Ugg. I got a new (to me) car this weekend; it's a beater with a heater, and needs some work. I get it home, and went straight to my local auto-parts store for the needed water pump. I had the title in hand (for the VIN) because I wasn't sure of the engine size. Basic SOP for when I go there.
They had this new kid behind the counter: never had a job, 0 car knowledge, and the computer confused him. He had 3 different people (whom I've had plenty of good experiences with) try and help him. I ended up ordering the part; none in stock, no biggie.
Go to pick the water pump up today. and I was feeling a little leery about the whole transaction from Saturday. I take the other parts (thermostat, belt, and gasket) I bought with me. I have the clerk, who knows her stuff, double check everything to make sure it's for the engine in my car. Needless to say I ended up getting parts for a 3.0 6-cylinder, instead of the 2.4 4-banger that is actually in the car.
Luckily they had everything I actually needed in stock. So I exchanged everything, then went and got some ice cream to make myself feel better. No sprinkles though, because sprinkles are for winners.
On a side note, this isn't the worst experience I've ever had at an auto-parts store. The guy who changed the battery and put it in backwards still takes the cake; but that's a story for another time.
FYI your vehicles VIN will tell you most of what you'll ever need to know about a car. It might look like a bunch of alphabet soup, but it has reasoning behind it. Like for my Dodge the 8th digit is is the engine type/size. I thought this was pretty common knowledge, but the wife informed me it wasn't.