Advance Auto battery ordeal

[bubbatime]

Originally Posted By: 6starprez
When I bought my AAP Gold battery in early 2015, I was told the warranty was three years and that's it. I'll reach the three year mark in about six months. Therefore those two stores mentioned did nothing wrong.


Incorrect. When he bought his battery, it came with a 3 year free replacement period, followed by another two years of pro-rate. His prorate was still in effect and should be honored by the retailer. The fact that they changed their battery warranty AFTER he bought his battery is no matter. They need to abide by the terms of the original sale.

In the 60's and 70's you could buy a lifetime free replacement battery from JCPenney. Even though they no longer sell auto batteries, they were still honoring, and paying for, replacement auto batteries as of a few years ago for people that still owned the original cars that the battery was installed in. That's honoring your commitment.

Next time, I would have asked the manager of the store for his district managers name and phone number, and I would have called him right then and their from the store, had they refused to honor the prorate.

Good job by that local manager going above and beyond to help out your wife.

 

[6starprez]

I stand corrected. I bought batteries from AAP in the past. Back then, the receipts have prorated on the them. My last receipt only says three years. Those other two stores should have prorated.

 

[Urshurak776]

Thanks everyone for the replies. I appreciate it. My wife is writing the letter this weekend and sending it out Monday. I'll update this thread when/if we hear back from them.

 

[SatinSilver]

Originally Posted By: PeterPolyol
Also, remind the kids to use ACC if they want to charge their phones. IGN position consumes more power for no beneficial reason.


Yes, if it was in the ON position with radio and ventilation ON no wonder the battery drained so fast.

 

[bubbatime]

Originally Posted By: Urshurak776
Thanks everyone for the replies. I appreciate it. My wife is writing the letter this weekend and sending it out Monday. I'll update this thread when/if we hear back from them.


The guy that went above and beyond, and probably violated policy, could be disciplined for giving you a battery after the warranty expired.

I'd be careful about writing a letter to his superiors.

 

[bbhero]

I believe that you are right about the letter writing part of this. It could very well get that manager in trouble. Though I do think that they should have honored the original warranty that the battery was purchased with. Which means it should have been prorated and not a free one given out.

 

[MinamiKotaro]

Originally Posted By: bbhero
Which means it should have been prorated and not a free one given out.


Not possible without the original receipt. If you enter it manually, it will just say the warranty is expired, as the system isn't programmed to realize a battery that old would have come with a prorated warranty. Giving out a battery for free is the only thing to do at that point. The system also doesn't recognize obsolete part numbers. For example, 24FH, an extremely common battery, has become 124r2. If someone brings in a 24FH, without a receipt, the system will just say there are no records of that part number in the history, because that part number no longer exists. If you try to manually do a 124r2, it will say the same thing, as there really isn't any record of that part number as it didn't exist when the customer bought his battery. So, again, you just have to give the customer a battery to "satisfy" the warranty.

 

[Urshurak776]

Why would the manager get in trouble? Our receipt very clearly states 5 year warranty. We weren't given anything. We paid for it. The manager was simply honoring what we paid for. Granted, he did ignore the three months into the pro-rated term, but I doubt that would cause problems, especially after the fiasco my wife had to endure. The first two Advance stores did not stand behind their product, the last store did. It was the right thing to do.

 

[Sayjac]

Originally Posted By: bbhero
I believe that you are right about the letter writing part of this. It could very well get that manager in trouble. Though I do think that they should have honored the original warranty that the battery was purchased with. Which means it should have been prorated and not a free one given out.

This sounds reasonable to me. Sounds like a the first manager didn't do his job by not honoring what was left on the prorated warranty. Otoh, the last manager went above and beyond by giving a free battery. Kudos to the manager at the last store.

FYI, OP says wife had original receipt in hand at first store.

 

[eljefino]

FWIW it's worth holding onto receipts even if they "conveniently" declare you don't need them. Thermal paper receipts lose their ink sitting in a hot car. Good work, OP.

 

[bbhero]

The first World Champions should have done the right thing and honored the original warranty which would have meant it should have been prorated. The fact that the whole circumstance was a jacked up mess the last manager did a very good deed. Above and beyond. Which is very commendable indeed. But the last manager wouldn't have been wrong or a bad guy for just honoring the original warranty either.

Sometimes in business... Doing something technically wrong can actually be a very good thing to do as well. A good deed, in good session can bear more fruit than staying stuck to a piece of paper warranty. This could easily have been one of those situations. Again though, had the last manager chose to honor the warranty that wouldn't have made them a bad guy either. Far better than what numb pistachios, and tweedle dumb did at the beginning.

 

[MinamiKotaro]

Originally Posted By: Urshurak776
Our receipt very clearly states 5 year warranty.


So you had the original receipt? There is no excuse for the first two stores not to honor the warranty. Sometimes, even with a receipt, the system won't recognize the prorated portion of the warranty. However, you still have warranty and it should be honored, even if they have to take the hit from giving away a battery.

 

[bubbatime]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
FWIW it's worth holding onto receipts even if they "conveniently" declare you don't need them. Thermal paper receipts lose their ink sitting in a hot car. Good work, OP.


I always make a copy of the receipt when I get home on my scanner/printer. I than staple the original receipt inside the copy, and stick it in my glove box. That way I always have the actual receipt in the car, and a legible copy in case the thermal paper deteriorates, which it will.

 

[Urshurak776]

Hi all. My wife did write a letter and included a copy of our original receipt. I had a photocopy plus the original from day one. The original had faded quite a bit but was still legible. She mailed it out Wednesday. Now we wait.....

 

[Urshurak776]

My wife got a call from the customer relations department in Roanoke, VA. They apologized and said they are making some changes in how to implement/change procedures going forward. They said our receipt was absolutely valid. For our trouble she is sending my wife a $25 Gift card.........which I will steal......lol

I'm glad they stood by it. Much appreciated.

 

[philipp10]

Originally Posted By: Brybo86
That was nice of them even though you killed the battery using it in a non specified way?

I used my screwdriver as a chisel and now it doesn't work on screws can I get a new one.

Great they gave u a new one but they really shouldn't have....


Killed it how? The cell phone is no way could draw enough to cause this....lol