I went into this location and dropped off the battery for my deceased mother's 2003 Toyota Matrix. Just needed to get it charged as the battery is about a year old and the car hasn't been moved because I had an issue with getting the duplicate title from NY DMV. Finally got the title now it's time to register the vehicle and put it on the road. Drop off the battery 11/19/22 and the black male manager told me I could come back in 2 hours. However, my schedule didn't allow me to get back to get it until today, Monday 11/21/22.
I arrive at 1pm, after my doctor's appt to pick up the battery. I hand the associate my receipt and they go to look for it. They come back asking when it was dropped off, who I handed it to etc. So it's obvious they can't find it. There is some talking amongst themselves, the Spanish looking lady and the young Spanish looking young man go back to the charging area again and they are looking for it. Then the manager I handed the battery to tells them he had someone else take it to the back. Then everyone goes back to doing other things, the young guy is assisting customers, the heavy set black guy gets back on the phone helping customers who are calling in and the Spanish looking lady goes in the back area behind the counter at the front of the store.
After being in the store I finally ask the older lady who's been walking back and forth if someone could tell me something. The black guy abruptly ends the call he's on and begins to recap when the battery was dropped off. I go through the details with him again. He begins to try to tell me that because I didn't pick it up in the 2 hr time frame that it's list and not their responsibility. We go back and forth because I handed it directly to him and he is saying that there's nothing he can do. I repeatedly asked him to call whomever could approve me receiving another battery which he said he couldn't do.
I am now pissed off, because he is trying to tell me it's not his fault that they lost my battery, even though it was directly handed to and checked in by him. The Spanish looking female comes from wherever she was in the back and intersects herself into the disagreement. I tell her to please stop because this is between he and I because he is the one who accepted the battery and should be accepting responsibility and providing an acceptable recourse besides hey we lost it, it's not our fault. She starts yelling how she's the store manager and jumps in my face. I chuckle and tell her to get out of my face. Her response is "What the f*ck you gonna do? You gonna hit me ni99a? You gonna hit me? I said "Excuse me? What did you just call me? Repeat what you said. Nah repeat what you said." She said "What ni99a? Nigga? Yeh I said it, get the fuck outta my store ni99a." I told her I'm gonna get a battery and you getting fired."
I allowed another customer who was trying to calm me down to guide me out the store. I called the district and regional manager, then text them as I got both of their voice-mail. I then called the Belleville Police Department and reported the incident. After about 15 mins I received a call back from the district manager who agreed with everything I explained and said that Autozone does not condone the store managers behavior and they would be addressing it. She also stated that I would receive a battery, without a warranty as I wasn't actually purchasing the battery, in order to resolve the battery situation, which I agreed to. I would have to sign conforming that I would not receive a warranty, which I also agreed to.
While the officers and I were waiting for this to happen, the manager who I had originally given my battery to claimed that they had found the battery. He addressed the officer, claiming that since I had already caused a commotion as if this whole situation was my fault, and asked if they could give the battery to the officer. I received the battery with a sticker which said the battery was "bad." However, when we were in the store the young Spanish looking young man had previously said the battery DID NOT have a "bad" label on it so when he brought it from the charging area he expressly told a co-worker not to touch it. I also overheard them state that the "bad" batteries had already been picked up.
I accepted my battery from the Belleville Police Officer, confirmed that I would be following up with my complaint with NJ Consumer Affairs Dept and reporting the racist comments levied by the store manager. I also received a call back from the District Manager and confirmed to her that I most definitely will be following through with my complaint. I will be showing up to the court tomorrow morning to file my complaint with the Belleville Court during their office hours. read more
