Sparks Parts

Just wanted to share my experience about Sparks Parts...
I had placed an order the first week of June for window trims and color matched rear bumper caps.I received a confirmation email and then complete radio silence for three weeks, so I drop them an email for an ETA and no response. I have never done business with them before so I have no benchmark to fall on,so I tried calling them and get the standard automated BS and every Gawd damn option no one picks up.WTF!
So I shoot off another email and I get nothing.so I go on there ordering site and get a number to text so I did,and receive they are a small outfit and short staffed, ok I can understand that,and except that's the new standard in today's post covid bullshit.
They told me the window trims will be going out this week and will send me the tracking # but the color matched bumper will be "another" three weeks or so due to "staffing issues ".
Bummer, but ok, I'm thinking I'll get them by the end of July.
Well now July is over and where are my parts?
So I start texting them I get a three day delayed response we are still having problems,well now it's August and my patience is running thin,ok I'll give them another week and try again. And so I did and nothing multiple text and complete dead comms....
Alright so now I'm f ing heated and I text them a serious string of concerns stating all of their BS of what has happened. I understand you can catch more fly with honey vs vinegar so I kept it civil because I can guess the person on the receiving end is like,what ever let's put this aside.
So another few days go by and nothing!
So I go back to my last text copy it and paste it and sent it out to them every hour on the hour and what do you know, I get a response.
Finally someone!
She is the parts MGR so I get a her email.And so I asked her the obvious and she assured me that they will be going to be painting them this week and sent out ASAP,mind you it's now September so I asked her hey I'd like to purchase the lower front valance can that get tossed in the paint both to,and since it's been close to 4 months could you eat the paint cost for the valance.
Her reply was that part is non paintable. Really? Because on your site it clearly states that it is.
She asked do I still want that part I said ok toss me a bone here give me something to cool me down.
I was offered 20% on the part or 15% on shipping really after all this time(my time) for something I paid for in full this is it?
Really?
Fine, just send me what you owe me and I'll take my chances eles where
I finally get everything including the valance.I hunt down an autobody painter to have it painted, I asked if it can be paint with out any orange peel,flaking or peeling and he looked at me as if I had three heads,he said there is no reason why it can't be.

So the first week of October I got it back and it looks great so I email the MGR from Sparks for false representation of a product that they advertise on there web site and she said I can go pound sand.

So as far as I'm concerned they can go suck it and I would wanted to share to all 90+K users here on this Toyota forum the heads up that I'm completely and utterly disappointed for every excuse under the sun by this company.


Sorry for the rant but seriously F ing disappointing.

 

Great, I just STARTED using them, and was all happy to have found them. Now you've gone and ruined it for me. LOL

 

I just tried ordering an axle back trd exhaust, got an email the next day saying on back order with no ETA. (P/N PT226-34220-02).

 

I’ve always had good luck with them, but I don’t order from them exclusively - depends on what the item is and where I can land the best combined price. Painted parts I order plain and get painted locally to ensure good match.

Backorders are backorders - they are pulling from the same parts inventory that every Toyota dealer in the country pulls from. If it’s not available from TMC, they can’t magically make it appear. Often big ticket items or exclusive parts are reserved for new production vehicles and aren’t made available for parts orders.

 

I hear ya big Dawg but back ordered parts wasn't the case 110% she was putting the buck on staffing.
I've seen and been through the shit in my life that "I get it" but don't yank my chain and string me along for frigging months!
man up and tell me how it is and I can work with you.
Sparks is completely out of line on this and zero and I mean absolutely zero accountability for false advertisement,WTF !?

Is this another "norm" that were supposed to swallow and roll with it?

 

Yeah - in the backorders comment I was aimed at someone else’s post.

I’m 14 years of buying stuff from Toyota dealers online (Sparks included) I’ve had all kinds of experiences. But the only not-factory-painted parts I’ve ever ordered that I didn’t get painted locally were the door handles for my LR Pro (I tried to order factory painted ones but that was a national back order at the time). And I had none of the issues you had

 

Is Roman no longer on here?

 

Well that just ruined my day.

 

I wrote down that site and tagged it in my truck folder in my file cabinet.Well now that everything is done, hopefully I will never have to call on them,but thanks man!

I cannot agree with you more on relationships with key people in our lives,my long time painter expired an untimely battle with the big C.
He was talented for sure.

My whole intention was not to bash Sparks but I guess just needed to vent and pass along a heads up for other enthusiasts who want to mod there trucks.

 

I’ve had very similar issues with Toyota wholesale direct and modern Toyota. It’s a systemwide parts problem.

