Went to ADAP to buy a 5 qt container of oil for and oil change. When I opened the container…it had already been open and was full of OLD DIRTY OIL. I wasn’t pleased. I had to pour the oil back in…drive back to ADAP…and get another 5 qt container…At first they didn’t believe me…then they inspected a few more of their 5qt containers and a couple of them also contained used oil. Here in NH if you sell oil then you MUST take the old oil back. Well - they were doing that, but putting it back on the shelve to sell instead of disposing it properly. The manager was extremely apologetic and even offered me a free oil change (which I accepted).
So from now on I’m going to open the oil before I buy it…
That’s what they end up with when they hire CLERKS instead of auto parts people.
The clerks didn’t even bother to check. In fact, I’ll wager, they gave the customer a refund as if returning new oil !
This also happens with other parts returned as new. The clerk doesn’t check and returns it to stock, then when it’s sold as new again the next customer finds an old used part in the box.
Once in a while you’ll find customers purposely trying this ploy.
Once in a while you’ll find customers purposely trying this ploy.
I’m NOT a big ADAP fan. Only buy oil and wax from them…but I’m pretty sure this WASN’T done purposely. Manager was extremely PO’d when he found other 5qt containers with dirty/old oil.
And that’s one reason I buy my auto parts from a local independent parts dealer.
I am trying to figure out what ADAP is. Is it the Alabama Disabilities Advocacy Program, the Alcohol and Drug Awareness Program, or is it the AIDS Drug Assistance Program?
Edit: I think I figured it out. It’s Advance Discount Auto Parts, right?
Whenever I go to Walmart for oil change supplies, I have to open the oil filter box and make sure the one in the box is what’s advertised. I had to go back once because someone had taken one of the better, more expensive, oil filters, and put it inside the box of a cheaper filter. They left for me a cheap filter in the box of one of the more expensive filters.
When I bought AC filters at Walmart last time, the guy warned me to check inside the box because he had people switching filters. I think its probabably a combination of stupid or dishonest customers and stupid clerks. I can see Dude 1 bringing in the bucket of old oil and putting it on the counter (or bringing it back for refund), Dude 2 behind the counter just leaves it there. Dude 3 just off break puts it back on the rack. Everybody asleep.
This type of thing is not an ADAP problem, as evidenced by the fact that the manager checked their stock and bent over backwards to make the situation right. This is a dishonest-individual problem. perhaps compounded by a counter person that doesn’t care enough to check the returned bottles. This could happen almost anywhere at almost any store. It’s entirely possible that someone “returned” containers filled with used oil and the counter person never bothered to check.
I’ve gotten in the habit of checking to see that the cap is still sealed. If the round ring on the bottom of the cap is broken off, I know it’s been tampered with. With filters etc., I check to see that the part is correct. Like Whitey, I’ve seen parts switched. I suspect some dishonest people take parts and put them in the boxes of less expensive parts (like putting the long life filters in the cheapo filter box) to cheat on the price they pay.
If waste oil was returned to the store in a clean container and placed on the front counter I would have to guess that the person returning it was looking to rip off the store.
This type of thing is not an ADAP problem, as evidenced by the fact that the manager checked their stock and bent over backwards to make the situation right
I’m praising ADAP for the way they handled it. I’m very happy with the outcome. When I went there all I was looking for was a new 5 qt container of NEW oil…Instead I got a free oil change with the oil of my choice.
I’m NOT so sure it was a dishonest individual. There aren’t too many ways you can return you dirty oil. Personally I take mine to our town land-fill. But if they didn’t have access to that…then they may just have filled the container with the old oil and returned it to where they bought it. It could all be just an honest mistake…Not going to jump to conclusion.
There have been some instances at places like Walmart where a dishonest person has returned old oil in a new container and the returns clerk does not know to open the cap and check for a seal.
Whenever I return oil and leave a oil container for disposal later, I clearly mark it Used Oil in several places on the jug. I hope that gives everyone a clue about the fact it is used oil and where it goes.
I returned some unused auto parts recently. The clerk checked them to make sure that I didn’t bring back used parts. He said they get that fairly regularly. Or at least often enough that it’s worth checking every return.