I do Rockauto and Summitt, Primarily, because while Advance auto is decent, the guys eye glaze over when you tell them it's a 69 AMC Rambler. NAPA around here will rip me a new one since I don't "know" anyone. They used to give the little guy a break, no more, full list on everything. Rockauto, rocks, They have never failed to make things right, even if/when I screwed it up! Summitt is likewise good, I'm close enough I get next day service for free on in stock items. Exxcept for that stupid handling charge that keeps me from ordering little stuff. I buy local when I need to "see" the piece or if it has a core charge. Return shipping typically blows off any savings if I have to send something back. -- Mark Price Morgantown, WV 1969 AMC Rambler, 4.0L, EFI, T-5 -------------- Original message ---------------------- From: Tom Jennings <tomj@xxxxxxx> > On Tue, 1 May 2007, Swygert, Francis G MSgt 436 CES/CECM wrote: > > > Ahh... so it's not just the site, but how the on-line part of the > > business is run! That clarifies things a lot! Mark Price has done a lot > > of business with Rock Auto, and I've done some... never any problems > > there, but they appear to have set themselves up with Internet business > > a primary concern. I'm not even sure they have any storefronts... maybe > > one or two at the warehouses like J.C. Whitney. But Rock Auto isn't > > JCW!! They don't carry a lot of the cheap accessory items, they are just > > like a normal parts store, only on-line. > > It does seem to be true, rockauto is online-only and NAPA is > obviously brick and mortar. > > But it is absolutely true that good software costs less than > bad software in the long run, and often the short term too. And > in this case, good software would make NAPA a FORTUNE -- first > gain back the $$$ they're LOSING with their LOSER ecommerce and > at least try to approach what rockauto does in ease of access. > > If I could make up orders that I could send to my local store > for fullfillment -- IT WOULD KICK BUTT. AutoZone does this. > > NAPA's in-house network can tell me "in stock" vs. "we have one > of those in the Downey store" 5 miles away vs. "that's a special > non-refundable order item from Chicago 5 days delivery". Why > isn't that online? > > I imagine -- I do not know -- that NAPA HQ is run by good solid > car parts business people but wouldn't know good software if > they're kids handed it to them. They probably see it as new > fangled hippy sh*t the dork kids in the backroom want. Wake up > guys! Those dorks will sell your parts for you! > > They need a ghost of auto-parts future to take them on a tour of > what will happen if they don't get their act together. AutoZone > parts suck, but they are solid on getting their crap to you, > and with pretty much unknowledgable help (shudder). > > > (I will say this much good about AutoZone: they do carry parts > for our old cars; they really do cater to the home-car-nut.) > > _______________________________________________ > Amc-list mailing list > Amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx > http://www.amc-list.com/mailman/listinfo/amc-list _______________________________________________ Amc-list mailing list Amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx http://www.amc-list.com/mailman/listinfo/amc-list