Autopartstomorrow Arbitration Process

I just wanted to give a brief demonstration of how we deal with issues here at Autopartstomorrow.com. If you are needing assistance, this is how it would be done...

Travel Video... No Really You'll Like It

I envy these guys for the project that took them around the world to film this one minute video... one second / one location at a time. It is very well produced and makes you want to jump on a plane, tomorrow... after your auto parts are delivered!

MOVE from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.

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GM Parts

Quality GM Parts for Your GM Vehicles

Maintaining you General Motors vehicles is important to get the most life out of the engine and other working parts. Parts will wear out over time and depending upon how much you use the vehicle may need replacing sooner than normal usage. When you need parts for your vehicle, you should obtain authorized GM parts replacements, as these parts offer the best quality and durability.

Order GM Parts Today and Get Them Delivered Tomorrow

You can obtain GM parts from several different sources, such as auto parts stores and your local GM car dealership. Depending upon the make and model of your vehicle these places may not stock the parts that you need and may take several days or even weeks to obtain the parts. Instead you can obtain General Motors part replacements online from Auto Parts Tomorrow which has the most in stock auto parts available and offers next day shipping services to get your parts fast.

August Coupon Code

It is end of the month blowout time... Use this 10% off coupon code for the next few days on orders over $100 and compound your savings. WHOLESALE minus 10%... use coupon code - irene - Good until midnight August 31, 2011.

We Need to Talk...

So your boss hired a consultant, or read some article, and has shared with you that money is tight and some things are going to need to change. At that point you already need to have some answers for his worries.

Saving money always needs to be part of your plan. At Autopartstomorrow we have a long history of finding creative solutions to problems in the auto parts field. Whether it is streamlining processes, building efficiencies, or just wringing more savings out of the same old thing, we have solutions for your problems. Check out our site, compare some prices and suggest that there are HUGE savings that can be found by scheduling jobs for tomorrow and buying auto parts online... No need to look at salary, right!

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Subaru Fun

Children... Don't treat your cars like this. Or maybe you should because I promise something will break and you will need auto parts... Yeah, go have fun!!

Subaru Fun - More amazing videos are a click away

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Delco Auto Parts

AC Delco Auto Parts for GM Vehicles

General Motors not only manufacturers automobiles, but also manufacturers the automobile parts through their AC Delco auto parts division. This division is responsible for sourcing parts needed in the manufacturer of GM vehicles, as well as providing parts supplies for consumers in need of replacement auto parts for their own GM vehicle. This division has been around for almost a hundred years, providing quality parts for all GM models.

No Hassle AC Delco Auto Parts

If you own an older modeled GM vehicle finding replacement parts for it can be problematic as most car parts stores only stock a select amount of replacement parts. Even the car dealership only deals with newer makes and models parts and both often require you ordering the part and waiting until it is shipped and received. Instead you can cut out these middlemen and go straight to the source, which has an extensive stock of AC Delco auto parts with next day delivery service available in most areas, through Auto Parts Tomorrow.

Time For a Change?

Sometimes the pieces of my personal life and work life seem to mesh together. You probably know what I mean because most of us spend as much or more time at work as we do in other areas. Yesterday I posted this message about the changing of the season. It's a bit early I realize but I'm a little eager this year.

I started thinking about how that correlates to what I speak with our customers about every day, change. Sometimes we get into a habit (say buying auto parts from the same old place) and don't realize how oppressive the process has become. The saying "If it ain't broke don't fix it" comes to mind. It takes an external change to get our attention (like the changing temperature).

Part of what I like about the Fall is the marked difference in how everything looks and feels. I LOVE change. My wife claims I would take a different way to work every day if it were feasible.

Autumn means change, something different, something refreshing. Is it time for you to change your buying habits? Maybe you can ease into it like the weather, one day, one leaf, one order at a time. I think you will find it worthwhile.

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Ted Talks Cars

One of my favorite sites recently is the Ted Talks web page for videos from respected speakers on a variety of topics. I wouldn't suggest you get started from work though, because the videos are engaging and lengthy and will zap chunks of your workday... so check it out from home.

The video highlighted below is from 2002 and discusses "Cars as Art" which is timeless. Careful, it is 20 minutes long.

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Google Self Driving Car

What's Your Favorite Muscle Car?

Ask this question to a group of mixed Gearheads and you can step back and listen to the arguing for a week or so... and even though the debate can get heated at times, they will all thoroughly enjoy the "discussion".

