So I Went to Advance Auto Yesterday

"RyanFrew" (ryanfrew) 01/07/2015 at 13:59 • Filed to: None

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So I went to Advance Auto yesterday to get what I needed for an oil change. If it were up to me, I wouldn't talk to the cashiers at all, but they tend to keep my filter in the back, since it's a relatively unique canister style. So I ask the guy at the desk to look up the filter while I go grab some oil:

Him: What kind of oil do you need?
Me: 5w-30 full synthetic. I can just go grab it myself
Him: *laughs* Of course! The most expensive kind! Let me see if we have any deals.
Me: *chuckle (whatever, dude)* Alright, thanks man.
Him: Nope! In fact, I've only got one of those filters in stock. Let me go grab it.
Me: Thanks

At this point he comes back with 5 qts of the oil I want (I asked for Castrol - it was nice of him to grab it for me) and the correct filter (I don't remember what brand - he only had 1 and I'm not particular), and rings me up.

Him: That'll be $64.80
Me: *Laughter, playing along with his joke*
Him: *Staring at me confused*
Me: *Even more confused when I see it on the register* How much is that oil?!
Him: $35, before tax
Me: Okay, I just need the oil and the filter
Him: That's all I rung you up for
Me: How much is the filter
Him: $25
Me: No
Him: Yes
Me: Dude. An oil filter doesn't cost $25. That's not right.
Him: Sure they do! That's about what our industrial customers pay all the time.
Me: Your "industrial" customers have dump trucks. This is for a 1.6l Mini Cooper S
Him: Well, I don't know what to tell you. This filter costs $25 and it's the only one I have.
Me: Okay. Well, I'm obviously not buying that. But I really want you to know that that's a mistake. It should cost a third of that. Someone is going to come in here and pay that, either without paying attention or because they don't know any better.
Him: I'll take that into consideration.

This is the end of my rant. How new did that guy have to be to think that an oil filter costs $25? And why didn't he know that before they even hired him? I went to AutoZone. They were awesome. The MINI has fresh oil.

CalzoneGolem > RyanFrew 01/07/2015 at 14:01

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He didn't think. That's what the computer says it costs.

Takuro Spirit > RyanFrew 01/07/2015 at 14:02

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That's the difference between going to a store that caters GOOD parts to shops, versus one that sells mediocre ones to do-it-yourselfers.

Michael Maguire > RyanFrew 01/07/2015 at 14:02

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$25! You have got to be kidding me? I would have pulled up the filter on my phone and been like...Hey, It's 5 bucks B****!

Please tell me you just went somewhere else and got it for under $10...

Mattbob > RyanFrew 01/07/2015 at 14:03

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fuck yeah autozone. That is my store of choice. I am just about to my $20 reward.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > RyanFrew 01/07/2015 at 14:04

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I buy Benz canister filters pretty regularly (usually Wix), and I'd be surprised at that too. It's just within the realm of possibility, though.

Party-vi > RyanFrew 01/07/2015 at 14:05

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Advance Auto shows 4 out of 5 oil filters costing $25 for your car. If it were my engine I wouldn't go with the cheap one.

RyanFrew > Takuro Spirit 01/07/2015 at 14:07

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Are you saying that I should've payed $25, because it was a superior filter? Please don't tell me you're saying that.

Edit: This isn't me necessarily hating on Advance, by the way. Just an experience I had there.

RyanFrew > Michael Maguire 01/07/2015 at 14:08

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Yeah, I payed ~$8 at Autozone, per usual.

CalzoneGolem > Party-vi 01/07/2015 at 14:08

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My mechanic will change my oil and filter for $24.95

deekster_caddy > CalzoneGolem 01/07/2015 at 14:11

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With full synthetic? That's a great deal!

CalzoneGolem > deekster_caddy 01/07/2015 at 14:11

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Nah, 5w-20 the ol' 3.0 don't need that fancy boy shit!

Aaron M - MasoFiST > RyanFrew 01/07/2015 at 14:12

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Yeah, the OEM price on that oil filter (from BMW no less) is $11. At FCP Euro and some other parts sites you can find it for about $8.

I'm all for buying high-quality parts but...paying more than OEM is dumb. Hopefully Autozone was at least less than OEM.

Takuro Spirit > RyanFrew 01/07/2015 at 14:13

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Nah, I'm just saying that's why it is how it was. A filter is a filter to me, so long as its from a reputable source that will buy you a new engine if it fails.

RyanFrew > Party-vi 01/07/2015 at 14:13

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Holy hell - you're right. Maybe I'm the idiot here. I'm looking into it further. For the record, though, an OEM filter from Mini costs $15. So $25 is still insane.

deekster_caddy > RyanFrew 01/07/2015 at 14:14

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What brand is the Autozone filter? Anything with the name Duralast doesn't get near my car. Especially not something as important as an oil filter.

"Good" oil filters are typically $12-$15 though, so $25 is laughable. I can buy OEM VW filters for my wife's '08 Passat from the dealership parts counter for less than $15, and they still aren't available in the aftermarket! (I bought a case online last time I needed them but the first few I had to get at the local dealer) (I'm not entirely sure that they aren't available aftermarket anymore, but when I bought the case they were still n/a)

treesmakewater > RyanFrew 01/07/2015 at 14:15

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all if the filters besides fram are$18-30 for my car

RyanFrew > Takuro Spirit 01/07/2015 at 14:16

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I'm pretty dumbfounded. After more research - you're right. I was being a jerk and it was correctly priced. On the other hand, that's still a completely absurd price. Online, through Advance, I can get one for $25 from Promotive or $8 from Beck/Arnley. Usually I get an $8 Bosch filter. These things are pretty simple. That price disparity seems crazy.

