E-mail I just received from rockauto

[ahardb0dy]

I just received this e-mail from rockauto:

 

"Hi Tony,

I'm a product manager at RockAuto, specifically managing the Ignition
category. I noticed this past November you ordered Spark Plug Wires and
a Distributor Cap and Rotor for your 94 Nissan Pathfinder. If you have
a little time to spare, I'm curious to know why you did not purchase
spark plugs with these items. I've found that these items typically are
ordered together, and I'm trying to determine what sort of circumstances
exist when spark plugs are not purchased with other tune-up parts. I
will use the answer you provide to determine how to improve spark plug
listings in our catalog.

Thank you!

--
Shondra Bergmann
RockAuto Product Manager
608.661.1376 ext. 133
www.RockAuto.com "

 

 

My reply:

 

 

"Hello,

I tend to only order products from Rockauto that I can save a decent amount of money on compared to buying the same exact part locally. When ever I price a part on Rockauto I always compare your price (with shipping) to the exact same part if available locally ( including the tax).

If I do not need the part right away I will order it from you, unfortunately if a part is needed right away I have no choice but to buy it locally.

As to why I did not order spark plugs with the other items. Spark plugs are cheap enough to purchase locally that there is not a good enough savings for me to order them.

For example using the pathfinder and looking for spark plugs, Myself as well as the majority of the Nissan community prefer NGK spark plugs as NGK is the OEM brand used in Nissan, for my pathfinder, a 94 there are a few NGK plugs available from you and locally, these plugs are:

NGK standard part # 6364 at $1.60 each from you - $2.79 from local auto parts store (Advance auto parts)
NGK V-power part # 3696 at $1.60 each from you - $2.19 locally (Advance)
NGK G- power part # 7092 at $2.48 each from you - $3.29 locally (Advance)

I normally use the V-power plugs so a set of 6 from you with shipping to me at 32776 would cost me $15.76 (using the 5% discount code)

From the local auto parts it would cost me $ 13.99 including the tax, I don't include travel time or gas cost as I would just pick them up on my way home from work.

Of course no one expects you to sell a spark plug far cheaper than a local store as there probably is not a huge mark up on the price to begin with, but on higher priced items such as the brake master cylinder I just purchased from you for my 90 Nissan sentra which I was able to get from you for $70.76 delivered was quite a bit cheaper than the local auto parts store which would have cost me $274.01 (with the tax)
.

If I can be of any further help, please let me know,

Tony Palermo"

I thought that was nice to ask about my recent purchase

[Precise1]

Agreed, and it shows interest in how to best serve the customer (and get their business).

 

 

 

I normally use the V-power plugs so a set of 6 from you with shipping to me at 32776 would cost me $15.76 (using the 5% discount code)

From the local auto parts it would cost me $ 13.99 including the tax, I don't include travel time or gas cost as I would just pick them up on my way home from work.

 

I noticed this past November you ordered Spark Plug Wires and
a Distributor Cap and Rotor for your 94 Nissan Pathfinder.

If you are already buying the wires, cap and rotor, the extra shipping cost to include plugs must be negligible or near the $1.77 difference.

 

B

[ahardb0dy]

If I look up the same parts now it would have been cheaper to buy everything from rockauto, $91.66 vs $96.53 ( parts from rockauto plus plugs from local store), but two things, I don't recall at the time if I had added the plugs to my order if they would have shipped from the same location and two I didn't buy the plugs anyway.

 

You still have to compare prices when you look at ordering anything online, but it's true what I wrote about lower priced items not having as big a markup as higher priced items.

 

Buying the wires,plugs,cap and rotor locally would have been $131.11 (same exact parts)

[bushnut]

I'm on the fence as to buying on line or Local....for the most part I try to buy local as I like to support local business and keep people employed.

the only time I'll buy on line is when I can't find what I'm looking for local or everybody is trying to gouge me.

[jgrote]

Thanks to my Subaru, I've been buying A LOT of parts lately. I always check for the best price (and I include rockauto in my research), but have yet to find enough of a savings to warrant waiting for the part. With a couple of minutes of googling, you can generally find a 25%-40% off coupon for Advance or AutoZone. Buy online for the discount and pick up in store. You get the price savings of online with the support of a brick-n-mortar store. I used to be loyal to Advance (I used to mange one of their stores), but they have lost that loyalty due to their quality of their hard parts falling. (Yes, I realize that my bargain hunting is partly the cause of this deteriorating quality.) I miss the days when everyone sold A1-Cardone...

[silverton]

If you are already buying the wires, cap and rotor, the extra shipping cost to include plugs must be negligible or near the $1.77 difference.

 

B

 

It could also be that the spark plugs were not in one of the warehouses where the other parts were, so full shipping would need to be paid instead of just additional weight in a box already going out.

