Autozone sold me used oil

[Jim74]

I do the oil changes on my friends Chevy cube van (6.5 Turbo diesel). I don't usually go to Autozone, but I was in a hurry and they were the closest store with oil and filters.
I picked out 2 gallons of Rotella from the shelf, then waited in line for 10 minutes while the clerk was arguing with some guys who were trying to return a battery they bought in 2002 that had a "lifetime warranty". I was quickly losing patience, and after I was finally able to purchase the oil, I threw the oil in the back seat and hurried back to the garage.
I had things to do, so I was rushing the job, and didn't notice when I started pouring the oil into the engine that the seal that is always under the cap wasn't there. I did notice, however, that the oil was black and obviously not new.
After taking a closer look at the bottle, it had a Walmart price tag on it, so I can only assume it was used oil returned to autozone, and the guys restocking the shelves mistook it for a new bottle.
So after cursing at myself for rushing and not paying attention, I took it back to autozone, and they refused to give my money back. I can't say I blame them, honestly, but man I was [censored] off at the time. I'm sure they thought I was trying to rip them off, but I told them what I thought of them anyway.

So, long story short, I will never waste my time at autozone again. I'm tired of the bad customer service and long waits in line anyway.

 

[tom slick]

my philosophy is "discount parts = discount service"
I don't care for any of the "discount" auto parts stores.

 

[GROUCHO MARX]

It was some wise arse employee. He probably had a good laugh.

 

[levi]

Originally Posted By: tom slick
my philosophy is "discount parts = discount service"
I don't care for any of the "discount" auto parts stores.


Sure that can be true, but OP was had through no fault of his own. NAPA or any other auto parts outlet would have been skeptical as well, unless you were a known regular who dropped a lot of coin at that particular store.

My mechanic does a bunch of business with regular and discount auto parts stores. He can return anything he wants to any of them for a full refund. They know him. They know he's not yanking their chain for personal gain.

Most of us do not have that advantage. Poop sometimes happens, and paying full boat price doesn't necessarily buy us full coverage insurance.

 

[javacontour]

I see both sides. Who is to say you are not trying to rip them off. By the same token, you know you are not.

It wouldn't hurt to write a letter to AutoZone, and let them know that you are not pleased that they stock used oil on the shelf, and then treat customers rudely when then bring the unacceptable oil back to the store.

I'm sure you can cause $10-$20 worth of grief so the manager doesn't make that mistake again

 

[javacontour]

Of course, if that doesn't work, the passive agressive techinque of spilling the product on the manager when he refuses to take it, or on one of those computer terminals might gain some satisfaction, LOL

 

[poisoned]

Originally Posted By: Jim74
..... the seal that is always under the cap wasn't there.
I always see Rotella at walmart where the foil seal is broken. Never though it was used, but was always paranoid some punk dropped something bad in there. I always check now, though I have noticed that the new bottles of RTS don't have the foil anymore. Kind of wish they did.

 

[GROUCHO MARX]

It wasn't used oil, it was pre-owned.

 

[Buffman]

people do that at the groccery store to frosting containers. I've bought three of them (seperate times) that have had the foil seal broken by someone jamming a finger in them. I now check the frosting container before I buy it.

 

[Mr Nice]

Call AutoZone's corporate office and complain.

 

[Cutehumor]

I've had that durlast gold battery situation. it lasted two years, they tested it and said was fine. I took the same battery and put into another car, it wouldn't start either. they gave me stuff about it testing good and charged it up for me. whatever, it was a defective cell. we got to watch this used oil phenomenon, I returned oil at walmart before, they actually opened every bottle to make sure it wasn't used oil. i pointed out the oil cap seal wasn't broken, but they opened them up anyway.

 

[BuickGN]

That's too bad. I would've picked up the same oil off the shelf as the oil I bought used and let them try and stop me from taking it.

 

[Hootbro]

Originally Posted By: BuickGN
That's too bad. I would've picked up the same oil off the shelf as the oil I bought used and let them try and stop me from taking it.


Then you turn a civil matter into a criminal theft matter. Not too smart.

Hootbro

 

[Shannow]

I've been watching on this board for years people "returning" oil that they've had in their stash and no longer want. People bragging that they paid nothing for it due to coupons etc., and that the store took it back without a receipt.

I was wondering when someone would return some used oil.

Looks like Jim bore the brunt of an a-hole.

