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Old 08-20-2020, 12:26 PM
Joel Koontz Joel Koontz is offline
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Location: Bedford, PA, USA
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Default Is there a way to determine what warehouse a RockAuto order is shipping from?

I have ordered a lot of stuff from them and know that the system will tell you shipping from A,B,C... , but does not(as far as I have found) tell you what city/state it is shipping from.

When I order from Rock Auto I find that their shipping estimates delivery dates (prior to placing the order) are usually later than they indicate after the order is actually placed.

Yesterday, I placed an order(Fedex Ground) at 4:16 PM EST and the delivery date estimate was Monday, 8/24/20.

Later yesterday, I got a shipping confirmation that said that it should be delivered TODAY. Shipped from OH, and I am in PA.

Sometimes I don't care a lot how quick I get something and sometimes I DO. It would be nice if I could tell in advance if something was shipping from within a couple/few hundred miles from me, for those times when "time is of the essence".

There are often several options for what I want to order and when I'm in a hurry, it would be nice to know, where things are shipping from, so that I can choose the closest option.

Thanks, Joel

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Old 08-20-2020, 01:36 PM
gto4evr gto4evr is offline
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I'm not entirely convinced the stuff DOES ship from mulitple warehouses. I think there's an algorithm that expands the order for more ship locations simply to jump shipping costs up.

Late last year I was doing an exhaust job on my 71. I needed 2 mufflers, 4 clamps and 2 hangers.

at first I entered the order, for just the mufflers and clamps. gave me 2 ship points A and B. A was the two mufflers and B was all the clamps. Then I remembered the hangers and added them to the order. it changed the shipping to 3 locations, but now A was sending one muffler and all the clamps, B was sending the second muffler, and C was sending the hangers. I went back, deleted the hangers off the order and it returned to A sending both mufflers and B sending the clamps, added the hangers back on and it reshuffled to the 3 locations. it made no sense. A had both mufflers but NO clamps until I added the hangers. So magically A now doesn't have one muffler but they DO have the clamps now? So why didn't it just give me one shipping point in the beginning when it was just mufflers and clamps? I'm running into this more and more and it's getting to the point I don't like Rock Auto anymore. between the tax and triple shipping it's getting to the point I'd rather just spend 3 more dollars and buy it locally.

sorry, I guess that's just me bitching and not answering your question!

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Old 08-20-2020, 05:06 PM
Joel Koontz Joel Koontz is offline
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The package arrived a couple hours ago, LESS THAN 24 hours from when the order was placed..

I understand, and share, the frustration with shipping from different locations, driving the cost up, and I have noticed WEIRD changes when I would add or subtract things, similar to what you have described.

BUT I can verify that they do ship stuff from different warehouses, or at least I have received R/A stuff from several different warehouse locations over the past few years.

R/A has it's issues, but it seems like it is often close to, and sometimes less than, half the price of local stores, so I use them a lot when I need to make a significant purchase.

  #4  
Old 08-20-2020, 05:56 PM
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unruhjonny unruhjonny is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gto4evr View Post
I'm not entirely convinced the stuff DOES ship from mulitple warehouses. I think there's an algorithm that expands the order for more ship locations simply to jump shipping costs up.

Late last year I was doing an exhaust job on my 71. I needed 2 mufflers, 4 clamps and 2 hangers.

at first I entered the order, for just the mufflers and clamps. gave me 2 ship points A and B. A was the two mufflers and B was all the clamps. Then I remembered the hangers and added them to the order. it changed the shipping to 3 locations, but now A was sending one muffler and all the clamps, B was sending the second muffler, and C was sending the hangers. I went back, deleted the hangers off the order and it returned to A sending both mufflers and B sending the clamps, added the hangers back on and it reshuffled to the 3 locations. it made no sense. A had both mufflers but NO clamps until I added the hangers. So magically A now doesn't have one muffler but they DO have the clamps now? So why didn't it just give me one shipping point in the beginning when it was just mufflers and clamps? I'm running into this more and more and it's getting to the point I don't like Rock Auto anymore. between the tax and triple shipping it's getting to the point I'd rather just spend 3 more dollars and buy it locally.

sorry, I guess that's just me bitching and not answering your question!
I have never seen anything like that!