Loosely defined, a Muscle Car is basically an American car manufactured in the late 1960's with more emphasis put into the cubic inches of the motor and horsepower output than design elements or interior comforts. The funny thing is, we have come to view those cars as some of the most beautiful ever designed.

This article from the auto editors at Consumer Guide describes some of the configurations available. Basically, which ever vehicle you chose was bound to provide a great adrenaline filled rush to every driver that eased into the vinyl covered seat behind the steering wheel. If you doubt the love some people have for these cars, just check out the Barrett-Jackson auctions on the Speed Channel this weekend.

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Would You Drive It?

According to this story from classicandperformancecar.com there is a new "Most Expensive" car in the world. The 1957 Ferrari Testa Rossa prototype was expected to go pretty high, the bidding BEGAN at $10 million, but the final gavel plus fees ended up at $16.39 million, surpassing another Testa Rossa that sold in 2009 for $12.4 million. What exactly would the monthly payments on that even be?

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I Love My Car !!

People are funny... We all work hard to express our uniqueness in many ways. One of those is in the choice of vehicle we drive. Whether we are aware of it or not, a lot can be told from our car.

I'm not really talking about the value of the car. Many people are driving much more car than they can afford. I'm speaking more about the size, shape, type and condition of our cars. We all know someone that has a very expensive car or truck that has not been washed or cleaned out since it was driven off of the showroom floor. We probably also know people of wealth that drive a vehicle beneath their means, like Sam Walton's famed old pickup truck. Then there is the traditional mid-life crisis car where an older person chooses to drive a sports car that seems more befitting of someone younger.

My favorite however is the "classic car" owner like the Chevette in the picture above, lined up with other muscle cars. I promise you would be entertained by speaking with this person. Whichever vehicle you love, we understand your passion. Cars are sometimes our best friends and sometimes our worst enemy depending on their state of repair. At Autopartstomorrow we want to work with you to make sure your car is in perfect running order, every day... especially tomorrow.

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It could be worse...

In the US, when our cars break down we think it is the end of the world. Our life is so wrapped up in our vehicle that everything comes to a screeching halt when it quits working.

At Autopartstomorrow.com we understand this. It is one of the main reasons we have built our business around extremely fast delivery. If you are East of the Mississippi River, chances are you will have your parts the very next business day. In by 5PM, out the very same day, and in your garage tomorrow morning... hence the name.

Remember though, we are very blessed to have these vehicles and should do everything we can to keep them running smoothly. Extending the life of a trusted car or truck is not only common sense, but it is good for our personal wallets. Be thankful for what we have.

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One Step Beyond the Flux-Capacitor

This story from Fast Company combined with this markup of a very low friction magnetic bearing from UC Berkely highlight a new technology that may leapfrog the current Lithium Ion batteries currently being used for energy storage in electric and hybrid vehicles.

We will continue to highlight new technologies that may be game changers in the automotive economy. It is an exciting time to watch as each of these new designs vie for positioning in the highly profitable auto industry. Sometimes the ideas may be utilized in another field first, but with all of the new pieces floating around surely someone will be able to combine them in just the right construct to bring economical and green tech to the cars we will be driving around every day. It seems the Jetson's may be closer than we might think.

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Break Time...

Today I am going to take a break from the normal automotive based articles I post here and give us all a brief 3 minute chance to sit back and reset our stress clocks. It is Wednesday and everything should be downhill towards the weekend from here. Although some of us will try, it will be hard not to relax if we will dedicate the FULL 3 minutes to watch the video (actually time lapse photography)... Don't worry, you will pick it back up in a better attitude and increased production for the rest of the day... Enjoy!

The Mountain from TSO Photography on Vimeo.

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Funny Sound?

Your mechanic can be a valuable resource when trying to determine what may be causing that sound your car is making. Most of the time it is pretty important to get to the bottom of, and repair quickly, anything which makes an out of the ordinary noise regarding your car.

Brake pads and shoes have a "chirper" which makes a terrible staccato screeching/grinding noise when you are not applying the brake. If it progresses to noise before, during and after you apply the brakes you have waited too long and need to get it done now. If you hear a loud popping noise when you turn your steering wheel all the way to one side it could be a CV joint or shaft. If your engine is making a clicking noise you are probably very low on oil and need to add it immediately.

