Archer Works

This is a review of AutoPartsWarehouse.com – This review is based on my personal experience with Auto Parts Warehouse nothing more and nothing less.

I own a 2006 Ford Focus and my alternator went bad. I took my car into the shop and it turns out, like other repairs, that my Focus has some of the highest cost parts that I have ever had to pay on a vehicle I own. The alternator held true to this statement as the alternator was going to cost me $350 installed. I was in shock when I heard the replacement cost and tried to buy the part myself and have my local mechanic fix it as he reccomended that I do this becuase his cost for the alternator was around $250+. The lowest price that I could find was just under $200 at the Auto Parts Warehouse (refereed to as APW going forward).

I was eager to get my car out of the shop so I did my best shopping around online but didn’t check reviews on the website (which I would normally do). Before I purchased the part from APW I got a hold of their online customer support via online chat (I was at work) and gave them my vehicle VIN# and they told me the part I needed. I ordered it and was happy for the most part. I was happy with the price but not with the shipping as I knew it was going to take 4-5 days as it shipped from CA and I live in NJ. So I waited patiently (car was up on a lift at the shop) and 7 days later I had the part in my hand. Again the shipping took longer then I was told but frankly after 1 week I didn’t care, I wanted my car FIXED!

I took the part to the shop before work, went to work and waited on a phone call to tell me the repair was done. I recieved a call and I was told that not only was my car still down but they had shipped me the wrong part – I was upset to say the least. After work I went to the shop and they showed me the part I had ordered and the alternator I was replacing and they infact weren’t the same part. Red faced I went straight home and called up APW.

I spoke to a sales person who took my information again and this guy said “That isn’t the right part what you need is part number xxxxx”. I was sitting at my computer and pulled up the part number he told me was correct and he gave me a part number to a starter. Still on the phone I was like I didn’t ask you for a starter I asked for an alternator **side note. at this time I should have told APW to forget it and give me a refund because they were clueless… Like a dummy I said I need an alternator not a starter and they gave me a different part number.

SO now I said, look you’ve shipped me the wrong part, we’ve confirmed that, I want to trade this part sitting next to me for the replacement and they stated that they couldn’t do that. I would need to RMA my old alternator and wait for them to approve it, ship me the packing slip (free shipping back) and then wait another week for them to ship me the correct part. Needless to say I couldn’t wait 2 weeks for them to make this right so I ordered the “correct” alternator for another $200 with express shipping (3 day) and had them start the RMA process.

At this time I had over $400 wrapped up in alternators and no workng part in my hand. So I waited and 3 days later I called up APW and asked where the hell my part was and what the status of the RMA was and they said it is being shipped tomorrow and the RMA was in process.

WTF!!! Almost 2 weeks into this deal, my car still on a lift at the shop and no parts in sight I demanded a refund on the 2nd part and told them not to ship it. I got a straight attitude back from APW and they refused this. I demanded a refund right now or I would take this to my bank for a charge back. After this they said “You can’t do that” and when I asked to talk the the supervisor they hung up on me. I WAS PISSED!!!!!!

5 minutes later I called my bank (USAA) and told them the deal, they apologized for my situation (which they had nothing to do with) and they put in a claim to master card for my second part charge back and gave me the money back in my account same day – USAA rocks!!

The next day I got the RMA via email and sent it in which was refunded about a week later. By this time (3 weeks after my car broke down) I had to purchase an alternator at a local store (autozone for $300) and had the car fixed.

At this point I had a repaired Focus and never recieved the 2nd part from APW, but the charge back from USAA made it right. In the weeks following I would get the story that APW said they shipped the 2nd part but I never recieved it and they were saying UPS screwed up – THEY WERE WRONG.

If I can press anything on to you, it is NOT to EVER deal with APW – EVER! I understand that if they ship you the right part in a timely mannor you may disagree with me, but wait until they screw up and you could end up just like me.

Well over a month later AWP said they shipped the 2nd part, UPS denied that claim, Master Card went in my favor for the refund and I will never, ever go back to APW for ANYTHING – EVER!

Steer clear – go somewhere else!

*Update – I’ve ordered a part for my ford focus from AutoAnything.com and received excellent service and will use them again – a review will be done shortly on their service.