NAPA stores. Independently owned...........

[TechnoLoGs]

Well. Al-righty! I have a shorted cell. There is a NAPA 5 minutes from my house. It is closed. So, I go to a nearby NAPA...

They say they cannot help me without the receipt. OK, that is all well and good, but I ask if they can look me up in the computer, since in essence I need my battery free replacement. That would be the best thing.

Now, the reason for this thread... THEY CAN'T DO THAT because they dont' have access to the NAPA info??? This really made it impossible for me to change the battery, THEN MY TRUCK WILL FIRE UP AND RUN AND GET GOING. Another day, that one is out of commission.

How do you all feel about NAPA, the most expensive auto store in general, except for maybe O'Reilly's?

 

[Johnny248]

I've always been happy with Napa. Ive used them for a long time. However, I also get our dealer pricing which is less than regular pricing. They usually have multiple choices for parts in different quality, their premium stuff is generally better than what you would get from Autozone, etc.

Back to your issue. Easiest way to remedy this problem is to keep your receipts! It should not be a stores responsibility to keep your records for you. Just my opinion.

 

[mechanicx]

NAPA parts quality has really dropped and they never were very customer friendly.

That's the benefit of a Walmart battery and to some extent an Advance Auto you can return it nationwide until about 9pm and don't need a receipt.

 

[ram_man]

I like that most other part stores keep our records. Sure they don't have to but if they do that's an incentive to go there.
Also most of them price match and the part quality is diminishing. Most aftermarket parts are junk. No matter which store you pick.

 

[cmorr]

Originally Posted By: Johnny248
I've always been happy with Napa. Ive used them for a long time. However, I also get our dealer pricing which is less than regular pricing. They usually have multiple choices for parts in different quality, their premium stuff is generally better than what you would get from Autozone, etc.

Back to your issue. Easiest way to remedy this problem is to keep your receipts! It should not be a stores responsibility to keep your records for you. Just my opinion.


+1, realize the OP is frustrated but you need to depend on yourself, not others. BTW, if they are so expensive why did you buy the battery there

 

[TechnoLoGs]

Originally Posted By: cmorr
Originally Posted By: Johnny248
I've always been happy with Napa. Ive used them for a long time. However, I also get our dealer pricing which is less than regular pricing. They usually have multiple choices for parts in different quality, their premium stuff is generally better than what you would get from Autozone, etc.

Back to your issue. Easiest way to remedy this problem is to keep your receipts! It should not be a stores responsibility to keep your records for you. Just my opinion.


+1, realize the OP is frustrated but you need to depend on yourself, not others. BTW, if they are so expensive why did you buy the battery there


Two reasons, actually three:

1. I have had an ongoing battery melodrama. NAPA was about the only one left, and I decided that the may be a quality battery, and I want that.

2. Even though the $94.99 dual post battery looked very tempting, I kept within reason and bought the $65 battery. $65 is not "The most expensive around," as a matter of fact I have not seen a battery for less than that. Unless I get an Autozone Valucraft.. at either $54 or $59..

3. I was local to a store I bought it at at the time, I was on a road trip and it was there and.. it made sense.

Now, why can't they look me up in the computer? I seem to recall them putting my name in the system, I could be wrong.

But, if they don't want to help me, I will probably try Pep Boys. They are in vry close proximity, Walmart and Pep Boys..

 

[2oldtommy]

NAPA goes after the independent repair garage that need parts delivered fast. They do very well at this market. The store displays are minimal and the counter help does not appear to want to take time with the walk in customer. As noted above, most are a franchise operation. If you know what you need, they will order it for you. Don't expect a lot of personal sevice. FWIW--Oldtommy

 

[oldhp]

Unless something has changed, when I worked at NAPA as long as the date codes were clearly tagged out that showed when battery was put in service you didn't need a receipt. If you keep the receipt in your glove compartment (I do) there's your proof if they (?) require it, but what if your like alot of people that don't keep receipt or its at home with your other car receipts and your on vacation??? Last I knew Interstate was the same way on warrenty.

