Mechanic Theft! (No questions return policy?)$185 bearing! Stop Stealing!

[@RainmanRaysRepairs]

To be crystal clear…I’m not calling DIYers scumbags. I’m calling thieves scumbags, don’t twist what I said.

[@bloodbull123]

100% it's the scumbags at the store that are too lazy to check returns. It's easy to just warranty the part instead of screwing the next guy. I worked at 2 different auto parts stores, for about 6 years combined, the amount of people that tried to do this on lifetime warranty stuff was crazy, but it has a lifetime warranty, f**k it, send it to the warranty as long as its the same brand.

[@ItsAlwaysRusty]

Ray, I'm a DIY and I am having the same issues. I went through Rock Auto and recently received rotors for a Mercedes with an obvious cheaper/wrong rotor inside the box. Easy to see that someone bought two sets of rotors, mounted the Mercedes set and returned the cheaper (Dodge Neon?) rotors in the Mercedes rotor box. They were new rotors but obviously not what I ordered. Not even close. Four lug vs a 5 lug pattern. Someone did that to save a lousy $30 and cost me time in having to reorder another set. Damn THIEVES!!!

[@angelcelis9090]

It seems like the only thieves here is the parts store for packaging and sending you that junk.

[@gmerc-zu6wz]

1000% agree with you Ray!

[@GMM_munkey55]

Are these parts all from the same store? This looks....very suspicious

[@TXCherokee]

Ray. Stop using this supplier right now and report it to Corporate

[@williamchristenbury1774]

I would imagine the parts store will start checking returns. Not really the parts store's fault , but that furstrating just watching.

[@militarycoo]

It's probably cheaper to check returns than to send them out just to get them back again if it's this common

[@Go2scout]

Orileys has went to poop. same issue here in TN

[@coryament]

@@Go2scout its everywhere. im in AZ and same thing happens to me. problem is they are the best ones still

[@luisgonzalez8423]

Boo hoo check the shit yourself

[@hoseman1]

This is crazy, your parts store needs to check what is being returned

[@emmettturner9452]

Way to shift the blame to a register jockey. Are you rationalizing the thief’s bad behavior?

[@militarycoo]

​@@emmettturner9452Both things can be true. The scumbags shouldn't steal, and the parts store shouldn't leave checking inventory to the next customer

[@emmettturner9452]

@@militarycoo Right, but anyone trying to put it solely on some high school kid at the register raises suspicions about their own behavior.

[@treimers95]

​@emmettturner9452 Oftimes the register jockey is complicit....they are SUPPOSED to open the box and LOOK for 5 seconds before accepting the return. When it's a friend/accomplice, they don't do it.

[@emmettturner9452]

@@treimers95 this is true

[@deezzo1080]

The company you buy from should inspect returned inventory.

[@rogerd4559]

It was someone in the company who switched it for a friend

[@bobsum1745]

Do you think company employees never need to fix their cars?

[@jasonswingle1880]

​@rogerd4559 why can't they check the box when they pull the order for you. Those guys in there are lazy as hell. If I saw a box that was looking like it's opened I'd be checking it before it hit the customers hands. But that's what keep you going back for more I guess.

[@ChunkyLover53atAOL-com]

@@rogerd4559 Bullspit.

[@carlevans7966]

They need to check every return before accepting it.

[@kenp130]

They will speak to the manager. Things will be different for a couple of weeks, then go back to the same ole' routine.

[@mikeblaz]

The people who take the return don't give a shit because they are probably only making $12-$15/hr. They want to get through their shift and go home.

[@AraCarrano]

Sounds like an inside job between parts counter and shady shops.

[@WilliamHollinger2019]

Yeah I can see that.

[@stephenhurd1489]

It's a freaking conspiracy 😂

[@ChunkyLover53atAOL-com]

@@stephenhurd1489 lol

[@garycurry4600]

A thief is a thief. It needs to be said. Sorry you’re dealing with this BS, Ray.

