This is my go to auto parts store near down town Albany NY. There are many on Central avenue, of which all I have shopped, but this one is the best. Why? They seem to be the only one that always have parts for my classic 1999 Jeep Wrangler Sahara. Today it helped a lot. My Jeep was sitting in the Albany Garage for a year and a half. It did not start. Knew it had to be the battery. Picked one up at this store. Grabbed my tools. Pulled the old one and replaced with new. BOOM! She started with just a little hesitation. Amazing vehicle and great auto parts store. read more

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would give 0 stars, if I could. Place is terrible. I walked in and 1 associate was on a phone call assisting another customer and so I walked to the 2nd register. A female associate, Love, was sitting there. I smiled and said hello. She didn't move, greet me, or change facial expressions at all. I was going to compliment her that I liked her name... She didn't say hello or how can I help or anything. OK fine. I give my year, make, and model of my vehicle and explain that I'm looking to get a replacement front light bulb. She types a few things in the computer and says we don't have that. Didn't look. Didn't double check anything. Didn't ask anyone else for help. didn't offer any options. Didn't tell me that autozone was next door or pep boys was across the street. I'm not mad that they didn't have it in stock, but it was clear she was lazy, miserable, and doesn't care about anything or anyone. So I drove home. On my way home, I decided to stop at another location (it was on the way home), the advance auto parts on Deleware ave. I walked in, 2 associates greeted me right away and one hopped up to the register/computer and asked what I needed. I gave my year, make, and model and he immediately showed me several choices of replacement bulbs. $10, $25, and up, depending on quality, LED, etc. I asked about the $10 dollar one and he looked and explained they didn't have it in stock, but without me asking, checked other stores and said the central ave location shows 57 of them in stock! I wasn't mad at him, but it was clear the 1st location didn't even try or care. So I stepped outside and called that shop back. I wasn't going to make it by closing time, since its about 20 mins away. The phone rang over 20 times before the person picked up. go barely a hello, and I knew and could tell it was the same person I interacted with. So I called her by her name and explained I was the customer that was in there 20 mins before looking for a bulb. She said our inventory is F'd up so we don't have it. (she didn't even look). This place is horrible and it is the worst customer service I've experienced in over 30 years. Listen, I know working in customer service is hard, or can be tough, and maybe you don't like your job, but try to at least fake it. Try to smile, try to make it a good day. This person was miserable and really shouldnt' be talking to customers. 0 stars. Horrible read more

Had a problem with my car, which I thought were my brakes. I was able to return the products with no hassle and the manager of the store went above and beyond to help me get the parts that I needed. It's now my go to store when I'm having car issues. read more

I came in store Wednesday to order a 02 sensor they told me it would be in Thursday I came in Friday they said they couldn't find it and it was post to be at store at 930am. read more

Im glad they could talk to me for 30 seconds over the phone, put me on hold for 10 minutes, and then hang up on me when i asked a 5 minute question. So professional!! read more

The Advance Auto Parts store at 911 Central Avenue in Albany New York, has been my 1st Choice, GO-TO, Auto-Parts Outlet for the past several years. They have courteous and knowledgeable staff. Whenever you ask them for assistance, they step up and give first-hand assistance regardless of item cost. Although I am not a Military Service Veteran, all my Veteran friends state that Advance has a Veteran's Discount that they gladly apply to all who qualify. They are exceptional in their honoring of returned parts for exchange or refund. If you are concerned you might have the wrong part, or it might not fit, they will tell you what to do (or NOT do) to qualify for an exchange or refund. To my best knowledge, in the Capital District, this was the Parts Dealership that started Curbside Installation of necessities such as windshield wipers and batterys ... Even when the weather outside is Horrible (Sleet, Snow or Rain). As to the location of this facility, it is centrally located, with ample well-lit parking, in the middle of Albany's Consumer and Commerical Auto Dealerships as well as two major Shopping Centers. I can say, will many satisfactory experiences of my own to relate upon, that this is a Parts Supplier that one can rely upon for quality products at a reasonable price that they stand behind. read more

