Why is Wal-Mart run by retards?

[warrior]

I made it to work this morning fine but after a couple of hours my boss tells me that my passenger rear tire is going flat. I go to look and surely enough it is. Quickly swap on my spare and head to Wal-Mart because its just down the road.

I asked the mechanic to help me find the leak since there was no visible screws/nails or punctures. He immediately tells me he can't fix the tire because it's a 55 series tire. Wtf? After questioning why not; he explains that their tire separator machine won't separate tires under a 60 series profile. My response was I don't want you to take the tire off the rim, I want you to help me find the leak by putting some air in the tire and dunking it inside your little tire tub over there.

After a few minutes of bickering he finally decides to help me. The leak was a faulty valve and was found even before dunking the tire as you could hear it.. I asked him if he could unscrew the crappy valve and put in a new one and he got mad at me!!

"There's 50 cameras watching me right now and I don't even have a work order printed to help you find the leak. We cannot do that because we have to replace the whole stem and our tire machine won't separate this tire."

So I said thanks and went on my merry way to get my tire fixed on my own.

What the hell could possibly go wrong by replacing a shitty valve stem?!?! That is really sad.

[2.5GT]

the wal mart tech is right :eek: ..but he shouldn't have yelled at you for that

there's probably a tiny cut around the rubber valve stem, causing it to leak air. and you cant replace the valve stem without taking the tire off the wheel. which he said he cant do b/c of your tire size :eek:

[ooberdoob]

wtf? they just mounted my 55 series falkens with no issues. well, they aren't balanced froth a damn but i can have that redone.

[ivwarrior]

Yeah, but what are the chances that the machines REALLY can't handle a 55 series tire. More like the guy was lazy and just didn't want to deal with it. Besides, you DON'T have to remove the tire from the rim to replace a valve stem. All you have to do is break the outer bead seal, pop the old stem out, put the new one in and reseat the bead and inflate the tire. I've done it plenty of times. Doesn't even throw off the balance as the inner bead is still seated, so the tire doesn't move in relation to the wheel. 3 minute job.

[warrior]

Yeah, but what are the chances that the machines REALLY can't handle a 55 series tire. More like the guy was lazy and just didn't want to deal with it. Besides, you DON'T have to remove the tire from the rim to replace a valve stem. All you have to do is break the outer bead seal, pop the old stem out, put the new one in and reseat the bead and inflate the tire. I've done it plenty of times. Doesn't even throw off the balance as the inner bead is still seated, so the tire doesn't move in relation to the wheel. 3 minute job.

That's exactly what some next little shop did for me in 3 min, on the spot for $10! This is why little mechanic shops will always be better than your corporate monkey capitalizing businesses!

[Wiscon_Mark]

I wouldn't touch the Wal*Mart auto center with a 10 mile long pole. Same as Jiffy Lube in my mind - "techs" that are underpaid and don't care.

[rougeben83]

Some of the ghetto shops still use the old manually operated machines that make even a 55-series hard to mount. The shop I sometimes go to has one and they did have a problem with the 55 on my 16's but they still got it on and charged me the same $10 mounted and balanced.

It's not impossible, but it is harder to do.

That tech was just being a lazy bastard. Moreso if they have the more common hydraulic machines and all he has to do is stand there operating levers and using a small pry tool :roll:

What's even better is trying to see them monkey around with a 45 series Azenis :wink:

[Reason]

The real question is are you retarded for going to wal-mart for automotive services :lol: . I don't care if they were just going to top off my windshield wiper fluid.

[Huffer]

Another point - he did stuff for you without a work order. In this day of litigation, thats dangerous.

At least he found the leak, that you probably could have done at any gas station with an air pump.

[warrior]

Another point - he did stuff for you without a work order. In this day of litigation, thats dangerous.

At least he found the leak, that you probably could have done at any gas station with an air pump.

It's sad that the world is actually steering towards that direction. I'm glad that there are still shops like the one I found that enjoy customer satisfaction.

..and, I did look for the leak but I was at work using my works time to fix a personal problem and couldn't abuse it entirely. :smile:


The real question is are you retarded for going to wal-mart for automotive services :lol: . I don't care if they were just going to top off my windshield wiper fluid.

I agree.. but time was limited and I don't like driving on my spare tire for a long time.

[Sarra]

I avoid Wal*Mart like it's got some kind of infectious disease. And, it probably does.

I take my tire needs to a place that deals exclusively with tires, wheels, and suspension.

[Kraziken]

I only go to Walmart for the Synthetic motor oil in the large 5 quart containers.

If someone knows another source I'd love to know. It seems to be a Wal Mart thing only. I like using them to recycle the old oil.

[Huffer]

I only go to Walmart for the Synthetic motor oil in the large 5 quart containers.

If someone knows another source I'd love to know. It seems to be a Wal Mart thing only. I like using them to recycle the old oil.

Most of the "autoparts" stores have moved to 1qt containers. Walmart appears to have a lock on the cheaper 5qt containers. I don't know if its just surplus stock that's being distributed to them, or if it's a manufacturer line variation.

Either way, I love saving the $2 per 5qts and buying toilet paper at the same time. ;)

[Plays_with_Toys]

I took my snow tires to walmart to have them unmounted. Every tire shop wanted atleast $20, walmart did it for $14. A more fair price in my mind.

[Wiscon_Mark]

I just go to the shop we bought the tires from. Free rotations, mountings, balancing. Well worth the little bit extra we paid over buying them at tirerack.