[@RainmanRaysRepairs]

Everyone deals with this BS and it needs to stop. In the end we all pay the price

[@ItsAlwaysRusty]

@@RainmanRaysRepairs Agreed. You need to call out management on this. Regardless of fault they need to change how returns are inspected.

[@alanking7331]

This is a corporate issue. The parts store somewhere needs to check all incoming returns.

[@Ghauster]

Long ago Home Depot went to opening any can of paint you tried to return. To both ensure it was the stock color and full. People were returning part gallons or cans filled with water.

[@char1ietuna]

Kinda looks like he installed it, didn't fix his problem and returned it. (2 cents) Bought brakes recently...1st had 1 retainer clip thingy missing. 2nd had em but no grease packs. Always something like this.

[@Jordy-927]

They even took the time to clean the used bearing to return it. That bearing might not even be the first time being bought and returned by the look of that box.

[@richardjackson1397]

You would think that the part house would have records so they could track it down to whom did this debauchery. I had to show id to get a refund on parts

[@edwardlunny4032]

Sometimes they do, sometimes.

[@howtowithelizabeth7513]

They need tamper proof packing and no to accepting returns unless the seal is still intact 🤦🏻‍♀️

[@eugennomatterr7311]

good luck ordering part and noticing that you ordered wrong one

[@theoneandonlywariortank0793]

Good idea in practice… but i feel like that would be a bad idea considering the fact that its common to have to return a faulty or incorrect part.

[@theoneandonlywariortank0793]

Good idea in practice… but i feel like that would be a bad idea considering the fact that its common to have to return a faulty or incorrect part.

[@uncontrolled8775]

I quit a shop that wanted me to do this it’s bull 💩 and is a reflection of the part of this industry I don’t want to be a part of

[@Elektrotechniker]

Please explain a bit further, what exactly were they demanding in your case? Holy shit...

[@uncontrolled8775]

@@Elektrotechniker pretty much throw the old part after cleaning it up in the box and ship it back as defective. They also would cut bushings with a razor and send pictures of it to customers or those repair insurance companies. Complete scumbags of the industry I left the first week.

[@Ghauster]

​@@uncontrolled8775should have reported them to a news agency. They love to do undercover investigations.

[@dogdooley4495]

Of course the parts store is responsible for selling you the junk parts but the ultimate blame is on the scumbags who return used parts to begin with.

[@dougheywood4692]

I hate a thief whether it's auto parts or anything else. Sorry you have to deal with this Ray.

[@KAS_Motorsports]

This crap is insane. Just like engine oil, 0% discount for commercial customers. They give you no room to make any profit. I need a good supplier so I can start making money. At this moment, I can’t grow because any profits come from labor therefore I can’t expand. Then when you get junk parts, it puts you outside of book time due to waiting more than once for your parts.

[@pokefan5022]

These scrum bags are going to force companies and o take more time and effort on returns. That means the minimum wage employees will need to know what to look for with returns. They will need to raise prices to prevent this from happening and that cost will be passed to businesses such as yours sadly.

[@markrhoades8822]

I'd start using a different vendor

[@davidjeromedawson]

Must be everywhere. The manager at my son’s part store caught an employee stealing pretty much his entire front end. He was so thoughtful, he even clocked in on his day off to get his five fingered discount.

[@Ghauster]

That should have made it easier to prosecute.

[@snowpro35]

I don't know where you're getting your parts from it looks like O'reilly's and I would be going to talk to them and tell them to stop taking returns of used parts

[@RainmanRaysRepairs]

It’s not my home store that’s responsible, it’s another one. I feel that I have caused some investigations with this one

[@snowpro35]

@@RainmanRaysRepairs If I were you I just wouldn't buy parts there anymore

[@gvet47]

So can you return the part or will they blame you for trying to return an old part? The parts store is poor for not checking a returned part. e​@@RainmanRaysRepairs

[@calvinevans8305]

Why does the bearing set cost $185? Sounds like there's multiple thieves in this story.

