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Subaruonlineparts.com - My experience of questionable service and overpriced shipping

33K views 50 replies 20 participants last post by  subaruonlineparts 
#1 ·
Attempted to order some items (actually some small BOLTS) from Subaruonlineparts.com on 6/28 but was quoted $12.00 shipping.

Looked at another vendor who quoted a more reasonable shipping of $8.xx.

Decided to go with Subaruonlineparts.com based on the reviews on the forums. The shipping charge was ended up being $8.00 (still quite high for 4 bolts that weigh less than one lb but whatever).

The next day (6/29) it was accepted/shipped (or so I thought...)

Tried to look online to check the status but my order number never worked.

3 days later (6/2), I called and inquired about the order status and the CSR said that it was out of stock and had an order coming in which they expect to receive on the 6/6...then estimated that I will receive on the 6/8-6/9. Never once did I receive any message/indication of the item being out of stock.

(I knew I should've just ordered from the other place...)

In any case, I decided to cancel the order since I will be going past the dealership tomorrow any ways (Closest Subaru dealership from here is about an 90 minutes north or south).

CSR said I will be charged a restocking fee of 15%. WTF, lol. How the **** do I get charged for restocking fee for somebody THEY DO NOT HAVE IN STOCK in the first place?! LOL. 'Nuff said.

CSR tried to make it sound better by saying at least they lowered the shipping price to beat the competitor (Order was under $4, shipping was $8).

Asked if restocking charges will be on my ACTUAL order or the total? He claimed that they usually do the total (WTF? Wow...I'm feeling SubaruOnlineParts is just one scam of a vendor by now) but, this time, he will just charge 15% of the $3.xx for the actual order (I will wait and see about this...).

Any how, figured I should share my experience. It was definitely not the typical experience I generally have (including car dealerships, lol).
 
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#3 ·
No problem, at least those who ordered the RSB some good/decent experience(s); but, mine was not.

Thus, you may want to consider options for small items such as bolts and such or call to double-check availability of parts.

Received my refund today...
Original order charge..........$11.72
Refund received.................$11.24

Wow $0.48, LOL. If SubaruOnlineParts.com needs it THAT much, they can have it! At least the guy kept his word and applied it only to the actual merchandise amount. +1 for that.


BTW, the place that had a cheaper shipping cost (yet located even further away from me) was https://www.subarugenuineparts.com

Who knows, probably much better service too!
 
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#5 ·
You don't have a local shop like Fastenal which would most likely stock the bolts you need?

As for the restocking fee, if it was a sum worth fighting over, you could always contest it via your credit card company.
 
#7 ·
the biggest problem i encounter is freight. it is ALWAYS off. since i know about this, when i go online shopping, it is one area i always look at. some places have automatic minimum charges. this covers stuff like packing/unpacking, and maybe and some research. a lot of times, i see the order, and i think, "this person has made a mistake". i call them, and ask, are you sure you need this part? lots of times they are wrong. this saves the back and forth return, and a mad customer. i have had some tell me, "well, you should have known, you are the parts people". wtf? the cust ordered it by part number, and the parts catalog is part of the site, so how can i know? i also reimburse a LOT of freight. sometimes a cust will order twice or 3 times in the same day. we combine, and reimburse the freight. sometimes, usps is way less, esp for canada. again, reimburse the freight. NEVER have i gotten a thank you. but ALWAYS if someone is mad, i hear about it. right now, i gotta change a ups address cause the cust didnt tell us that the ship to address has changed. that's at least 10 bucks per. so, there is another side to this that a lot of people dont see. because of the extreme competition on web pricing, everyone has cut margin way down, and if freight is not carefully monitored, it is easy to lose money that takes a long time to make up.
 
