WalMart mess up

[deerefan]

Well, earlier I had posted about Uniroyal Liberator A/T tires for my F150. They had a set of 4 at WalMart for 350. I went on Staurday to have them installed. Something in my gut told me to not let WalMart work on my truck. But I just could not beat the deal they had. Well, the tech came out and took my truck. He drove it up on the rack and started lifting it. About 30 seconds later it falls off the rack!! The nice, chrome step rails on my truck are dented and there is a small dent under my drivers door (not really visible). I told the manager just give me the tires for free and we will call it even. He said he would. Low and behold, I end up having to pay for the tires and NOW have to get estimates for the damage so they can get me a check. They were getting a good deal just giving me the tires...now I will get estimates for the dents, new step rails, rental car, time missed from work, etc. That seems like stupid business...they would get off cheaper just giving me the tires. Anyway, just though I would rant. They will NEVER touch my vehicle again. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

 

[Wannafish]

Make darn sure you have the frame checked for straightness, the alignment checked, all the wheels to be sure they didn't get bent (if they were still on the vehicle)...oh boy. There is so much that COULD have happened when it fell off the lift...
I think I would have called the police and filed a report.

All I can say is GOOD LUCK! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[deerefan]

The truck drives fine, doesn't pull. Rims are fine too. It could have been MUCH MUCH worse.

 

[KubotaSteve]

I've come to the conclusion that you pretty much get what you pay for /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif. I went to Sears once to get tires.
They had a price that couldn't be beat complete with spin balancing, valve stems, etc. Then I get the bill and there is a $50 shop charge in there which put them up there with the other prices. Keep in mind that this was about 15 years ago. Needless to say, they have been crossed off my list to get tires from.

 

[slowrev]

Whaere is a good place to have tires mojnted anyway ? I have had one problem or another with most of them. Screwed up wheelcover locks, bent rims, lug nuts so tight they broke the studs off removing them, etc...
I have one place I trust right now, but I know most of the guys that work there, so they know not to mess me up.
Ben

 

[deerefan]

Nowhere it seems...customer service has gone to the wayside. I refuse to leave my vehicle unattended for small service jobs...too many unqualified people working in the auto repair and service industry.

 

[Tractors4u]

My dad took his F150 in for an oil change and they closed the truck door on the hose that dispenses the oil. Then they backed the truck out until they ran out of hose. It bent the door back slightly. They told him to get 3 estimates. He asked why. So we can go with the lowest bid. He assured them that he already knew who he wanted to fix it. They said, "that is not how we do business". His response was, "Oh your way of doing business is to close doors on hoses and tear up vehicles?" Wal Mart went with his way of doing business.

 

[Bird]

Brent, you know 40 years ago, it used to be common practice to get 3 estimates for accident damage. I once took a vehicle to a Chevrolet dealer for an estimate, which they did. Then I told him I was going to have to get two more estimates. He said, "No problem", and pulled out forms from two other dealers so he could give me estimates from them. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif He said all the dealers exchanged copies of the forms so that any of them could give their own customers 3 estimates; with their own being lowest, of course. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

I didn't think anyone went the 3 estimate route anymore. The insurance companies either have their own adjusters, or contract adjusters, examine the damage and write an estimate OR they give you a list of repair facilities they regularly do business with and will just go with any of those repair facilities' estimates.

 

[TOMLESCOEQUIP]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Whaere is a good place to have tires mojnted anyway ? I have had one problem or another with most of them. Screwed up wheelcover locks, bent rims, lug nuts so tight they broke the studs off removing them, etc...
I have one place I trust right now, but I know most of the guys that work there, so they know not to mess me up.
Ben
)</font> Exactly the reason I have my own tire changing machine & balancer. I got really tired (pun intended) of paying out good $$ to have my rims & vehicles trashed by non caring service shops.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Try to find a good small tire store in your area and try them out. My family and I give all of our business to B & S tire in Fredonia, NY. The owners are brothers and are real good guys. They have had the same people working there for as long as I can remember. Plus, their price was always either the lowest or so close that it wasn't worth it to go elsewhere. They do take care of us because they know we give them all of our business. Walmart just opened their tire store about a half mile down the road and I refuse to even look at their tires let alone have some kid who should be stocking shelves work on my truck.

