Vendor Review: AutoAnything.com

I honestly can't say enough good things about this company. I first got turned onto AutoAnything.com after having driven all the way out to Waldorf, MD to visit a bricks and mortar truck accessory/customizer only to be dismayed to realize that apparently the Nissan Frontier isn't a popular enough vehicle to warrant carrying basic accessories in stock. Although the associate was very helpful in stating that he'd be glad to order any parts I needed, for a fee, I decided I could reasonably provide that service myself. The problem was, I didn't know diddly squat about matching up product specs with my vehicle's platform for compatibility.

So I start cruising online to figure out what other Nissan owners do. There's a ton of us out there, ya know. I see Xterras and Frontiers all day long. Some are stock, and some are highly customized. I come across the forum Clubfrontier.org and start finding post after post advising other newbies such as myself, "you ought to try AutoAnything.com; that's where I get all of my stuff." I had always been a bit skeptical of online retailing. There are definitely some fly-by night operations out there to beware of. You hear horror stories of people being burned by incomplete product delivery, unfulfilled orders, or damaged goods arriving with no honor of return policies.

I'm now a believer. This isn't idle talk. I'll outline each of the individual transactions I've done with this company:
Curt Rear Receiver Hitch
Steelcraft 3" Nerf Bars
Steelcraft Bull Bar
STK ProRack Headache Rack
Curt Front Receiver Hitch
Westin T-Max 8500 Winch
Rhino Rack Aero Bars Roof Rack
Thule Wind Fairing (modified to fit the roof rack)
AVS Bug Deflector

I think I started off small, maybe just the deflector and the bull bar. I ordered on a Monday after work and they were installed that Wednesday after work. I couldn't believe how quickly the products had arrived. In the case of the headache rack, I had actually ordered another competitor product on the website. When the sales team became advised after my order was placed that the product was placed on back order, I received an email and a phone call within 24 hours advising of the 6 week back order. Further they offered the alternative and promised to have it to me in 2 days if I wanted something sooner. I agreed. Then, as a final double check, another sales agent called me back to confirm that there was a potential for the cross bar to partially obstruct the rear reverse light in case that was a factor affecting my decision to purchase. It was not, but I greatly appreciated that someone was willing to ensure my satisfaction with a product before there was a problem. AutoAnything promptly earned effectively all of my aftermarket business for any of the products they carry for my truck, which as you can tell from my own shopping list, is a lot.

Other great things...

The customer reviews. As a customer, I can tell you that you are incentivized with a coupon discount good towards a future product if you'll fill out a review. That process is easy; the link comes to you by email. There's no ID or string of codes to enter. You go right to a dialog box on their site and can write as little or as much as you want. You can write a negative review and still get the discount. The beauty of it is that by and large, people with your specific vehicle who bought your specific product are describing their experience with the installation. I ALWAYS read the customer reviews because there are some really savvy users who share their insights. On my old work truck, I bought some second-hand nerf bars. They were starting to rust and I tried to rattle black can them to preserve the life. 3 years later, they had rusted completely through and literally dropped off in my driveway. It was a beater truck and I drove it until the wheels fell off. I didn't want to go through that with a new truck though. So I ordered stainless steel and paid the premium. But one of the customers shared the tip that he filled all of his accessories with spray foam to help curtail water intrusion and entrapment. Ingenious! I promptly did this with my bars when they arrived and also did the same treatment to the hollow sections of the headache rack (which was having some interior water entrainment leading to unsightly rust spots). Problem solved. My advise with this is to definitely wear gloves. I always ignore those warnings on products, because I'm a real man. Real men don't need protection from things. Well, this real man had his hands and fingers stuck together with overspray, as that foam expands very quickly and very aggressively. Great for pushing out voids of air or water; bad for any adjacent surfaces or extremities. For stainless steel, the foam peels right off. Painted metal is a bit tougher. I got some on the rear of the cab when filling the headache rack and it was pretty tough to get off.

Final note has to do with the auto-matching of the products. Some auto parts stores have a similar function, but I honestly find their software to be a bit cumbersome and not quite as savvy as whatever platform AutoAnything is using. At AutoAnything, you are not only advised of what product will fit, you are given special hints and tips to the installation. "No Drilling Required". "Some applications require modification", etc.  It stores your vehicle profile through cookies or something so that each time you return, it will selectively limit the available options in a given category to just those that will fit your vehicle. You can always clear out the vehicle selection (or change it if you are shopping for another vehicle for a spouse or for gifts very easily) if you want to do a wide open search. I do that sometimes if I want to try to get a basic part and work on a custom fit. In the case of the Roof Rack, I had accidentally taken the filter off and saw that they had one for the Frontier. My dealer had told me there was no way to add a rack to a Frontier if it didn't roll of the assembly line with it. Partially true. You cannot add an OEM roof rack to a Frontier that didn't come prepped with it. But Rhino Rack DOES make one specifically for the King Cab model. Now, I have a Crew Cab. In my mind, it's just more roof. I was able to look up the cut sheets on the product right from the AutoAnything site. The installation instructions were right there. I had developed so much savvy from the great installation instructions that had accompanied my prior purchases that I felt confident I could do whatever modifications might be needed to make the rack fit. Fortunately, there were effective none. Instead of being able to rely on the provided measurements, I just had to do my own measurements and eye-ball a few offsets. That was hardly an inconvenience and now I have a sturdy platform on the roof for mounting the new cargo basket I fabricated for myself to carry the spare tire.

So this is a fairly lengthy review of my experience with the company. I've given them a fair amount of my business, but they've also earned every bit of it through excellent customer service, prompt delivery, and an entrepreneurial spirit in being willing to support the endeavors of their customers.

So thank you, AutoAnything!

Will Alexander
Satisfied Customer since 2011