I use amazon frequently when buying parts, mainly because they are usually real good about putting the “country of origin” in their listing.
Recently I bought a Carter fuel pump assembly and a Delphi sensor that amazon listed the USA as country of origin only to find out both were made in chine when I received them. Felt like a bait and switch paying so much more for a supposed USA part only to get a cheap china part..

I wrote a negative review about this and even posted pictures of their listings showing made in USA and the part showing made in china.
Two days later they sent me an email saying they rejected my reviews after their “investigation” found the part to be “genuine” whatever that means to them.

Censoring product reviews now too??

Anyway enough of my rant, anyone else having these issues with amazon?

 

I have had similar problems many times. 9 out of ten times they will not allow your review to get through and just use ambiguous reasons(excuses)

Always a roll of the dice.

 

It's genuinely a part ? It genuinely exists ?

 

More often than not lately a negative review per the host site hasn't been accepted and I don't bother reading into the reasons why. Amazon, ebay and Facebook its all algorithms and bots - It's silly really, made in America is a check box statement. If it meets X and Y criteria it can be legally sold as made in America and if you've guessed is packaged/boxed in America is one of those criteria then you'd be correct!

 

If the box is made in the US, it can legitimately bear the words "Made in America" - but that's just the box!

I had issues with Amazon when it was an on-line bookshop so have largely avoided it ever since. There was an occasion when no one else had something I wanted - & it took me nearly a year to get a refund of all the Prime subs they'd plundered my credit card for. A couple of times the price difference has been so great I didn't feel I could afford my principles - but, of course, it's false economy because of the Prime penalty.

As you might've guessed I really have it in for Prime & here's why. (a) it's useless & of no interest to me whatever, (b) you can't opt out of it, (c) they don't warn you the free trial is going to end, (d) there's no obvious way to cancel it & (e) the whole scam depends on them retaining your card details which is unprincipled & a security risk. All this from a company that has no transparent complaints procedure & no ready way of being contacted.

 

American made/made in America/ made in USA does have a legal definition according to the Federal Trade Commission. For any company to tout something as such, at least 70% of the items parts must be made here.

Built in America has no legal definition and can mean whatever a marketing department wants it to mean.

 

this is hardly the single defining constraint behind it. Between food industry, clothing industry and material items abroad the label is far less the meaning of what youd like it to represent because of how widely its abused. For those companies that would consider themselves legit a Made in America product its great, but for the others hitting those check boxes the bear the label for the sales appeal its unfortunate for us, but that's business so what do you do.

 

There is a defining constraint.
https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidanc...standard#intro

"So what do you do".
​​​​​​There's lots of options including reporting the fraud.

 

Just don't assume that just because the box was made in the USA, so were its contents.

 

Amazon and eBay are rampant with counterfeit parts. They arrive in (what appears to be) genuine packaging with (what appears to be) acceptable fit and finish. Unfortunately they are crap. I would highly suggest ordering from a reputable vendor such as RockAuto, Napa, AutoValue, or your local big box store. YT sensation FordTechMakuloco has a great video that explains this in detail: https://youtu.be/OpDJNDb6b9A?si (titled
"Don't Get Burned Buying Counterfeit Ford Motorcraft Parts!")

 

I won't use Scamazon, for the reasons I've given (unless desperate) & RockAuto is also a vendor of last resort (can't be relied on to send the right part &, now, have no, practicable, aftersales service for customers abroad) & still not sure about Napa's European operation (last thing a got in a Napa box was Chinese - fortunately only a rear wiper blade, so no big deal) so eBay is my go-to source for parts, invariably by reputable manufacturers of the product in question or, at least, from a place I've learned is reliable.

Apart from the occasional NOS item, there are no OEM parts (& haven't been for years) so counterfeit isn't an issue, because nobody's looking for/expecting to find them.

 

I'm shocked by someone having issues with RockAuto. I've spent 10's of thousands of dollars with them and I've never had a issue. Their shipping estimates are always very accurate. RockAuto's return and warranty service is excellent. And yes, it is impossible to get hold of anyone there if you have a question outside of returning an item or warranty. So if you have a question about compatibility, don't bother. But the same goes for any other vendor - they cannot guarantee the part will fit especially if the vehicle has been modified from original stock parts.

 

I can absolutely attest to this. Between tools and parts alike, if what is needed is to just send it back for refund - the prepaid return shipping label and some patience has not failed me yet. I've gambled on some of the cheaper spectrum parts and gladly got my $$ back without much hassle. I'm surprised to say that because the local parts stores either want to hand you another part or keep the $$ in store thats it! Sometimes the total end of a transaction being full refund no issues vs the obligation to buy more from them I can really appreciate.

 

Not being able to guarantee a part will fit is quite different from listing the wrong part which has happened to me too many times to offset the bargains I have had.

Their much vaunted returns policy doesn't work outside the US because they require the item to be returned before entertaining the claim/complaint & transatlantic shipping costs means that's not viable. Wasn't always so, I remember years ago complaining that a brake kit only contained the shoes, they explained that's why they were so cheap - but accepted they were not as described & refunded the full purchase price without requiring the shoes to be returned. Have to say, I was quite impressed, but it seems that was a one-off.

Still might use them for small, light stuff that requires no packaging, because, if it comes to it I can put it in an envelope & mail it as a "large letter"

 

I'll top up with my experience with Rock Auto. About 25-33% of the stuff I've ordered has had a problem with the order or something. Returning things or waiting on missing parts is a pain, especially when you are rural. I can't remember but there is another wrinkle with being in Canada as well regarding return shipping. I forget what it was but seemed like hoop jumping.

A cynic would say RA uses foreign customers to dump bad product since less likely to be returned.

Shipping costs to Canada usually blows out RA as not that competitive as well.

Lately I've been paying the extra few percent elsewhere to get what I ordered on the first try. My time is worth more than the savings.

I haven't had any bad luck with Amazon. I'll usually order on Prime if I can't buy locally. That said, if something looks sketchy I won't order the parts. Example was height level sensors for my wife's GTI. The advert on Amazon did not inspire confidence in spite of costing 60% less than the dealer.

Locally, a lot of the time it seems like the local NAPA, Carquest, etc. have stuff at MSRP so it languishes on the shelves forever I think. Or they have to order it in from the States as a "special order" and jump up the price by shipping and import duties (speculation). That's when Amazon comes in.

Getting parts nowadays is a crap shoot. Lots of junk out there regardless of the vendor. You can have a hate on for Amazon or Rock Auto or whatever but not many if any vendors are worth having any loyalty. They all are out for number one.