O'Reilly sux balls !!!

[idahovette]

In any of these stores, it ALL depends on the people working there.......I don't care whether it's NAPA, Autozone, Oreillys...whatever. If you have a good working relationship with a guy or gal behind the counter, things will go more smoothly. Yeah I know, hard to find THAT person, but when you do , it works. Of course, I'm in a small community, we only have a NAPA store in town, But AZ and Oreillys are 20 miles away and they deliver 2-3 times a day. Whatever I need is either in stock or a day out and we are used to this in our part of the world. Also, when I had my shop we bought at a decent price and marked it up to the customer....you can't run a shop solely on labor. Wouldn't install customers parts, couldn't warranty something I knew nothing about, whether it fit or not. If you haven't been in the business, you can't believe the amount of overhead that will eat you up. @SirRobyn0 can probably verify the unseen shop expenses that rear their ugly head daily. Granted all parts stores will suck at some time or other, usually when your day is already going down the tube........but that's life!!!!

 

[vintovka]

Not only are prices ridiculous seems most of rebuilt items like water pumps, alternators, steering boxes and power steering pumps are a crap shoot in terms of reliability ad can fail at any time!!

 

[85K304SPD]

Don't count on the personnel knowing anything. Research what you need before you go to the store. I look up the part on AZ, OR and Napa, as well as Advance auto to see who has it in stock and the best price. Write down the part number, price, make model etc... on a Post it and go to the store that you know has the part in stock and hand it to them, get your part and leave. If it is at another store in the area, have them bring it in to the store that is closest to you the same day. Make sure that you get your rewards points. Also, alot of there stuff is lifetime warranty. You dont have to wait for the UPS or Fedex to deliver, and the store stays open so you can get parts when you need them.
Yes, I do still order stuff from Ebay, if the price is way cheaper, and there is no lifetime warranty, or if I have time to wait for delivery.

 

[MikeB]

I would have guessed a $71 belt at O'Reilly would have cost $50+ shipping at Rock Auto. But, more than 3 times much is crazy!

I used to live near an O'Reilly store and bought several things from them over the years. I would say they were typically 25% more than Rock Auto, but I didn't have to pay for shipping, got a lifetime warranty, and could easily return something if it didn't fit. And that was quite often when I converted my truck from a 250-six/manual to 350/auto. For example, I went through two aluminum radiators before finding the size I needed, as well as two or three rebuilt windshield wiper/washer assemblies.

I now live close to Autozone and NAPA stores. I use them from time to time, especially when I need a part the same or next day. And sometimes they are less expensive than RA or even Amazon. For example NAPA brake hoses and Brake fluid. That, and I really like the NAPA guys and their store.

 

[MikeB]

Growing up in what used to be a small community outside El Paso before Auto Shack (previous name for AZ) came in you would go into the local parts store owned by the local neighbor. He had 2 other old gentlemen working there sometimes as soon as you walked in they already knew the part just by eyeballing it. Almost like they would challenge each other.
You would tell them what you needed either one of the three would answer it is
part # ***- yxz it is on row 4 shelf 5.

In my case that would be Circle Auto Supply in west Ft. Worth near (surprise) the Weatherford Traffic Circle. Always 2-3 old guys (probably 35-50) who worked behind the counter full-time. They knew where a lot of the parts were, but could also find the right catalog page in a couple seconds! Heck, even our Western Auto store did a decent job. Anyone here remember them?

 

[SirRobyn0]

In any of these stores, it ALL depends on the people working there.......I don't care whether it's NAPA, Autozone, Oreillys...whatever. If you have a good working relationship with a guy or gal behind the counter, things will go more smoothly. Yeah I know, hard to find THAT person, but when you do , it works. Of course, I'm in a small community, we only have a NAPA store in town, But AZ and Oreillys are 20 miles away and they deliver 2-3 times a day. Whatever I need is either in stock or a day out and we are used to this in our part of the world. Also, when I had my shop we bought at a decent price and marked it up to the customer....you can't run a shop solely on labor. Wouldn't install customers parts, couldn't warranty something I knew nothing about, whether it fit or not. If you haven't been in the business, you can't believe the amount of overhead that will eat you up. @SirRobyn0 can probably verify the unseen shop expenses that rear their ugly head daily. Granted all parts stores will suck at some time or other, usually when your day is already going down the tube........but that's life!!!!

I completely agree with all of that. These days at the shop we can order from a lot of the parts stores online, but the software we use to place online orders is nothing like the retail. It goes directly to the wholesale department and is delivered according to their schedule, general in about an hour if it's in stock. I'd really rather phone it in, and sometimes you really do need a parts professional but finding someone that can even take down part #'s and get them coming can be a struggle. Often times there is one guy that runs the wholesale division and there is typically a wait to talk to him. There use to be a really stellar guy at the local Autozone. We did a fair bit of business with them until he moved on and management replace him with a warm body.