These are just a few of the hundreds of possibilities, and each noise could also be something else, or a symptom of a larger issue. The main point is... if your car makes any noise that is not what you have become accustomed to as normal, get it to a mechanic quickly before it breaks down and leaves you stranded.

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Legal Is Boring...

Many companies out there feel it is OK to try to deceive their customers and relabel or sell as OE, when it's really not. Like I tell anyone who will listen, "I'm just not smart enough to keep up with all that".

Our main line of auto parts are ACDelco and Motorcraft, direct from the manufacturers. Where they sell parts with the exact same number (but made by someone else), ours are exactly the same as if you paid for it at the parts counter of your local GM or Ford dealership. While we carry several full lines aftermarket parts, they are clearly marked by their manufacturer.

If you ever have a question about a part you bought from us please call. We will walk through the issue with you and make sure you are completely satisfied before you get off the phone. Your happiness is more important to us than any deception might be worth... besides, that would be illegal. The way we do business may be boring, but it is the right way, and our customers seem to appreciate it.

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It is HOT Outside...

Extreme heat is really good for selling auto parts. Batteries go bad, water pumps need to be replaced, radiators burst, and we sell tons of A/C compressors, etc.. It can still be a little overwhelming. We will do everything we can to get you the parts you need at the lowest possible price so you can get back on the road. Hopefully the road to something a little more enjoyable.

Try to find a place this weekend to cool off and enjoy the outdoors. Sometimes it can be hard to do both of those at the same time, but it can be done.

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Free Shipping?

We are selling A LOT of auto parts these days! Luckily we have automated many of our processes to allow us to continue to grow efficiently. One thing that continues to confuse me though is the number of customers who don't take advantage of our free shipping policy on orders over $50.

While we will gladly fulfill your order in whichever amount you choose, there are a few items that might help you reach the free shipping threshold. One of the most obvious is wiper blades. Be honest... when is the last time you thought to change your wiper blades? If you are like most of us, it was the last time you were driving in the rain, and you said "Dang it, these wiper blades are worn out... I need to get some new ones". And then you promptly forgot as soon as you got out of the car.

What about headlights? While most people don't worry about replacing them until they burn out, did you know that they can lose as much as 60% of their brightness over time? If you cannot remember when you changed them last, go ahead and get a new set while you are placing your order. Most people are amazed at how much they can save on that one item they came to the site to buy. All of our parts carry the same deep discounting, so go ahead and get those add on items from us as well. Like your Momma always said, "It is better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it". Listen to your Momma.

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Need Some Auto Parts?

I can remember back when I was in High School and working at the local Chevron Full Service Service station and the Snap-On truck pulled into the parking lot. We had three mechanics that manned the three bays of our shop and all work would come to a stop.

Now they didn't have a model like the one in the picture, but what they did have was tools, really good tools. Not only did they have tools, but the air conditioning kept the back of that truck at about 60 degrees vs. the 118 degrees outside. It was a spectacular marketing plan... Go to where the mechanic is, offer him the tools he needs, give him a lifetime warranty, and make the experience fun and refreshing. Nowadays you would be hard pressed to go into any top-line mechanics area and not see the trademark red tool chests with lined drawers and THOUSANDS of dollars worth of Snap-On tools; they took over the market.

That is sort of what we are looking to do here at Autopartstomorrow. We have a great line-up of auto parts. We are selling those auto parts at true wholesale pricing, and our overnight shipping guarantee is unheard of. For the mechanic that would prefer to install OE parts on his valued customers cars, we have now provided him with a convenient solution. He can now advise that customer that by waiting one day they can have Original Equipment Auto Parts for about the same thing as aftermarket. If they choose aftermarket parts they can cut 20-40 percent off of their bill. Either way, everyone is happy... and that is what we are all about!

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Auto Parts Safety

At Autopartstomorrow.com we have a large following of DIYer's who purchase our auto parts wholesale and then do the installation work themselves. That is truly a big money saver. However, we want to make sure everyone who makes this attempt is doing it safely.

DO NOT ATTEMPT REPAIRS LIKE THE FOOLS IN THE PICTURE ABOVE!!!

I will link to a Popular Mechanics article a little later but let me emphasize one point they make... work on vehicles only on a flat, level, paved surface and NEVER get under a car that is up on a floor jack without also using jack stands! While the jack may do the job of lifting a car just fine, there are too many opportunities for something to go wrong for anyone to risk getting crushed under a car while trying to save money.

