Worst. Website. Ever.

Advance Auto Parts', that is.

What the berkeley.

Got an email saying 15% off orders over $100, free shipping order over $75, and they'll mail you a $50 off $100 coupon if you spend $100 with them now.

Ok, not sure how they do all this and manage to stay in business, wonder where they made the cuts that that they can operate like that and still stay profitable. But that's ok, i do need maintenance parts for the Jeep.

Oh.

That's how they stay profitable.

With an utter piece of E36 M3 website.

Have you ever tried Sears' web site?

have you been here? http://helenkellersim.com/ it doesn't even load up right

DirtyBird222 wrote: have you been here? http://helenkellersim.com/ it doesn't even load up right

I can't make it past level 6.

jg

Huh...i've complained about advance auto's site too. but today I found you can enter multiple coupon codes. My air shocks were $50.76 picked up at the store after multiple codes. cheaper than anywhere else.

Tell me more... I had decided just get the ignition stuff from advance but theres a promo right now on rancho rs5000 shocks. I can get all four for $170. If it gets much cheaper than that i might have to just get them.

Alternative is the Rough Country 3" lift with the bells and whistles for $550 shipped.

In reply to spitfirebill:

Touche. I hate their "sales."

I don't love or hate their website, but I am thankful for the plentiful coupon codes. I will actually order stuff on my phone browser while I am in the store just to get my $30 off $75 or whatever. Between the coupon codes and the fatwallet 5% back, I'm getting about 40% off the listed price most orders.

Yeah, Sears' website is a million times worse. That thing gives me nightmares.

I would kill to be able to move past the first selected page after making my selection. I refuse to use IE.

I dare you to go on the Standard Motor Products website and find the part you need.

i just tried looking up a trans filter and pan gasket (700r4 trans) for my 86 Camaro on the NAPA website, and it says that nothing matches my search criteria.. then i tried finding some random other stuff for it- nothing matches my criteria..

so the NAPA site is pretty useless today, but in it's defense it's been pretty useless since they redesigned it and made it all slick looking about a year ago..

DirtyBird222 wrote: have you been here? http://helenkellersim.com/ it doesn't even load up right

Can anyone here read braille? look at the code of the page. There is a long string written in the body of the page.

. .  .   .    ..  . ..       .  .  .  .  ..       .  .  .  .  .  .     .. .      . .  .  ..     . .  .     .. .  .  .     .. .   . ..     . .  .      . .  .  .            . .  .      . .. .  .  .  .. .  ..    .  .  .     .  .  .. ..  .    .  .. ..    
   .. ..    ..     . .   .       ..  . .   .  .           . .  .   . ..     .  .    .. ..  .  .    .  ..  .    .   . .  .      .  . ..  .    .. ..  .    ..  . .  .  .        .  ..  .    .     ..  .        .  .    ..  . ..    ..     .  . .      . .  .  .. 
    .  .       .                  .       .     .      . .     .  .     .        .      .       .     .                 .  .        .   . .     .            .    .  .  ..     . .           .     .        .                 .           .     .     .         .

novaderrik wrote: i just tried looking up a trans filter and pan gasket (700r4 trans) for my 86 Camaro on the NAPA website, and it says that nothing matches my search criteria.. then i tried finding some random other stuff for it- nothing matches my criteria.. so the NAPA site is pretty useless today, but in it's defense it's been pretty useless since they redesigned it and made it all slick looking about a year ago..

Agreed. I LOVED the old Pro-Link version.

Anyways....

A/Trans Filter Kit Part Number: ATP 17936 Product Line: NAPA Automatic Transmission Parts

or

A/Trans Filter Kit (Cork & Rubber - Carded) Part Number: ATP 19718 Product Line: NAPA Automatic Transmission Parts

I also don't like how they won't tell you something is out of stock until you to pay for it.

All of this is still better than walking down to the car, wasting gas to get to the store while sitting in traffic and dealing with yuppies in SUVs leaving Starbucks, finding a parking space, waiting in line, only to have the idiot behind the parts counter tell you they don't have what you need/doesn't know what part you're talking about/has never even heard of your brand of car. Online shopping is a gift from god, and I can deal with a crap website because I hate all of the above even more

I generally go to Rock Auto's website to look up stuff, then plug that P/N into PepVanceZone's site to see what comes up.

Sometimes the price difference on stuff is surprising; I needed some of those rubber/steel bonded washers to use as drain plug gaskets. Rock Auto has them for $1.18 each if you buy a box of 10. AutoZone has them as part of a 'multi pack' of others (copper washers, aluminum washers etc) and that package is $5.95, OR I can order the individual ones (not stocked) for $2.59 each. No multi pack available. If I order 10, that's $25.90. Even with USPS, I wind up paying $1.59 each from Rock Auto and best of all I have enough to keep me out of trouble for a while.

That's how PepVanceZone stays in business; they make a low margin on the big stuff then KILL you on the little stuff like that and most people just toss out a few $ without giving it a second thought. That's why they push those little bulb grease packets etc.

Curmudgeon wrote: That's how PepVanceZone stays in business; they make a low margin on the big stuff then KILL you on the little stuff like that and most people just toss out a few $ without giving it a second thought. That's why they push those little bulb grease packets etc.

QFT. Those packets of E36 M3 grease cost less then 10 cents each and they charge $1. The only problem is the reliance on percentages instead of worrying about dollars out the door. Sure, I can make 90% profit on a dollar sale and be the envy of the district for that month or I can sell 100k for the month and make 10% profit.... Which really keeps the lights on?

