Wearever Gold Pads from AAP

[tjkeno]

2001 Hyundai Sonata V-6 4-wheel disc

First-time poster. Glad to be here. Hope to contribute as well as ask questions.

Purchased Wearever Gold front pads from AAP last week. When I opened the box after I got home, they looked like they had sat around
in the open box on someone's workbench for a while -- dusty, quite gritty, spots (water, condensation?) on the backing plates, tossed back
in the box willy-nilly, and the box was kinda banged up. One of the pad surfaces looked like it had a greasy thumb print on it.

Took them back for an even exchange the next day and got some "attitude" from the assistant manager -- raised eyebrows, big sigh, etc.
Turned out they didn't have another set in stock, so they called the next nearest store, which did have one set on the shelf.

Went there, got almost the same type of reception from the counter guy and assistant manager, but they grudgingly made the exchange.
They made it as time-consuming as possible, writing up the return as defective, processing a credit-card refund and a new purchase.

This is for my daughter's car. I don't do brakes that often, so wanted to do as good a job as possible,
including new rotors, calipers, brackets and all new hardware. Also a brake fluid flush and fill.

My question: was I being too AR/OC about the whole thing?

Lesson learned: open the box right at the counter and look at everything inside.

Just as an aside, I seem to remember that some time ago pads were packaged better, with kraft paper between each pad and/or
shrink wrapped in two's inside the box, and maybe even a small packet of anti-squeal. These are banging around loose inside the box.

Any and all replies/comments appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Charlie1935]

The last ones I got was wrapped individually. Got them at O'Reilly.
If I remember right all I ever got were.

 

[Mr Nice]

Its your $$$. You have every right to complain.

Same thing happened when I bought ThermoQuiet pad. The ones inside the box were not shrink wrapped and were missing the metal clips (4) that are for my Honda. Obviously someone returned these pads and it was put back on the shelf.

If they said no exchange .... I would return them for my $$$ back. I'm not going to deal with poor customer service.

ALWAYS OPEN THE BOX AT THE PART COUNTER !!!!!

 

[NHGUY]

Obviously these were returned from another customer and instead of inspecting them,they got put right back on the shelf.They should always inspect returns,and if there is anything amiss (missing parts,greasy,etc) they should not take them back.Thats considered used parts and you normally cant sell used parts as new.

 

[ottotheclown]

It is just me but I never buy any store brand anything. I even hestitate to buy Names like Motorcraft. Wagner has always served me over the many years I have bought them. Generally you get what you pay for. IMHO

 

[stephen9666]

An email to AAP would be worthwhile. That's horrible service from them, hassling you when they sold you used/damaged merchandise.

Off topic-

Why did you choose store brand pads? You don't really know what you're getting and there are other well-regarded pads for the same or a little more money.

 

[Hootbro]

Good practice to just inspect all parts at the counter before purchase. Save the hassle of finding those issues and dealing with flack on return.

 

[tjkeno]

Originally Posted By: stephen9666
Off topic-

Why did you choose store brand pads? You don't really know what you're getting and there are other well-regarded pads for the same or a little more money.


Four reasons really -- time, price, delivery and convenience.

1. Time. My daughter lives in Illinois by O'Hare; I live an hour away in SE Wisconsin. Took a train and a bus down to get her recently-purchased car and drove it
back to my place, stopping at a U-Pull-It on the way to yank a wiper transmission/linkage to replace hers, the main reason for the "service call" in the first place.

Replaced that, then changed oil, filter, air filter, PCV, rotated tires and did basic under-car visual inspection, especially the brakes. The front lug nuts were
so tight I had to use a cheater pipe on an eighteen-inch 1/2"-drive breaker bar to get them loose. Some gorilla with the impact wrench "turned up to 11" I'd guess.

After all that was done, looked up the specs in Haynes and torqued all the lugs to 80. Took the car out for a short test drive in the neighborhood and everything
seemed good, so headed back down to her place. About halfway there, some idiot backed out of his driveway about two car lengths in front of me on a 35-mph street.
Jammed on the binders and the car swerved across the oncoming lane, and into a Wendy's parking lot. After checking my shorts and calling that jerk every name
I could think of, I realized I had been sorta lucky in a way -- without the swerve, I prolly would have rear-ended that bozo, and there was enough of a break in the
oncoming traffic that no one else was put in any danger. I did however have a very serious problem -- I couldn't give her the car back in that condition.
Headed back home to try to rectify the whole situation and still get the car back to her for her out-of-town job interview two days later.

2. Price. I had a coupon code for AAP -- $10 off $30, $20 off $50, or $30 off $100 for ordering online with store pickup. $20 off $50 is 40% -- obviously the best deal.
By splitting up a single order into four separate ones, I was able to get $226 worth of stuff for $149. I got the pads, two rotors, two semi-loaded calipers with
mounting brackets and hardware, brake fluid and a couple things for my car for that $149. Sears, Car-X or Goodyear wanted $350+ for a comparable brake job.
And I'm not sure I would have gotten significantly better parts for that price from any of them. My labor and time are of course "free" in my daughter's estimation.
Not to mention, I paid for the parts and for two train tickets! She did let me take her out for pizza though, before dropping me off at the train station. Kids, huh?

3. Delivery. Luckily, everything I needed was in stock at AAP.

4. Convenience. I live two blocks from the AAP store, so I could walk there if necessary.

I know that a lot of people here turn up their noses at house-brand products, but I'm trying to balance cost vs. quality as best I can on a fixed income.
At least I didn't get the AAP Silver pads.

Lessons learned:
1. Exterior visual inspection of calipers and pads is not nearly enough. Pads looked good from the ends and through the inspection hole.
2. Short neighborhood test drives are not good enough. The car needs to also be stressed or pushed to a greater extent.

P.S. I'm guessing that the extreme over-torquing of the front lug nuts seriously flexed or deformed the rotors, and then that pad/rotor combination eventually wore
themselves into some sort of conformity with each other. Then when I "relaxed" the system with the correct torque, everything got out of whack. Yes? Thoughts?

 

[sasha]

I work at AAP. Our policy on returns and exchanges are very lax.
Everything is returnable! Of course people sometimes make up their own rules and it causes headaches. We strive for the best customer experience and satisfaction. Now parts on warranty like brake pads. Are covered only against manufacture defects. Not wear. For tjkeno, your pads should have been exchanged no questions asked!

 

[BearZDefect]

I have found at AAP here that it all depends on the store manager.

I stopped going to one AAP store here in town because of the general attitude there, which clearly (to me) came down from the manager.

The other two stores that are almost as close don't have that attitude, although I have encountered an employee with "I don't want to work" attitude. I don't think he lasted a year.

 

[Rand]

there are 3 aap within 10-12miles of me.
and a 4th within 8 miles of where I work on Various relatives cars.


1. has a "short guy attitude" manager hes terrible. Wont be back there unless its buying something off the shelf with a giant coupon.

2. is in the ghetto.. shelves are usually 1/2 empty or more.
If I go there its AFTER I call to make sure they REALLY do have the item it says they have. IE they need to lay hands on it.
3. Best store helpful and friendly but extra 6miles one way.

4. store by Dad's shop decent and friendly but I only go there if I'm working on one of his vehicles at his shop.