#8 ·
the biggest problem i encounter is freight. it is ALWAYS off. since i know about this, when i go online shopping, it is one area i always look at. some places have automatic minimum charges. this covers stuff like packing/unpacking, and maybe and some research. a lot of times, i see the order, and i think, "this person has made a mistake". i call them, and ask, are you sure you need this part? lots of times they are wrong. this saves the back and forth return, and a mad customer. i have had some tell me, "well, you should have known, you are the parts people". wtf? the cust ordered it by part number, and the parts catalog is part of the site, so how can i know? i also reimburse a LOT of freight. sometimes a cust will order twice or 3 times in the same day. we combine, and reimburse the freight. sometimes, usps is way less, esp for canada. again, reimburse the freight. NEVER have i gotten a thank you. but ALWAYS if someone is mad, i hear about it. right now, i gotta change a ups address cause the cust didnt tell us that the ship to address has changed. that's at least 10 bucks per. so, there is another side to this that a lot of people dont see. because of the extreme competition on web pricing, everyone has cut margin way down, and if freight is not carefully monitored, it is easy to lose money that takes a long time to make up.
True, at the end of the day, businesses are all about the money.

Sounds like you have quite a job there keninn, lol. I've shared you pain(s) before in the past working at a hotel in a casino (worse combination ever). I admit, at times, it is very well the customer fault (ordering the wrong parts, etc.).

But sounds like at least your organization is straight-up and helpful (calling to verify the order, etc.). Kudos, hope more companies adopt your style of service! :29:
 
#9 ·
Yeah, I haven't been too impressed. Ordered my RSB on 6/20 hoping to catch the last few. Unfortunately I ordered tweeters and other stuff also. I never heard from them and a week later I called. I guessed the RSB would be on backorder, but they never notified me and had planned on holding everything until the RSB arrived from Japan via the Kontiki and mule train over the rockies. I had to talk them into sending the items they did have in stock.
It is one thing if something is on backorder for a few days, but not three weeks to a month.
And no communication? Fail!!!
 
#10 ·
well, I got this email Nov 1st
___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Dear SubaruOnlineParts.com Customer,

If you have tried to visit us within the past couple of days, you would have been confronted with a server error causing our website to be unavailable. This would have effected our email communication as well and for this inconvenience, we apologize as we know many of you rely on us for your Subaru Parts needs. As with most technology, there are sometimes unexpected "glitches" which I am sure we have all experienced from time to time.

Now that we are back up and running we WELCOME YOU BACK with an offer to show our appreciation. We are offering *FREE SHIPPING throughout the ENTIRE online store. This offer is good for replacement parts and accessories!

Be sure to take advantage of this offer Now until Sunday, November 3 with no coupon codes needed!

We Thank You for your continued support,
SubaruOnlineParts.com
____________________________________________________________
lol, I ordered 370$ in parts from this site on OCT 30th, I didnt get free shipping. 30$ for a 5lb package actually.
it seems the more they "FIX" the site, the more customers they "P I S S" off.
 
#13 ·
I realize the logistics involved. why didn't I get the free ship with no coupon needed? they offered this as a welcome back and I needed the parts. and yea, I guess I will have to develop the local relationship. Dealerships make me feel icky though.
Timing is everything. 2 days made the difference for you. Who knew they were going to do this except the parts department? Exactly. http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums...101474-free-shipping-weekend.html#post1050050
 
#11 ·
Ya know, you're a lot better off if you can establish a relationship with your local dealer, if you have one. I have 2 within 30 miles of me, they both deliver free of charge, but I have a commercial account with them.

And yeah, running a shipping dept. is expensive. Pickers don't work free, and boxes/tape/packing materials ain't free either.
 
#14 ·
well, as a follow up on my order, I ordered 2 hubs & 2 bearings.

received 1 hub and 2 bearings.

sent off an email, got this back 24hrs later:

Hi
That special wasnt active when you placed your order, it does not apply
We shipped all, please check in all packaging
If not we will have to begin the claims process
Please check again
Thanks

kinda hard to loose a hub in the packaging me thinks.

the package was 5 lbs, if there were 2 hubs in the box it would have weighed more.

now I get to start a claims process, yay me!! so instead of doing the job I had planned, I get to play this bullshot.

what a way to "welcome back customers".
 
#17 ·
Remixtup I would be happy to look into this for you and and get it resolved asap, Can I have you order number please so I can research this?

