$5 off $5 purchase at OReillys

[aaronrkelly]

They are doing the "Win free gas for life" promotion.....so when you buy something there they give you this scratch ticket.

You scratch it off to reveal a code, go to their website and type it in.....with your email address etc to be entered into the sweepstakes.

Usually I just toss junk like this....but I was stuck in my car waiting for my GF so I bothered this once.

As soon as I submitted it I got a coupon in my email for $5 of a $5 purchase. Hmm.....Im not usually an OReillys shopper (I worked there for 3 years and even then I shopped at NAPA)......but I can probably find something in there close to $5 to get almost free.

So back I go.....picked up something cheap....used my coupon....paid the difference and out I go.....with another scratch ticket.

.......repeat process......and I get another $5 off $5 purchase.

Ive done this 4 times.

Now either Im lucky.....highly unlikely or every time you enter the sweepstakes you get a coupon.

Oddly enough when I used these coupons the counter person said they had never seen one........so apparently everyone tosses these.

 

[larryq]

Thanks. Why did you shop at NAPA btw? Kragen/O'reilly always seem pretty decent on pricing and selection.

 

[aaronrkelly]

Locally its a knowledge thing. You go into OReillys and they typically hire people that may be smart enough to run the computer......but dont know a tail shaft from a tail pipe.

The local NAPA store has been owned by the same guy for many years and he worked there for several years before buying it. He typically hires people that know cars/truck/farm machinery.

Im sure its different everywhere. If I do go to OReillys I usually get my own part numbers online. Ive gotten so many wrong parts there before.

 

[LordTom]

It's the same way here too.

 

[larryq]

Didn't know that, interesting. Is there a hierarchy of the national chains, Advanced Auto/Pep Boys/AutoZone/... where some make it a point of hiring more car-savvy help?

 

[cheechi]

kind of. Advance/AZ are about the same tier. Oreilley/NAPA are about the same. Pep boys its kind of dependent on the area. A lot of them are less knowledgeable on the store side, disorganized, wrong parts, etc. but a lot of the people individually know their stuff.

Reason I put Oreilley and NAPA together is, you have some that are good. stuff in stock, stuff gets delivered on time if its got to be ordered, people know as much as you should reasonably expect from a parts store. Some are terrible. Franchise NAPAs and college town Oreilley are equally bad but for different reasons. At least with AZ/Advance its pretty consistent. You have some smart guys, and you have some guys that are worthless, but everyone is usually between those two marks.

Depending what I'm getting, I shop all of them but pep boys (not convenient for me here). Most of the reman/rebuilt stuff is about the same, advance wins on warranty with a lot of it and the online coupons help. If I'm getting a new or really tight tolerance type thing, I will usually wait for NAPA. Parts, fluids, etc, I just go wherever the price is best.

 

[48RON54]

Also, if you sign up for the o'reillys rewards card you get $5 off coupons with some regularity.