Now for that link... Popular Mechanics has always been one of my favorite magazines and I am find that it is becoming a go-to site for great stories about car repair and maintenance. Check out this story on Garage Safety, and please be careful when working on your car.

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Car Maintenance

When it comes to car maintenance, your tires are one of the most important pieces needing attention. While other auto parts and repairs may cost more if they are ignored, you don't want to be driving down the road when one of your tires fails.

Currently Autopartstomorrow is not selling tires, but we feel it is important enough to keep our customers safe that we want to make some suggestions. First, make sure to keep your tires at optimum pressure. If they are over or under-inflated, even new tires can give you problems. Make sure your shocks are in good shape. If you see the tread wearing unevenly (waves up and down in the rubber) it is time to buy shocks... and we do sell those. Finally, check the tread wear. If you use a coin (some say a penny, some say a quarter) placed into the tread wear, when there is a gap between the presidents head and the top of the tread it is time to replace the tires.

It seems there are tire shops on every corner along certain automotive alleys in many metro areas. There are definitely major tire companies almost everywhere. What we would suggest is to use a good website for research and then compare brands and prices with your local providers. I personally use Tirerack.com for the research part and then attempt to negotiate price on the same type, size and brand with the area stores. If they won't come down to that price (normally they can't) at least you will have a decision to make.

Either way, please make sure your tires are safe. We want to make sure you are around for a long time to come.

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If Money is a Factor...

The recent article by AAA stating 25% of the American public would have problems paying to repair their vehicle comes as no surprise to us here at Autopartstomorrow. We hear from our customers every day about how much they were quoted for a repair, and how they were greatly relieved to find us on the internet.

Problems with the economy have long been known to bring about real change in the business environment. When everything is going great, anyone who has a company (for the most part) can make money. But when things go bad, only those companies that are well run, financially sound, and cater strongly to their customers can survive. At Autopartstomorrow we are not only surviving, but we are expanding rapidly! Our business model based on allowing the general public access to our wholesale auto parts inventories, at real wholesale pricing, is one that is greatly needed during times of stress.

Take the example from the AAA article. People were asked how they would handle a $2000 car repair. I don't know about you, but my first reaction would be to pass out. When I awoke I would get to the internet as fast as I could and search for some alternative. That is where we are getting our growth from. First it comes from the consumer that buys his auto parts from us at about half of what it would have been otherwise. Second it comes from the mechanic that agrees to install that part at a discount to keep his shop busy... and finds that our prices are better than even he has been paying for the same parts. Then finally it comes from each of them asking their friends, "Have you heard of Autopartstomorrow.com?"

I love working here because we are offering a genuine solution for peoples troubles. There are enough other things around to worry about. We want to help you keep your car on the road so you can keep working towards overcoming those other things. We will all get through this recession... we just need to remember to help others, get creative with our finances and work to make things better, one day at a time.

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How are We Doing?

"I just wanted to let you guys know I'm extremely impressed with autopartstomorrow.com. Your prices are great, shipping is quick and easy and you offer great things like free returns and good customer support. I will be purchasing all my products here moving forward!"

Thanks for everything!
Kyle

We LOVE hearing from our customers! I suppose ALL companies love to hear from customers like Kyle... but we want to hear any concerns you might have as well. We really do want to be the best in the industry, and our customers letting us know of any areas where we weren't the best does two things; It allows us to try to make that occurrence right, and it gives us a chance to look at our processes and see if there is an opportunity for change or improvement.

We are not new at selling and shipping auto parts (We have been doing it for over 80 years). We are however fairly new in servicing the "retail" public. I used "retail" in quotes there to signify that segment of the DIY public that every other auto parts franchise calls "retail" because of the marked up retail prices they sell at. To us you are actually an extension of our "wholesale" customer base. It is just that the questions and procedures are different when we package your part and UPS or Fedex it to a home address... and we want to do that better than anyone else in the business.

Kyle thinks we do a pretty good job. We are humbly grateful for the opportunity to serve each and every one of you. Please let us know how we are doing!!

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Are You on Twitter?

I have mentioned it before, but it bears repeating; Check us out on Twitter! What the heck is Twitter you say? Twitter is a new social media tool that is being used in many widely varied ways. At first blush it kind of seems like a huge crowd of people all trying to get your attention. If you can work through that initial overload shock there are some ways where it begins to make sense.