 

[Tdbo]

Our local NAPA runs bankers hours during the week and an abbreviated schedule on Saturday. Since their hours are generally incompatible to mine, I tend to go elsewhere unless they have a deal that I cannot refuse. Then, I tend to go to an out of town store.

 

[NHGUY]

NAPA batteries for many years were made by Globe Union,then Exide,now East Penn supplies them. There are 6600 NAPA stores,over 6000 are independent.They dont have access to NAPA online sales records.NAPA stores have a more balanced garage/retail ratio on sales than a lot of chains.Where a PEP Boys is probably almost 100% retail,and an AutoZone maybe 80/20 retail,and the old VIP almost 100% retail,I am told that O'Reilly is pushing hard to increase its garage/fleet penetration (this is the miracle source for more profits/turnover when the retail market has gone soft).

 

[csx7006]

My NAPA here is run by our town's mayor. He has good buisness and also works on peoples vehicles.

 

[exranger06]

I work part time at Napa, so perhaps I can shed some light on this. Number one: Napa NEVER asks for customer info when you make a purchase. So providing them your name or phone number won't get you anywhere, since they never entered that info when you bought it anyway. We don't even have the ability to enter customer info into the computer even if we wanted to; the computer system doesn't have any provision for it. The only exception is if you have a commercial account, in which case we can see everything bought under that account. But even if you do have an account, all that means is you have an account at that particular store, NOT any other store. Which brings me to my next point...

Number two: Since they're all independently owned, they do not have access to other stores' sales records. They only have access to their own sales and any other stores that are owned by the same owner. It's best to not think of a Napa store as part of a national chain. Act like it's a totally independent store that's not affiliated with anyone else, because that's more or less what they are. They just happen to sell the same products as many other "independent" stores.

If you want a warranty that is supported at any store in the country with customer info stored, you'll need to shop somewhere other than Napa. It is what it is. As long as keep what I said above in mind and set your expectations accordingly, you won't be disappointed with Napa.

 

[Dave Hess]

With tons of AAP stores on the East cost there is zero reason to shop at NAPA.

With 40% discount codes from AAP.... I will only shop at AAP.

 

[dishdude]

NAPA is geared towards independent garages. They don't care nor want to deal with the DIYer. I haven't been in a NAPA for years.

 

[BubbaFL]

I like (and patronize) the local NAPA.

Their "we don't keep customer purchase and warranty info in the computer" policy is retarded.

It's 2013. A web site like BITOG can effortlessly track a user's history going back over a decade.

But there is some insurmountable technical problem that keeps NAPA from maintaining a shared warranty database?

[censored]!

It's a carefully calculated decision to minimize warranty costs, nothing more.

NAPA could fix it easily if they really wanted to. They don't.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

I used to buy exclusively from Napa. Then I got a string of bad parts and jerked around when I tried to return them. Their junk is the same junk as Advance auto ... just 20% more expensive.

 

[The_Jeff]

If you really want a shocker price a part on napaonline (one word) then see your shyster local dealer charge more than list.

I waited at a super-napa (regional warehouse attached) for like ten minutes with my kids tearing up the store while literally 20 employees stood there not helping me. One employee was helping one old guy arguing over a battery (what else????). While the others may have been busy with non-customer tasks, they could have acknowledged my presence.

So then I loudly announced to the kids we were going to CarQuest for some GD customer service and the employees looked happy we were leaving.

 

[Chris142]

Yup pretty much no reciept no warranty here

 

[mechanicx]

NAPA can be good for some obscure parts or for some minor machine work as some of them have decent machine shops attached. They always did tend to be kind of jerks if they didn't know you or you don't have a commercial account. It not unlike going to a dealer parts department except the parts price isn't quite as high and part quality isn't near as good. I'm all for supporting an independent business, but the parts quality there has really dropped off to about bottom of the barrel.

 

[bullwinkle]

NAPA stores have been closing around here, or being sold to new owners-and literally EVERY battery I've gotten there (or got in a vehicle with the NAPA name on it) has failed prematurely. With 40% off codes for AAP/Johnson Controls batteries, I can't imagine going anywhere else.