RyanFrew > deekster_caddy 01/07/2015 at 14:19

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A young naive Ryan went into a Jiffy Lube (or something like that) for a $20 deal they were offering when I first got the Mini. The guy saw me pull in and asked if I was there for the promotion. I said yes and he literally started laughing out loud. Then he looked it up and said I'd be paying more than $100. I just changed it myself, but he was right that that was all kinds of dumb.

RyanFrew > Party-vi 01/07/2015 at 14:20

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Yep, I just looked into it. Turns out that the Advance guy was right not to think it was an error. I still wish he could've explained that a bit, but hopefully I wasn't too rude. Doesn't change the fact that $25 is a ripoff.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > RyanFrew 01/07/2015 at 14:21

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I always go to Advance (got a great deal on wipers just last night, 2 bosch icons for 30 bucks, it's a $10 off sale right now!).

I hate autozone with a passion.

It's the people though, which I think is probably part of the corporate culture of AutoZone. They always seem to talk down to me, or assume I'm an idiot. Which I get that most of the people that walk in are in fact idiots , but it's not right to assume I'm one or talk to me like crap.

Advance is always happy to help, carry stuff to the counter, to the car, look up my filter, anything. Staff always seems more interested in my cars, etc. Just a better experience.

Also, they never tried to sell me a 25$ filter haha.

Party-vi > CalzoneGolem 01/07/2015 at 14:23

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My mechanic doesn't change my oil...mostly because I don't have a mechanic.

Party-vi > RyanFrew 01/07/2015 at 14:24

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$25 is a lot for an oil filter. The BMW takes $15 Mann filters. The Willys filters are cheap.

CalzoneGolem > Party-vi 01/07/2015 at 14:24

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I think what you meant is that your mechanic will change your oil for the cost of materials.

Party-vi > CalzoneGolem 01/07/2015 at 14:26

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They hope to do so in order to find other work to do on the car. I get why they do it.

RyanFrew > deekster_caddy 01/07/2015 at 14:27

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Don't remember, but someone recognizable. I don't mess around with Duralast either (do they even make filters?). Does your wife's Passat use a canister style? These filters are pretty straightforward and inexpensive due to the canister. I might start going to the dealership and getting the OEM version for $15 after seeing some of the comments on here.

Coty > CalzoneGolem 01/07/2015 at 14:28

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He doesn't get paid to think.

Coty > RyanFrew 01/07/2015 at 14:30

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Enjoying your BMW?

RyanFrew > Coty 01/07/2015 at 14:32

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9/10 days, yes. The day I had to buy a $70 BMW tool and lift the engine out of the car, just to change a belt...no.

unclevanos (Ovaltine Jenkins) > RyanFrew 01/07/2015 at 14:47

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Amazon has my Mahle filter for $10, advance wanted $22 for a generic one. They can go keep it.

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > Mattbob 01/07/2015 at 14:47

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Get in the zone! Vato zone!

deekster_caddy > RyanFrew 01/07/2015 at 14:50

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My wife's passat is a 'regular' metal cylinder style filter but it has male threads coming out of it instead of the typical female threaded filter.

My neighbor has an '07 Volvo and I change her oil, and it uses a replaceable paper element, which they also charge about $9 each for. Being a simple paper element should mean that filter is a lot cheaper, but it's more than most filters, I'm guessing due to being low volume/unpopular.

All my GM cars and trucks have had a "normal" filter that costs about $5-$6 for an AC Delco and $10-$12 for a mobil 1 version.

$25, wtf? I wouldn't have paid $25 either... I don't blame you for walking out.

Mattbob > Eric @ opposite-lock.com 01/07/2015 at 14:52

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I don't get the reference. I assume you are referring to all the stick on garbage they sell. Other than fluids, I don't think I buy anything there that isn't behind the counter.

DarrenMR > RyanFrew 01/07/2015 at 15:00

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The advanced auto by me is the only automotive store I go to. It's all about the people working.

On a side note I will be ordering the filter for my r53 online.

Rainbow > RyanFrew 01/07/2015 at 15:10

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Just use a coffee filter.

RyanFrew > DarrenMR 01/07/2015 at 15:16

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Have you ever payed more than $15 for your r53? Am I crazy? I'll go back to Advance - sometimes that kind of stuff just happens at parts stores.

CalzoneGolem > Coty 01/07/2015 at 15:22

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Autofixation > Takuro Spirit 01/07/2015 at 15:32

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I use to work for Advance... key word "use". I have since graduated to a dealership. I worked with some pretty dumb people.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > RyanFrew 01/08/2015 at 00:08

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That's nuts. Hell, Mercedes fleece filters are only about $15. Just get an OE filter; they tend to fit better, have more pleats, and a higher quality element than aftermarket filters.

DarrenMR > RyanFrew 01/08/2015 at 18:07

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Haven't done one yet. I haven't had the car long and I haven't been driving it.