stores are. thieves.
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Re: chain auto parts stores vs internet sellers

Post by rebelrouser »

I buy a balance of stuff from the internet and local parts stores. As posted many times the local parts stores get the small things I need, and the last minute stuff. But when you buy from the internet, many times you are helping small American owned businesses. Which may not be local, but they are just as important. And many times I give the local parts stores a chance, sometimes they will even price match if I tell them what I am paying.

And I live in a small 3,000 people town, my biggest gripe is that not just the parts stores, but all the stores carry no inventory, they have nothing to sell me when I walk in and ask. I hate to feed a billionaire, but Amazon for example, almost always has what I want in just a couple days. I buy a fair amount of nuts, bolts, and other hardware. Whoever the salesman is, sold every hardware and auto parts store the same display and the same stuff, for miles around, if one does not have it, no time to waste looking elsewhere close they don't have it either.

The internet vendors I won't use is some guy at a desk who has no parts, knows nothing about what they are selling, they just order what you want, and have it drop shipped to you.
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Re: chain auto parts stores vs internet sellers

Post by rustbucket79 »

Local store pays local taxes, employs local people, etc. Internet store pays that person to sit in his parents basement in his underwear and drop ship parts from the manufacturer at minimal mark up. Then you have the Summits, etc.

Buy from whoever you want, your choice. You might be surprised to find that your cost is less than your local store pays for those parts.

I blame the manufacturer for setting up internet sellers at WD pricing, because it makes your local store look criminal trying to follow Jobber and retail pricing whilst the internet seller whores the parts out near cost.
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Re: chain auto parts stores vs internet sellers

Post by travis »

I just recently had a rear u-joint fail on my daily driver Honda Ridgeline. The u-joints in the factory driveshaft are not serviceable or replaceable…you replace the entire driveshaft assembly. Summit had them listed at $398 but with an expected ship date mid-October. Multiple places online had them at the same price but shipping was well over $200. O’reillys had the exact same PN listed at $902 :shock: Honda wanted something like $1017 lol
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Re: chain auto parts stores vs internet sellers

Post by FC-Pilot »

Each has it’s own place. I use both. Local shops have to pay for storefront and to keep inventory sitting, where internet drop ships or has only a couple warehouses. Much less overhead cost. When I need a part right now I have to pay for that convenience. That is what we all did 20 years ago, remember? We paid that same “overpricing “ then.

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Re: chain auto parts stores vs internet sellers

Post by BOOT »

I use to buy performance parts from a shop in a near city, the guy was helpful. Still even before the internet I eventually started to order from the catalog instead because it was the same price and I didn't have to use gas to drive in during his short hours to pick the stuff up. Saved gas money and time.

When I am doing a project I'll usually still have to make multiple trips to the hardware store, hunt down a tool & supplies or local auto parts. I order a lot of stuff these days cause half the time I go to 5 places and still end up ordering and waiting for it, even common junk just happens to be out of stock at all locations of a chain for me. Plus I'm just tired of running out to get something everyday. Well I still do LOL can't go to the grocery or even dollar store and get everything n on my list, always gotta go to a 2nd store to find one or two common things.
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Re: chain auto parts stores vs internet sellers

Post by BOOT »

On another note, people don't know how good they got it these days with all the chain auto part stores. I rem going to the local carquest and waiting for over an hour while they talked to some guy(more sometimes) just to get treated like crap because I was young and then still have to order it half the time. Even my older friends hated the wait. When the first autozone opened, we were all like OMG it took 10-15 mins, basically in n out, best thing since sliced bread! These days I can check before I even leave to see if it's in stock(well maybe not always correct inventory but most the time) and buy it.
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Re: chain auto parts stores vs internet sellers

Post by PackardV8 »

My current gripe is the internet sellers, including Rock Auto, who've basically downloaded every parts book into their website. Do a search and they've paid the great Google-whore to put their site at the top. They'll accept an order, take your credit card number and you think it's a done deal, but they never had the part and never will. The sleazeballs just go around and try to find the part and have it drop-shipped. A day or two of wasted time and you get an order cancellation, "Part not available." Fool me once.
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Re: chain auto parts stores vs internet sellers

Post by BobbyB »

PackardV8 wrote: Tue Jul 20, 2021 10:21 am My current gripe is the internet sellers, including Rock Auto,
Yeah, Rock Auto...I ordered a 83 Ranger master cylinder for use on my hot rod from Rock Auto. They offered both iron & aluminum versions. Local parts houses only had iron versions available.

Rock Auto sent an iron version, so, I set about returning it. There return policy is simple... you just follow the prompts on the internet...and they tell you that if you stop the process you cant start over. One of the questions was "HAVE YOU ATTEMPTED TO INSTALL THE PART?" I had not, so, I said "NO"

After completing the return request I got an email sayin "RETURN DENIED" reason... "YOU DID NOT ATTEMPT INSTALLATION"... no appeal possible.. do not pass go...do not collect $200.00

I ended up yanking the aluminum master cylinder from my 83 ranger that was pretty new & putting that one on my hot rod & the iron one on my ranger.

All worked out OK but I was not happy with Rock Auto and have not bought from them since then.
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Re: chain auto parts stores vs internet sellers

Post by BOOT »

Never used Rock Auto myself, seen their TV ads or other plenty and found parts on their site but usually I get it cheaper(after they add shipping) someplace else, that I get larger order free shipping.
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Re: chain auto parts stores vs internet sellers

Post by emsvitil »

Have you attempted installation?

YES

We cannot accept used items................
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Re: chain auto parts stores vs internet sellers

Post by Truckedup »

Bought a shit load of parts from Rock Auto and never had any problems . Same for Summit, Jegs and Ebay sellers. Never had a problem with the local parts stores either..I must be lucky, eh?
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Re: chain auto parts stores vs internet sellers

Post by Schurkey »

I bought a set of six A/C Delco spark plugs from a vendor on Amazon, with an actual address in Texas.

Received eight plugs. I sent photos to GM. GM verified that the plugs were counterfeit.

Amazon-seller dirtbag yanked my chain for a couple weeks; wanted to "handle things" via telephone so I have no record of what's said. I refused--I wanted things in writing. Eventually Amazon (not the seller) gave me a refund based on my photos of the counterfeit parts.

Be careful. Lots of "Discount" vendors are selling junk in familiar boxes.
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