I refuse to shop Autozone now...

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Originally Posted By: chestermo
Yesterday my local AAP had a sign on PP 10W30 for $4.98/QT. It rang up $5.99/QT. I showed the sign to the clerk and got it for $4.98. She took the sign down, but no argument.

That happened when I worked retail too. The sign comes down pretty quick, doesn't it?
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And occasionally, if the sale price was really good and we got caught by a customer, the department manager would make sure we knew that sales signs come down immediately after the store closes on the last day of the sale.
 
why do all of you wait until the sale is over to go shopping?
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seriously, I bought a battery recently at AZ, it 'came' w/ the dielectric grease and felts, no, they didn't ask, and yes, they charged me for them. at 1st I was annoyed, but realized the whys for such a policy:
1st, I used them.
2nd, how many times have they dealt w/ people that wanted to return a 'defective' battery, when in all reality the cables were corroded, or he didn't clean the clamps?
3rd, I remembered my experience waybback in the day at my 1st job in an auto parts store. we HAD to make at least TWO 'suggested sales' per customer. like, "hey, you need some rags also, I see you're changing your oil", or, "how are your wiper blades, changed them lately?" it looks like this is a coorporate requirement at AZ, the add-ons. the poor clerk has no choice.
I've worked retail over the years in auto parts, bicycle shops and home depot. I've shopped in all of them also. retail is h ell on both sides of the counter, trust me.
 
I can see your point, no argument intended. What about the BITOG'er that's in a hurry, he bought a few other items, hands the clerk the money then picks up the battery and the bag with the other goodies and goes home. Upon his arrival home he installs said battery, and later peeks at the receipt and sees the little extras he paid for that he didn't need/want. I have enough silicone dielectric grease to choke a horse, I wouldn't want it snuck into the sale forcing me to go back and return it, or worse eat it.

A good manager trains his sales staff to know what the extras are and to try and sell them to a customer. But if that's AZ policy so be it. I always look in my bag and check my receipt while in a store just to be sure. Mistakes happen, and in bad times businesses become more creative in trying to boost the bottom line.

JMO,
Frank D
 
The question of the right way to install a battery is an issue separate from fraudulent vs non-fraudulent sales practices. The sales clerk padding your bill with items HE sneaks in is fraudulent, plain and simple. It is equivalent to them altering my credit card charge after I have signed the slip and left the store.

There is a certain presumed level of trust between the customer and the sales clerk during a transaction, or at least I have granted it in the past, including at Autozone. Since at A-Zone you often cannot see the register screen, you are trusting them not to take advantage of you. They know of that trust, and that people are also in a hurry, or thinking about the upcoming task, and take advantage of it. Next time, due to these practices, I will either walk around the counter to see the screen during the transaction, or audit my card receipt before I vacate the space.
 
To start off I completely despise AutoZone. From there no nothing employees(majority) to there know it all rude managers and not having what I am looking for 90% of the time, I have decided to shop at Napa and Pep Boys. I love it when some kid tells me about working on cars. I'm not in here to listen to your infinite wisdom of 16 yrs. Go apply some more OXY on your face and get me the parts I came in for!!! I rarely run into anyone in AutoZone that is friendly. A few but not many. Don't get me wrong there are alot of adult parts guys that are very knowledgable and friendly. It just really irritates me that especially in an emonomy like this customer service is at an all time low. These companies need to reevaluate there customer service order models. I don't walk into someones house at my job and say " why are you bothering me and get into an arguement". Being nice is the best policy. Even if it's not reciprocated.
 
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Originally Posted By: TooManyWheels
Originally Posted By: Virtuoso
I've had the 'local' AutoZone try adding things like the small packages of dielectric grease or anti-sizeze they have next to the cashier without asking me if I needed it. Just threw it on top of the box of whatever I was buying at the time assuming I was going to need it. Presumptuous?


...or those anti-corrosion felts with a battery. At that instant I assumed it was included as part of the price. That won't happen again.


I hate it when they try to do that. I rarely if ever shop there. Near my house the Autozone and the Advance sit right across the street from each other. It's a night and day difference. The Autozone looks run down while the Advance looks shiny and new, even though it's been there for years. The people with the smmoking, leaking junkers are always loitering in the AZ parking lot while Advance usually has folks in cars that at least seem to be running okay.

Furthermore, Advance often actually has real sales! Nothing at Autozone is ever that great. Plus, Advance seems to give their managers more leeway to clearance old product. While at Autozone the same dusty old overpriced bottles sit there year after year.

The only reason I ever go to Autozone is they have a better selection of fuses and the like....
 
I always try the one remaining Mom & Pop store, then Advance, and finall Autozone- but only if I have no other choice...
 
I guess Ill pile on the AZ wagon...

When they had 5qt jugs of Superflo for $5, I went there and got all they had left.(10 jugs) They scanned at $11.99, and when I pointed out the sign to the mgr/workers, they replied "we didnt know it was on sale" I was thinking, "What???".

They then tried to limit my purchase to 3 jugs(no limit on the sign) before relenting and letting me have them all.

That was almost 2 years ago. All I do now with AZ is drop off used oil when its OCI time.
 
Originally Posted By: zulu
... I went in fishing for good deals to replenish my stash, and they had some signs for 5 quarts of QS dino and an STP filter for $12.99. I thought that was a pretty good find, so I grabbed 15 quarts and 3 filters (limit was 3). Went to check out, and it rang up $83.67. I showed him the sign, and the mananger began to ARGUE with me in front of 6 other customers that it was an old promo and no longer valid...


I had opposite experience with Ace Hardware. I grabbed a can of Jig-A-Loo with expired sale tag on the shelf, so it rang up with regular price. I told the cashier that it was on sale, she asked the manager to check, he came back and said the expired sale tag was still on the shelf and because error was on their side I got it for free.
 
