Price Gouging?

[sgtsandman]

I have Advance, Autozone, and O'Reilly (just opened) all within a half mile of here. NAPA a couple miles.
RockAuto is my go-to normally, (thanks TRS) even with shipping it's still better and customer service is pretty good.
Advance used to be the only local place and I bought plenty of stuff there. Problem with them lately is, it's like they don't care. Understaffed.... I waited a long time with basically no line and no staff either. Computers up and down, can't run sales. If there are people, they usually don't have the slightest idea what's going on. Give me parts that don't fit the vehicle and say they do and don't give a rat's when I take them back saying this is not the same part. So I go across the street to Autozone which can be ok for some things, at least they try hard and don't argue on returns.
Same thing at Lowe's and Home Depot. Used to be you'd go and ask for something and they told you aisle x and maybe go with you and show you. Now they just look it up on the phone and I can do that, the only thing is their search tells them the bay. But most don't have a clue where anything is or what it's for. Who turns rotors any more? Anybody? It used to be a standard thing, they'd tell you at NAPA, is there enough to smooth it out.
The way I look at it is you better know what you're doing because there's usually little help from staff these days. And, as to the prices, whole world has gone to he** in a handbasket. But compared to making payments on a vehicle, it's still way cheaper.

I like Advance best for the big box parts stores as well. AutoZone and O'Reily's are my back up if Advance doesn't have it. I agree Rock Auto is still the best bang for the buck. The NAPA here is oriented towards businesses and their inventory and prices suck.

 

[dvdswan]

There are alternatives.

A mechanic I used to work with used WD-40.

Wouldn't that be called SD-40 for sweat dispersion?