AutoCustom

Possibly the worst customer service experience I have encountered from an automotive parts supplier in over 20 years in the motor trade.

My first order from AutoDoc was for a single tyre and was completed without issue, arriving within a week. Based on that experience, I placed a second order with confidence.

This order consisted of:
- Brembo front brake discs and pads
- One First Line left-hand (N/S) track rod end
- One First Line right-hand (O/S) track rod end

At the time of ordering, all items were advertised as in stock. Both track rod ends showed five units available, and the estimated delivery date was five days later.

Five days passed with no dispatch notification, no delay notification, and no communication from AutoDoc. I only discovered there was a problem after contacting customer support myself. I was then informed that both track rod ends were actually unavailable and that this had caused the entire order to be held back.

The issue here is not simply that an item was unavailable. Stock errors can happen. The issue is that AutoDoc continued to hold the complete order without informing me, despite having an estimated delivery date that could no longer be met. Had I not contacted support, there was no indication of when I would have received my order.

I provided AutoDoc with my VIN/chassis number, registration, engine details, build date, and full vehicle specification to allow suitable alternatives to be identified.

Despite this information being provided, the first replacement suggestion sent to me was for two track rod ends for the same side of the vehicle, despite my original order clearly requiring one left-hand and one right-hand part. I was also directed towards parts where the product information stated they were not suitable for my vehicle’s wheel size.

After further discussion, suitable left-hand and right-hand Moog replacements were eventually identified. I explained clearly that the vehicle was already dismantled and off the road, and that I needed the parts urgently.

A further week passed before the order arrived. During this time, I contacted AutoDoc again for an update and received no useful information. The only delivery communication I received was a courier notification giving just 17 minutes’ notice before the delivery slot.

When the vehicle was ready for reassembly, I discovered that the Brembo brake discs and pads supplied were incorrect and could not be fitted.

This was particularly disappointing because I had already provided detailed vehicle information during my previous contact with AutoDoc. When I raised this issue, I was told that I would need to return the incorrect parts to Germany at my own expense, despite being told the order had been dispatched from within the UK.

I was also told during this conversation that AutoDoc had no record of receiving my vehicle details, despite those details having been provided to your support team when sourcing replacement parts.

I was then advised that I should have purchased AutoDoc’s paid “Safe Order” option. This response was unacceptable. Access to accurate parts supply, communication regarding delays, correct fulfilment, and reasonable assistance when incorrect parts are supplied should be part of normal customer service, not an additional paid service.

To add to the situation, I was promised a call from a Quality Control Manager the following day at an agreed time. That call never happened, and no explanation or follow-up was provided.

Ultimately, I had to contact another supplier, Euro Car Parts, who identified the correct parts using just my registration number and had them available for collection the following day.

The main failures with this order were:

- Parts advertised as in stock were not available.
- No proactive communication was provided when the order was delayed.
- Incorrect replacement parts were suggested despite detailed vehicle information being supplied.
- Incorrect brake components were supplied.
- I was directed to return incorrect parts internationally at my own expense.
- A promised management call-back did not take place.

AutoDoc may offer competitive prices, but this experience demonstrates that when problems occur, the customer is left to spend significant time chasing updates, verifying information, and resolving issues that should have been handled by the supplier.

The complexity of the automotive parts industry is not something customers should be expected to absorb the consequences of. Managing that complexity is the responsibility of the supplier. If a company chooses to offer a catalogue covering thousands of vehicles and millions of possible part combinations, it must also have systems capable of accurately managing those combinations.

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