pat540•11d ago

PSA: The new auto parts store on Elm Street has a weird policy about core returns

I was at the new AutoZone on Elm Street yesterday, picking up a water pump for a 2012 Civic. I mean, the place is clean and the staff was nice, but when I went to do the core return, they told me they wouldn't take it unless it was bone dry and in the original box. I had to argue with the guy for like five minutes because the old pump had maybe a teaspoon of coolant still in it, and I'd thrown the box away when I did the swap in the lot. On one hand, I get they don't want a mess, but on the other, it feels like they're making it harder on purpose so people just eat the core charge. I've been to a dozen parts stores around here and never had this issue before. Has anyone else run into this kind of strict rule at a chain store, or is it just this location?

2 comments

2 Comments

schmidt.kim11d ago

Used to think core charges were just a scam to get extra cash. Then my buddy who manages an O'Reilly's showed me their storage room. They had a whole pallet of wet, leaking cores that started to rust and were totally worthless. The supplier rejected the whole batch and the store ate the cost. Now I get why some places get super strict about it, even if it's a pain.

milam4211d ago

My uncle's shop lost a whole shipment of alternator cores the same way. It really does change how you see those rules.