I have bought brake pads and many other things In Ohio and could get a warranty adjustment honered in Florida or Alabama....with no sales receipt...just a phone number. Pretty Impressive in my book. Every company has some good and some not so good employees.
Napa ranks tops in quality, but short warranty perionds compared to autozone's lifetime warranties.
Around where I live (Minnesota), I have auto shops galore all within a reasonable distance. There's Autozone, O 'Reillys, NAPA, Pep Boys, etc.. And in my opinion, Autozone is my favorite to purchase parts from. (That is, if I don't buy them online elsewhere) They're definitely not a perfect store, but it's the best out of all my choices. Customer service is great, parts selection is great, prices are okay. Only problem I've ever had, is on a number of different occasions, I received a faulty part. I'm now in the habit of opening the box and seeing what I'm getting before I purchase it. So all in all, it's a pretty darn good store. Just inspect your parts before you buy.
been a gear head since 1969. all over the counrty. a lot has changed. chains buying other chains.
here's my personel ranking on national stores,
orielys is last. they tend to hire some high school ppl. good for the employees to start out. but bad for us.
autozone tends to hire fairly knowledgable ppl.
while NAPA is tops on the list. best all around knowledgeable employees.
disclaimer is that any store can get lucky and hire a guru. in turn, any store might have an idiot behind the counter.
far as quality parts, auto zone is on a par with oriely's. doesn't hold a candle to NAPA though.
but, NAPA is pricey.
also depends on store sourcing policies. some i've found, arent allowed to go beyond set books for sourcing. while others, mostly smaller towns, are allowed to source from anywhere if needed.
there's a little give and take in all aspects. in general though, to be kind, every area has it's own ppl. any store can have guru's or idiots. and any manager can be an A hole.
what's the problem. you've had good luck with them before so what if you own a interest in the company
I have decent things to say about them. they can help in instances where other stores fear to tread. They dont get picky or sticky, and they can help you fix anything except a mercedes benz. In my experience. I went to them on a jeep brain once, they had as many lifetime parts as it would take. Couldn't fix the customers brain though.
Most of the time they are OK if you don't mind paying their prices.
Is Autozone a reputable place to purchase parts?
I've had very good experiences with them,especially with electrical components.
Since I own an interest in the company,I would like to hear any comments from the experts out there.
