Tires at Walmart - a rant

[Sayjac]

Originally Posted By: KD0AXS
... I took my truck tires to Discount Tire. (purchased them elsewhere) Stock size was 275/70/18, and I brought in 295/70/18s. They mounted and balanced them for me with no questions asked.

Yep, they're great. First set of tires I ever purchased from DT was a non spec size for a Civic. Wanted to go just a tad wider as oem size was fairly narrow 185/65-15, went to 195/60-15. Never an issue and in the past DT has even noted/recommended alternative sizes for a size that had limited tire options. Same goes for buying T rated tire where H is spec. No reason for me to buy elsewhere

As for the OP's WM tire experience, some employees are willing to think and act outside the corporate policy, some aren't. Imo not that much different than some/many other retail places. And however minor, there was/is liability factor to consider. Glad I have DT stores though, so I don't have to think about it.

 

[Mr_Incredible]

Help me out here, OP.

You expected anything different?

From W-Mart?

 

[The_Eric]

I understand the liability aspect, but I think that it was poorly addressed by that girl working the counter. Personally if I were GreeCguy, I would have simply avoided Evil Mart to begin with.





Originally Posted By: sayjac
Glad I have DT stores though, so I don't have to think about it.


And I'm glad I have an account with a tire supplier and a tire machine/balancer, so I don't have to think about it...

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: KB2008X
GreeCguy, have you ever written any short stories ? I think you'd be good at it. You're descriptive and have a knack for dialouge. I'm just saying.

It was good. His pain is our pleasure, as it were.

 

[Pop_Rivit]

This has been brought up time and time again in other posts and rants. I'm not sure why anyone would expect anything different this time, especially from a retailer such as Wal-Mart.

Retailers have to limit their liability in every way that they can. While I'm certainly no fan of Wal-Mart, I'm not sure why anyone would go in expecting them to put anything other than the OEM tire size on their vehicle. Wal-Mart has to draw the line somewhere and for liability purposes it can't be open to interpretation, fuzzy feelings, etc..

 

[Eddie]

As stated, I have had great luck with having 4 sets of 4 mounted and balanced at Wallmarts. The worst I have seen is Tires-Plus. While waiting in line to get a price on tires, I walked out into the shop where 3 guys were goofing around while mounting tires. Two different customer were returning because, studs were broken off when the new tires were mounted. The shop was trying to blame the owners when one customer picked up a broken stud on the floor. The jerks were torquing the lug nuts with an impact wrench without a torque stick or torque wrench. My Walmart dealer mounted all my tires using a torque stick for lugs followed up with another worker testing the lug tightness with a torque wrench.
I believe it depends on the attitude of the worker and his boss on how a good job is completed and not the chain or tire shop. Ed

 

[strat81]

Originally Posted By: GreeCguy
I pay the disposal fee and feeling like I had just visited a "Gentlemen's Club" only to discover the main dancer was named "Herman" who pole danced in a pink leotard.

I walk outside carrying two tires.


So much for voting with your dollars.

 

[Blaze]

I didn't have a problem with Walmart when I wanted 10 ply "E" tires on my little Ford Ranger. They are not specked for that vehicle either but they didn't say anything. I have good results with Walmart tire buying and compared to the service I had at Les Schwab.
One thing I did notice at Walmart is a second guy follows the first guy with the torque stick and double checks the lugs for proper torque...not sure if other tire outfits do this double check??

 

[datech]

>Its really neat having 2 vehicles. One sits in the driveway on jack stands with >tires & wheels removed, other one takes tires & wheels to Wally World to put on >the tires I wish.

>Problem solved."



Either that or just get a second set of rims and take those.

 

[99Saturn]

Originally Posted By: KB2008X
GreeCguy, have you ever written any short stories ? I think you'd be good at it. You're descriptive and have a knack for dialouge. I'm just saying.

+1000 Stories remind me of some of Bill Bryson or David Sedaris books.