Here's how they view it: if they sell a 10% gross profit markup part for, say, $100 ($10 gross) and pile on 5 or 6 90% markup items (gasket sealer, antifreeze etc) for another $25 ($22.50 gross), then the whole sale is now a 26% gross ($32.50 / $125.00 = 26% gross). The big part gets you in the door, the small stuff squeezes your wallet.

How it works out at the end of the month:

$100,000.00 x 10% = $10,000.00/month.

$125,000.00 x 26% = $32,500.00/month.

That's how they keep the lights on. It's how my dad's speed shop stayed in business for ~15 years, too.

It works because most people never stop to think about how they are dropping $3 for something which should be much cheaper, like the drain plug gasket thing. It's also one of those things where generally it's something you need RIGHT NOW and thus just throw the $ at the counter monkey then haul ass.

A good example: I use Bosch filters on the Trooper, P/N 3312. Rock Auto has them for $3.68 but I have to have it shipped. (Okay, the only way I'd do that is to buy a few or piggyback it onto another order.) RA is making enough of a profit to stay in business at $3.68, too, I'd guess 30%. So that makes their cost about $2.51. (That's a complete SWAG, BTW.) RA has no brick/mortar store to support so they can get away with the lower price/profit margin.

My local AutoZone has the exact same filter for $6.99. I'm willing to bet they buy as many as Rock Auto does so they are getting a good price on them as well. That means they make $4.48, or about 64%.

At least for the extra it's on the shelf and I don't have to pay shipping.

re: those little grease packets

one time autozone monkey said "these pads make a little noise i'll give you a couple packets of this stuff" and tossed it in the bag. when i got out to the car i realized he did not "give" me anything. he charged me $2 for 2 packets of anti-seize and i have tubs of the stuff at home. so he had an irate customer to deal with by trying to sneak a couple extra dollars out of me.

yesterday ordering steering parts for the sonoma i had oreilly, advance, and rock auto open at the same time with the same shopping cart. oreilly was $149, advance was $117 with their discount(not counting the extra $50 which requires me to give them an additional $50 in the future so it's a wash), rock auto was $78 SHIPPED. i had to move things around and make sure it was shipping from 2 locations instead of 4 or 5, but still saved a ton.

if you're ordering in quantity rock auto is hard to beat. tie rod ends were $7 less, the center link was almost $30 less. then i got jacked $22 on shipping but when you're talking about paying $120-150 locally versus $55 plus shipping to rock auto..... unless you need the stuff NOW(i had to go buy lower ball joints at oreilly because i wanted to get them in yesterday), it's worth it.

but yes, to concur with the OP, advance's website sucks. when i want to find a temp sensor i do not need to see every pigtail for every electrical connection on the vehicle.

Grtechguy wrote:

DirtyBird222 wrote: have you been here? http://helenkellersim.com/ it doesn't even load up right

Can anyone here read braille? look at the code of the page. There is a long string written in the body of the page. . . . . .. . .. . . . . .. . . . . . . .. . . . . .. . . . .. . . . .. . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .. . .. . . . . . .. .. . . .. .. .. .. .. . . . .. . . . . . . . . .. . . .. .. . . . .. . . . . . . . .. . .. .. . .. . . . . . .. . . .. . . . .. . .. .. . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . .

The googles say "This is not the source code you are looking for."

Ok so let's turn this around a little bit....

I need:

Tune up things for Jeep. (COP truck, so that'll suck a little.)

I want:

Suspension refresh for said Jeep.

Ignition stuff is a wash between Advance and Rock Auto.

I can get Rancho RS5000s for $170 shipped from Advance. Or, i can just order ignition stuff from Advance now, and then wait for another sale like this go on for the Ranchos, and then stack a $50 coupon from my ignition stuff on top of them, getting the Ranchos for $150 or less. ($120 if the same promotion is still going on, and it might.)

Or i can get a full Rough Country 3" suspension lift with all the bells and whistles for $550 shipped.

What do?

just the shocks because lifted jeeps are a cliche?

look for the end date on the shock promotion. i think advance says they email you the coupon on may 16th.

patgizz wrote: just the shocks because lifted jeeps are a cliche? look for the end date on the shock promotion. i think advance says they email you the coupon on may 16th.

Well, i'm needing heavier springs for what i have planned for the Jeep eventually anyways. I'm thinking though that the stock heigh Rancho RS5000s should be fine as long as the HD springs don't lift more than an inch, and they shouldn't.

The advantage to the Rough Country setup is that it includes EVERYTHING, i don't have to piece anything together, and will be matched correctly.

I'll check the promotion. If i can end up with the Ranchos for $120, it'd be stupid to not do that, even if i only use them for a year or two or hate them.

I think i figured it out.

Buy ignition things through Advance. Receive free shipping and $50 off $100 coupon.

Use $50 off coupon to buy RS5000s for $150 or less.

Purchase Rancho 2.5" lift kit for $500 or less.

Take advantage of Rancho's current promotion and send in proof of purchases for $400 debit card.

Acquire full Rancho lift kit for $250.

Or i can step up to their top of the line shocks for a total investment of $334 because of a $500 debit card mail in rebate. (Buy shocks with $50 off coupon, receive free lift kit!)

(EDIT) Oh it looks like i found the lift kit for $450 somewhere. Soo... $200 or $284 for full setup. ME GUSTA.