Is Autozone going under? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

sixto · #1 10-26-2005, 01:08 AM

I stopped at Autozone to get a battery for the minivan. $46 for a 6 year battery. Not bad. Anyway, the shelves seemed bare. No overflow in the end caps and extra stock stacked in the open areas. They didn't even have Zerex G-05 which I wanted to get.

Pep Boys went through that decline a few years after they opened in this area and now it's hard to find what you're looking for and service went from bad to worse.

The strange this is that this Autozone has only been there about a year.

Sixto
87 300SDL

MattBelliveau · #2 10-26-2005, 08:46 AM

I have nothing but complaints about autozone. Oh, wait, they do run trouble codes for free other than that...in my area, they all have complete idiots working at these places. Their parts are expensive and have a history of running short life spans, and the selection just isn't their. We have Advanced Auto here (I think they bought out Forest City a few years back). And though they don't run trouble codes, the couter guys are knowledgable, helpful, and aren't complete a-holes. Autozone going under? Who cares? (No offense to you at all, sixto.)

danwatt · #3 10-26-2005, 02:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sixto

I stopped at Autozone to get a battery for the minivan. $46 for a 6 year battery. Not bad. Anyway, the shelves seemed bare. No overflow in the end caps and extra stock stacked in the open areas. They didn't even have Zerex G-05 which I wanted to get.

Pep Boys went through that decline a few years after they opened in this area and now it's hard to find what you're looking for and service went from bad to worse.

The strange this is that this Autozone has only been there about a year.

Sixto
87 300SDL

Look at the top of the battery (or wherever the pro-rate sticker is). You'll likely get a free replacement if the battery fails in the first three months. After that, it just keeps dwindling. At the end of the fifth year, you'll be paying 95% the cost of a new battery.

Also, Autozone is still doing fine. Chances are that the store manager at that store is completely incompetent.

I worked at Kragen for about a year, and I DREADED having to call autozone for price checks. Took me forever to explain to the idiot on the phone that a 1972 BMW 2002 does exist, and it wasn't made in 2002. Ugh. Another time I called them to verify that their OBDII code reader was working so I could send a customer with a check engine light over there. The guy said "Well, WE don't read codes, but our code reader does!".

MattBelliveau · #4 10-26-2005, 03:38 PM

The last time I went in there, I was looking for a headlight bulb. After having the kid basically yell at me over the fact that the square type (after market euro's) were not OE (he swore they were). I have not been in there since. Even their website sucks. If you do a search, it comes up "term not found" along with a list of things a mile long that you "could" have typed, usually containing your EXACT search term further down. No picture of parts, either.

Autozone

uberwgn · #5 10-26-2005, 03:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sixto

Is Autozone going under?

They've closed many stores in my area and had some great pricing on stuff they were trying to great rid of.

mzsmbs · #6 10-26-2005, 04:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MattBelliveau

I have nothing but complaints about autozone. Oh, wait, they do run trouble codes for free other than that...in my area, they all have complete idiots working at these places. Their parts are expensive and have a history of running short life spans, and the selection just isn't their. We have Advanced Auto here (I think they bought out Forest City a few years back). And though they don't run trouble codes, the couter guys are knowledgable, helpful, and aren't complete a-holes. Autozone going under? Who cares? (No offense to you at all, sixto.)

wow, that's exactly the opposite of my experience.. Advanced SUCKS around here.. lines are long, service sucks, those jokers never know anything, and they seem to never have the parts i need.. their website is ok though.. i have no issues with autozone's site either.. autozone has the tool rental and code readers... just way better service and knowledge then any advanced (in yankee land) i have been to.. down south advanced almost seemd like NAPA.. good ol' boys.

mzsmbs · #7 10-26-2005, 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sixto

I stopped at Autozone to get a battery for the minivan. $46 for a 6 year battery. Not bad. Anyway, the shelves seemed bare. No overflow in the end caps and extra stock stacked in the open areas. They didn't even have Zerex G-05 which I wanted to get.

Pep Boys went through that decline a few years after they opened in this area and now it's hard to find what you're looking for and service went from bad to worse.

The strange this is that this Autozone has only been there about a year.

Sixto
87 300SDL

that's kind of weard.. last time i was in there it was a royal mess too but, i think they were just moving their stock around and getting new stuff..

Hatterasguy · #8 10-26-2005, 06:30 PM

They all suck I just use these Autoparts stores to buy wax, cleaners, and rags. I wouldn't consider putting one of their Duralasat parts on my MB.

Although I did buy a battery for my SD their a few weeks ago. It was only $65 and seems to work very well.

I am amazed by how stupid some of the people behind the counters at these places are though.

sixto · #9 10-26-2005, 08:59 PM

Autozone is the often the cheapest and sometimes the only place to get Mobil 1 15W-50 in this area. Wal-mart and Costco only carry the -30 varieties.

I'm not concerned about the experience since I leave all expectations in the glove box before I enter the store. Kinda sad but the MB dealer parts department isn't much better. Definitely more knowledgable but I'd rather pay Autozone prices if I'm left feeling indifferent.

Ironically it's the great guys like Phil who I'll never meet :/

Sixto
87 300SDL

kknudson · #10 10-26-2005, 09:05 PM

Just a note, Autozone is controlled by the same guy that now owns most of Sears Holdings, aka Kmart / Sears merger.

manny · #11 10-26-2005, 09:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sixto

Ironically it's the great guys like Phil who I'll never meet :/
87 300SDL

What are you talking about?
Order $ 50 k worth of parts from Phil & he will send you an airline ticket to come and see him.

sixto · #12 10-26-2005, 09:08 PM

What's with Sears buying Land's End? Isn't Land's End the anti-Sears?

Sixto
87 300SDL

bullwinkle · #13 10-26-2005, 09:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kknudson

Just a note, Autozone is controlled by the same guy that now owns most of Sears Holdings, aka Kmart / Sears merger.

Christ, first K-Mart and now Autozone , too! He must be trying to corner the world market for cr@p!

boneheaddoctor · #14 10-26-2005, 09:37 PM

I've never been inside of an Autozone............

didget69 · #15 10-27-2005, 12:11 AM

- of looking for stuff in AutoZone (Twilight Zone) - hard to find what you are looking for, what with having to trip over the d@mn scooters/canopies/4 wheelers/crap "racing seats" - feels like I dumb down 20 IQ points when I walk in the door... (comment that was supposed to be here in brackets was edited by me to avoid offending anyone - I'd hate to get 'blacklisted') -

You do realize that the guys hired at these places couldn't get real automotive jobs, right? Nothing against anyone's right to work, but when you can't lookup a simple part from a description & drop down menus, you're pretty well a waste of DNA...

And for the record, I did do a couple year stint behind the counter at local AutoZone here in 1985 while in college - also grew up working in family dealership - saw the caliber of talent coming in to apply for jobs.

There are some talented guys in parts/service at some stores, but they are rare & usually use it as a springboard to get into a dealership position, etc...

$0.02 in NC