[ahardb0dy]

"It could also be that the spark plugs were not in one of the warehouses where the other parts were, so full shipping would need to be paid instead of just additional weight in a box already going out."

 

That's what I was saying, I can't recall if they were or not at the time I ordered the other parts. I have noticed in the past sometimes, when items ship from multiple warehouses the shipping can almost double. I

I've also seen where a few times the shipping would be really high for a small item.

 

 

I don't mind waiting for an item as I said, if it's a part I don't need right away I'll order it, rockauto is usually pretty good with it's shipping, at least in my experience in dealing with them, with shipping from order placed to received being a few days.

 

And if I do need a part right away I just buy it locally, if the local stores have it or can get it quickly.

[Karmann]

As said before, unless I need an item right away I usually buy online, with maintenance parts usually from RockAuto. I don't like, nor do I really want to give any more money to my local PepTards than I have to.

 

One thing I have noticed at RockAuto is that the parts they provide that are "accessories" such as a dash cover or vent visors, are usually low-quality ones. For thing a like that and other semi-performance parts (CAI) I go to AutoAnything.

[ahardb0dy]

Follow up I received today:

 

"Hi Tony,

Thanks for your response, information like this is extremely helpful to us! I just have one follow-up question regarding the spark plugs. When you ordered the wires, cap and rotor, you paid $10.83 for shipping. The NGK V-Power spark plugs are located in the same warehouse as all of the parts you ordered, so adding them to the order would have added the cost of the spark plugs ($9.60 for a full set) plus an additional ~$.40 for shipping due to the slightly higher weight.

Were the spark plugs simply not needed with the other tune-up parts? Would it be helpful if we had a message in your Shopping Cart stating that we have the plugs available from the same location (and therefore additional shipping charges would be minimal)? Typically spark plugs are add-on items (versus being the only items on an order) because of the reasons you described, but I'm trying to determine why they aren't ordered in cases where other ignition items are purchased and they could have shipped from the same location.

Thanks for your feedback!
Shondra"

 

My reply:

 

"

Hello,

I did see last night when I was looking into this that it would have been cheaper to order the plugs along with the other items.

In the future I would probably order everything from you, in this occasion I have not bought the plugs yet.

I know all the parts now show they ship from the same warehouse but back in November I do not recall if that was still the case. I have noticed on some items when I want a specific brand part, that adding a part with other parts sometimes some of the parts come from different warehouses and usually shipping from more than one location really effects the shipping price.

Adding a message stating the slight increase in shipping and a part being in the same warehouse may help in getting your customers to order

All the parts at one time from you.

Thanks for the reply ,

Tony p"

Her reply:

"Hi Tony,

Thanks for your reply- I'll take all of this into consideration. Have a good day!

Thanks,
Shondra"

Good that they are concerned on why their customers do what they do, perhaps in the future they will have package discounts or something.

[Precise1]

On top of the customer service, low prices and NPORA discount as well?

LOL They have to make some $ to stay in business...

 

B

[ahardb0dy]

yup, even at their cheaper prices you know they are making money, let's you know how much the parts are marked up,

[nunya]

On top of the customer service, low prices and NPORA discount as well?

LOL They have to make some $ to stay in business...

 

B

They lost future money from me over the bs run around I got over a warrantied fuel pump that didn't last a week. Good thing the only reason I replaced it was a bad fuel gauge so I was able to make a good one. Got enough choices locally of good distributers and their prices (my cost at least) are just as good minus shipping and waiting.

[silverton]

On top of the customer service, low prices and NPORA discount as well?

LOL They have to make some $ to stay in business...

 

B

 

It's the same 5% as anyone who buys from them gets, so it's really not THAT special.

[Precise1]

I didn't know everyone gets a 5% discount. Might as well just take 5% of all the prices then.

 

They lost future money from me over the bs run around I got over a warrantied fuel pump that didn't last a week. Good thing the only reason I replaced it was a bad fuel gauge so I was able to make a good one. Got enough choices locally of good distributers and their prices (my cost at least) are just as good minus shipping and waiting.

Yep, I dare say you have better sources than most.

The only issue I've had with Rock Auto was an ignition cylinder for the wife's Matrix. What they sent me wouldn't fit due to some tabs on the OD or something and there wasn't time to return it before a trip we wee taking, so I just ground the tabs off and it installed/worked just fine. That said, it is not like I order from them every week...

 

B

[silverton]

I didn't know everyone gets a 5% discount. Might as well just take 5% of all the prices then.

 

B

 

You still have to enter the discount code in the "how did you hear about us" box, but the codes are easily searched out on the interwebs. In the emails you get after buying something they even encourage you to share the code with family and friends.

 

Now if the forum discount was 10-15% I'd be impressed. But as you said, they do still have to make money and their prices are usually the cheapest anywhere.