Getting pissed at rock Auto

Here's how how RA works... Its business model is very simple, RA doesn't own anything except the software and an office or two. They have contracts with automotive warehouses to drop ship parts to RA's customer's. RA takes the order, places the order with the warehouse, who places the parts in a RA box with a RA invoice, magnet etc. and sends it off to the end customer. RA takes their cut, pays the warehouses, everyone is happy.

It's a brilliant concept, just sit back and take in the money and not get your hands dirty. The warehouses may have a RA employee or two to take care of things "on site" or they may not, I don't know. Their software does interface with the warehouses, so I'm willing to bet that it also has a benefit of being a low cost/free inventory tracking system for the warehouses too.

The downside is that RA wouldn't have a lot of control and everything would have to be done via warehouses that may not have any true customer service. RA has also taken their own customer service and removed any personal phone service and if I had to place a bet, they just forward your complaint to the warehouse, who may or may not really care if you get your car together tomorrow or not.

I use RA occasionally. I often use their website to look up or verify part numbers and then order from Amazon...