 

[Matt89]

What amazes me is that they didn't just do whatever it took to make you happy. What does a few qts of oil really cost them compared to having a repeat customer? Drop in the bucket for a huge enterprise like Autozone.

 

[CBDFrontier06]

Strange that they took it back from someone else and re-stocked it, but when you brought it back, it was refused. Nice consistency.

Pep Boys is no better in the customer service arena. They always have some brainiac high-school girl working the checkout counter alone and they all work at a glacial pace. If you end up behind someone in line that is returning something, you better have packed a lunch.

Sorry you got screwed. I too will never again buy a jug of oil without checking the lid first.

A while back, I bought a jug of M1 at WalMart and without checking it, started my oil change process. When it was time to refill the car, it literally required pump pliers to get the cap off. It seemed to be fused. When it finally came off, the foil looked like it had been burned. Some of it was missing, which meant one thing...it had fallen down into the jug. I don't know what might have happened to that jug of oil, but it wasn't going into my engine. It appeared to be the appropriate color, but I didn't care. Back it went.

It was like pulling teeth returning it. They were somehow convinced that I had used some of it, or had replaced it with used oil. One way or another, I was a criminal, when in actuality the criminal had already duped them with the jug I was holding. Sometimes it doesn't pay to be an honest citizen.

So...when they impose the 8-quart limit on my oil recycling, they get my entire stockpile - usually 6-7 jugs. Eat my shorts, WalMart.

 

[OriginHacker21]

I used to like Autozone when they had cheap oil prices. The last few years they doubled their oil prices to match Wal-Mart. Their sales people know about as much about cars as my little sister who doesn't drive yet. Yet they act like they're the experts.

Now I only go to Napa - a small family owned shop full of older techs that know what they're talking about. Sure it may cost a bit more but ... I really enjoy going there. Also, they know how to provide really great customer service that keeps you coming back.

 

[Panzerman]

Ialways check the oil filters for dents and to make sure, Iam getting the filter, correct size and make.I have seen people switch filters to get a different more expensive filter in another box. I ussually check the tamper ring on qts as well as the seal if the lid is not tamper proof. Last week, I was at Advance Auto and was in line and noticed the brake fluid bottle was wet around the lid and so being that brake fluid is very suspect to contamination with the slightest leak, I asked to retreive another, the guy at the counter just picked it up and threw it away and grabbed another. Sorta shocked me, it wasnt that wet, I was just being a little nitpicky and thought why chance it, thought what a waste, I need to go through these peoples dumpster.

 

[paulo57509]

Things like this aren't isolated to discount places. I won't go to the NAPA store in my town because of this incident:

I had brought a 8-month old rebuilt starter back to get a warranty replacement. They didn't have one on the shelf, but they could special order one and have it there the nexy day. Chris says he'll call me when it comes in. Cool.

Two days go by and no word. I call them on the third day around 3pm and Oscar knows noting about it. I explain the situation to him and he tells me that they have the starter. I tell them I'll be there in about 90 minutes to pick it up.

Oscar then tells me that the starter is subject to prior sale. WHAT? I explain to him that is to replace a defective starter. "If someone comes in and needs that starter, we have to sell it to him." Screw that.

I call home and have the GF go down to pick it up now. My GF tells me later that when they were looking for the starter, Oscar tells Chris, "Yeah...this was the starter I was telling you about this morning."

[censored].....he didn't know anything about it that afternoon. It's not so much that they were willing to sell a starter already spoken for, but it's the lie afterward that will keep me from ever stepping foot in that place.

The names have not been changed to protect the liar.

 

[lasmacgod]

+1 for not going back to AZ.

Bought a Gatorback belt there for my 02 F150 4.6 because I like the Gatorback belts. Got it home, and realize they had given me an 8-rib belt and I needed a 6-rib. I get online and check their catalog, and sure enough they list the 8-rib belt for my application. I check Parts America and O'Reilly's online catalogs, and they both list 6-rib. Take the belt back to AZ, and explain the problem to the manager. She looks it up in their computer and states that the computer lists the 8-rib, and that if I need the 6-rib my truck has been modified! I tell her that I checked with Parts America and O'Reilly's and AZ is the only place recommending an 8-rib. I know mistakes happen, and I just wanted to make her aware that there is an error in their system so that no one else winds up in the same situation. She tells me "whatever", swaps out the belt and more or less invites me to leave! What happened to customer service?

I have many more AutoZone horror stories, so I don't waste my time calling their corporate office anymore. They don't listen there any better than those in the store.