Buying parts online & warranty: What's your take?

[The_Dealer]

Hey guys, I'm just wondering what everyone thinks about warranty issues/returns when buying online. Long story short, I was about 95% sure I had a bad hub on my KJ. I bought a pair from a company called Detroit Axle on ebay (also knows as Dearborn Axle). I knew they were cheap, but didn't want to drop too much coin since I was just throwing parts at it hoping for a fix. I hoped they would last long enough to save up for some SKF hubs. The dang things have been on 3 weeks and are worn slap out! They want me to buy another pair, and will refund me when they get the old ones. I tried to tell the lady they have so much play you cant even drive the rig. Since the hubs were the problem, I'm just going to get some SKF hubs and be done with it.

This isn't the only company I've dealt with that wants you to pay for new parts then refund you. I don't like that idea since there's too many things that can go wrong ("offroad use voids the warranty"). Is this the standard procedure? Maybe I'm just too accustomed to Amazon sending you a replacement first.  What do you guys think? Should you get your replacements and send back the faulty parts, or buy the parts again and hope for a refund?

[tcdawg]

Many companies want the part back before they will warranty you out a new part. Some of the better companies will do a warranty based on pictures, if a picture will show the issue.  Both of these scenarios are reasonable.

Having to buy another part,return the old part and then hope you get a refund is not reasonable.

[The_Dealer]

I'm not too worried about it since I was throwing parts and hoping for the best. They served their purpose: to find out if my oem hubs were bad, and to not waste a ton of money in the process. I figured they'd at least last a couple months.

So if this is the standard practice, what happens if the buyer doesn't have the money to pay for replacements and wait for a refund? I guess the buyer is just out of luck.

[DOUG]

I buy all my parts thru Allsouth (reputable local shop with a face) or Advanced (national parts house with local stores) so I can walk in and get the replacement parts. 

I do often buy the new parts so I can do the swapping work all at once and then return the bad parts and get a credit. 

[Matt]

You could have another problem with your vehicle causing premature failure of this part. Too many people jump to the "faulty part" claim without knowing the exact problem in the first place. The manufacturer wants to see the part and find out why the failure was caused. If its there fault and the part is faulty they have no problem correcting the issue. The problem is, most people are impatient and cant have a vehicle down for them to determine the cause, so they want a new part immediately to get them back on the road. This is where buying a new part comes into play. If your vehicle is the problem and not the part, the manufacturer or retailer shouldn't be out money. We just assume they have more money then we do so its ok if they are out.

How many people would pay for the second part they already have on the vehicle after the manufacturer finds out their product is fine and your the minority with a different problem? No way for them to get that back. They can always refund or send a replacement, but cant collect on something that is already sent.

We humans hate to get the whole story or take responsibility when we are wrong. Not saying that is the case here, but the manufacturer may be able shed more light on the situation. I have been in the aftermarket/performance parts industry for more than a decade now and have seen every angle of this scenario. There are very few manufacturers that wont back there products 100% often times outside of the warranty window. People also need to know there is a difference in manufacturer responsibility and retailer responsibility. Retailers are not responsible for faulty parts or quality control, this all up to the company that produces the item. A good retailer will make sure that the return and warranty process is handled smoothly. Often times, depending on the scenario I (retailer) will send out a replacement and pick up the faulty part for a customer, because I know the manufacturer will warranty the part just based on the shear amount that we spend with them every year. We get reimbursed the customer is taken care of  and doesn't have to wait on the warranty process. Just be polite and understanding, dont start pointing the finger, it will get you farther in the end.

[DOUG]

You buy a jeep yet?

[Big Dave]

The junk yards I shop at usually have a 30- 90 day warranty. The parts are cheap & really don't care about a warranty. Might want to look into something like that whenever you start "throwing parts" at a vehicle.

[kvom]

I've ordered parts online from Rock Auto and have never had an issue.

[The_Dealer]

The junk yards I shop at usually have a 30- 90 day warranty. The parts are cheap & really don't care about a warranty. Might want to look into something like that whenever you start "throwing parts" at a vehicle.

I never considered that one before, that's a good idea


Matt, you make a good point. I've never thought about it like that. Sending replacements to find out the original was good would kill profit rather quickly. Not to mention having a bunch of good parts laying around that couldn't be sold because they were installed.

Detroit Axle finally agreed to just let me return them and refund my money since I didn't want another pair of problems. I installed a pair of SKF hubs this weekend, and it was easy to see why they cost twice as much. I should've read more reviews before I bought the Detroit Axle parts, but it is what it is. At least I'm able to get my money back.

[Danny Kinder]

I buy all my parts thru Allsouth (reputable local shop with a face) or Advanced (national parts house with local stores) so I can walk in and get the replacement parts. 

I do often buy the new parts so I can do the swapping work all at once and then return the bad parts and get a credit.

I would have to agree with Doug. Even if you don't shop at Allsouth i am a huge believer in shopping local. It truly does help our local economy grow. I try to keep my money local rather than giving it to other states. It keeps local jobs available and helps our small businesses grow. Plus you have customer service and deal face to face with the employees.

Rant over.....