A former O’Reilly Auto Parts worker claimed that the stores are a soft target for theft and had recommendations for prospective thieves on how to steal from one.
Even though he claimed he’s “not condoning stealing” in his video, TikTok creator EliheckingBristow (@bristow_built) provided a blueprint that’s captured more than 1 million views since it went up on Dec. 3.
In it, the creator started by saying, “I did not steal $300 from O’Reilly Auto Parts, but if I was gonna do it, I would love to tell you how I would do it.”
He went on to claim that he got fired from the auto parts dealership because $300 went missing from his drawer. He said when he told the O’Reilly loss prevention specialist to “check the cameras” to prove he didn’t take the money, the loss prevention specialist reportedly replied, “We don’t have cameras. They’re fake.” The creator also pointed out that the drawers on the registers don’t lock, which he said the loss prevention specialist confirmed.
From there, the creator went into a hypothetical that sounded awfully specific. “So, I would go into another O’Reilly’s, that I don’t work at, that I never worked at, that I’ve never been in, and I would go behind the counter, and I’d say, ‘Hey, I used to work at O’Reilly’s. Do you mind if I look something up?’ and they would let me because they always do as long as you’re polite and cordial.”
He then noted that while behind the counter typing into the computer, he would get in the drawer “pretty easily” and take all the money.
He added, “Fun fact: if you had an alternator on the counter at your O’Reilly’s and you haven’t paid for it, pick that ho up, walk out the door. You know what an employee can say to you? I was told this by head of loss and prevention himself: ‘Would you like to pay for that, sir?’ And if you don’t answer, or you walk away, or you say ‘nope,’ you know what they can do? Nothing. They can’t even call the police. It’s a waste of the police’s time.”
That’s because, in his words, “that alternator probably cost like $20, but they sold it to you for 160—unless you stole it.”
He closed the video with a caveat not to steal but then added, “I’m just tellin’ you if I was gonna, I could.”
@bristow_built Replying to @mxria_s @O'Reilly Auto Parts #auto #story ♬ original sound – EliheckingBristow
Commenters reacted to the knowledge dropped.
“Oreillys customer base about to sky rocket,” one said.
Someone else observed, “This is like OJ Simpson writing his book after his trial,” referring to the 2007 book If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer.
Another remarked, “If it’s 20 bucks and they’re selling it for 120 they’re stealing from me.”
Someone else claimed, “Use to work at [O’Reilly]. One of my coworkers was fired because a part went missing and he just so happened to have the same engine in his truck.”
That person added, “It was a 5.3 Chevy, pretty much the most common engine. And it was a pulley… he proved he had the stock pulley on it. They did not care … f em.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to @bristow_built via TikTok comment and to O’Reilly via media contact form.