About AutoZone, why don't they tell you that you need your old part?

Question

I ordered a starter, they said they would go get it, then they said they forgot to get it, then they called and said they went and got it and I could come in and pick it up, then when I get there, they say I can't pick it up unless I have my old starter off the car first to turn in at the same time, why didn't they tell me that when they called so I wouldn't have made a special trip in to get the starter? It looks almost like gangstalking to me, making you come in so many times and having all these excuses and then telling you that you can pick it up without telling you that you need the old one off the car first.

Answer 1

call the district manager and complain

Answer 2

The way it works is that they give you a "discount" or core charge on the price of the starter if you bring in your old one. Basically, what they should have told you instead of turning you away is that you would have to pay the full price of the starter, and you would get a refund for the discount (core charge) when you bring your starter in at another time. They should have told you that before you went through all of this, and they should have quoted you the price before the discount and after the discount when you asked how much it would cost to begin with.