 

Ask your local dealer if they will price match, mine did, the general manager had to have a talk to the parts manager, so they set up an account for me, all i have to do is bring in the price from any dealer and they will match it. The small stuff I just pay normal price. I got the TRD OR kit at what Sparks was selling it for, parts manage was like there was no way they could sell it for that price and make any monies, so she called them just this once and verified it, she just couldn’t believe it.

 

Roman wasn't affiliated with Sparks Parts either. Seems to be a common confusion on the forum because at one point in time Roman and Sparks were the ultimate go to sources for Toyota OEM stuff, but the guberment tax grabs killed Cool Springs' (Roman's) ability to serve. I didn't know Sparks was declining, though.

 

Also didn’t have the greatest experience with Sparks via their website. Not as streamline of a process as other places.

 

Sparks used to be good, they suck now and prices aren’t as good as many other places online.

 

I placed a simple order (wiper blade refills and engine coolant) with Sparks on 10/31. Tracking says it should land 11/13. I’ll consider myself satisfied customer.

 

Ordered a heritage grill, upper leds for the grill and a few misc parts and was notified same day everything boxed up and will be shipped and everything by arrived safe and sound. I’m sure like every fairly large scale operations there are people happy and some that aren’t

 

I placed an order for the lower side glass weatherstrips on Monday, got three different follow up emails - one Tuesday with order status and two today informing me the parts have shipped with a tracking number. Prices were in line with every other site I shopped. Shipping was high but no different than everyone else I checked. All in, I save a few bucks over ordering through my local dealer’s part dept (kills me). I’ve had good luck with Sparks in the past but my experience with them is admittedly pretty limited.

Losing Cool Springs was a real bummer.

 

If a company can please half the people half the time then I guess that's par for the course today.I honestly don't want a small family company spiral down the toilet just because I had a bad experience. I really don't,I also get zero satisfaction bitchin about anything, to me negative talk is bad for the soul and just no good for anyone. Didn't want to bash them,the way I see it was my order got so f'd up I thought that I would make the best of it by ordering another part and asked if they could paint it along with my part that were already 3 months late.
And she comes back and says they can't, because that part isn't paintable (when on there site) it clearly depicts "paintable" to me that's false advertising and last time I checked it is 100% illegal.
All I asked for was just eat the painting cost on that one new part because my previous order hadn't been painted yet so why not?
Nope, she probably took someone else's order that had been painted and gave it to me because of the serious lack in delay.
She should of swallowed her pride and stayed the course sent out the parts that were painted for whomever and painted my new part and call it a day.

So what gives? Nothing....
Well for me to roll with this debacle was to let yall know what I went through and to be vigilant in your orders with them.
Best of luck to yall and thanks for hearing me rant over this.

 

This is the way for online parts. Lewis Toyota has got a lot of my money recently. I spoke to the parts manager directly when there was a price discrepancy and he refunded me the difference immediately. Lowest prices, no tax and free shipping is a win.

I have used BAM Wholesale as they had the cheapest OTD shipped price for rear TRD PRO fender flares. I will definitely use them again if Lewis does not have the parts I need listed.

I have used Sparks Parts before to order my TRD PRO marker lights. They told me quickly that the part was on order from warehouse and would take 3-6 days to receive. It was shipped a few days after I got that email. My experience with them was positive, although it was much smaller and simpler than what OP was requesting.

 

I purchased the PT226-34220-02 black chrome TRD dual tail pipe last night from Sparks for $246 with $163 additional in shipping. I placed the order with other sites and they just cancel the next day because of “national backorder.” I am willing to wait so figured I would try Sparks with a little more shipping cost. This morning they tell me there has been a catalog update as of Nov 11 and this exhaust price is now $398 vs $246 after a nationwide inventory update. They said all dealerships will likely increase price. I cancelled my order out of principle. I do not want to pay $150 more for something after I already placed an order. Now I’m just trying to decide if I wait longer for black chrome somewhere else, get the normal chrome (not crazy about chrome with all black truck), or just spend much more for the Magnaflow overland exhaust and ditch the side exit tailpipe all together. Decisions, decisions…

 

Well this gives you the opportunity to be the first and do the Borla route....

C'om on and do it for Johnny!

 

Midlands Toyota is horrible. I used them once. Their customer service is inexcusable.

I won't go into great detail, as I don't want to relive the nightmare. But, I'll tell one story...

Their parts didn't arrive until a full two weeks after they said that they would. Then, when I made a return, they had the nerve to quote me their 15 day return window. Jerks. I'll never use them again.

 

So just to be clear, is the part available or is it still on a national backorder?