So rockauto screwed me…

Ron Vogel

TCG Elite Member
Jul 12, 2007
5,173
4,268
Aurora
Real Name
Ron Vogel
Ordered on the 25th with 2 day express shipping, didn’t give the part to FedEx until today the 27th. So now I probably won’t be able to drive my car until Tuesday.
Anyone have a spare N54 alternator they can lend me? Lol
They don’t even have customer service to complain to. I had to open a claim with PayPal to request a refund for the extra I paid to have it here today
 

CMNTMXR57

GM, Holden & Chrysler Mini-Van nut swinger
Sep 12, 2008
26,149
31,263
Elgin
I had this happen with the G8 a few weeks ago when the A/C belt tensioner shit the bed. I ordered the part on a Wednesday, specified 2-day shipping so I would get it Friday, so that I could install over the weekend.

Come Friday = Nothing
Come Saturday = Nothing
Come Monday = Tensioner shows up.

So I lit up their customer service via email, stating the exact reasons i specified the 2-day shipping. They danced around at first that they can't control the shippers. I told them to get bent. A second rep finally agreed and refunded me the money I spent on the 2-day shipping.

Email: [email protected] and state the same story and see what it gets you.
 

Ron Vogel

TCG Elite Member
Jul 12, 2007
5,173
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Aurora
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Ron Vogel
I’ve been a loyal customer for a long time, but this is not the first time they sat on stuff waiting to ship. This time it’s become a burden

A90CDD7B-0D58-4FDB-A5D9-2DC02965E92B.jpeg
 

CMNTMXR57

GM, Holden & Chrysler Mini-Van nut swinger
Sep 12, 2008
26,149
31,263
Elgin
Same here, another fan boi. Generally you can't beat them on price plus then the 5% discount on top of it. Even with shipping, it still ends up being substantially less and other than the hiccup I explained above, I have never had issue with them. Shit gets here surprisingly fast. When I did get the wrong starter for the G8 a few weeks back, filled out the return shit on their site, dropped it off at the FedEx place at lunch, had a refund the next day.

I ordered the wrong brakes for the van recently. I gotta return them and I expect, much like above, the process to be painless.
 

Ron Vogel

TCG Elite Member
Jul 12, 2007
5,173
4,268
Aurora
Real Name
Ron Vogel
I usually don’t use them for critical time delivery stuff, and I’m kicking myself for doing it this time. I’ve been borrowing my kids car to get to work and was hoping to have it back to him tomorrow so he can have it for work. So now my wife’s going to drive him tomorrow again.
 

bimmer4life

TCG Elite Member
TCG Premium
Feb 18, 2008
5,262
8,330
Wheaton, Illinois
Ordered on the 25th with 2 day express shipping, didn’t give the part to FedEx until today the 27th. So now I probably won’t be able to drive my car until Tuesday.
Anyone have a spare N54 alternator they can lend me? Lol
They don’t even have customer service to complain to. I had to open a claim with PayPal to request a refund for the extra I paid to have it here today
Dang what’s this your 3rd alternator already ??
 

Flyn

Go ahead. I'll catch up.
Moderator
TCG Premium
Mar 1, 2004
68,052
27,984
Selling homes on the Gulf Coast of Florida
Rock Auto generally blows away prices but, if another site is better, there's nothing wrong with using it. I find Amazon to be hit or miss as far as prices. Some great, some not so good. Rock Auto is nearly always cheaper than most other sites. My most recent order was supposed to be delivered (for $40 extra) on a Friday and it showed up on Wednesday. I paid $120 instead of $275 for a radiator and saved money even with the shipping hit.
 

b4black

before black
Jun 6, 2008
1,331
542
Oswego
They don’t even have customer service to complain to.

I was a big fan until they dropped customer service. 90% of the time, things went fine. The other 10% were always weird and couldn't be resolved through a website. But 30 seconds with a human was all it would need.

So I warn people to stay away and only use them as a last resort.
 

Ron Vogel

TCG Elite Member
Jul 12, 2007
5,173
4,268
Aurora
Real Name
Ron Vogel
Why so many alternators? Are you resetting the battery management system through a scan tool after replacing a battery?
Yup. The battery I bought as a replacement was junk, I bought the cheapest alternator I could buy too. Both contributing factors.

a little history. About 3 months after I got the car I took it to the track. Alternator started whining after 6-7 runs and ignition breaking up on big end of track. Got a few miles towards home when dash wigged out. Long story short, battery trashed and alternator shot. Had original battery, but alternator was clearly changed as it was really beat up from install, and I assumed whoever installed it trashed the bearings by hammering it in.

needed an alternator on a Sunday, so got a used one off craigslist. Picked up a Walmart battery.

was getting bad charging after about a year, so I picked up a TYC off rockauto. Had to swap in a Bosch voltage regulator to keep the computer happy. Last year battery started to not hold charge well, so exchanged it under warranty.

so last Friday launched the car hard and killed the battery and broke the decoupling pulley on the alternator.

when the new alternator comes in I am definitely swapping the alternator pulley to an INA one I have, and already have an AGM battery for it
 

CMNTMXR57

GM, Holden & Chrysler Mini-Van nut swinger
Sep 12, 2008
26,149
31,263
Elgin
Yup. The battery I bought as a replacement was junk, I bought the cheapest alternator I could buy too. Both contributing factors.

a little history. About 3 months after I got the car I took it to the track. Alternator started whining after 6-7 runs and ignition breaking up on big end of track. Got a few miles towards home when dash wigged out. Long story short, battery trashed and alternator shot. Had original battery, but alternator was clearly changed as it was really beat up from install, and I assumed whoever installed it trashed the bearings by hammering it in.

needed an alternator on a Sunday, so got a used one off craigslist. Picked up a Walmart battery.

was getting bad charging after about a year, so I picked up a TYC off rockauto. Had to swap in a Bosch voltage regulator to keep the computer happy. Last year battery started to not hold charge well, so exchanged it under warranty.

so last Friday launched the car hard and killed the battery and broke the decoupling pulley on the alternator.

when the new alternator comes in I am definitely swapping the alternator pulley to an INA one I have, and already have an AGM battery for it

I had ADP equipped alternators, your Chrysler van has it. Chrysler loves them. I tore through 3 alternators on our old van.
 

b00sted

TCG Elite Member
TCG Premium
Oct 6, 2010
7,834
23,517
I've ordered from RockAuto a few times and only had an issue once - They shipped a MLS headgasket basically sandwiched between two sheets of carboard. So of course it looked like it got ran over by a truck by the time it got here. But they quickly refunded me and I bought a replacement on Amazon since RA was sold out.

They're good for those closeout prices on random stuff. I can buy 2-3 spares of certain gaskets for the price of one elsewhere.
 
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