[@Trainspotting944]

No kidding even hub and bearing assemblies are cheaper than that

[@mikeblaz]

Exactly! That's why people are doing this. (buying, returning old parts) $185 is a ripoff!

[@THETOPGLOCK]

Right. Probably half that on Rockauto or Amazon. If you can wait a day or two, these are the only places I buy parts.

[@afhostie]

​@@mikeblazpeople are doing this on $10 items, it has nothing to do with the cost. But even if it did that doesn't excuse theft. Meanwhile, these parts just get marked up more to cover the losses and the honest people are the ones who suffer.

[@mikeblaz]

@@afhostie I understand people do this on $10 parts but much more prone on parts where they feel they are getting ripped off. And $185 for this part they are getting ripped off.

[@gautorepair]

The scumbaggery continues. Hate it when that happens

[@ron1584]

That is becoming quite common now. It just costs us alot more to ship it back to the US from Canada.

[@BigDipper79]

I ordered from an online vendor dealer. It was a line pressure solenoid SLT for a Toyota. When I opened the package it was clearly a used solenoid. I immediately called the dealer and was told they can’t take it back because it’s an electrical item. I’m having to dispute the charge. This thievery is bad it’s only gonna get worse I believe. Very frustrating and sad.

[@eschultz19661]

$185 for that bearing is the real theft

[@paulocarvalho6480]

Incredible! Ray, you are a magnet for stolen parts. If this keeps going, someday the shop will think you have something to do with it. Be careful.

[@DiligentDave1966]

I’ll bet that they question you when you return it and say it’s used, though. Oh, the irony! 🤣

[@roberthitchcox4432]

As a Habit I usually check my parts before leaving parts store....

[@markrosenberg4614]

They can find out who did it, it is all traceable now, with return identification!

[@johnkilcer]

Remember when we used give thieves a 6ft neck tie? Good times.

[@PugJudge]

This happened to me when I brought a starter . They clean up their old one and returned it

[@joezammit9659]

There's typically core charges on parts such as that starter so it should be examined before being sent back as a return...

[@drbichat5229]

Maybe someone at the store is on the scam. I ordered new appliances for an apartment, refrigerator, oven, washer, dryer and dishwasher. Everything except for the dishwasher came from the Lowes warehouse already damaged. You could tell from the boxes they were returned items, that Lowes was trying to deliver them to us as “ new”. We returned everything and bought them elsewhere

[@REDBIRD-95]

The worst that has happened to me was when I bought remanufactured front brake calipers when I had my Silverado. One caliper was completely assembled, the other one was disassembled and painted??? I put the caliper back together as the parts store didn't have any more in stock and I really needed my truck asap. Whenever I buy parts I try to check and make sure they are new and not tampered with.

[@michaelabbott511]

I would change the parts store, and let everyone know who they are,

[@MrAmity009]

This means that the store doesn’t check the returns!

[@clayscott8363]

I bought a tablet from Walmart and returned it because I needed the money, never opened it. The lady at the service desk opened it and removed all the packaging to make sure the serial numbers matched up. I think it was 60 or 80 bucks, it would be much easier for the guy at the parts counter to look at the part to make sure it at least looked new, than it was for the Walmart lady to open up the tablet that cost way less money, it's just as much his fault for putting it back on the shelf without looking

[@victorhoyt4352]

The real problem is the $185 bearing...

[@jasonj8740]

Now I worry about the steering rack that I ordered for my wife's 07 Edge😮😮 it'll be here on Friday😕😕😕

[@joezammit9659]

As a former employee of the " O' " auto parts place..I know before parts are sent back as returns to the warehouse MUST BE checked per policy. That part most likely came from a return from a repair..I have even had this crap happen to me buying a air filter..needed to be ordered from the warehouse I opened the box it was someone's old filter..I could go on but y'all get it..👀

[@PaulsToolReview]

That Pacifica is cursed with getting used parts! Get a new supplier! I always check my parts on arrival or from the parts department and so far been solid. If you have someone check when delivered, you can immediately just hand it back to the guy and ask for a new one or the metal one or whatever the issue is.