Also please rest assure WE handle all UPS claims for our customers , We do not expect you to and I dont believe the email response states that unless that is not the entire response.


-Benny
 
#16 ·
The problem with that outfit (and many others) is that they do not show part numbers on items ordered; they do not show part numbers on order acknowledgements nor on confirmation emails when orders are shipped. One has no way of reviewing parts/items that were ordered and/or shipped. This means, when you receive wrong parts you have to return them (returns cost you money). Benny advised elsewhere on these pages that their webmaster is not set up to show part numbers. Basically, you are "blindly" ordering parts that may not fit your vehicle, even if you fill out required VIN on their order sheet (some parts fit vehicles other than VIN shown). Inasmuch I would like to help them out (by ordering parts for my overseas customers) I found more "reliable" online stores to fit my needs.
In my experience with them, if there is any problem, they always try to shift the blame on something or somebody else.
With UPS, whoever processes the shipment, is the only one, who can actually file a claim. So - it is not up to the receiver to contact UPS - the shipper has to do it! And that is how UPS works!
Just curious why Benny stopped monitoring this forum....
One more thing to consider is that even though you place you order with the shop on Long Island, most (if not all) parts come from State of WA.
 
#18 ·
The problem with that outfit (and many others) is that they do not show part numbers on items ordered; they do not show part numbers on order acknowledgements nor on confirmation emails when orders are shipped. <...>
I always try to order by number, which is usually possible thanks to opposedforces, although not for latest models. That and providing the VIN on the order form should give some measure of assurance.
Also, some accessories show up in both "accessory" and "replacement parts" catalogs, with the "replacement" price sometimes significantly less. One can only see that if ordering by number.
 
#19 ·
^^^ ... so do I - but - when we get order confirmation, P/N is not shown on that email.. I received several items and had to return it because of incorrect parts shipped....even though I put correct P/N from opposedforces...
 
#25 ·
Ran into some issues with them as well recently:

Ordered two lift gate support cylinders on Dec 18. Arrived Dec 30 which is fine considering the holiday and all.

However box contained one support cylinder and another part I didn't order. I quickly communicated this via email and was told the correct part I paid for will not ship until they receive the incorrect part they sent me.

To me that makes absolutely NO sense. I honestly called and notified them of the error, if I had I'll intent I wouldn't have said anything about the incorrect part.

I now have a UPS return label which requires me to now drive to a UPS location to drop the incorrect item off, instead of scheduling a pickup like I have done with every other vendor I've dealt with in these types of situations. The intent behind online ordering is to get the part cheap and mailed to my home. Not pleased with this experience. In my opinion the most I should have to do is print the label place it on the box,box goes outside. And schedule a pickup.

Email from Mike at Subaru Onine Parts:

Joel,

I understand your frustration and apologize.* Unfortunately there are*
some dishonest people in this world.* If I send out the missing item*
before we get the other one back, there's nothing stopping you from*
keeping the one you received in error.* I'm well aware 99% of people*
would never do that, but it has happened enough times in the past that*
we had to adopt this new policy.

I understand this was not in any way your fault.* I can speed up the*
process for you a bit.* Rather than waiting for the other item to arrive*
back here in NY, I can send out the missing one as soon as I see*
movement on the return label I sent you.

I apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience and*
understanding.

Thanks,
~ Mike
 
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#28 ·
Joel I am sorry there was an error on your order and I appreciate your understanding while we get the situation corrected.

If you would like I can gladly dispatch a UPS pickup from your location, I am not sure why this option was not offered to you but I will speak with our CSR going forward.

Please let me know,

- Benny
 
#26 ·
^^^ get your spares at Quirkparts.com ... most reasonable shipping costs and no questions asked on returns. They ship replacements before you return wrong parts...

I received 2 support cylinders that would not fit my 05 OB although VIN confirmed the fitment. Did some research and found another P/N that was different and support cylinders did fit. Replacement arrived before I returned wrong cylinders..

For the last 10 or 15 items that I have ordered for my 05 OB (in the last 2 months), they did an excellent job with discounts larger than any other online source and the lowest shipping costs. I prefer to order giving them excact OEM P/N rather than looking up an item and guessing.
 
