Advance auto warranty - online vs store battery purchase

RatLabGuy

RatLabGuy

You look like a monkey and smell like one too
Joined
May 18, 2005
Location
Churchville, MD
I know this has been discussed before, but I just experienced it so a heads up reminder.
If you buy a battery at an Advance Auto store, they record the warranty info via your phone number.
If you buy it online and pick up at the store - you better keep your receipt b/c they have no record in the store AND you HAVE to have the purchase receipt to get any kind of warranty exchange if needed.
There is NO connection between the online and store entities.

My experience today:
Purchased a Grop 34 Platinum AGP battery in Dec '17. It's dead, probably from being overdrawn and sitting too long, won't bounce back took it into store today.
*luckily* I have gotten into the habit of storing battery receipts in a ziplock back, taped to the underside of the battery in the tray.
Lady told me at first, "I don't have any record of this." I showed her the receipt. "Oh, this was an online purchase. What a pain." At first she wanted to do it as a refund from the original purchase, then I buy a new one. Problem is that in the 2 years the price has gone up, plus I bought it on a discount deal so there was a $75 difference. No way I was paying $75 to get my warrantied battery swapped.
Her alternative was a "receiptless swap", basically she just swapped the battery as defective but left me with the old receipt. Downside is this leaves my only with evidence of the original purchase so the warranty dates back 2 years ago.
That's what I was expecting anyway so wasn't too disappointed.

I pointed to the date code on the side of the battery and said, "What about that? Now I have a battery dated 1/20 and you have no evidence of it being wrong beside the receipt in my hand. What if next time I come in w/ this battery but no receipt?"
She flatly said, "That code is basically meaningless. If you don't have the receipt and we can't look it up, it doesn't matter."
"Wait - so the warranty is to the purchaser only, not the device itself?"
"Correct. Well, its both, together. Even if you sold the truck to somebody else tomorrow, they cannot get the warranty. It is this battery AND you, together."

She went on to remind me that they always recommend that for anything that ever mind be warrantied, its always better to buy in the store than online, because it is almost impossible to track online purchases. She was like, "You better save those receipt where you save you tax records and titles and stuff. "
I've read that here before, but just wanted to point is out again.

Personally I order things online to pick up in the store all the time, mostly due to convenience, but also b/c there's often a discount code to save 25% or more.
 
I do the exact same thing you do with the promo codes and yes you have to save receipts which I usually lose since I buy a lot and throw in my tax bin. I have went up there without receipt and there is no hope .coupon25 is code I have used for a while works always 25%off
 
On the topic of receiptless swap. The last time I was in there for a warrantied battery, they said I couldn’t just swap batteries in perpetuity if they died every 18 months. The last battery I warrantied fell 60 days before the warranty ended. So I specifically asked what if this new one died in 59 days. They said they wouldn’t do it because their system would show a warranty claim already. Then I asked if it had anything to do with prorated life, so if there was a bad batch of batteries and I bought a new one and it went bad after 30 days, I warrantied it, could that second battery be warrantied 12 months later. I was told it couldn’t because the original purchase had already been warrantied once. Maybe it’s just that stores misunderstanding, but seems like they could simplify the policy if they just said ‘the original purchase can only be warrantied once’...if that’s what they’re actually trying to do.
 
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When you buy online they smal you a receipt. Use gmail. Searches well. Receipt and receipt number on my phone forever.
 
UTfball68 said:
On the topic of receiptless swap. The last time I was in there for a warrantied battery, they said I couldn’t just swap batteries in perpetuity if they died every 18 months. The last battery I warrantied fell 60 days before the warranty ended. So I specifically asked what if this new one died in 59 days. They said they wouldn’t do it because their system would show a warranty claim already. Then I asked if it had anything to do with prorated life, so if there was a bad batch of batteries and I bought a new one and it went bad after 30 days, I warrantied it, could that second battery be warrantied 12 months later. I was told it couldn’t because the original purchase had already been warrantied once. Maybe it’s just that stores misunderstanding, but seems like they could simplify the policy if they just said they original purchase can only be warrantied once’...if that’s what they’re actually trying to do.
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I suspect this is to keep people from continually getting a new battery. I mean, you could make it a point to kill your battery a few days before the 3 year period, every 3 years, and never pay for a new battery the rest of your life.
But there is nowhere in their warranty policy that you only get 1 replacement during the warranty period...

Also notable is this clause, under "What is not covered" : Parts installed on vehicles used off-road or for racing purposes.
So technically they would have voided my swap from the get go...
 
This is why you buy batteries at Walmart.
 
They will usually match the online price with the code when you go in the store. At least, a manager that's worth a shit will do that. I've only had a problem doing that once, but usually with a battery they will do it because it's enough money to benefit the daily sales numbers for the store. I don't think the online sales benefit the store at all from what I remember, at least I think that's what one of the store employees told me once.
 
VortecJeep said:
Online, in store, or does it matter with them?
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They just look at the sticker on the battery. If it's more recent than the warranty, they give you a new one.
 
shawn said:
They just look at the sticker on the battery. If it's more recent than the warranty, they give you a new one.
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Last time, they also asked me for a receipt.
I handed them the receipt... having done the same thing as always, put in a ziploc this time even kept in the glove box..
After a year, the ink had faded to invisible.
Lady looked at me like I had two heads and said, 'What is this?"
"It's your receipt."
"I can't use that."
"Well, what am I supposed to do if the ink you use to print the receipts doesn't last as long as the warranty for the item it proves I bought?"
It took some serious back and forth with a manager-esque person to get them to swap it out.

