2seater Posted June 23, 2023 Share Posted June 23, 2023 Marck, I hope you stay with this forum when you have time away from the business side. I think several of us also have inventory of the substitute parts, in various states of completion, myself included, so this certainly was a surprise to us all. Best of luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alec2538 Posted June 23, 2023 Share Posted June 23, 2023 2 hours ago, ECRP said: We’ve been receiving messages and emails from a lot of you regarding our rear shock project. I owe you all some correspondence, so here’s what I know so far. Firstly, this info may change as I haven’t been able to get up with our sales rep at Monroe all week. They have gone radio silent all week. Secondly, we had to place an order for a minimum 1000 rear shocks in order for Monroe to produce the 71966 shock for us. We committed to that back in April. We were told Monroe would tool up and make them for us with that minimum order and only that minimum would be made. They assured us they had zero interest in holding inventory for what they referred to as an obsolete part number for them. They would produce them, but we had to buy them all. However, it appears that Monroe has been selling OUR order off the top of our pallets in their facility to everyone at well below our wholesale price without requiring the minimum order they required from us. Essentially destroying this project for us. Our order was even shorted with only 976 units or less reportedly coming. If you ordered shocks from anyone and the packing list says 71966-ST, you can thank us for that. That was our special part number for the order. Monroe has been stealing out units off our order and selling direct for well under our wholesale pricing. Monroe has continuously lied straight to our faces saying “we don’t fulfill direct for any retailers”, and that they’ve shipped our order. We still have yet to receive our order despite reportedly shipping from Monroe on Monday. Please bear with us while we try to get to the bottom of this. We have thousands of dollars tied up in this project and are committed to finding a resolution. Our intention is to renegotiate price with Monroe on what is left of our order (given how they’ve screwed us) and still fulfill all orders and offer folks a refund or store credit for the difference. Please stay tuned for more info, and we sincerely appreciate your patience in this matter. We are a small family run business who has been screwed by corporate America big time on this project and we are working to do our best for our loyal customers. regards, Marck Barker EastCoastReattaParts.com Thanks for giving us an update, Marck. I'm sorry for the way Monroe is conducting themselves, but I can't say I'm surprised. Big business is big business. My set just arrived, and sure enough: 71966-ST was the part number. If it helps, this is what was printed on my packing slip: Ship-to: 69591 Alec Beaton xxx xxxxxxx xxx xxxxxxx Sold-to: 69591 FACTORY MOTOR PARTS ROCK AUTO MADISON, WI 53719 US Below, the PO # is my RA order # and it shows PN 71966ST SENSA-TRAC STRUT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alchemist Posted June 24, 2023 Share Posted June 24, 2023 (edited) (Comment edited) Though the seller states they have had them for a long time and no longer need them. Edited June 24, 2023 by alchemist Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAVES89 Posted June 24, 2023 Share Posted June 24, 2023 I actually believe him as he is selling other Reatta parts as well. Just interesting timing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2seater Posted June 24, 2023 Share Posted June 24, 2023 9 minutes ago, DAVES89 said: I actually believe him as he is selling other Reatta parts as well. Just interesting timing. I am not at home so I cannot check but do your struts have the labeling on the lower portion? I think they were spec'd as the O.E. Spectrum, but I see them being mentioned as SensaTrac (an upgrade?) which could also be the ST? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronnie Posted June 24, 2023 Share Posted June 24, 2023 17 hours ago, alec2538 said: My set just arrived, and sure enough: 71966-ST was the part number. I went on Amazon and looked at the invoice where I bought a set of Monroe 71966 Sensa-Trac struts for my Reatta in 2014 (22,000 miles ago). There was no -ST on the end of the part number. They are in fact being sold from Marck's order. I don't know why they would do that unless they intend to produce more struts to replace what Marck ordered. Either way they are screwing Marck by cutting his prices and taking away his potential customers for the struts he ordered. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alec2538 Posted June 25, 2023 Share Posted June 25, 2023 In and done! The ride quality is incredible. The entire job took ~2 hours start to finish. