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RockAuto Alternatives? Warehouses Killing Me
Topic Started: Feb 5 2016, 03:06 PM (2,965 Views)
Cardinal Grammeter
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Like trying to order NGK racing plugs and Denso TT's, two different warehouses = NO ORDER

I've had small orders end up with 4 warehouses. And so much for that small order.

I'm ending up going to Advance most of the time unless it's some way blown out closeout.

QUESTION: Are there any other parts suppliers that don't have this warehouse problem AND are close to RA prices? (Answer is No from what I have found so far.)

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scratchpaddy
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Not so fast

Cardinal Grammeter
Feb 5 2016, 03:06 PM
QUESTION: Are there any other parts suppliers that don't have this warehouse problem AND are close to RA prices? (Answer is No from what I have found so far.)
Everybody charges for shipping. With the other guys, instead of putting it out as a separate line item on your order, they raise the price of all their stuff just a little so that they can offer "free" shipping. RockAuto just charges for the part, then tacks on shipping. If it's still cheaper in the end, who cares what the breakdown is?

There's always eBay for the little stuff. Order direct from China with free shipping, then wait, and wait, and wait... :rasp
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Silver2K


I think Rock Auto is a shell company. They don't actually own the merchandise they are selling. They are a type of middle man which promotes the merchandise of various vendors. I think the shipping is set by the vendors in agreement with RA. I think that is why they charge so much for shipping and why they have so many warehouses. Conversely, a place like Advance buys and warehouses what they sell. So they have control over their shipping policies.
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Stubby79
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I know what yo umean. I spent about 2 hours setting up 2 seperate orders last week on RA. I had 3 items I needed, and some incidentals I wanted, but had to get two from one warehouse and the 3rd from another. I did it in two separate orders because it wanted to charge me more for shipping if I ordered them together, which made no sense. I then had to selected the incidentals to go along with the second order based on which warehouse they were coming from. Non of the incidentals whatsoever could be picked up with the first order.

It was a bitch, but it was still a lot cheaper then buying local. Even including the shipping costs, border fee and the terrible exchange rate to get it to Canada.
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metroschultz
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Please just call me; "Schultz"

I use Amazon more than Rock Auto now.
Prices, after shipping, are quite close. about half the time Amazon is less than RA after shipping.
No warehouse worries.
Yes, products still come from assorted warehouses across the USA. --BUT--at checkout, Amazon always tells me the estimated delivery date. Most of the time it is less than a week. If it is way out there (2-3 weeks) the product usually shows up early.
I will sometimes look up the parts # at RA. The parts book at Amazon can be difficult to navigate at times.
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myredvert
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myredvert

CG, what I have been doing for quite a few of my parts is using the retailmenot.com discounts for Advance Auto. $40 off over $100, and 30% OFF over $50. It's cut way back on my Rock auto habit, and I haven't actually paid for anything in the Advance Auto store in almost a year. I'll bump the order up with miscellaneous parts, tools, filters, etc. as necessary to get the order up to the next discount level, pay online, then drive into town and pick the order up. I got an entire Bosal exhaust system from the cat back with hangars and after the discount I still had to bump the order up a little bit with some miscellaneous things to hit the $75 free shipping.

For the bigger stuff like alternators, starters, radiators, and exhaust systems, it's come out even cheaper than RA. For many of the littler things like plugs, if they are part of a $100 order the price gets down much closer to RA prices with the shipping, without the wait time.

(link>>) http://www.retailmenot.com/view/advanceautoparts.com
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yiffzer
Forgot His Manpurse

I find Advance Auto Parts to be extremely competitive with RockAuto only when quality is similar. Advance Auto Parts offers the 30-40% discounts and even 50% once in a while, but what makes it shine is the cashback programs that you combine it with. For example, 1% or 2% on your credit card cashback goes along with FatWallet or BeFrugal or Splender which can give you 6-8% cashback. You potentially can take off 60% off the overall cost which would blow RockAuto out of the water but expect approximately 40 to 50% on average depending on how large your order is. But RockAuto does rock when it comes to their heavy discounts and sales.
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702852


If ya'll using advanced auto.... at the end of checkout (.com) type in code TRT30 (can't use on items like permatex IF on sale or seafoam when its on sale otherwise you're good)

Gives you 30% off of $50 or more dollar order.... If you do $100 it would be like getting 60% off.


You're Welcome....Ya'll can get me a beer at Geopalooza :)~
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yiffzer
Forgot His Manpurse

702852
Feb 5 2016, 05:52 PM
If ya'll using advanced auto.... at the end of checkout (.com) type in code TRT30 (can't use on items like permatex IF on sale or seafoam when its on sale otherwise you're good)

Gives you 30% off of $50 or more dollar order.... If you do $100 it would be like getting 60% off.