[@tomblobasjamesc.mccollum1740]

🎉"The Door Locks!!!". 😅kils me everytime

[@tsimpson007]

Ray I would report this theft to corporate. You may need to get the police involved. There is no excuse for this.

[@toddcathyfranklin4189]

My god I have never had that happen

[@Primal_Smoke]

That sounds like the responsibility falls on the store you bought them from. If they did a common check to make sure that someone isn't trying to rip them off and you off because time is money and people and the store is wasting yours

[@eugeneenslow8563]

And, inspect the parts AT the parts store BEFORE. YOU. PAY.

[@johnhpalmer6098]

@@eugeneenslow8563 That only works if you buy in person, impossible when ordering online.

[@ChaseMMD]

@@eugeneenslow8563 Ray works at a mechanic shop. Most of the time these part stores will deliver the parts to the mechanic shops. More convenient and makes the part stores more money. Time is money at these mechanic shops. Time spent driving to the part store is the time Ray could've used to fix another vehicle.

[@PaulSmith-zf5pf]

Every part store SHOULD INSPECT all parts that are returned.

[@giggittygiggitty7283]

That is what happens when people can’t afford groceries let alone replacement parts. Sad, society in decline.

[@Papieck37]

Tell'em Ray.... Tell'em you know!!.... ... This stopped being LARCENY and now is THEFT!! Your customer and you are paying the price! Not funny!

[@playstation8779]

Its too common. Had a guy return an egr valve. Ended up haveing to damage it out and ship it to be recycled. 500 dollars. Gone because some guy felt the need to get it for free.

[@michaelphilpot8346]

185 for a bearing and race? They are proud of it.

[@REDBIRD-95]

I wouldn't have the nerve to do something like that. My parents raised me to know the difference between right and wrong, good and bad. Even when I purchase something from a store and if the cashier makes a mistake in my favour, I tell them. Otherwise, my conscience would eat away at me. That's just the way I am, I was brought up to be honest. Ray, I would seriously look into possibly acquiring another source for your parts. Take care my friend👍

[@RainmanRaysRepairs]

It’s not my particular store that is at fault, these parts came from another location. Regardless, corporate has some work to do

[@REDBIRD-95]

@@RainmanRaysRepairs I hope corporate listens to you as this unscrupulous person(s) is costing you very precious time and money, as well as other shops and customers. Have a good night.

[@ItsAlwaysRusty]

@@RainmanRaysRepairs Ray, you have got to go high up the management tree on this. If it is happening to you this often I can't imagine how many other shops are suffering with the same problem. I know you want to defend your local shop but they are the local face of the company. Their rep is now tarnished as well. I would get them involved it trying to fix this problem. This keeps happening and their profits shrink just as fast as the warehouse supplier.

[@trekinseattle]

That price is highway robbery for white box Chinese parts that are guaranteed to fail in 6 months or less. Shame on anyone who uses that stuff

[@Apismeliffera]

I've been a DIYer for decades. My auto shop teacher back in the early seventies warned us about this. I always open the box to make sure it's the right part and, that it's not a used one.

[@PRO4XKEV]

Our country is in a serious decline.

[@RainmanRaysRepairs]

This is NOT the future that told us about

[@ItsAlwaysRusty]

@@RainmanRaysRepairs Remember the old Hope and Change bit by a certain President . We now all HOPE that the country /world changes back to better times..

[@glennwarner2257]

This is why when I worked at parts stores part time I would check parts when returns would come in. After the second time of getting burnt taking back a used part in a new part box, I trusted nobody.

[@johnmccloskey8761]

Find a different parts store. This BS has been going on for decades. The parts store I dealt with would come to pickup returns and check out everything before they issued a credit. Stopped his problem quickly.