Most small shops are usually real good to deal with. They know they have to work hard to stay in business. Since I have started driving I don't think I have ever bought tires from a chain store of any type.

 

[Nasty135]

Deerefan, That is unacceptable!! truck fell off the rack!!!
What the heck are these morons thinking with!! It is just UNBELIEVEABLE... Unalert yada,yada,yada,no common sense... Thank God no one was hurt!!

Sounds like someone is in need of a BALLPEEN SHAMPOO!!

Tom,
I also have my eye-out for the same ,tire changer that is ...
A bubble balancer has served for me quite well and will continue until I find the deal on a spin balancer...

I find that my time is the most valuable thing and if I spend it in some (ANY name here)yuk-a-pucks garage bay cross threading my nuts or banging on my wheels,blah,blah... not worth it!! Do it myself...having had the pleasure of replacing a few cross threaded studs in the past.. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif morons AARRRGGHHH!!

But I admit to being a Gearhead and Also having a problem with trusting anybody with something I have spent good money on.... ssshhh!! a bit of a "perfectionist" if you will...DUH /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[Bedlam]

Just a quick note . about my experience. Not at wal mart tho
Just bought a brand new car. 14 miles on it. After the frist day I found a wheel noise. I assumed it was a stone in the hub cap. But I jacked it up and found that the dust cap on the reqar axle was "off". OK< So I wiggled the wheel, and it was a bit loose. The type of lock nut they use, you can see someone had taken the wheel off.
The dealer did the safety inspection. UNREAL. brand new car and they opulled the wheels, and left the nut loose. Dont think I need them to be telling me it was a safety check.Tis is a dealer too. thats what gets me. If I knew they would do something like that I would have not had them put a sticker on it.
Anyway, far from the Wal Mart deal, but it makes one wonder just how "Qualified" these people are.When I use my lift, I set the arms, and then bring it up till it "hits" then I go around the car again and make sure the pads have hit the frame where I want them, and then I proceed to raise the car.And again peak under it to be sure its where I want it.
thanks for letting me 'Vent"
al

 

[Bird]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( A bubble balancer has served for me quite well and will continue until I find the deal on a spin balancer )</font>

The bubble balancer was all we had when I was a teenager in my Dad's service stations; seemed to work just fine. Then they invented the one that spun the wheel after it was mounted on the vehicle (do they still make those; haven't seen one in years?). And then came the "modern" spin balancers that all tire shops must have today.

In '91, I spent the summer working in my brother's tire dealership in Anchorage. We stayed busy removing the snow tires and mounting and balancing the summer tires, and of course had a couple of the newest type of spin balancers. However, we also had two trucks that would go to the customers' homes and/or businesses and do the job right there. The trucks only had bubble balancers in them, so all customers were told that a bubble balance was done and, if it didn't seem right, to stop by the shop at their convenience to have the "computerized" balance done at no additional cost. No one ever came to have a tire re-balanced, so I guess the antique way worked pretty well. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[deerefan]

Well, I am happy to say that dropping my truck off the rack was not all bad. The damage is minimal. In other words, as **** I can be about my vehicles, I am not going to get it fixed. It has a very small dent in the rock guard under the truck on the drivers door and a small dent in the chrome step on the passenger side. When the incident happened, I told the manager to give me the tires and we will call it even. He said he was not able to do that and had to file a claim. Well, I am happy he did that! WalMart is sending me a check for $1550 to get my truck fixed, pay for a rental car and new chrome steps. Now, what implement do I need the most!? Good ending to a bad story....

Life- flys when you need it to crawl, crawls when you need it to fly...

 

[JerryG]

Sorry that you had the problem but I'm glad that it is working out. I was surprised that the manager first told you that he would give you the tires and be done with it. It is company policy to handle it the way that it was finely handled. He stuck his foot in his mouth before he thought or before he spoke with Risk Control.