Bought a whole exhaust system for my sons Isuzu Oasis (Honda Odyssey) in June 2009. Used the ROCKAUTO.com drop down menus and filled my shopping cart with everything I needed from the front pipe back. There were two choices for the catalytic converter and I choose the Walker 16111.
Received the shipment in a timely fashion and went ahead and installed on a Saturday afternoon. I had a little trouble when installing the catalytic converter, I had to loosen the spring bolts connecting the front pipe to the cat. in order to connect the rear cat. bolts. I thought this was a usI was able to install everything and it all seemed fine. About 2-3 weeks after the installation I brought the car for an inspection sticker and was rejected. The reason was an exhaust leak. It was pointed out that the pipe to the rear of the catalytic converter had carbon around the gasket. It was further determined that the catalytic converter seemed too short??
I called ROCKAUTO customer service and got a rep. that said he would look into why this catalytic converter did not fit. I got an e-mail telling me to call the customer service line pertaining to this problem. For the next three calls I got what sounded like young kids and they just kept telling me to call back and talk to Chris
every time I asked for Chris he was not there and no one else could help me. Finally I got someone that said he would look at the notes and try to help.
The answer I got was disappointing. I was told to measure the catalytic converter and call back. I went further than that and took pictures of a tape measure showing the length of the catalytic converter. I also took pictures of the stress that was occurring on the rubber hangers. I e-mailed all this to CUSTOMER SERVICE and after a few more phone calls got Chris to e-mail me back. He agreed that the catalytic converter looked too short and would look into why?? I again had to call back a few more times and finally got another CHRIS who said he would look at the notes. CHRIS came back on the phone and said you got the wrong part because you went with the Walker 16111, if you had gone with the BOZEL which was on the same drop down menu you would have gotten the 17.5 catalytic converter and that would have fit??? He said your 1998 must have been built in 1997 ( Genius ) and the walker part was for a 1998 Oasis
interesting because my VIN and registration prove that this Oasis is in fact a 1998. The answer I got was this happens all the time where a car manufacturer uses 1997 parts. Ok I said but you advertised this part to fit my car and it did not fit
also you had the right part advertised right next to this part both stating that they fit a 1998 Oasis when in fact they do not!
After it was determined that ROCKAUTO SENT ME THE WRONG PART I offered to pay for the right part and send back the wrong part after removal for a refund. I also asked that they fix the website so the next person doesnt get misled like I did.
ROCKAUTO CUSTOMER SERVICE RESPONSE
There is nothing we can do, we will not take back a part that is used. Of course I would not send back a used part if it were represented correctly on you website
but it wasnt. The CUSTOMER SERVICE REP. was smug in his insistence. I asked to talk to the manager and he said, I AM THE MANAGER AND YOU WILL NOT GET ANYONE TO CHANGE THIS DECISION!! I responded, there had to be someone above you there that I can talk to. THERE IS NO ONE HERE ABOVE ME HE INSISTED.
I wrote a complaint letter and sent it both through e-mail and snail mail because the only e-mail is customer service@rockauto.com I wasnt sure the letter would get through. Anyway I did get a response from anther manager telling me I was out of luck and this happens quite often. I told him you win, you got one over on me but I can respond BY LETTING OTHER PEOPLE KNOW THAT ROCKAUTO DOES NOT STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCTS OR THERE CLAIM TO CUSTOMER SERVICE
Mike M.
This review was modified by its author, mmjmz, on
10/15/09 6:42 PM.
