All parts returns at Emich Auto stores must meet every requirement below. This policy covers counter retail, wholesale and online parts sales at every Emich location.

General requirements

Every return must:

  • Include the original purchase invoice. No invoice, no return.
  • Be made within 20 days of the invoice date. No returns after 20 days.
  • Be new, uninstalled and resalable, in its original, undamaged factory packaging, with no grease, marks or writing on the part or box.
  • Have been purchased from the same Emich store it is being returned to.
  • Pass inspection by the Parts Department before any refund or credit is issued.

Inspection and verification

Emich may record serial numbers of and bench-test any returned part. A return may be refused if part numbers, serial numbers, date codes or casting marks do not match what Emich sold.

Fraudulent or abusive returns

Emich will refuse a return when the item:

  • was not purchased from Emich
  • has been swapped for a used or different part
  • is a used part returned as new
  • is a core substituted with a different unit

Staff may photograph and document any refused item. Emich may decline returns from anyone with a history of fraudulent or abusive returns. Returns may require valid photo ID.

Restocking fee

A 20% restocking fee applies to every approved return. This includes retail, wholesale and online customers. There are no account-based exemptions.

Non-returnable items

The following cannot be returned for any reason:

  • All electrical and electronic parts. This includes any part with an electrical connector or circuit, such as modules, sensors, switches, relays, fuses, bulbs, motors and wiring harnesses.
  • Special-order and non-stock parts.
  • VIN-specific, coded or programmed parts, such as keys, key fobs and anything cut, coded or configured to a vehicle.
  • Fluids, chemicals, paint and opened consumables.
  • Gaskets, seals and hardware removed from their packaging.
  • Installed or used parts, and parts damaged by improper installation.
  • Clearance or as-is items.

Special orders

  • All retail special orders require full prepayment before the part is ordered.
  • The customer signs a special-order acknowledgment confirming the part is non-returnable.
  • Wholesale special orders are billed to the account and are also non-returnable.
  • Special orders not picked up within 30 days of notification are forfeited, with no refund.

Wrong-part protection

Customers should provide the VIN at the time of purchase. Parts ordered without a VIN, or with incorrect vehicle information, are subject to every fee and exclusion in this policy.

Diagnosis responsibility

Emich parts staff look up parts from the information the customer gives. They do not diagnose vehicle problems. A part that was correctly supplied but did not resolve the customer's problem is treated as a standard return and is subject to all fees and limitations.

Damaged or defective parts

  • Shipping damage or missing items must be reported within 2 business days of receipt.
  • For online orders, the risk of loss passes to the customer when the carrier delivers the package. Emich will help file carrier claims for damage reported within 2 business days.
  • A part that fails in service is handled under the manufacturer's genuine parts limited warranty, not as a return.
  • A warranty claim requires the original invoice and the failed part.
  • Labor coverage follows the manufacturer's warranty terms.

Cores

  • Core charges are refunded only when the core is returned within 20 days of the invoice date.
  • The core must come back in the new part's box, drained of all fluids, complete, and not cracked, broken or disassembled.
  • Depending on the store and manufacturer, the customer may also need to provide the repair order or work order showing where the part was installed, and complete a core return form.
  • The Parts Department makes the final decision on whether a core is acceptable. Cores rejected by the manufacturer are not eligible for a core refund.

Refunds

  • Refunds go back in the original form of payment only. Card refunds go to the original card.
  • No store credit is issued.
  • Card refunds are processed within 10 business days of approval.
  • Cash refunds over $50 are paid by check within 10 business days.
  • Refunds include sales tax on the refunded amount.
  • Original shipping charges are non-refundable.

Online orders

  • Returns require a Return Authorization (RMA) number, obtained before the part is shipped back.
  • The customer pays return shipping.
  • Packages that arrive without an RMA number will be refused.

Wholesale accounts

Approved wholesale returns are issued as a credit memo to the account. Wholesale accounts follow the same 20-day window, 20% restocking fee and exclusions as retail.

Chargebacks and disputes

Customers should contact the Parts Manager before starting a card dispute. Emich will provide signed invoices, special-order acknowledgments and this policy to the card issuer in response to any chargeback.

Exceptions

Only the store's Parts Manager can approve an exception to this policy. Staff must note every exception on the invoice with the Parts Manager's name and the reason. An exception does not change this policy for any later transaction. Questions should be directed to the Parts Manager.

Policy changes and disclosure

A purchase made online, in store or over the phone from Emich is an acknowledgment and acceptance of this return policy. Emich will make every reasonable effort to make this policy available at the time of purchase or order. Emich may update this policy at any time. The version in effect on the invoice date applies.

Legal rights

Nothing in this policy limits any warranty or right the customer has under applicable law.