I worked for Advance Auto for 4+ years selling parts both retail and commercial. It is company policy that they WILL price match to like price to any competitor. Take that price sheet to your local Advance and they will match it. But you have to have proof of the price. It is a company policy that they advertise in commercials and in the store.

Rock Auto has great deals. The only downside is the shipping and if you have a part go bad it has to be sent back and another sent to you. Its also nice to see the part directly in person in front of you to compare mounting locations. Also, damage can occur during shipping. So if you wait for that part for 2 or 3 days only to have it arrive damaged, then you have to wait again.

 

Rock Auto is a wonderfull place to shop and i will agree with both sides
on price and the shipping, also i have found that some parts are not
any cheaper than local, but across the board i have saved Hundreds...
The trick i use is, i try to stay in tune with my Jimmy and purchase before
anything actually fails, which keepd me ahead of the game. great write up
though, thanks for the insite..

 

The easiest way to save money is not buying a blazer.

 

I've been thinking of buying from Rock, as the prices are much cheaper than buying locally here in Canada, but was concerned about
extra shipping fees/delays or being surprised with brokerage/duty fees taxes etc. which would not make it worthwhile.
What can you tell me about these added costs I should expect by shipping to Canada.

Thanks

 

There are no "extra" shipping fee's. No taxes either weirdly enough. Shipping isn't bad unless you're ordering in bulk amounts. But even then it still seems to be cheaper. Rarely not. Delays are to be expected. All parts ship from different locations than others. Shipping time depends on what shipping you request. However, I've been suprised a few times, I've gotten orders in the next day when paying standard ground shipping. Not bad. Trick is, order early in the week, Monday - Wendsday. You'll usually see your package no later than Saturday. Personally, I've only waited a 7 days max period for orders & that's only orders being shipped out of California. I'm not sure why either. It cannot be the distance because orders shipping from AZ or TX take half the time. A couple tips too truely benifet from RockAuto. Pre-Order. Get all your stuff in advance you may need. Tune up parts etc. That way when you're ready, its just there in your garage ready to go. other replacement parts you'll have to be patient on. No one will buy everything in advance for their vehicle but the basic tune up stuff you already know you'll need sooner or later. And don't worry about it sitting around too long, its not like it goes bad. And if you think it does, what you buy in the store wasn't just manufactured yesterday either... its probably been sitting around for a few years too. They just blew the dust off of it before you bought it. Age doesn't affect the part any.

 

Something else I'd like to add:

There are some parts, "everyone" will need sooner or later such as:
Spark Plugs
Spark Plug Wires
Cap/Rotor
PCV Valve
Air/Oil Filter
Brake Pads/Shoes
etc.

However, spread out your orders. Stock up on the parts you know you'll need as you can afford them. That way when you need these parts, you're not dropping your wallet on the counter breaking the bank. I don't care who you are, no one enjoys that.

Secondly,
Keep your eye out for "Wholesaler Closeouts" on RockAuto. I've gotten even greater deals from those. Such as Wagner Brake Rotor's for $9.99 ea. I don't need them right now, there just sitting in the garage waiting.

Personally I love it, you don't break the bank, you can buy & stock up as funds permit, & by stocking, you got what you need when you need it & you didn't spend anywhere close to what you would have in the part store.

 

Some one might of already asked but its late here im tiered and lazy lol, is the shipping for everywhere and does the shipping cost alot?

 

I plan to place several orders with rockauto in the very near future however there are still a few parts you can order elsewhere online for cheaper. I need a new evap canister so I checked online and it turns out that it’s cheaper to buy it from amazon.com rather than rockauto; same part number and quality.

 

Did you make a list and order all this stuff at once or oreder as you needed it?

 

You got that right