Called them ahead of time to check if they had what I needed, Drove all the way in a friend’s car while in the middle of a DIY repair and the moment I approach the first person behind the counter in the store, the attitude is nasty and was told to go away coz they don’t have what I needed. This has happened 2nd time at this location. It was an extremely embarrassing experience. Never stepping in another of their stores.
Here’s a clearer, more polished rephrased version of your review:
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Very bad experience. I took my Toyota Highlander in for a battery replacement. Initially, they told me the replacement would be free, but then changed their story, saying there was an electronic connection issue, so they couldn’t replace it—but they could still sell me the battery. I agreed and asked what would happen if the battery didn’t fit. The person helping me said that once I walked out of the store with it, there would be no returns.
I then asked what would happen if they gave me the wrong battery. No answer. He just insisted it was the correct one. When I asked him to double-check, he realized it wasn’t and said I actually needed a different size. The worst part was when he tried to ask the store manager about the return policy—the manager seemed completely uninterested and just walked away.
Thankfully, I left and went to AAA instead, where they were professional and replaced my battery without any issues.
so would suggest to stay away from that place ..
Wish I could give 1 star. Called to find out if they had a part in stock. When the employee answered they immediately said please hold and put me directly on hold for the next 15 mins. When they did finally answer they asked for a part number. I told them I wasn’t sure but that I had all the car information and would they mind looking it up for me. The guy on the phone made a huge stink about it and tried to tell me no but I told him that other stores nearby had no problems looking up the part and told me it was there suddenly he could find it. When I went into the store I brought up the phone interaction but nobody "knew what I was talking about." Clearly from these reviews this kind of behavior happens a lot.
I highly recommend this Advanced Auto Parts in South Plainfield! The store manager Steven went above and beyond for me today when I came in having an issue with my coolant. This was the best service I’ve had in any store ever. There was another employee there as well who was very kind and informative. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. Who ever is the big boss at this location, give em a raise! They deserve it! Hahaha
Hello administrative customer service is poor I been to store twice. I need to test my battery before I buy guy said we have nobody to check I said ok. Next week I go there again same guy I said Good morning no respond then I wait no acknowledgement then I jump in to said need to check battery same respond last time there was 2 guy in store. What a bad service not even 1 star if I have to give?
Wait in line for 20 min to recycle oil. Then he says that I need to wait for the paying customers who just came in the line which means another 15 mins. I would’ve taken less time than the customers Yeah.. great way to lose a paying customer.
Steve J helped me find the right tool for my car and helped give me advice last time I came. This is a great store and he went above and beyond to help me.
I recently visited this location (Oak Tree Road, South Plainfield, NJ) and was immediately greeted by the store manager Steve, who was extremely friendly and willing to help me locate the required part for my car. Throughout my visit, he displayed impeccable manners and provided exceptional customer service. Thank you Steve.
I recently purchased a battery online and picked up locally that failed to hold charge. When I returned to the store where I picked it up, I was informed that they were permanently closing and could not order a replacement. They directed me to the South Plainfield store, which supposedly had two batteries in stock.
I followed their instructions, bringing the defective battery and my original order confirmation email to the South Plainfield location. Unfortunately, my experience there was extremely frustrating:
1. The associate couldn’t find my purchase in their system from the past 90 days and asked me to wait for the manager. I had jump-started my car and brought it with me in case they needed to test the battery/alternator. However, the manager stated they couldn’t remove the battery on-site due AAP policy and I cannot remove it in the parking lot due to property owner restrictions prohibiting cars without batteries in the lot. I was instructed to take the car home, remove the battery, and then bring it back.
2. Upon my return, their tester immediately indicated the battery was faulty. Despite this, the manager insisted it needed to be on a charger for four hours. They then scrutinized the battery, claiming it appeared old, scratched, and missing a date label, suggesting it had been stored for a long time. When I tried to explain and said I had no reason to lie and I can prove my purchase from just a week ago, the manager became dramatic and said, “Who said you’re lying? Don’t accuse me or my staff. If you’re going to accuse us, there’s the front door.” I was also told my “story had too many holes,” and they refused to honor the exchange, advising me to return to the Edison store(original pickup location).
