A good experience at Walmart

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My elderly neighbor has been confined for a few weeks. Someone has decided that since her car has not been moved that it will be towed. She gave me her keys, the last time I visited her at the retirement home. I know that the car had not been started in at least a couple of months. I looked at the battery and it was from Walmart, the date code read 0518. I removed it and took it back to Walmart. I didn't have a receipt, but after trying to test it, the tester did nothing. The battery was 'deader' than dead. The tech needed manager approval and after the manager looked at my ID I was given a new battery. Once installed, her car fired right up and I have driven it a couple of times. I want to say thanks to Walmart for doing the right thing !!
 
Hurray for all involved!
grin2.gif
 
I have gotten the same style treatment. And I have been told to pound sand. No reciept? Sorry. Get lost.

The good news is, that Walmart has like 5000 stores and some clerk, somewhere, will take care of you. If Walmart A tells you to pound sand, go to Walmart B. You'll eventually find someone that will help you.

I even tell the clerk that has told me to pound sand this, and many times they will change their tune. (You do realize that Walmart has like 500 stores, and someone will swap this battery out for me? So why dont you stop wasting my time and just swap out the battery, that is going to get swapped out anyways?)
 
I don't know the exact date that Walmart started recording battery purchases on their computer system. I do know that I bought my battery January 2017, and I don't need a receipt to take it back for warranty.
 
My dad didn't need a receipt to warranty out his Walmart battery a year ago.

The way to do it so you don't get the runaround with battery replacements from Walmart is take it to a Walmart that doesn't have an auto-center. Then they can't test the battery and they'll just give you a replacement.

I did that with the Camry.
 
Why not just charge it up or jump start? Instead of swapping out a battery due to operator neglect (parasitic draw) that didn't die because of warranty reasons? This is what causes new battery prices to rise. The new battery is gonna die in a few weeks unless you disconnect it or run the car frequently, same as the May 2018 one.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted by mechjames
Why not just charge it up or jump start? Instead of swapping out a battery due to operator neglect (parasitic draw) that didn't die because of warranty reasons? This is what causes new battery prices to rise. The new battery is gonna die in a few weeks unless you disconnect it or run the car frequently, same as the May 2018 one.

Congratulations for being a .... well, nevermind
confused2.gif


Are you willing to help out the OP's elderly neighbor by solving her situation ? Didn't think so.
 
WM used to have a written policy that they'd replace their brand batteries based on the date code if the buyer couldn't come up with a receipt. This ended, presumably when persons brought in batteries from junkyards and elsewhere. Similar to the Craftsman warranty.

During this time I turned in a yellow one with a 3 year full price/ 7 year pro-rated warranty and 3.5 years of use. Got enough credit to get a 2-year battery for $11.

WM has had serial numbers on their batteries since at least 3.5 years ago when the Valu-starts came out. Perhaps your neighbor had a traceable serial and everything checked out.
 
I tried returning a Walmart battery last summer, I was told I needed the receipt - which I didn't have - and it was going to be pro rated based on the remaining amount left on the warranty...I would have recieved...I don't know...$30 bucks maybe.

So I left it at that and just bought another battery and taped my receipt to the side of the battery so next time I'll at least know where it is.

I can't stand Walmart anymore (nice of them to allow this guy to get a battery though) but they don't have people working the registers anymore. It's ridiculous. They have 50 registers and two of them are open...the rest are self checkout and even those things are backed up. And returns? They have one person working that 90% of the time.
 
I love there self checkouts since cashiers make mistakes. I got tired of calling store cause I was double charged so I started doing it myself. As far as battery I never had a problem with their batteries nor with return core charge.
 
Originally Posted by Railrust
I tried returning a Walmart battery last summer, I was told I needed the receipt - which I didn't have - and it was going to be pro rated based on the remaining amount left on the warranty...I would have recieved...I don't know...$30 bucks maybe.

So I left it at that and just bought another battery and taped my receipt to the side of the battery so next time I'll at least know where it is.

I can't stand Walmart anymore (nice of them to allow this guy to get a battery though) but they don't have people working the registers anymore. It's ridiculous. They have 50 registers and two of them are open...the rest are self checkout and even those things are backed up. And returns? They have one person working that 90% of the time.




