PartstrainWRECK.com
Written: Jul 06 '09 (Updated Jul 06 '09)
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| Full Review |
The Saga
I needed some parts for my car and went online to find the best deal of course. The local auto stores would have to order them in and would take 3 days. So I checked my trusty online sources to see if they could use the typical 2 day service I always received in the past.
I have ordered from several places like rockauto.com and checked them first. They had the brake rotors, brake line hoses, shoes and sensors I need to do a full brake job, but this time around those parts had to come from England and sadly the shipping was more than the parts. Those darned German cars......
So I found partstrain.com and though I had heard of them prior, I had such good luck with Rockauto in the past, I never had need to use them. But looked them up quickly finding little on them but did find a few things.
I found they are a company in Southern California that began in 1995 that seemed to be large enough and reliable enough. They are a subsidiary of usautoparts.com So I bit the bullet and ordered my parts just a week prior to the 4th of July , having been told my parts would arrive that week.
I asked if they knew this for sure, as I planned on taking a vacation the following week and was assured they would arrive.
So with 300.00 dollars and with that assurance, I ordered the parts. 4 rotors, front and rear, 2 sets of brake pads, 2 brake line hoses. Less than half of what Audi would have charged for the same parts from the dealership. And I waited for the confirmation email that would give me the tracking number. This is Sunday.
The next morning on Monday I received 2 tracking numbers; 1 from Fed-Ex, the other UPS. The UPS tracking system is the best there is, and when I called to ask why neither tracking number showed any results, I was told they had issued the numbers but had not yet shipped. This is not unusual in and of itself, so I checked the next morning with the same results. Now it is Tuesday and I need the parts by Thursday as promised. So I call again to ask what is happening.
I am now told that they shipped from different warehouses, and I am to expect 4 tracking numbers for 4 boxes. I asked where the other 2 are. Now I am told they have not updated the order yet and they have not shipped. I mention that maybe I need to cancel my order since the parts have not shipped, and I am told it is too late because they have shipped in the system, just not on the actual carrier. So I am stuck with them at this point until they arrive and I decide to ship them back. So let’s make some lemonade out of the lemons here, shall we?
So I specifically ask the parts be shipped overnight and was told no problem. So I am told to wait on hold once more and after 10 minutes am told my renewed tracking numbers should be there within 48 hours. My question was, if the parts would be here over night what is the use of sending the tracking number 2 days after they arrived? All I got was a chuckle and the pat reply that this is how the system works.
Wednesday morning, rolling up on the 4th of July weekend, I get another email with 1 more tracking number showing the part will arrive on the 7th of July, 2 days after I am supposed to be on vacation. Not one of the 3 numbers showed a delivery time of Wednesday.
So I am on the phone once again. I get another rocket scientist on the phone who cannot figure out what happened. She goes off for 20 minutes as I sit on hold and comes back telling me the other parts are on the way. The rotors arrived while i was on the phone with her. Luckily I had 20 minutes to get the box and check it.
I am now told the other one via UPS may not get here at all this week either. I ask “Where is the 4th box I was told I would get a tracking number for? She places me on hold another 7 minutes and comes back telling me they have not shipped yet.
I am steaming at the ears now. I tell her of my prior 2 calls, the conversations we had, and ask her did the last individual put notes in my file about overnight shipping? I am told “Yes he did”. I ask why are they not on over night? Ah! the answer is so easy! They shipped before I was told they were shipped! Yet I had no tracking numbers. Why I ask? "Well Sir, I do not know." Do you have a supervisor that knows? Yes she does!
So as I wait on hold another 20 minutes, I get a supervisor and explain to her the entire mess. "I am sorry sir, but we do not ship over night on our parts, and I apologize you were told this."
So now, vacation has to be moved back a week, I say "So when can these get here?" I am told they would not, BUT she could at least get me the tracking number for the 4th box! Wow! What service!
I have 4 rotors that arrived, 2 brake pads. One set of brake pads arrives Friday somehow miraculously after my phone call to the supervisor. They were originally scheduled to be here the following Tuesday! Wow! How did THAT happen? UPS was called and told to ...get this....hold onto your seat....OVER NIGHT THE PARTS! Something the company does not do so I was told!
So as I sit in despair, I jack the car up and decide to use the parts that arrived late Friday and at least get a head start for Monday or Tuesday whenever the last parts arrived. Lo and behold, they are the wrong parts! So I am back on the phone. I find I can now get a refund when the other parts arrive.
So Now the car sits all jacked up for the weekend. I had to get the brake lines and other pads locally and that took a day. It cost more, but not enough to allow me to suffer again at the hands of Partstrain.
The Insanity
4 items ordered. 4 warehouses used, even for the brake pads which are the same make by the way...came from 2 different locations using 2 different carriers to ship the parts.
And the Customer Service Call Center is in the Philippines, making an easy mess of communications between California, Chicago, and Manila.
The Parts Quality
Rotors and pads were of decent quailty. The hoses were average quality. So the parts in and of themselves are decent for the money paid. Had this transaction gone well, I would probably have been a repeat customer.
The End
So would I use them again? You be the judge. Only if they were the last and final place to get my car parts, and I had 2 weeks leeway for shipping. Between the upfront misinformation and stupidity, to shipping the wrong parts, it would have to be an emergency beyond incredible for me to even consider these clowns again.
1st time customer, last time customer.
Recommended:
No
What product did you purchase or try to purchase? Brake rotors, pads, hoses
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Epinions.com ID:
kurbs
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Location: Chicago area
Reviews written: 101
Trusted by: 6 members
About Me:
Engineer, lover of things mechanical!
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