I have many times over decided on what I'm buying based on shipping locations/cost;
I have gone as far as clicking multiple different items (same part/application) to see if any would come from the same "warehouse" as any other key parts I want to order...

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Carousel Red paint on Black standard interior
A no-engine, no-transmission, no-wheel option car.
Quite likely one of few '70 Muncie three speed Formula 400's left.


1991 Grand Am: 14.4 @ 93.7mph (DA corrected) (retired DD, stock appearing)
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  #5  
Old 08-20-2020, 07:16 PM
tooski tooski is offline
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I recently ordered a pair of mufflers from RA. Shipped to my 'door' in Canada. When all was said and done, the total cost was about $20 CDN cheaper than from Summit shipped to my door, or locally on sale. I found the shipping for them to be a bit high, but the lower cost ameliorated that. Much the same for my other orders from them.

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  #6  
Old 08-20-2020, 07:27 PM
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unruhjonny unruhjonny is offline
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/\ that is often why I buy from them

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1970 Formula 400
Carousel Red paint on Black standard interior
A no-engine, no-transmission, no-wheel option car.
Quite likely one of few '70 Muncie three speed Formula 400's left.


1991 Grand Am: 14.4 @ 93.7mph (DA corrected) (retired DD, stock appearing)
2009 Cobalt SS: 13.9 @ 103mph (current DD; makes something north of 300hp & 350ft/lbs)
  #7  
Old 08-20-2020, 10:19 PM
gto4evr gto4evr is offline
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yeah, the $3 was an exaggeration, it still ends up being cheaper from RA and I've been happy with the ship times never being more than 3 days, many times 2, it just gets frustrating playing the mix and match game on the items watching the shipping points shift all over the map on the items.

Also, and more importantly, I need to finish covering the refrigerator in dumb car magnets before my wife can add any more of her crafty ones!

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Old 08-21-2020, 10:37 AM
ScumOne ScumOne is offline
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I just ordered shocks from Rock Auto. When the Fedex tracking # email comes in, click on it and then you can see where it's shipping from. My shocks and one other part are coming from the Bronx, NY warehouse heading for California.

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Old 08-21-2020, 11:35 AM
Joel Koontz Joel Koontz is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ScumOne View Post
I just ordered shocks from Rock Auto. When the Fedex tracking # email comes in, click on it and then you can see where it's shipping from. My shocks and one other part are coming from the Bronx, NY warehouse heading for California.
I know how to find out where it is shipping from AFTER I get the shipping confirmation.

How do I find out where it is shipping from BEFORE I place the order?

  #10  
Old 08-21-2020, 11:46 AM
ScumOne ScumOne is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Joel Koontz View Post
I know how to find out where it is shipping from AFTER I get the shipping confirmation.

How do I find out where it is shipping from BEFORE I place the order?
I don't think that's possible, sir. They're going to select that based on availability and the cheapest shipping options. I'm in California, so shipping from the Bronx must have been the only option for the KYB shocks or the Chrysler 300C sun visor clip I ordered.

  #11  
Old 08-22-2020, 01:55 AM
Baron Von Zeppelin Baron Von Zeppelin is offline
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A few years back, for about maybe 6 months, they did list out the location of A B C etc... but they stopped doing it.

I have seen the same bizarre scenario that gto4ever described, many times.
In most cases it was a better option to buy the offending part that caused everything to do a switcharoo - from eBay Buy-it-Now with free shipping.
And get the rest of the main items from RA.

Another oddity i have hit a few times is shipping on gallon containers of synthetic lubricants.
Up to 6 gallons can ship for the same cost as 1 gallon ($9.00)
Try doing that at your local FedX

All in All - i love RA
And hate The Big 3 auto part chain stores

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