I doubt that receipt will be readable when you need it
 
OP-you need to be a REALLY good neighbor & pick up one of these from HF (or elsewhere)- https://www.harborfreight.com/15-watt-solar-battery-charger-62449.html?cid=paid_google|*PLA+-+All+Products|All+Products|62449&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&mkwid=s21QC5SlW|pcrid|327822404853|pkw||pmt||pdv|c|slid||product|62449|&pgrid=71439424048&ptaid=aud-453354162445:pla-296128378483&pcid=1688396772&gclid=CjwKCAjw583nBRBwEiwA7MKvoDjqXoVOHNPfRwZNccaNo0g7lI0oYvGpMVhcaDOC1r42A_Gjf_GgNRoCahEQAvD_BwE
That way her new battery won't fail if the car doesn't get driven regularly.
 
Originally Posted by mechjames
Why not just charge it up or jump start? Instead of swapping out a battery due to operator neglect (parasitic draw) that didn't die because of warranty reasons? This is what causes new battery prices to rise. The new battery is gonna die in a few weeks unless you disconnect it or run the car frequently, same as the May 2018 one.



Well you are a fine human and trust me I return a battery every year because we will kill one every summer do to climate.
 
Originally Posted by Nick1994

The way to do it so you don't get the runaround with battery replacements from Walmart is take it to a Walmart that doesn't have an auto-center. Then they can't test the battery and they'll just give you a replacement.


Varies by the store.
The WalMart closest to me does not have an auto center. They'll sell you just about anything automotive, except tires, but they don't have bays to change your oil or replace your tires.
The last time I was in there for a battery warranty, at 11:00 PM, they told me that they needed to put it on their battery analyzer and I was told it could take 90-120 minutes. Not gonna happen.
The WalMart that is second closest to me has a TLE center, but they informed me my battery also needed to be analyzed by their 90-120 minute machine and, shucky-darn, they JUST put another battery on it.
Both of these stores are a good half hour away from me, so I'm not just going to leave my battery there and pick it up tomorrow.
I did manage to get my battery replaced at a WM TLE store that's a good hour away from me. If you wish to buy tires there with no appointment, you are automatically told that it is an 8-hour wait. The shop employees work slower than sloths, so that's probably part of the reason. I happened to be passing through and the TLE manager just put his volt meter on the battery, scanned the serial number, looked at my driver's license, gave me a new replacement and sent me on my way.
I feel that the batteries that WM sells are just as good as anybody's, but they have lost a lot of my battery business.
 
Originally Posted by Railrust
I tried returning a Walmart battery last summer, I was told I needed the receipt - which I didn't have - and it was going to be pro rated based on the remaining amount left on the warranty...I would have recieved...I don't know...$30 bucks maybe.

So I left it at that and just bought another battery and taped my receipt to the side of the battery so next time I'll at least know where it is.

I can't stand Walmart anymore (nice of them to allow this guy to get a battery though) but they don't have people working the registers anymore. It's ridiculous. They have 50 registers and two of them are open...the rest are self checkout and even those things are backed up. And returns? They have one person working that 90% of the time.

I put my receipt in with my car registration in the glove box, good to have when traveling.
cheers3.gif
 
I worked in automotive for over 7 years, the battery was, as i posted 'deader than dead'. The battery tester didn't even register that a battery was connected. More info: the battery did in fact have a bar code serial number, in addition to the SKU. Jumping was not an option with such a low battery.
 
Originally Posted by Railrust
I tried returning a Walmart battery last summer, I was told I needed the receipt - which I didn't have - and it was going to be pro rated based on the remaining amount left on the warranty...I would have recieved...I don't know...$30 bucks maybe.

Who ever told you that must have been a complete idiot. It's not that hard to look up the sale info of a battery. There is a computer program that stores SNs of those batteries. If you don't have the receipt they will take down your drivers license number to make sure your not a chronic returner. The only time it won't have the SN in the system is if they stole it. I have put in new batteries from people that bought them from the east coast that didn't have the receipt because the system records it.

Only thing that sucks is they go by month. So if you buy a battery on the 31st of the month, you get the same warranty as the guy that bought on the 1st of the month.
 
Originally Posted by bubbatime
The good news is, that Walmart has like 5000 stores and some clerk, somewhere, will take care of you. If Walmart A tells you to pound sand, go to Walmart B. You'll eventually find someone that will help you.
I even tell the clerk that has told me to pound sand this, and many times they will change their tune. (You do realize that Walmart has like 500 stores, and someone will swap this battery out for me? So why dont you stop wasting my time and just swap out the battery, that is going to get swapped out anyways?)


I love it!
 
Originally Posted by Railrust
just bought another battery and taped my receipt to the side of the battery so next time I'll at least know where it is.


The heat in Texas turns the receipts black. No good.
 
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