 

[RH+G]

I know in NYS its the law to charge tire disposal anytime u buy new tires. U actually get charged tire disposal when u buy a new car. The logic is that u will eventually have to dispose of the that tire

As far as not wanting to put a different size on many places are now starting to adopt that policy. Its cause people sue over everything now.

Many people get upset when they go to a tire spot and want to put lower speed rated tires or lower load rating cause they are cheaper.
Most of the time it wont make a difference.
But one person has done it got a blowout and caused an accident and a lawyer pointed out that the tire was not the right tire as specified by the manufacture. They win a lot of money and now the company has to protect it self from future lawsuits.

Most safety features and rules like this are generated from previous accidents and lawsuits that have happened.

People use to get mad when they came in with awd cars and we refused to put tires on unless it was all four. They would cuss and storm out. That rule came about after the company had to replace a impreza awd cause we put two tires on and the guy claimed the next day his awd got burnt up. It was probably a not cause of the two tires due to the short time period but we lost and that mistake never happened again on ANY awd car.

 

[The Critic]

Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit
This has been brought up time and time again in other posts and rants. I'm not sure why anyone would expect anything different this time, especially from a retailer such as Wal-Mart.

Retailers have to limit their liability in every way that they can. While I'm certainly no fan of Wal-Mart, I'm not sure why anyone would go in expecting them to put anything other than the OEM tire size on their vehicle. Wal-Mart has to draw the line somewhere and for liability purposes it can't be open to interpretation, fuzzy feelings, etc..

+1

 

[AboutTires]

I would not have installed those at my shop. Liability aside, they're the wrong overall diameter. That affects speedo settings, odometer, ABS, traction control, suspension, the list goes on. Plus you only got two which makes everything worse. I'm no fan of Walmart, and they have the oem only policy because their people are not trained to calculate diameters, but IMHO they were correct to refuse to install.

 

[AboutTires]

To be brutally frank, the unethical part was that they sold you the tires at all, knowing they were the wrong size.

 

[Jarlaxle]

So...what do you do when a car's OE size and speed rating just is not available anymore? Tell them to junk it?

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: AboutTires
I'm no fan of Walmart, and they have the oem only policy because their people are not trained to calculate diameters, but IMHO they were correct to refuse to install.

They were right by mistake.

There's a reason I take my vehicles to proper tire professionals. Look at my old F-150. It specifies an obsolete size. What would Walmart do? Do they have the current data? Would they send me packing?

 

[AboutTires]

Originally Posted By: Jarlaxle
So...what do you do when a car's OE size and speed rating just is not available anymore? Tell them to junk it?


If there was really no other choice I'd be flexible. In that situation I would look to change width rather than ratio, or possibly change wheel size.

 

[grampi]

So what happens if you need a set of tires and you have aftermarket wheels and tires that are a different size than stock? Do they still refuse to sell and mount new tires?

 

[Jarlaxle]

Originally Posted By: AboutTires
Originally Posted By: Jarlaxle
So...what do you do when a car's OE size and speed rating just is not available anymore? Tell them to junk it?


If there was really no other choice I'd be flexible. In that situation I would look to change width rather than ratio, or possibly change wheel size.


I have owned several cars with NLA tire sizes...225/75R14, 195/70R13, 145R12, and 12R16.5 come to mind.

 

[john_pifer]

Walmart [censored] me off one time when they refused to install a battery in my Tacoma because my dirt bike was in the bed. Said they had to pull it in the shop to install the new battery, but I'd have to unload the dirt bike.

Needless to say, I didn't want to go through all that hassle, so I said I'll install it myself.

Then the kid sold me the wrong battery, which I realized only after I'd hauled it out to the truck and got the old battery out and realized the terminals were on the wrong sides.

Then I had to haul the battery all the way to the front of the store (past all the People of Walmart) to get it swapped out.

I got them back though. When it was almost to the 3-yr free replacement, I went back and had them swap it for a new one.