Why aren't parts stores linked?

Maybe some chains are, but Advanced Auto isn't. My points/rewards/whatever account shows up at each store, but warranties are on a store by store basis. I had to buy another new idler pulley the other day because I couldn't recall which store I got it from. Its one of maybe 10 stores, all of which are 300-350 miles away.

This is a borderline deal-breaker for me. Lifetime warranty doesn't do me any good if I have to go back to the exact store I got the part from. If I have to call the store I got it from, its still a pretty big pain in the ass.

This is 2017 dammit.

It's likely an issue with their ERP system. You'd actually be surprised at how common an issue lot and serial traceability is in most systems.

Probably 80% of the prospects I talk to have that problem from little guys to multibillion dollar corporations.

You should have them call me.

All the Autozones around me are linked, so it's not necessarily an industry-wide thing.

I used to work for advance.

they do that on purpose.

yes we could look up your warranty from another location, but we were not allowed to do it for a customer.

but, all stores at least used to have a 800 number for customer service posted on the building somewhere. if a customer called that number to complain about not getting a warranty(even if the part wasn't ours) we would get a call within a minute from higher ups telling us that we have to give them what they wanted.

I encountered that with a dead alternator 100 miles from home. They were cool and looked at the sticker and said it was obviously theirs and gave me a new one.

In reply to Tom_Spangler:

Can confirm. If you have a receipt from another store, they might have to type the store number on the receipt in when prompted to. For a warranty lookup it doesn't matter.

Advances computer system isn't as sophisticated as everybody wants it to be. As is the case with most businesses, your receipt is the sales agreement. It contains the original purchase date, pricing, warranty information effective the date you purchased the part (warranties do change), and payment information. Much of which isn't saved in Advances computer system. It's not a conspiracy to reduce warranty expenses or to screw customers out of money, it's just how it is. Get over it, and comply with the the sales agreement you agreed upon when buying the item: receipt required for all returns and exchanges. It's not that different from most other retailers.

That being said, the store manager has the ability to handle each transaction on a case by case basis, and he or she can make the refund or exchange happen. Usually not at the expense of the store profitability (the store will get credit for the returned item). Customer attitude and manager attitude (often one or the other is a dickhead) are what makes the transaction succeed or fail. Many auto parts store managers think they're the receipt police...

Often, the profitability of an auto parts store depends more on the sales volume and not on the managers ability to control minor profit drainers. Taking care of these issues when they arise makes customers return, which increases sales. Do that enough and your store will be a sales and profit winner. Don't take care of customers and you're sales won't increase, so your profit will suck. Downward spiral, even if sales for other customers are making it appear your overall sales are growing.

As a customer, it's your responsibility to keep your receipt or learn to convince the store manager to refund/replace your part. You certainly have the right to shop at one of the many other parts stores; the parts are almost always from the same manufacturer, or at least similar quality. Find a manager who is good and shop there often. Forget about haggling over minor price differences.

Problem is, places love to require a receipt for a warranty swap on a lifetime warranty item. Yet they use thermal printed receipts which will often be un-readable in 5 years...

rslifkin wrote: Problem is, places love to require a receipt for a warranty swap on a lifetime warranty item. Yet they use thermal printed receipts which will often be un-readable in 5 years...

Yeah, I routinely photocopy any thermal paper receipt that I'm going to save.

Good job pointing that out.

Yet they use thermal printed receipts which will often be un-readable in 5 years...

Oh, it'll be WAY sooner than 5 years if you keep the receipt in the vehicle the part is on and you live in South Texas.

rslifkin wrote: Problem is, places love to require a receipt for a warranty swap on a lifetime warranty item. Yet they use thermal printed receipts which will often be un-readable in 5 years...

Exactly. When it comes to warranty replacements, technology becomes a hurdle.

When it comes to big data, tracking your buying habits and sending you targeted maketing, all of a sudden they're tech geniuses.

I like Advance, but they turn over counter folks so often that you need to find the one person in the store that knows how to kludge their POS system for obscure needs.

Unless they put ME on hold when I'm in the store to answer the phone, I'm patient with just about everything else. Pick it up, take a number to call them back or let them hold if people are queued up at the counter. Sorry, not trying to turn this into another FLAPS rant thread.

Tyler H wrote: I like Advance, but they turn over counter folks so often that you need to find the one person in the store that knows how to kludge their POS system for obscure needs.

It seems to depend on the area. Around my parents, the Autozone counter people are awful, Advance is ok but not good, Napa is pretty good. Where I am now, Autozone is ok, Advance is great (at least the one I go to). Most of their counter people are older and have been there a while, so there's always someone around who has a clue.

As a former AAP GM, their ancient computer hardware and software probably can't handle that kind of info sharing. The stores I ran would take a rather long time to just check the inventory on a single part at another store, so a customers history was out of the question.

But as stated above, a good manager will take care of you if you're nice about it. I knew it was a pain in the ass, so as long as it was a part we sold and wasn't a failure incuced by the customer I would exchange the part. Denying warranty stuff like that only turns customers away from your store, and big box parts stores can't afford to lose a single customer with all of the online alternatives.

Autoreilyvance all carry the same cheap chinese-made junk with roughly a 25% failure rate. A big difference for AutoZone is that every one of their stores are linked completely. Any store in any state can look up and warranty Exchange your part in about two minutes flat.

Also, don't be that customer where you have 48 different warranty files under 12 different phone numbers and get upset when I can't find a warranty from 2002. Also if we can't find your warranty because one of our new hires that lasted 3 weeks did the swap wrong and wiped it, I truly am sorry.

"Its one of maybe 10 stores, all of which are 300-350 miles away."

Whoa ! This IS 2017 dammit ! We got the internet, order tonight get it tomorrow. The only reason to travel 300-350 miles away would be to buy an unregistered gun or screw an "under age girl" that you met in a chat room . . .

In my experience corporate shills track return numbers too and having too many returns w/o a recite can cause the big man to come down. Suits smoke out the managers so the managers smoke us out/fire if someone shows no attempt.

it just makes it a E36 M3ty situation when parts come from only one place (cough duralast cough ack) and have a lifetime warranty. yet it wont be accepted because there is no proof of purchase... funny right?

Advance was great when it was in the PartsAmerica group. They had the best free interchange database on the planet and had frequent deals for free shipping. I could check the inventory at the local store and if they had it I'd pay for it online for the "online only" price, then pick it up at the store while they scowled at me.

Oreilly's bought out the PartsAmerica group, left Advance hanging, so Oreilly's has the big database now.

Advance has combined now with a few other relic auto parts chains, but it's nothing like it was. If I go local, I go to Autozone. If I order online, I go to RockAuto mostly. If it's important, there are plenty of online OEM discount sellers.