Next time I'll be sure to go when it's the middle of their busy time and they don't feel like arguing.
 
RatLabGuy said:
I suspect this is to keep people from continually getting a new battery. I mean, you could make it a point to kill your battery a few days before the 3 year period, every 3 years, and never pay for a new battery the rest of your life.
But there is nowhere in their warranty policy that you only get 1 replacement during the warranty period...

Also notable is this clause, under "What is not covered" : Parts installed on vehicles used off-road or for racing purposes.
So technically they would have voided my swap from the get go...
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At work we sell interstate batteries which have the little date numbers you scrape off for warranty. We go by those primarily and also the date code sticker on the side of the battery for warranty, as well as our computerized invoice system which goes back to 07. Before that we were stoneage hand written invoices. If a customer comes in under the free replacement period the new battery gets punched to the original purchase date. So it's warranty will still expire as if it were the original battery bought. No free batteries forever.

If it come in as a prorate after the free period then it gets a new date punched out.

We don't really have an issue with it like they do at the parts stores though. I worked at advance while going to community college. People were always trying to scam free stuff. Brake pads were lifetime warranty on defects but EVERY day there were three or four warrantied because they wore out. If you brought the gone to the metal backing brakes in and bitched loud enough you got new pads free.
 
Ron said:
When you buy online they smal you a receipt. Use gmail. Searches well. Receipt and receipt number on my phone forever.
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By the time the battery goes, the receipt is faded to uselessness anyway. Seems like a solid reason to buy everything online.
 
jeepinmatt said:
By the time the battery goes, the receipt is faded to uselessness anyway.
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That's another argument for not keeping a receipt printed on thermal paper in a hot car. Keep it in the house, protected from sun in a drawer, and it will last a long time. The receipt will last as long as the battery, if not baked or sun-faded.
 
I used to use Autozone, & never heard of or had a problem with their Lifetime parts, like brake shoes! Even at Midas, one time, I told them "I'll see you next year". They looked puzzled, so i told them the rear shoes on my Jeep, never lasted more than a year. No problem! I also heard or read, to print a copy of your receipts, as the store copies Won't last. Many times I do, & keep the Important ones in my folder at home. The Only, Bad batteries, I Ever had, were from Walmart! That "Everstart" crap, or whatever there called. Picked up a daily driver that had a Dead Wally battery. Was 2 years old, but the stickers, & would not take or hold a charge. I had no receipt, but took it to Wally, just to see. So they charge & test it for 30 minutes, & hand me a new battery. That battery had a 36 mo. warranty. 36 months & 10 days, it was Dead! Well, that was better than the first battery. Took it back, With my receipt. Explained my mis-fortune, with Their batteries, in a Toyota Celica. Crank windows, manual seats, & 5 speed. "Sir your warranty has expired". No exceptions. "You want another battery"? Hell NO, not from Walmart!
I do understand Others have done ok with Wally batteries, but Not me!
 
Tim C said:
I worked at advance while going to community college. People were always trying to scam free stuff. Brake pads were lifetime warranty on defects but EVERY day there were three or four warrantied because they wore out. If you brought the gone to the metal backing brakes in and bitched loud enough you got new pads free.
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I have done this at Autozone with no questions asked. They sold them to me lifetime warranty... IE I never buy brake pads again. They bank on most people not having the vehicle that long, which I think is the case 95% of the time.
 
I purchased a mahle 54249 head gasket. When I purchased it I signed up for their rewards and when I returned it for a new, I had warranty under my phone number.
 
TARider said:
Clerk at the auto parts store recommended I take a pic of the receipt since they fade so quick.
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This is a good start, but then you need to catalog it in a way where you can find it in 3 years.
 
TARider said:
Clerk at the auto parts store recommended I take a pic of the receipt since they fade so quick.
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You can create a “receipts” album on your phone.

Since AutoZone’s warranty system talks to all its stores I mainly use them. For the Jeep I have kept most receipts and have a spreadsheet with date, purchase price, part number, and warranty if applicable. Usually I can just go to the store and look up my warranty without anything, but at the very least if the thermal receipt faded I can look up the purchase date on the spreadsheet.
 
87TPIYJ said:
You can create a “receipts” album on your phone.

Since AutoZone’s warranty system talks to all its stores I mainly use them. For the Jeep I have kept most receipts and have a spreadsheet with date, purchase price, part number, and warranty if applicable. Usually I can just go to the store and look up my warranty without anything, but at the very least if the thermal receipt faded I can look up the purchase date on the spreadsheet.
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But then if you replace phone etc...that’s why I mentioned gmail. Take pic email to self. Name the subject a bunch of key words. Search when needed
 
Ron said:
But then if you replace phone etc...that’s why I mentioned gmail. Take pic email to self. Name the subject a bunch of key words. Search when needed
Click to expand...

I use the cloud so that’s not an issue.
 
If you sign in to your profile in advance autos website go to profile purchase history, all purchases will show. I got 8 pages on mine Ive used it that way for warranty


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