[@jackieslack7999]

Employee and thief working together. Thief returns used part to complicit employee for cash. They meet later and split the ill gotten gains. Rotten!

[@ItsAlwaysRusty]

Very possible.

[@adamb6792]

Parts store employees need to be trained on what to look for to catch these thieves and BAN THEM. If not, the loss the store is getting hit with will be passed to the rest of us. That $185 dollar bearing set will become $250, then $300. Gotta hold people accountable for theft or the rest of us will pay more to offset company losses!

[@Echo024]

I’ve had similar problems with hardware in suspension kits and o-rings in a/c kits

[@ItsAlwaysRusty]

Don't get me going on brake hardware that is never in the box. Opened box with unwrapped pads and of course the hardware is missing. I won't accept any parts box anymore that has been opened even once. So tired of getting home and something is missing

[@mr_DIY]

Can’t trust anyone no more 😂

[@christophergagliano2051]

When I buy a machine part, I always open the box before I leave the store just to verify that the condition is new. I can't believe you don't do that All good mechanics do that, and that's a fact.

[@dirgeofdementia]

I can only imagine the parts were returned on the retail side of the store. Retail sales people are typically less careful savvy than their commercial counterparts.

[@thearrow5793]

Could we stop these things.. can we say enough….😖😖😖😖😖😖

[@shadyshinichi2JZ]

Are the parts delivered to the shop? I would inspect them before accepting it. And if they have good records, they can easily track down who returned used product.

[@iancowen1795]

There are some really unscrupulous individuals out there that have no shame in committing fraud like this . Totally agree Stop it as it leaves genuine professional mechanics wasting their precious time having to re order 🤬

[@Urlhere]

That's why you always check your parts when they are delivered

[@chadponton5097]

sounds like its time to find a new supplier

[@imfloridano5448]

Get em Ray. A similar thing happened to me when I purchased a new clutch assembly from Advanced Auto parts 15 years ago for my 95 Trans Am. The throw out bearing was bad and the clutch was worn. I didn't check it in the store cause I trusted the sales person.

[@madjackgamingandfitness498]

You must have a really bad parts company. I rarely if ever get a defective repackage old part, and we're very thorough in what we get back with our own parts. I've gotten wrong parts, that happens to everybody once in a while. But twice in a week? That's just a crap company.

[@mazdaman1286]

This is common in the UK. Euro car parts suffer from this. They know who returned the parts with old bits in , but do nothing. It goes back on the shelf for the next shop. AND repeat.....

[@MeganChic]

Hard to believe they would approve a parts return without opening the box to check the item

[@theundergroundlairofthesqu9261]

Worst version I've heard of this is people doing an oil change and returning old filter in new box, and old oil in oil jug, at Wal-Mart!

[@johnspecht7449]

You know❤, I am seeing so much more of this stuff. It honestly makes we worried about where our country is headed. They need to check those parts when they are returned and charge those people accordingly.

[@harveypaxton1232]

Not exactly the same but 45 years ago I worked in the Lawn and Garden department of a large department store. We would have merchandise open on the shelf with the sealed box behind it. The customers would open the sealed box pull the items but would take the next sealed box to buy. This was a long time ago and I’m sure it’s worse now.

[@KevinKap-od1iq]

They are saving those parts just for Ray to keep buying 😂

[@draco2202]

As a mechanic I will say I have run into this a lot! And sometimes it isn’t even on the local level! I had to order parts from their warehouse waited 3 days to get a part only to open it and find it was a used defective returned u joint.

[@u.e.u.e.]

It even happens with bicycle helmets (safety item!!!): Criminals order a helmet for over €/$/£ 150.- and return a fake Chinese one in the same design. Needless to say the Chinese rip-off doesn't offer much protection! 🤦‍♂️ Disgusting! 🤮

[@PhantomAngel6]

I work at a new store and we have found so much of this in our starting inventory

[@kevinwilliamswilliams1645]

I had that happen and took it back to the parts house and they accused me of doing it and refused a refund/exchange. I ordered another one and opened it right in front of the clerk and wouldn't you know it, the new part was swapped with a used completely different bearing and they then gave me a refund on the first part. I then took my money and went to the parts store that was $2.45 more expensive and got the right, new bearing.