No customer supplied parts here either with a few exceptions. Sometimes I've done it for guys on this forum, and long term customers I know will keep bringing their business in. We barely make it though the winter some years, no way we could do so on labor alone. The building rent alone is 12K a month!

 

[Dryriver1]

I really agree with @idahovette, @SirRobyn0 ,@Grit dog, @HotWheelsBurban, @DoubleDingo, and just about everyone's points to the greatest extent.

One of my observations is that most of us here have a totally different work ethic that was instilled in us by our Fathers, Step-Fathers, the US Military, Grandparents, a Mother who knew what hard work is, or an Older Good Friend that advised us on the real meaning of hard work ethics like Ayden's best friend @AyWoSch Motors,
and that is the type of work we give and expect. Unfortunately, it does not happen.

Not too many young people are being raised in that fashion anymore. Even small town America has gotten touched by the phuck it attitude of now a days with the internet advancements.

In a way I chalk it up to the disintegration of the family and the phuck it attitude, among many other factors, i.e. internet, school ideals, changing political scenes, etc...

Then there is the GREEDY culture that exists and permeates all levels of corporate America.
With that model it affects all aspects of AZ, O'R, AdvA, CQ, and to some extent NAPA.
Only the top makes $$$ even at the store level, therefore it leaves no incentive to most of the counter or front line personnel. Most all of the young lads and gals, as good as some of them might be, just use it as a bridge to get a little experience and move on.

That is just IMHO some of the many reasons why we don't get good service,
good products, etc..

Be well and stay safe.
Best wishes to All of My GMSB Buddies!

Dryriver1

 

[DoubleDingo]

So true @Dryriver1

 

[Old77]

I use Rock Auto almost exclusively these days because I can not only get a better price from them but a lot of times I can still get OEM parts from them so it makes it worthwhile IMO. The only time I got to the parts stores (O'Reillys usually) is for fluids and stuff.

 

[Stumann666]

My water pump started leaking via the weep hole so today I put on my new TuffStuff HV pump. I'll add the TuffStuff pump is very nice quality. The black powder coat is A+!

So I thought while I was at it, I'd run down to O'Reilly's and get a new serpentine belt. Nothing wrong with the current one (Gates) so I'd keep it as a spare.
$71 fricken bux for a belt?! No thanks, I walked out.
Got on my phone and entered the same part number at RockAuto and up pops the Gates belt......$21. You sheeting me? $50 difference for the same damn thing?
Crazy.

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[HotWheelsBurban]

With the commercial account discount, often the Irish parts store is around the same $$ as RA. And I just have to drive 12 miles to Stafford instead of paying shipping and waiting a week. And the return situation is much better with them too.
I first heard of Rock Auto from my cousin in Austin, he would get stuff from them if he didn't need it immediately. That's pretty much how I use them. If it's something I need now or the next day, I will support the local ish store.
We had a NAPA store in Stafford for years, then they moved a few blocks south when the freeway came through town. I'd mainly buy on second Saturday to get the discount. Then they closed for several years, just recently reopened. Haven't been in there since then.

 

[Bextreme04]

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Something doesn't makes sense with your story.

What doesn't make sense... Oreilly was gonna charge him List +$3... Rockauto charging cost +$3... seems to totally line up with his story

 

[Goldie Driver]

With the commercial account discount, often the Irish parts store is around the same $$ as RA. And I just have to drive 12 miles to Stafford instead of paying shipping and waiting a week. And the return situation is much better with them too.
I first heard of Rock Auto from my cousin in Austin, he would get stuff from them if he didn't need it immediately. That's pretty much how I use them. If it's something I need now or the next day, I will support the local ish store.
We had a NAPA store in Stafford for years, then they moved a few blocks south when the freeway came through town. I'd mainly buy on second Saturday to get the discount. Then they closed for several years, just recently reopened. Haven't been in there since then.

Aha ! A SW boy. I am in Alief .

But ...

When I needed my GM blank keys from Classic Industries cut about the only people that would do It was Court's Hardware off of 90.

 

[SquareRoot]

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Something doesn't makes sense with your story.

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I see what your trying to do there Devil Duck! You're a sly one. Never make assumptions and always know what your talking about. Carry on.

 

[SirRobyn0]

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I see what your trying to do there Devil Duck! You're a sly one. Never make assumptions and always know what your talking about. Carry on.

If you look closely dudes on first call online, so he's got wholesale access and he's looking at list / wholesale cost not retail.... And he's not even looking at the same belt. Who is this dude anyway?!?!?