“I used to brag on AutoZone.”
A mechanic chewed out AutoZone after receiving a damaged alternator in the mail while a Hyundai customer was awaiting repairs. TikTok user @J100xxx published a video voicing his dissatisfaction with the business, showing off the broken part.
The service tech’s post begins with him opening up a box from AutoZone. While the shop’s busy noises play in the background, he airs his grievances about the order. Throughout the clip, he opens the two boxes the alternator came in, revealing that the component is, as he puts it, “cracked.”
What’s more, the mechanic says the customer has already paid for the vehicle, further compounding his woes.
“So… the alternator’s two days late. And it comes in a box, right? And then another box, right? And then it’s cracked and broken to [expletive] and the car’s been sitting there for a week and has been paid for already,” the mechanic says. “And you told her she was gonna have it two days ago? Gotta love AutoZone,” he says sarcastically at the end of the clip.
Several folks who replied to the video also shared the mechanic’s same frustrations with AutoZone as a business. One person who said they were a former store employee didn’t purchase parts from them. “I worked at AutoZone 20 years ago. I didn’t even use AutoZone when I worked there. Trash [expletive] place,” they wrote.
Another person also didn’t have a positive evaluation of the company either. “AutoZone has went down the tubes. I’m about to switch to O’Reilly; I swear I used to brag on AutoZone,” they penned.
However, there were others in the comments section who argued that the blame didn’t rest on AutoZone’s shoulders. But rather on whoever shipped the product to the repair shop. “Doesn’t matter where it came from! Whoever shipped it like that is at fault. Box was destroyed during shipping to the point it was reboxed. No padding,” they remarked.
Which is a sentiment someone else echoed: “it’s actually not AutoZone’s fault. It is a shipper’s fault. You have to contact the shipper to get reimbursed for the damages,” they said.
According to AutoZone’s frequently asked questions page, parts that are damaged during shipping aren’t the customer’s responsibility.
“You don’t pay shipping if the part is returned due to our mistake … if you are shipped the wrong part or if it is damaged in shipping, we’ll pay the return shipping expense,” the company says.
AutoZone’s official policy states that returns can be made in-store. All customers need to do is bring it in with a receipt. However, the same blurb on the business’s site also says that “not all products are eligible for returns.”
Also, online orders received by mail can be returned via mail. Customers must adhere to these mail return protocols in order to be reimbursed for shipping costs. AutoZone states that once a return is accepted, customers will receive a label to return the item.
Like @J100xxx, other customers have vented about their less-than-stellar purchasing experiences with AutoZone. One driver on a Jeep Forum said that they purchased a CV axle from the company “that did not have a snap ring on the end to hold it into … [their car’s] differential.”
Unfortunately, the Jeep driver only clocked this mistake after installing the part. They said this culminated in their car getting towed twice before they finally realized AutoZone’s mistake. Because of the error, the Jeep owner said they were out several hours working on the vehicle, along with the fluid they had paid for to install the CV axle.
Another AutoZone customer on Avvo accused the company of selling them the wrong part, which they only discovered after reaching 60 miles per hour. After their car shook violently and they lost control, the driver managed to pull over. Once stopped, they inspected the vehicle and saw that on the “center wheel hub on the front passenger’s side tire [that] the nut came off.” Consequently, this caused their CV axle to be almost entirely disconnected from their car’s rotors.
Upon further inspection, they saw that the disconnected nut was “the wrong size.” Which was a deduction they made after comparing the nut that came with the AutoZone CV axle to the others on their car. They asked lawyers on the website if they could sue AutoZone for the potential harm they almost endured. However, one legal advisor stated that the driver “cannot sue for what might have happened.”
And that their only recourse is to contact AutoZone, who “should refund or replace with the proper part,” as this would be the only damage the driver suffered. Another lawyer corroborated this statement, stating that “what if” scenarios can’t be considered. “Otherwise [drivers] … would be bankrupt from being sued for each time … [they] were speeding, rolled through a stop, etc..”
Motor1 has reached out to AutoZone via email and @J100xxx via TikTok direct message for further comment. This article will be updated if either responds.
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