[Likwid]

On Septemper 5, I made the mistake of ordering some parts from www.RockAuto.com . Parts that their website said would fit my car. I received the parts in two shipments, one on September 9 and the other on September 10. On Sunday, September 11, I decided to install them. Low and behold, they were not the same as the ones that were on my car.

The parts were lower control arms. My car is a 335xi, and the lower control arms are made of steel on the AWD cars. The control arms (tension struts and wishbones) that they sent were aluminum. I came to find out that the parts are not interchangeable on the two, even though RockAuto's website lists those parts as being compatible with the 335xi.

I called RockAuto on Sunday, September 11 and told them of their error. I was told by the person that was working that they could not do anything for me on a Sunday, and that I would have to call backl on Monday to arrange for the return. I was later told by a manager that this was a lie, and that the person I spoke to on Sunday could certainly have helped with the return.

I called back on Monday, September 12 and was told that they could arrange a return, but that I would have to pay for the return shipping. I explained that the reason I purchased the parts was because their website specifically said that they would fit the 335xi. I walked her through clicking on the links and drilling down to the 335xi then the suspension parts for the 335xi then the control arms for the 335xi. I showed her that these parts were listed under the 335xi. She asked if my 335xi was RWD. I explained that there is no such thing as a RWD 335xi. She was quick to point out that while the parts were listed as fitting the 335xi, they would only fit a RWD 335xi. This argument went on for a few minutes, until I asked to speak to her supervisor. I was put on hold for about 15 minutes, then was greeted by a supervisor, who had obviously been brought up to speed on the situation prior to coming on the line. He, like the first person, explained that since the part was listed as "RWD", it would only fit a RWD 335xi. It was not until I explained that I was very active in online forums and was not shy about expressing my feelings about my experience that he said he would email me the shipping labels at their expense.

I shipped the items the same day, and they were received in the warehouse on Friday of last week, which was September 16.

Today, September 21, I am still waiting for the refund to show up in my bank account. I called them and was told that it will probably be another day or two before I receive email notice that the refund has been issued and another two or three days before the refund posts to my account. That puts the refund at about Tuesday of next week, which is tree weeks after placing the initial order.

Also, they have removed the parts from the 335xi section.

[Jadar]

Wow, had the same issue last year! I ordered rear shocks that said they were for my car and they werent! I installed them and it was a disaster. I fought for days with them over the phone. They did end up returning my money in the end.

[Likwid]

Well, it's nice to hear that I'm not the only one, although I hate that it happened to anyone. I just think that maybe they have gotten too big. There were some other complaints I had too...on the shipment that came from New York, they just banded the two boxes together that the parts came from the manufacturer in and shipped them that way. The shipment that came from California, they placed the two boxes inside a large box. The supervisor tried to say that if the boxes had any damage at all, they would not accept the return. I told him the manner in which they were shipped from New York, and he sounded surprised, but told me it was my responsibility to write a note and put it inside the box (which I provided) stating that the boxes were damaged because they were not placed inside another box for shipping.

[Kevin@AKMotorwerk]

i wouldnt buy anything for an e9x on there unless you have a part number for like bosche or something, but for other older cars, they are great for getting parts, and yes the return policy and process is a bit of a pain in the ass, but where isnt it

[PKL]

Never heard of RockAuto.com

But I ask you, why not order from one of the 50 well known vendors here on the boards???

[CirrusSR22]

You usually have to do some research on BMW stuff on RockAuto. Yeah, sometimes this sucks, but there are literally millions of different car parts on the market and it's just impossible guarantee every part will fit any specific vehicle, especially newer cars. Lots of great stuff in there though at great prices.

[CirrusSR22]

Originally Posted by PKL

Never heard of RockAuto.com

I'm pretty sure they are the largest online auto parts store in existance.

[Likwid]

Originally Posted by Kevin@AKMotorwerk

i wouldnt buy anything for an e9x on there unless you have a part number for like bosche or something, but for other older cars, they are great for getting parts, and yes the return policy and process is a bit of a pain in the ass, but where isnt it

Yeah, I am beginning to see that!

[GTOtoBMW]

I've placed numerous orders with them and never had a problem. I even called to return a brand new starter and that through went without a hassle. Of course, most of the time I ordered from them I knew EXACTLY what I was looking for either by having the part number or knowing what the part looked like.

[chazzz]

You should've gone with Tischer BMW (getBMWparts.com).

[sickem]

sorry to hear it. it is SO frustrating to deal with vendors who don't know their products and/or don't care about making customers happy. was dealing with a vendor recently in this regard...

I am new to modding, but I've found that if you buy stuff without doing A LOT of research (ie, taking vendors' word for things, etc) you get burned. has happened to me a few times now. keep us updated.

[PKL]

Originally Posted by CirrusSR22

I'm pretty sure they are the largest online auto parts store in existance.

Yet I spend entirely too much time on Bimmerpost.com and haven't heard of them?

Originally Posted by chazzz

You should've gone with Tischer BMW (getBMWparts.com).

Exactly.

[JuppiOne]

Originally Posted by CirrusSR22

I'm pretty sure they are the largest online auto parts store in existance.

never heard of them either

[fefo25]

Had the same problem with partstrain.com

[mike-y]

I've used them to get a ton of parts for my honda and acura, as well as brake rotors, cabin filters, and misc stuff for my BMW. never had a problem, but then again, I usually research the parts I need at various places online before I order them. Haven't had an issue yet, but maybe I'm lucky.


just wondering, did you see that it said RWD only when it was listing the parts for the xi?

[Likwid]

Originally Posted by chazzz

You should've gone with Tischer BMW (getBMWparts.com).

Now I know...thanks!

[John 070]

Had a completely opposite experience with them. Ordered a Nissan clutch hose, looked like it was missing a brass washer, and so they just shipped me a new one. I asked how I was supposed to return the old one, the guy said their mistake, just keep it.

[Likwid]

Originally Posted by mike-y

just wondering, did you see that it said RWD only when it was listing the parts for the xi?

I saw RWD on the listing, but since there's no such thing as a RWD x-drive car, I assumed it was a misprint. Little did I know that the misprint was the fact that it was listed under the 335xi.

[hdrewh]

I use them fairly regularly when I need parts for my '96 Accord (260k miles). Their prices are ridiculously good, I've never had to return anything but like others I always know exactly what I'm going there for. If the OP's parts were listed incorrectly or confusingly as RWD *and* for the xi, that would be an immediate red flag to dig deeper.

[3_runner]

Never tried buying for my BMW, but other car parts went well.

[luv135i]

Originally Posted by 3_runner

Never tried buying for my BMW, but other car parts went well.

ditto

[Likwid]

And they did not refund the $18.00 I paid for shipping, even though it was their fault, even though they told me they would.