[@TheBookofLab]

Its more of a problem with the parts store their employees need to be checking the returns before accepting them the part store near me wont accept any returns from our shop if the parts are even dirty we have to clean em before we return em cuz the store checks em specifically for this reason

[@m109r]

I bought lights at home depot. When I got home I noticed someone put burned lights inside.

[@StevenDaugherty-uo5cs]

The bigger question is why are the stores not inspecting returned merchandise before giving people their money back if they're returning it saying it's the original part and doesn't fit or something? Or are they core returns being mishandled and accidentally put back on shelves as new or returned. Bottom line it the stores are not doing their jobs.

[@vkbarnett]

I get the whole let’s not steal part, but what about the dicey parts store?…. Check parts much?

[@EKHondaMotive]

Hey, 'tis feasible that the parts were returned under warranty and the store inadvertently (or otherwise) re-stocked the part in inventory. Recently had a client bring their own aftermarket brake pads. I opened the box to find used pads. The box had a "returned" sticked on it!🤷🏾‍♂️🤷🏾‍♂️🤷🏾‍♂️

[@1soupasaurus]

This is horrible. Your local parts store that's getting it from either the warehouse or another store is eating the cost and putting them in the red even though they aren't the perpetrator. I'd suggest they look over parts they receive to verify they are getting what they are paying for. Something has to change because clearly what used to work doesn't anymore.

[@rudolphmadronich1467]

The person that took the return back and not checking should be fired.

[@ericbastion2149]

I’ve been working in the mechanic field for over 30 years. This happens to me at least once a week.

[@wonko3fc]

Good greif! How is it you (Ray) have to defend against the indefensible?

[@BeardedFordTech]

Someones getting fired.

[@arthur962]

I think you need to have words with your supplier more than with the internets....a whole order of used and broken parts isn't statistically possible.

[@tinydog34]

Hi Ray i know it may be inconvenient but i would stop the delivery person and check all your parts so it doesn't come back at you for someone else's bad returns. That way the delivery driver can see too what your getting.

[@Gamerglotzer]

The repair on this car seems jinxed

[@RainmanRaysRepairs]

Seriously 😐

[@Mr.Z1776]

This happens at Home Depot all the time! Open and check before you leave the store!!

[@tomn5985]

You just can’t catch a break that’s messed up

[@jwarmstrong]

Seating the new part $185 & sending back the old is a sign of moral decline - since he could take stolen one back & get a store credit for $185

[@Daizenzetsu]

How much has this delayed the customer receiving his truck back? We don't have to live like this!

[@tonytunnell9873]

The fastest way to stop that would be to let the employees know that this is happening and they need to check the boxes. Good people are returning. Of course that's not gonna happen.

[@wbforsure2104]

O'Reilly's need to step up their game on checking returns. Almost betcha it was a buddy of an employee.

[@johnwyman6126]

Very suspicious that you got 3 bearings, AND 2 seals that supposedly were all reboxed and returned. Something smells fishy here. Don't get me wrong, I've received bad parts here and there myself, but not like that.

[@FukouyEbut]

They should make return credits available pending part inspection...

[@agartin1]

i wonder if it's a warranty replacement that the store employee put in the wrong place.

[@Randomgdude]

Those were probably warranty returns that got put into thr wrong bins are put back on the shelves rather then shipped back to the DC

[@ArsonSnowman]

Always ask to open the package to veiw the part. If they don't open it before you do, that's suspicious. I always open the package for my customers

[@nbarnard9325]

$187 for a bearing is also daylight robbery. I just found out a cam chain kit for a small Nissan is going to cost me £400 and with fitting it will total between £1000-£1200, how can they justify it. I'm not condoning theft, but to an extent can understand why! 🤔