I'll give this store 1 star but it really depends on what store you go to. I have gone to advance auto for years in Wynantskill NY with no trouble. They are pretty eager to help there and I have no problem with them. I now go to 911 Central Ave, in Albany NY, just down the road from where I work. It takes me 45+ minutes to drive to work, it would take me 20 min out of my way to go to Wynantskill on the way home, and the central store is awful. On multiple occasions they have sent me away shaking my head, I don't know how they stay open, they never want to do business with you. Incident 1: My truck was acting up, it started just before I got to work, the truck would die out if I had too many devices on, and of course it was raining all day so I needed headlights, and wipers on. After work I stopped by the Central Ave store, it was a light drizzle, I explained to the guy what was happening to my truck, and he said that it could be the battery or the alternator, which I already knew, but I asked him if he wouldn't mind testing my truck to see what the problem was. The guy gave me the stink eye and said "you see what its doing outside right?" I told him I had a 45 minute drive home, in the rain, on the highway but he wouldn't budge. He even went as far as saying that "you can't test batteries in the rain," because I asked him if I could go out and test it myself. Fine, I drove my truck to the nearest garage, PepBoys, who after 4 hours, and trying to sell me everything under the sun, determined that it was my alternator but said I should replace the battery anyway. Incident 2: The next day I go back to advance auto, on Central, to see if they had any batteries in stock that would fit in my truck. The guy did have a battery but right before we finalized the sale, I asked him if he could put the new battery in my truck and he tells me that they don't keep tools on hand there for that kind of stuff so I didn't buy the battery. Over the weekend I went to the Wynantskill store, yup had a battery, yup had tools, yup its no problem to put it in the truck for you, zip, zip, and away I went. Incident 3: Some time later my truck started running rough, my check engine light came on and I wanted to know why. I go to the Central Ave store and ask them to see what codes the engine is throwing. Nope they don't keep that equipment on hand, so a rather disturbing, and shaky, ride later I go to the Wynantskill store. No problem sir, the guy goes out, tests my truck, turns out to be a CO2 code, my truck only has two censors so I bought both sensors right there, I went home, replaced them, brought my truck back, the guy reset the codes, done. The guy took the time and made a sale, plus when my next paycheck came I even went back to Wynantskill and bought my own code reader so I don't have to deal with Central again in regards to that. Incident 4: The other day I go to advanced auto on Central looking for a headlight, and a battery for my 1999 Polaris Sportsman 500. I bring the headlight with me and the guy behind the counter, I think he was the manager, he looked like the bald guy from that show Pawn Stars. Anyway he tell me that he couldn't help me with the headlight, he didn't even try, he said there would be no way for him to match up that bulb, and the guy behind him backed him up. I asked him about the battery, he said he couldn't help me with that either, I would need to bring the old battery in. I said I didn't need to bring it in the last time, they just looked up the part on the computer, he cuts me off and asked when I bought it, and I told him about three years ago. He says "yea see those are the batteries that you dump the liquid into, they are doing away with those, I have thin batteries, fat batteries, I have batteries so light that I can throw them at you and you wouldn't feel it." I told him that I already found the battery on the advance auto website, the site says its an exact match and everything. He says "nope, nope you cant trust everything on that site, you just need to bring the battery in to us i'm telling you." So I leave, he didn't even hit his keyboard to look and guess what. I make the extra trip to the Wynantskill store, the guy looked up the battery, had it, he went in the back for about 10 minutes and matched the headlight, zip, zip, done. No argument, no explanation, I bought the headlight and it works fine. The battery I waited on because I needed the old one to squash the core charge anyway. So I am posting this here because I tried to contact corporate privately, but they had no email, I tried the live chat the woman gives me a 800 number I could hit numbers on, and then leave a message for someone who might care. I like the Wynantskill store but it takes too much time and gas for me to get there from work. You would think they would be a little more nicer and helpful on Central considering Auto Zone just opened up shop about a block down the other way. Whatever, there you have it. read more