3. Back at the Edison store, the associate immediately recognized me and called South Plainfield to verify my order and ask if they can swap. Shockingly, the person on the phone denied any record of my visit.
Eventually, I obtained a replacement at another store where the staff handled everything professionally and gave me clear instructions on what to bring. They simply tested the battery and processed the swap without any unnecessary hassle.
As someone with customer service experience, I know this is not how customers should be treated. The manager at the South Plainfield store demonstrated zero customer service skills and created a toxic atmosphere that seemed to affect the entire staff. If I had treated a customer this way, I would have been fired.
I will never return to the South Plainfield store and will advise my family and friends to avoid it as well. This type of service damages the store’s reputation and drives loyal customers away.
Out of stock on every item I ever want. Complete waste of time. A battery they put in for me once lasted a year! It’s a shame because it’s so convenient for me to get there but what good is it if they never have stock?
This is a great store. Besides the excellent selection and competitive prices, the knowledgeable sales associates are extremely helpful. This is my go-to store for my automotive needs.
I’m really happy with the employees and service here. It feels a lot like an old mom and pop auto parts store. I’ve encountered friendly staff who are willing to take their time to help you find what you need.
Bad Location. Understaffed and Unhelpful. Went to pick an online order for a battery I already paid for. Workers refused to install the battery even though online it says its part of their service. If you need to use this location call ahead to make sure they have enough staff that day to install batteries.
Go to the Piscataway location and save yourself the grief from this location.
My husband and I went there for a new battery! (Mind you it would start whenever my husband would jump it and after a few hours it would die again) One of the employees went out there with the machine and the machine read “change battery”. We purchased the battery the employee installed it and then realized it was the wrong size! Then he went to get the correct battery and then the guy who was installing it put it in the wrong way the negative on the positive and vice versa. He even arched the cables which you shouldn’t ever do! Now my car won’t event start even if we try to jump it! The employee than grabbed another machine to read the car again and didn’t even know how to use it!! So at the end of it all he said was sorry and went back inside. So I was left stranded in the parking lot and now have to pay for towing and have it dropped off at my mechanic! And the manager wouldn’t even come out and help When we went inside to get my money back for the battery I just purchased they were saying they don’t do Returns which I had to fight back for my money! If I could I would give them 0 stars worse experience ever
I was a dasher for pick up of the customer. At the counter a guy with a black T-shirt & beard was standing,i asked from were i have to collect, he said very politely & respectfully, you can go back side some one will help you. I waited for approximately 10 minutes & i came back again to the counter , the other old tall Rude guy was standing wearing a grey t- shirt & was instructing to his colleague that this is the order , if someone will come to pick up the order so give it to him. which was kept on the counter in front of me. Again he got busy on the phone. i was just looking to verify the order number whether its mine or not, he just waived his hand towards me by saying move back in a very rudely & disrespectful action he just went inside. His colleague saw his behavior & told me with respect & smile , sir just wait he is bringing your order. I told him i am already waiting from the last 10 minutes. But finally i have to leave from there because of that rude guy. I am going to tell all my friends & colleagues not to visit this store neither i am going to visit again. My first priority was this place for my cars. But now ?
The guy who always helps me is great. I thought he was the manager. Hes a sales associate. And, I was like wow! He went above and beyond to help me. Really great store. Reasonable prices. Neat and organized. Highly recommend!
Man has bad atitude. I came to buy i air filter and cabin filter.. asked me the model and year etc which i knew i gave to him, but the man at the counter asked what engine is that which ofcourse i didnt knew. But that guy kept repeating again and again, saying "AS OWNER YOU SHOULD KNOW THE WHAT ENGINE IS THAT" 10 times repeating again and again giving that attitude..
We are not mechanic. We just know our car model,type and year..
Need to hire friendly and helping person behind the counter
Very efficient courteous transaction from employee Cameron. He gave good advice when needed and made a sale. We were the first customers of the morning and he was friendly and helpful And I would have no issues with frequenting this establishment in the future
Went there for a new battery yesterday. They refused to do the free installation as ADVERTISED, they refused to loan me tools, as ADVERTISED, to do the job myself. 2 staff members there, no other customers in site. Claimed they were understaffed. BullS...! Lazy workers, one of them on phone, with personal call. Went to Goodyear repair in the same plasa. Took great care of me! Go to Goodyear service, if you need immediate help with repairs on your vehicle!
