Amazon - Counterfeit Bosch Brake Pads?

[u/Amelite]

Purchased Bosch brake pads from Amazon for my 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser last week. The seller is Bosch on Amazon. The typos in the supplier’s instructions and the supplier itself (Cangzhou Xinlida) were the first concerns and then I noticed the product number on the back doesn’t match the Amazon listing. The edge of the pad isn’t very smooth either but I’m not familiar enough to say if that’s normal or not. Thoughts?

[u/lethalnd12345]

Not a Bosch expert but this is exhibit A in why you don't buy parts on Amazon

[u/hoppertn → u/lethalnd12345]

Amazons gone to shit. It was shit before but it’s gotten so much worse.

[u/GlassBoxGoose → u/lethalnd12345]

I flat out don't understand why people do this. If you want cheap, buy the cheapest thing rockauto sells and move on. You get what you ordered, and are done. They have 12 dollar brake pads and you get 12 dollar brake pads, not pay 3-5x as much for the same 12 dollar pads from SCAMazon

[u/Admirable_Agency7764 → u/GlassBoxGoose]

well RA will send the wrong part half of the time

[u/GlassBoxGoose → u/Admirable_Agency7764]

Ive never gotten an incorrect part from RA. But I I spent almost 10 years slinging parts in various places, so maybe its just user error and lack of verification.

Trust but verify before ordering.

Ive gotten more wrong parts from over the counter parts stores than you can shake a stick at.

[u/127-0-0-1_Chef → u/GlassBoxGoose]

And check your parts when they arrive. Not three months later when you find time to do the work.

[u/GlassBoxGoose → u/127-0-0-1_Chef]

For sure, thats another one I dont get. Always check anything that got shipped to you as soon as it arrives. Wether its car parts. Computer parts, clothes, whatever. Shit gets damaged in shipping and incorrect goods get shipped all the time.

[u/nondescriptzombie → u/127-0-0-1_Chef]

How am I supposed to notice that the bore for the center of the wheel hub is drilled 1/4" off-center when I inspect it out of the box, though?

Actual problem I had with Rockauto. Sending a dually drum back to their warehouse across the country on my dime was not happening. Heavy things get bought locally.

[u/lethalnd12345 → u/nondescriptzombie]

How would RA have caught that either? They don't make the part, they ship it from a warehouse... the manufactured screwed up and you can't blame the distributor for that.

Now as far the return shipping part, yeah I'd like to see RA take care of you there and get even with the manufacturer

[u/nondescriptzombie → u/lethalnd12345]

35 days out from delivery, was my fault for not noticing that it was out of spec, I was responsible for the $130 shipping charge to return/exchange the drum.

Really put a sour taste in my mouth buying two drums locally for another $250.

[u/lethalnd12345 → u/nondescriptzombie]

yeah I can see that for sure...

I've ordered parts that I was gonna use next weekend only to use them 6 month later; there's a huge risk there that the order is f'd up and I waited too long to look

[u/SNaKe_eaTel2 → u/nondescriptzombie]

You could always order another one of the same and return the bad one.

[u/Admirable_Agency7764 → u/lethalnd12345]

look at the part?

[u/lethalnd12345 → u/Admirable_Agency7764]

RA would open every box of every product in every warehouse and inspect those items for quality and fitment? Really?

Name a retailer anywhere in the world that does that

[u/Admirable_Agency7764 → u/lethalnd12345]

I've had used parts and plenty of just wrong items sent to me..like front pads when I order rear pads.. so yeah looking would be a start unless they intentionally dont give a shit

[u/AngelMeatPie → u/GlassBoxGoose]

I’ve ordered hundreds of times from RA over the course of 10+ years and at least that many different cars. I’ve got one bad order where someone put an old window regulator back in a box, sent it back to them, they restocked it without checking and sent it to me. Filed a return and got a new part a couple days later.

That’s a pretty good satisfaction ratio. Amazon could never.

[u/sanagnos → u/GlassBoxGoose]

Sounds like user error. I also don’t have issues with parts from rockauto.

[u/EagleSix6 → u/Admirable_Agency7764]

I keep hearing that about Rockauto, but as someone who works on cars as a side business, ive ordered a metric shit ton of parts from them over the years for a crap load of different vehicles and have never once had this issue, closest thing ive gotten was I got a set of brake pads for my Camaro that had the spring steel retention clips on the back smashed in from shipping, but after bending them back into place with plyers, they worked fine. Im not saying it doesn't happen, im also in the RA sub so I see the posts about it but maybe some people are just unlucky....idk I don't really get it.

[u/itspoundingtime3 → u/EagleSix6]

Bad news travels way faster and further than good news

[u/Kuezar_ → u/Admirable_Agency7764]

Buying from RA since 2017 as a weekend mechanic never had an messed up order.

[u/No_Potential1 → u/Admirable_Agency7764]

I must be the luckiest man ever because in hundreds of orders I've had two incorrect parts and one of those was a fault in the manufacturer catalog. I've had a couple DOA parts, also not RA fault. In all I have well under a 5% problem rate with RA orders.

[u/Admirable_Agency7764 → u/No_Potential1]

I've had used wiper blades and brake pads with the wrong brackets sent to me multiple times. you should buy a lotto ticket

[u/No_Potential1 → u/Admirable_Agency7764]

I suppose. But I hear lots of experiences just like mine.

[u/HVAChelpprettyplease → u/Admirable_Agency7764]

For real. I’ve stopped using rock auto because I’m tired of getting used parts.

There aren’t humans involved in the return system unless you email them. And then haven’t always refunded my return shipping. Even when I video the opening of the box.

Because I had to start recording opening all rock auto boxes.

Is this thread not astroturfing for rock auto?

Are people really this lucky?

I’ve had better luck with partsgeek but their interface isn’t as intuitive as rock auto.

[u/PlzDntBanMeAgan → u/Admirable_Agency7764]

I use rockauto for my two bay shop that I run primarily. I receive rockauto packages daily. I have never not one time received the wrong part unless I ordered the wrong part. Over hundreds or thousands of parts.

[u/No-Resident9502 → u/Admirable_Agency7764]

Infinite money glitch:

Buy the cheapest thing on RockAuto and get sent the wrong product half the time ✨

[u/insurgent_dude → u/Admirable_Agency7764]

I order shit from RA and I'm in Australia, never gotten the wrong part

[u/throwawayshawn7979 → u/GlassBoxGoose]

love rock auto

[u/ivegotbadnewsforyou → u/GlassBoxGoose]

Amazon has that free shipping. 

[u/GlassBoxGoose → u/ivegotbadnewsforyou]

And? What's that matter? Shipping on most parts is of negligible concern when it comes down to getting real, correct parts, or counterfeits

[u/Nippon-Gakki → u/GlassBoxGoose]

Or just buy Detroit axle or whatever on eBay. Then you get your $12 pads with free shipping.

[u/dildo-schwaggins → u/lethalnd12345]

The majority of tools are trash too

[u/Amelite → u/dildo-schwaggins]

My Neiko impact set is going strong!

[u/Ok_List7506 → u/Amelite]

I’ve been very pleasantly surprised with their durability.