You're Welcome....Ya'll can get me a beer at Geopalooza :)~
Ha, I think your math is a bit off. You'd still get 30% off $100. There's 40% off coupons for $100+ purchases though.
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702852


Possibly... I've seen $40 off but not 40%
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myredvert
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myredvert

Quote:
 
Gives you 30% off of $50 or more dollar order.... If you do $100 it would be like getting 60% off.

You're Welcome....Ya'll can get me a beer at Geopalooza :)~
Quote:
 
Ha, I think your math is a bit off. You'd still get 30% off $100.
You owe yiffzer a beer. :lol

You did get the >$100 discount right, it's a fixed $40 instead of 40%. code = TRT41 :thumb
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Cardinal Grammeter
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Hey, I just tried TRT30 and TRT41, put them in the first coupon box, clicked the APPLY button and nothing happened.

I'm guessing if the code was good, it would update the page with the discount applied?

...and where do you get this discount codes properly? (i.e., not retailmenot)
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Car Nut
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Somebody ought to pin this thread. Good info here.
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702852


Cardinal Grammeter
Feb 5 2016, 09:17 PM
Hey, I just tried TRT30 and TRT41, put them in the first coupon box, clicked the APPLY button and nothing happened.

I'm guessing if the code was good, it would update the page with the discount applied?

...and where do you get this discount codes properly? (i.e., not retailmenot)
I can try tomorrow. The trt30 is 30% off when you're pretax total is $50 or more

but if you have in the shopping cart something with red numbers that signifies a sale it won't work....

just try picking any item at whole price and change quantity to make total $50 and then you'll get an idea of what to look for..
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Horn


Ok guys. HERE IS WHAT YOU DO AT ADVANCE AUTO!!!!

Go get loaner tools from them. 1 at > $100. Hold for a few days and return. You will get a $20 off your next order of $40 or more. It is called a SPEEDPERK. (also have one for $5 off $10 and $10 off something) They are applied with your online code and come in before.

For Example. Get parts in your account worth $120. Aw man! I drive a metro! that is too expensive.
- Apply your $20 speedperk, now it is down to $100
- Now use the $40 off $100 online code. Usually TRT41.

Usually the max you can get off with just the online codes is 40% up to a max of $50 off. There is also a $20 off $50 order too. So let's say you wanted one of those small cool jump boxes they have now. They are about $70 - apply your speedperks reward down to $50 - then use the online $20 off $50 and you are down to $30!!!!!!!

The part to my knowledge has to be in your local stores. You can also have it where you get shipping free over $75.

There are certain thresholds for discounts. The key again is getting that speedperk by loaner tools. You can then use cashback credit cards to get more. I do know that AA is going to take gift cards soon, and you can get gift cards at discounted prices. Factor that in while buying with a cashback credit card and all these discounts and you will save money.

ANOTHER THING: If you have $300 in parts, cut them down into multiple orders. Usually the highest amount in terms of 40% at 100 (max). If you cut 300 into 3 equal orders of $100, then you save $40 each time!!!!! (Not including speedperks) Easy way to get items at right at $100 is to put them in excel and highlight different amounts. It will tell you the total in the bottom right.

BUT WAIT...THERE'S MORE!!!!
I recently started negotiated in the "online chat" section there. There was a Diesel injection pump that I might need, but it is $399. I can get $70 off max by myself between speedperk and online code....so $330 plus tax. Well, I almost only buy from AA so I told the guy online about that and how much I spend and asked what he could get it down to. (Never knew you could do this, but never hurts to ask). He said $80 off. I said that was really enough to sway me. Then he bumped it up to $100 off. I then asked to use my speedperks and he said as long as I had one! so $20 on top of the $100 off brought the total down ton $279+tax. Can't find this pump anywhere that cheap.

Doing these things will save you a ton and is cheaper than rock auto and ebay when done right.

If you have a smaller order, like $40, you can bump it up to that $50 threshold by adding RTV, hand cleaner or other parts....or you can use your $20 off speedperk and down $20 is the bill then use the 20% off online code down to $16+tax.

WHERE TO GET CODES
retailmenot.com or coupons.com (several others).
*Sometimes the $20 off $50 is harder to find so just google it. I have been using the online discount codes for years and recently been mixing the speedperks. Great savings.
There are different thresholds. The main ones are $50, $75, $80, $100, and $110.


....and you're welcome.

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