#27 ·
Thanks Jogosub, the part is actually cheaper at Quirkparts as well.

This just gets under my skin; feels like I am paying for a mistake they made.

-Ship me wrong part
-Wont ship correct part until they receive incorrect part
-Customer required to drive to UPS location to drop off their mistake further delaying things as I had to leave town after receiving the part.

Just the way their going about business is not right. It is a first for me, usually every vendor I have dealt with that made a mistake corrected it quickly with no inconvenience to me.

I recall recently ordering a set of Hawk brake pads, vendor made a double shipment and cancelled both orders leading to me not getting the pads on time. However I still got TWO sets of brake pads in the mail, after notification the vendor still decided to credit me for my purchase AND let me keep both sets of pads...

In no way am I asking for free parts or a credit, but in that experience the vendor tried to make things right.

Sooo... anyone interested in a rear set of Hawk brake pads?
 
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#33 ·
Typically, UPS will attempt to pickup during regular business hours MON/FRI - additionally, I am not sure if this is applicable to "residential' pickup/delivery....normally, call tags are issued to businesses (I may be wrong or UPS might have changed their procedures).
I am in shipping business (we ship high value aerospace electronics via FedEx, UPS and DHL daily) - the best is to take it to Office Depot (labelled) - if you have one in your neighborhood, or just flag down an UPS driver/truck and hand the stuff over to them.
 
#34 ·
Okay Monday it is, thanks.
 
#38 ·
Well, I'm testing SOP.
thus far the online chat is responded to instantly.
I ordered rear bars for my OB and it shipped (per their online notification) within 30 minutes.
I'll provide feedback once I receive the parts.

Again, the 3.6R OB is a rocketship and it needs this upgrade badly.
 
#39 ·
The last time I dealt with that site, I checked out with an order of over $100 of Subaru oil, in order to take advantage of a shipping discount. I get an email back saying "Thank you for your order, however we cannot ship liquids. Your order will be declined." I replied that I was disappointed and that I had easily placed the same order with another vendor instead. How odd that a website sells fluids but can't ship fluids, and I've bought the same product from at least 1/2 dozen other sellers.
 
#40 ·
To answer your question about this please allow me to explain. The online parts catalog we use is supplied by a 3rd party company. Although we have Hazmat limitations within our shipping department we cannot remove these items from the catalog as they are grouped, If we could we surely would as we do not want to mislead anyone.

Here are some examples of items we do not ship but still show present in the catalog:
Batteries
Airbags
Windshields
Large sheetmetal parts like hoods, tailgates
Liquids
Chemicals

I hope you understand and nonetheless we appreciate your feedback!

-Benny
 
#43 ·
I got from them spark plugs and headlight bulbs for the Beca. Shipping was free for orders over 100. No issues at all.
 
#46 ·
Quoted Shipping Price Changed and Never Received Parts

Was quoted a price with over $200 in shipping for an oversized piece. However, over a week later (after several stupid emails confirming our order) when we expected the parts, we received yet another email saying, since it was an oversized piece, they had to add another $53 onto the shipping. We never actually got the parts from them, but they did refund our money. If you don't mind wasting a lot of time and being charged more than the original quote, by all means do business with them.
 
#47 ·
Was quoted a price with over $200 in shipping for an oversized piece. However, over a week later (after several stupid emails confirming our order) when we expected the parts, we received yet another email saying, since it was an oversized piece, they had to add another $53 onto the shipping. We never actually got the parts from them, but they did refund our money. If you don't mind wasting a lot of time and being charged more than the original quote, by all means do business with them.

Same thing I said in the other post. You just joined, necro an old thread just to bash a company- not very credible.
 
#51 ·
Thanks for the feedback and sorry for any frustration. We have a quick reference maintenance section specifically to help with those types of items listed below

2015-2019 Outbacks Subaru Outback Outback Maintenance Parts Accessories: 2015-2019 Outback Accessories
2020 Outbacks
If there is something I can help with I am available here as well, Feel free to PM me.

Thanks,
Benny
 
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