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2seater Posted June 25, 2023 Share Posted June 25, 2023 I am not disputing these struts are from Marcks order, but the struts I received have the printed lettering above the sway bar mount, not below as depicted in that ad from the guy selling parts. They are marked as O.E.Spectrum on the strut and the part number stamped into the barrel near the top is 71966E. The packing slip does indeed have the -ST suffix on the part number but it also says Sensa Trac in the description? It doesn't really matter in the final analysis but I think the guy selling the struts are not part of Marcks order unless anyone received struts marked like the photo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAVES89 Posted June 26, 2023 Share Posted June 26, 2023 (edited) There are another pair of rear struts that just popped up on Ebay. This guy is located in the same town that Monroe's Arkansas warehouse is in and claims his struts are brand new. He wants $499.00 the same price as Marck was asking with free freight . I believe his to be from Marck's stock. The guy that is listing on bid buying is up to $202.xx with a freight charge. Edited June 26, 2023 by DAVES89 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alec2538 Posted June 26, 2023 Share Posted June 26, 2023 12 hours ago, DAVES89 said: There are another pair of rear struts that just popped up on Ebay. This guy is located in the same town that Monroe's Arkansas warehouse is in and claims his struts are brand new. He wants $499.00 the same price as Marck was asking with free freight . I believe his to be from Marck's stock. The guy that is listing on bid buying is up to $202.xx with a freight charge. I just checked that listing... I don't think there's anything more suspicious than that. Same town, knows they're hard to find, installed a set himself. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2seater Posted June 26, 2023 Share Posted June 26, 2023 1 hour ago, alec2538 said: I just checked that listing... I don't think there's anything more suspicious than that. Same town, knows they're hard to find, installed a set himself. Out the back door "shrinkage"? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAVES89 Posted June 28, 2023 Share Posted June 28, 2023 Rock Auto has the rear struts listed again, but this time they are listed as "out of stock, notify me when available". I am losing respect for them. What a company... 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TripleC321 Posted June 28, 2023 Share Posted June 28, 2023 56 minutes ago, DAVES89 said: Rock Auto has the rear struts listed again, but this time they are listed as "out of stock, notify me when available". I am losing respect for them. What a company... I could have sworn they always had it say that by default. Even before Monroe made a special run. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronnie Posted June 28, 2023 Share Posted June 28, 2023 1 hour ago, DAVES89 said: I am losing respect for them. I won't say I will never buy from them again but I will say they will be a lost resort if I do. I still use their catalog to lookup parts but I don't like their shipping policies. The latest thing with the struts is just another reason not to like them. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TripleC321 Posted June 28, 2023 Share Posted June 28, 2023 Is them selling the struts really Rock Autos fault though? Or is it really Monroe’s fault for offering them up to third parties in the first place? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronnie Posted June 28, 2023 Share Posted June 28, 2023 17 minutes ago, TripleC321 said: Is them selling the struts really Rock Autos fault though? Or is it really Monroe’s fault for offering them up to third parties in the first place? I don't think so. Monroe or whoever makes and ships Monroe parts is at fault. If Monroe didn't offer them RockAuto couldn't buy them and therefore wouldn't be able to sell them. What I don't like is them stringing you along by offering to notify you when a discontinued part comes back in stock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAVES89 Posted June 28, 2023 Share Posted June 28, 2023 I have a friend who owns a business as a manufactuer rep selling products for companies to big box retail chains as well as True Value and Ace. He said that he has dealt with stuff like this in the past only in millions of dollars not thousands. He pretty much said that Monroe made and sold their inventory, not caring if one or more distributer got their inventory. He said Marck now has fewer units to buy and maybe can renegotiate to get a bit better price but that would be about it. He said someone at Monroe may or may not have made a mistake to release inventory to Rock Auto, but once again it's all about selling inventory. In my own sales experience selling Medicare and health insurance to individuals and families I don't experience this, this sounds cutthroat and unethical but from what he tells me this happens often. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alec2538 Posted June 28, 2023 Share Posted June 28, 2023 Personally, I don't think RA is at fault at all. My packing slip specifically said "Factory Motor Parts" as the selling party, with RA acting as the middle man. I'm pointing my finger squarely at FMP, as I totally believe this is something they would have a hand in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronnie Posted June 28, 2023 Share Posted June 28, 2023 28 minutes ago, alec2538 said: My packing slip specifically said "Factory Motor Parts" as the selling party, Thanks for the info. That is someone else I can add to my list of companies I don't want to do business with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harold Posted September 21, 2023 Share Posted September 21, 2023 I saw a U Tube video where the guy cuts all the brackets off a Volvo front strut and puts it in the rear of a Reatta. Is this my only option for replacement? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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