Stopped by to drop off an Amazon return. They took my goods and could not provide me with the recipe. I was promised that it will be taken care of. After one week and me not hearing anything back abt the return from Amazon, I decided to call the store. The manager Anthony Soso picked up with a dismissive tone stating that UPS allegedly never picked it up. It’s now passed the deadline. I asked him to send me a recipe and he refused. He gave me a tracking number. When I called back the same day someone else picked up and sent me an email of an UPS recipe. Today a day later I got a call back from Anthony asking me to pick up my item bc it was not boxed. This should all have been explained before my goods were taken in. He asked me to come get my stuff and get the hell out of his store on the phone. I have never met him but he is not only incompetent but extremely unprofessional. Next stop is reaching put to corporate. This is not how a general manager should speak to customers. The fact that they held on to my goods and never called me for over a week to tell me that UPS never picked it up and then didn’t provide me with a recipe is mind bogeying to me. I would not trust them.
Sold me a “new” coolant reservoir, but when I took it to AAA to get it installed, I was informed by the machanic that it had water and old coolant in it. He informed us that it was VERY clearly used. Advance Auto would not work with us regarding a price adjustment when we tried to talk to them over the phone. I had no alternative; I could not return the part as this was the only place that had it and I needed my car working that day. Should not be selling a product in this poor of a condition at premium price and calling it new.
I was at Advance auto parts in south Plainfield with a battery problem in my car on August 12, young Jonathan helped me as if he knew me, he recharged the battery, however the timing belt was broken into a thousand pieces and he told him to his partner Lee Salazar and he immediately came to me and put himself in order to fix my problem, I sweat a lot since the temperature is close to 3 digits they finished their work and the only thing I paid was the time strap, those guys are Wonderful people and as employees the best they have. Many thanks friends.
I had an issue with my car over the weekend and was in a jam.. Robin the manager, went above and beyond what I would expect any auto parts store to do to help. They saved me so I could get to work on monday. The younger gentleman in the front was also very helpful and professional. Really appreciate you guys over there, HIGHLY recommend this place. Thanks again!!
Ordered online, order is supposed to be ready for 30 minute pickup, I came in 32 minutes later after waiting in the parking lot seeing a grand total of two customers enter/exit in the ten+ minutes I waited there.
Politely informed the gentleman who acknowledged me that I was hoping to pickup an order online and I hadn't received the order ready notification yet. The other man arrogantly sniped "that's why you have to wait half an hour", as the first man looked up my order he noted it was flagged to be picked, yes for half an hour and still not done, though I made no comment I was here BEFORE I was directed to by their system and promise of 30 minute pickup.
The first man went and got my order, after receiving it I thanked him and left.
I understand you don't stare at the pickup screen all the time but if you are slow and there's more than one person maybe you can check for pickup orders and pick them. Or at the very least not be snippy when someone politely asks if you can check on their order, now if you see I placed it three minutes before walking in the door by all means say something snippy about the half hour wait time if that makes your day.
BTW: I got my order ready for pickup message some 2 hours after I placed it, when someone realized they should probably do that then marked it picked up ten minutes before that 'ready' time, not the actual time I got it.
This is my second time using the pick up in store option at advance, the other was another store and I placed it after they closed and picked it up the next morning, it took them less than an hour from opening to pick my order and send the notice. When you'd presume they'd be busy opening the store and dealing with early bird customers saturday morning not a few hours from closing with only a couple customers and two visible employees working.
Just wanted to share a great experience today - Anthony was super helpful and tried his best to get me the right specialized battery for my motorcycle and gave me a few realistic options to make it work. When we couldn't find the right fit due to the tight battery specs, he offered to re-charge my old battery, just so I could make my ride tomorrow. Being in the service industry myself, I think I know great service when I see it and Anthony exemplified that today. I will remember this and for sure will be back for my next purchase. Good stuff!
They had the battery I needed in stock and at a good price. However, they could not give me the free installation because they only had one person working the store!! Had to do it myself in the parking lot in my business attire! Poor customer service. You should have enough staff to cover all of the services your store offers.
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