The "ONE" method I will mention here is for using Twitter as a news or rumor search engine. Instead of reading the canned publications news reporting, sometimes it is very interesting to see what the vast Twitterherd of people think. By using some basic commands you can dive into this huge traffic jam of thoughts and pull out just the pieces you would like. This article does a great job of explaining how all of this works... and includes an enlarged version of this search cheat sheet chart.



As for Autopartstomorrow on Twitter, you will find us by searching @autopartstom and @aptomorrow. It is a great venue for our coupon codes and we list them there quite often. Please visit and follow us there, and we promise to keep you informed about our industry and throw in added savings ideas from time to time (Here is a hint- Check it out on the last few days of the month).

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The Beauty of Channel Conflict

“Channel Conflict” is a term not well understood outside of the distribution world, but the struggle within is having far reaching impacts on all of us. Basically it is the fight between “partners” in a given distribution channel over who gets to sell to whom. Those were the good old days when things were simple…Nice neat silos with very few conflicts.

Into this fairly smooth model, around 1997 was introduced Google. Very few people had the vision to project the impact our current search engine driven world would create. In fact, even now many are trying to cling to the way things “used to be”. If there are two things we Americans are good at they are embracing change and fighting change. In the auto parts world we emulate both. There were a few imaginative companies who built a model around the internet as early as the AOL and Yahoo days.

This new E-economy business model hangs on a vast distribution network tied together through internet connections linking all of the old players in new and different agreements. Most of the players don’t want to admit to the fact that they are supplying this behemoth, but they are unable to turn down the added volume it produces. It really is a very impressive system where three and four step processes are done in a virtual marketplace and HTML agreements disperse profit percentages automatically based on coded algorithms. It all works great most of the time. There are still some opportunities for fine tuning the process where links are removed from the supply chain and the savings passed along to the end user.

If you asked your average mechanic if he would allow his customer to buy their own parts over the internet and install them, he would probably say no. If you did the same at a dealership you would be laughed out of the place. I suggest that we are living in a changed world and our cozy distribution silos that we built for the past need to be torn down. Increasingly the three, four and five step process of getting parts from the manufacturer to installed on a customers car are too time consuming and costly. How many housewives take that $1500 A/C job quote home and do a price comparison on Google. Ask the car dealers about how well they can protect margin on automotive sales now that the underlying cost information is laid bare for everyone to see on the internet. Information empowers people to be more intelligent in their decisions. I believe those distribution partners and repair facilities that are willing to support this new type of customer will be the ones able to thrive in this new economy. From what I can tell, the trend is towards an increase of 10%-30% on labor charges. That way both parties to the transaction feel they have benefited.

In the distribution world we constantly bicker amongst our partners about who has the right to sell to whom. The dealership doesn’t want the distributor to sell to his wholesale customer. The retail store doesn’t want OE in his garage customers shop unless it was channeled through their store. The warehouse distributor doesn’t want his manufacturer going direct to their national fleet accounts. In the real world out there all of our customers are looking past us to the internet and who can get them what they want the quickest and at the lowest price. This new market is not going to go away. The customer now has the part they need in their hand… who wants to get paid to put it on their car?

The bottom line is this; the customer today is wiser and has more options. Autopartstomorrow is offering a vast selection of auto parts at a very compelling price. If today's e-consumer wants to buy their car repair parts this way, the market will begin to accommodate their request. Good for everyone, except those who are unwilling to change.

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Buy Auto Parts, Save Money

With the economy the way it is many people are trying to get by without making needed auto repairs. One of the reasons is that auto parts can be very expensive. That is why Autopartstomorrow.com works so hard to keep our prices down. Sometimes the difference between making the needed repair and trying to do without can be fairly small (like your paycheck). We make every attempt to keep auto parts affordable, within reach of the average person who needs their car repaired.

Not making that auto repair will sometimes prove to be dangerous. We sell wiper motors cheap! What we don't want to happen is for someone like picture "A" above, to turn into picture "B" below. Do yourself a favor and check out our site so you can get your auto repair done tomorrow and save the headache (and keep people from making fun of your car).

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Back to School- Part 2

For those of you who weren't very happy with my Rat Rod style school bus from last week, I bring another viable option. We have a growing problem with kids becoming overweight because of lack of exercise. This solution covers many areas of need, yet somehow I believe it will not be approved. I am beginning to believe that the American people don't really want solutions, they just like to "debate" problems.

This kid powered bus would allow kids to stay fit, would reduce emissions and energy usage (the petroleum type), and save local governments tons of money. All of those things sound great, but my money says this will never happen... what do you think?

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