Andy FitzGibbon Posted October 8, 2007 Share Posted October 8, 2007 I bought two Permatorque head gaskets about a month ago. I was buying a bunch of stuff and paying with Visa so I didn't really pay attention to what I was paying. Put them in, one didn't seal, so I ran out to get another (same situation, was paying for a bunch of stuff with Visa so I didn't notice the price). I looked at the receipt when I got home, and they had charged me $44.95 for ONE head gasket. Something ain't right... I printed the stock page for that gasket off the Autozone web site (they are $16.95 there) and took it back. They had no problem refunding me the difference, but the weird thing is that the gaskets are at $44.95 in their store computer. That got me to wondering what I had paid for the other two I bought a month or so ago. I went home, found the receipt (luckily) and sure enough, they had charged me the high price. I went back with the receipt, and it took a little longer but they refunded me the difference for those also. I haven't had a chance to talk to the manager yet to see if he figured the problem out, but just wanted to warn anybody who is buying those gaskets to make sure you aren't getting charged the high price. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subyrally Posted October 8, 2007 Share Posted October 8, 2007 hmmm, thanks for the heads up, ill keep that in mind when i rebuild my engine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xoomer Posted October 9, 2007 Share Posted October 9, 2007 Thats autozone for you depending on the store you go to. When I worked at one store and would look up said part it would come up one price but when I went to store in a nicer part of town then it would come up a different price... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted October 9, 2007 Share Posted October 9, 2007 My local Autozone was the same way - I just said "no thanks" and ordered them online instead. They were clueless and didn't care to find out the reason for the price difference or match the price for me. Nice guys.... GD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy FitzGibbon Posted October 9, 2007 Author Share Posted October 9, 2007 I am lucky, the Autozone here is actually staffed by people who know a thing or two about cars and are interested in being helpful. They pretty much always side with the customer when there is a problem, instead of automatically siding with the company. Usually I hate chain auto stores but they are the best parts store in town (and we have five). If the manager has any information when I talk to him I will post it here, maybe it can be relayed to other stores and save the trouble of ordering online. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mellow65 Posted October 9, 2007 Share Posted October 9, 2007 different stores have different price zones as it was explain to me when i worked there. i always did the search around to different stores to see who had the lowest price. that's how i got my new clutch for my ea82 for about $90 with a life time warranty. i would always look up this one store in las vegas they were crazy cheaper on stuff and then price match it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank B Posted October 9, 2007 Share Posted October 9, 2007 The autozone here looks like it's staffed by a high school shop class........... Nothing against those boys, but when I ask for something and they say "I've never seen that before!", I get a chuckle. Sometimes you'll see the price go the other way. I've seen $40 dollar items come up as $1 !! That's when you like having a clueless parts guy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uss_essess Posted October 9, 2007 Share Posted October 9, 2007 It's not just AutoZone. I buy at Schuck's (or Checker/Kragen depending on what part of the country you live in), but I always buy shop their website (partsamerica.com) as their prices are usually lower than the in store prices. Probably because the local prices factor in the higher shipping costs to AK. I either buy online and pick up locally, or print out the item and bring the paper into the store, and they match the price. I have even had them give me the website price plus a 5% discount to beat the 'competition'. I have even had them refund part of my purchase price because the in store price just happened to be lower than the online price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xoomer Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 It's not just AutoZone. I buy at Schuck's (or Checker/Kragen depending on what part of the country you live in), but I always buy shop their website (partsamerica.com) as their prices are usually lower than the in store prices. Probably because the local prices factor in the higher shipping costs to AK. I either buy online and pick up locally, or print out the item and bring the paper into the store, and they match the price. I have even had them give me the website price plus a 5% discount to beat the 'competition'. I have even had them refund part of my purchase price because the in store price just happened to be lower than the online price. Just a side note. PARTSAMERICA IS NOT IN ANY WAY RELATED TO CSK AUTO. CSK EMPLOYEES HATE PARTSAMERICA, parts america is an Independant company that sells parts and if we have them in stock the customer can come and pick up parts and the store looses credit for said item. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subyrally Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 Just a side note. PARTSAMERICA IS NOT IN ANY WAY RELATED TO CSK AUTO. CSK EMPLOYEES HATE PARTSAMERICA, parts america is an Independant company that sells parts and if we have them in stock the customer can come and pick up parts and the store looses credit for said item. parts america is owned by advance autoparts, unfortunatly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daeron Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 I wound up buying my fel pros from autozone in store to avoid paying shipping, and the total came to just a hair more than the 17 apiece advertised online. For my buck, autozone gets a gold star or three.. I can CERTAINLY deal with low competence levels for the consistently low prices they deliver, and as far as customer satisfaction goes, they blow Advance (Discount) out of the water. Autozone is certainly a buyer beware type store, but if you are wary it is EASY to get good parts on the cheap