I don't remember any bad experiences at AutoZone. In fact, they have been rather helpful the times I needed help. And they are the only store I know of that will test your battery and charging system in the parking lot, instead of making you haul components into their shop. Though, like all bit organizations, surely there are some bad ones.

Nonetheless, I do like to patronize smaller operations. We have a nice local chain of about 5 stores here in the Detroit Area, called Glendale Auto Parts--auto parts just like in the old days when I was a kid.
 
Only bad autozone experiances I have had

Clerk1: "Fram makes the best [oil] filters
Clerk2: [about German Castrol] "So what if it is German made and European spec'd, it is same as the American stuff"

Good experiance:

Manager1: "Yeah I can gladly match PepJocks price on [German] Castrol and order you a few cases, let me see thier add again"


NAPA Experiance

Me: I need the NAPA Gold equivalent of a GM PF52 oil filter
PartsRep:[Whips out a catalogue instantly .... 1 minute later] "Here you go sir, and a wholesale discount since you work for another shop"

I like it when ppl no thier stuff ... or are wise enough not to know everything and check the book or call the company's tech line for you
wink.gif
 
My technical experience with Autozone is pleasant, provided I go and see the one lady in there who has any clue as to whats going on. I tried dealing with a different person the other day. This fat [censored] had half a subway sandwich hanging out of his mouth talking to me. Anyway, he tried to convince me I was mistaken on what type of engine was in my car. He was insistent that Ford never put a V8 in any Taurus. Finally I got him to shut up and check the computer, and low and behold he was wrong. As for the parking lot, I feel like I need to wear my flak jacket and gas mask to make it through that filthy danger zone. And the store environment is kind of like comparing a Kmart to a Target. Similar stores and products but very different atmosphere. One is dark and filthy like a porn shop. And the other is bright and clean like...well like something other than a porn shop.

Oriellys here is nice and clean, but overpriced and slightly smaller with less to look at.

Advanced is nice and clean, with decent prices, but they never have jack [censored] in stock for me. It's always the same answer: "I can have it here in a day or two". I'm a typical American, I want it here and now. If I wanted it in a few days, I would order it off the internet myself.
 
Originally Posted By: mechtech2
I thought it was a law that a store had to honor a stated/marked/listed price.
Whether it is right or wrong.


That was my impression also. Specifically, that shelf price tags trump computer database prices, as long as they are within the specified date, if there is one.
 
Napa here charges too much to earn my business. Advance Auto is very good here and although it has nothing to do with cars Staples goes above and beyond with customers.
 
About a month ago I pulled into my local Autozone with my work truck suspecting a bad alternator. The counter guy tested the alternator and found it to be bad. He looked up the new one, found it in stock, rang it up and then offered to install it free of charge! He said it was a slow day and he was bored with nothing to do. We went out to the parking lot and he put the new one in. Now, I am fully capable of installing a alternator, but it was kinda nice just to stand there and B.S. with the guy while he did the work. Needless to say, I will be returning to my Autozone. And yes, I did tip the guy.
 
Originally Posted By: LAGA
About a month ago I pulled into my local Autozone with my work truck suspecting a bad alternator. The counter guy tested the alternator and found it to be bad. He looked up the new one, found it in stock, rang it up and then offered to install it free of charge! He said it was a slow day and he was bored with nothing to do. We went out to the parking lot and he put the new one in. Now, I am fully capable of installing a alternator, but it was kinda nice just to stand there and B.S. with the guy while he did the work. Needless to say, I will be returning to my Autozone. And yes, I did tip the guy.


That is the odd thing I've noticed about AutoZone. While every AAP seems to be be consistently somewhat above mediocre every AutoZone is different. Living in a heavily populated area means there are at least 8 AutoZones within reasonable driving distance. While there aren't any I would refuse to set foot in I do know which ones will give me good service and which ones I should just not bother with except for something simple. They must give their store managers a lot of rope because some stores are really swinging while others have hung themselves. I've used their loaner tools many times for things I knew I'd never need. I also have had to return parts that I thought I'd need but didn't and they never even blinked.

Honestly though, don't go to Autozone if you don't know what you need. That's part of the extra cost for an independent or NAPA will get you: smarter people.

The only time I got really PO'd in an Autozone was when I was completely refurbing the rear brakes on a Taurus. I had to wait for them to drag out somebody who spoke English and it was some old codger that must have been trying to pad his SSI. He had absolutely no idea how to use the computer and started a fresh search for EVERY FREAKING PART! I almost jumped over the counter to pick them myself. Their computers even show you a list of related parts you can click on. Then he had to go through the whole process again to get my warranty info entered. Drums, shoes, adjusters, cylinders and springs took 30 minutes.

Calvin
 
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I'm not one to mail in rebates for motor oil.

Also I'm not one for fine print.

I tried the autozone deal one time on motor oil for the misses ecotec pontiac.

Great, oil and filter for 10 bucks. Fine print says something to the effect of "filter up to 5.99 in value".

Sure enough they have a [censored] STP cartridge filter for 8.99, and their oil deal turns into the same price that I can get it at walmart for.

Next time I went in there, I bought a tie rod for a neon. I should have taken the part out of the box, but didn't for some reason. I get it home, the castle nut is missing and all the hardware, and the tierod is bent like someone heated it with a torch.

I take it back and the kid gives me grief about it. I finally had to tell him listen kid, do you think I would stand in this line for 30 minutes to fraud this company out of an 11 dollar tierod?

The manager comes out and apologizes, I'll just buy my parts from rockauto.com and my oil at walmart from here on out thanks..
 
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