through them. The chain I am REALLY grateful for is a local mom and pop chain called Congress Auto parts.. they ROCK, their prices are NOT premium, and their service is unparalleled. On top of that, their website gives you an anonymous login to what essentially is an in store, behind the counter computer terminal... so if you can read through a LITTLE bit of jargon, you can look everything they sell up online, and check quantities on hand in each store, etc... The best part about the place is, when I need nuts and bolts, or hose clamps, or reasonable amounts of fuel or heater hose, its free. Every time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hondasucks Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 I've been satisfied with the Duralast line from Autozone, they even have lifetime warranty brake pads (yes, when they WEAR OUT YOU GET NEW ONES!) I put a Duralast water pump on my Dodge ($36 vs over $200 from the dealer) and haven't had any problems, although it's two bolts and a pain in the arse belt to remove. Would have been a LOT easier had it not been 10 degrees out when I was changing it :-) Shucks WILL price match with the partsamerica (The lady @ the store in Albany told me that you'll always get a better price online) however you have to print the webpage out with the part and price on it in order for them to beat it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4x4_Welder Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 I would think that if CSK weren't related to PA in any way, their logo wouldn't be on the page, you wouldn't be able to look up CSK locations, and for sure PA wouldn't be linked as the parts lookup for the CSK sites. For a bit of S&G, take a look at www.schucks.com, let me know what address it redirects you to and what it says under the schucks name. FWIW, ANY discount parts supplier will match ANY advertised price, it's the cost of doing business. That's why they hire near-minimum wage counter jockeys fresh out of high school (with some exceptions). Better stores like Carquest and Parts Plus outlets tend to have very experienced counter personnel, usually retired mechanics in my experience, but they charge higher prices to make up for it. Watch out for Napa, their quality has tanked lately, but their prices are still up there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xoomer Posted October 11, 2007 Share Posted October 11, 2007 Parts america is a contracted company for parts thats it. If you go to Schucks Website CSKauto.com, The company site comes up. if you go to advance autoparts website you can go to there stores aswell. and if I'm not mistakin Parts america is owned by Advance also, Oh well CSK is selling out, soon the Schucks, Checkers, Kragens, and Murrays will soon be replaced by the O'reilys Logo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speed_limit140bpm Posted October 11, 2007 Share Posted October 11, 2007 Thank's for the heads up. I'll be sure to check prices when I buy this week. What is the best head gasket for a '97 Outback w/ 2.5L phase I EJ25. It's not turboed out or anything, but I don't want to have to do this again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy FitzGibbon Posted October 11, 2007 Author Share Posted October 11, 2007 According to my tech friend, you should only use OEM gaskets on EJ motors, particularly if you have the 2.5 version that is hard on head gaskets. I personally have no experience with EJ's. You would probably get a better answer if you post in the New Generation forum. Good luck, Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted October 11, 2007 Share Posted October 11, 2007 According to my tech friend, you should only use OEM gaskets on EJ motors, particularly if you have the 2.5 version that is hard on head gaskets. I personally have no experience with EJ's.You would probably get a better answer if you post in the New Generation forum. Good luck, Andy ALWAYS use OE HG on EJ series. Also always use OE parts that are buried in the motor, can destroy something if it fails, or is problematic. Aftermarket either reverse engineer or bet the specs on a part from OE on the first design of the part. If something is redesigned or modified by OE, they may not bother with the update, or take years to incorporate the update. There is nothing anywhere written that says aftermarket has to be supplied with specs from the factory. Just and FYI. nipper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thealleyboy Posted October 11, 2007 Share Posted October 11, 2007 It used to be that the Autozone/Advance type stores had a price advantage over the "professional" suppliers, and the cost savings made up for the lousy service. That is not the case any more. Maybe I've just been lucky, but the NAPA and Carquest stores I deal with deliver great service and good prices. The difference between the pro suppliers and the chains are like night and day in this particular town (a small town outside of Columbus). In the city, the disparity is even more glaring. It always helps to form a relationship with the people behind the counter, but I think they are feeling the heat (price-wise) from the chains. They are straddling the fine line between serving professional mechanics, who expect high quality, and competing against stores that are run like supermarkets. As a result, their prices have dropped considerably in the past few years, while the quality has remained high. I would recommend giving these professional suppliers a second look. The service alone is worth it, and their lower prices are a bonus. good luck, John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy FitzGibbon Posted October 11, 2007 Author Share Posted October 11, 2007 I used to go to NAPA a lot, but service was so hit or miss I quit going (sometimes it was great, sometimes terrible). The Autozone here seems to hire people who actually know something and are helpful. We have Autozone, Advance, Federal-Mogul, NAPA, and one other place (can't remember their affiliation) in town here. Unfortunately the non-"supermarket" stores haven't caught up to Autozone yet in price or in service. I only go to them if I need machine work or something else the chains don't do (bending U-Bolts, ect.) Our Advance is completely useless, the last time I went there it was only because I had a free gift card and even then it was a hassle. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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