Price rose by approximately three bucks to almost $14. Think the PZ bulk stuff is $3 more. At this rate I'll probably switch to Pennzoil which suddenly becomes a (comparatively) better deal.
Wal-Mart ST Oil Change no longer such a good deal...
- Thread starter csandste
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(Didn't notice that I was in the UOA thread-- moderator, please move)
Patman
Staff member
I thought you were considering changing your own oil now that your warranty is almost up?
I think it's been that price in Wally's up here.
the problem is not the price, the problem is the personel there whom I would not trust with anything of that caliber. I really, really want to be sure that the drain plug is put back on and the only way to ensure that is to do it yourself.
Sad but true.
A giant step backwards from the sophistication of diverse economy, towards generalization.
Sad but true.
A giant step backwards from the sophistication of diverse economy, towards generalization.
Ditto on the quality of work. I had my wife's Saturn SL2 oil change there about 5K miles ago, and they stole parts!! I had a magnetic drain plug installed about 35K miles ago and have done only my own oil changes until this one, and when I went to change back to the Mobil Delvac 1300HD/AC Delco combo that I usually run, I was surprised as **** to find a shoddy old GM plug that was all stripped out in my oil pan.
Needless to say I marched right back there with a drippy gallon of black Castrol and orange Fram filter (invoice specified the black-box ST filter, dammit!) and demanded my drain plug back. The manager there was an @ss at best, and told me to leave and never come back. I came back the next day with a report form from the Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR), and one of the skinny little oil change punks went skittering off to Kragen (Checker/Schucks) to buy me a new magnetic drain plug like it was all he had in him! They topped off with a fresh quart of my specified oil, but would not refund the Fram filter (my wife and I specifically requested the ST filter at time of invoice!) and said that they had the right to substitute parts at their whim without contacting me, despite the legal print right on the sheet.
I will buy oil and products at Wal-Mart, but will no longer utilize their "Service" department.
-James W.
GC and M1 filter, 94 Swift GT DOHC
Needless to say I marched right back there with a drippy gallon of black Castrol and orange Fram filter (invoice specified the black-box ST filter, dammit!) and demanded my drain plug back. The manager there was an @ss at best, and told me to leave and never come back. I came back the next day with a report form from the Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR), and one of the skinny little oil change punks went skittering off to Kragen (Checker/Schucks) to buy me a new magnetic drain plug like it was all he had in him! They topped off with a fresh quart of my specified oil, but would not refund the Fram filter (my wife and I specifically requested the ST filter at time of invoice!) and said that they had the right to substitute parts at their whim without contacting me, despite the legal print right on the sheet.
I will buy oil and products at Wal-Mart, but will no longer utilize their "Service" department.
-James W.
GC and M1 filter, 94 Swift GT DOHC
Why? Personally, I'd rather spend $1 more for my 'oil change stuff' at almost any other retailer, than to support the largest retailer in the world, the largest employer in the world, and the company that has shown that one extra penny is more important than a satisfied customer. If this weren't true, they would have refunded some money on your filter issue. Why didn't they? 'Cuz their greedy. If anyone else has a different answer, I'd genuinely like to hear it.
Ok, stepping off my soap box.
Dave
Hmmm, I've been accused of being a WalMart basher, perhaps with good reason. That said, considering that our family cars cost over $20,000 each ... there is no way I am going to trust the we do it cheapest folks at WalMart.
If you are not able or willing to change your own motor oil, at least find a shop you can get to know and count on and give them your business.
John
If you are not able or willing to change your own motor oil, at least find a shop you can get to know and count on and give them your business.
John
my neighbor always takes her car to the dealer, and i have people come to me for oil changes. I get some stuff from Wal-Mart, but i usually go to AutoZone or Costco for my oil purchases.
Just bought a set of 4 Uniroyal tires at Wally*World last Saturday. The service center's happy-merry workers actually did the final torquing of the lug nuts with a torque wrench - something I haven't seen at a mass-merchandizer except at the now defunct "4-Day Tire Stores" chain. I guess it varies as to which store and/or who the department manager is. But, in general I agree that owners who choose to have a discount chain or "quickie-lube" change their engine oil and oil filter deserve what they get. Thirty years ago, or so, the Monkey-Wards store auto service department in Ontario, California was caught and convicted of refilling engines with straight SAE 30 weight non-detergent motor oil regardless what was specified by the customer or promised in the weekly ad. The case went to trial as I remember, and Wards got slapped with the maximum penalty of the time - a $2,000.00 fine. Chicken "something", but definitely not "feed"...
Some thoughts....
1. They're not too bright and I have had to check the oil level and make sure they have a ST filter on an occasion or two, but I've also had dealers screw me up.
2. There's a lot of ongoing discussion on Edmunds about misbalanced Michelins on Elantra GLS's. Some folks have been to the dealer on multiple occasions. Wal-Mart got rid of my balance problems the first time, probably because they do a lot more tire work.
3. St. Louis dealers are at war with their service techs about low level employees doing oil changes. I'm not sure you get the best and the brightest at the dealers doing oil changes. Plus the dealers' techs are now on strike and will be grumpy when they come back.
4. At least the ST stuff is bottled, I've heard some stories about service managers getting their brother to drop non-detergent in the bulk tanks and running a scam on the chain. Thirty years ago, I had an employee who used to run a popcorn scam on a theater using used boxes which they "recycled" ----their charges back to the theater were for boxes moved. Same thing can happen at any chain (or Wal-Mart with PZ bulk) that uses bulk oil.
1. They're not too bright and I have had to check the oil level and make sure they have a ST filter on an occasion or two, but I've also had dealers screw me up.
2. There's a lot of ongoing discussion on Edmunds about misbalanced Michelins on Elantra GLS's. Some folks have been to the dealer on multiple occasions. Wal-Mart got rid of my balance problems the first time, probably because they do a lot more tire work.
3. St. Louis dealers are at war with their service techs about low level employees doing oil changes. I'm not sure you get the best and the brightest at the dealers doing oil changes. Plus the dealers' techs are now on strike and will be grumpy when they come back.
4. At least the ST stuff is bottled, I've heard some stories about service managers getting their brother to drop non-detergent in the bulk tanks and running a scam on the chain. Thirty years ago, I had an employee who used to run a popcorn scam on a theater using used boxes which they "recycled" ----their charges back to the theater were for boxes moved. Same thing can happen at any chain (or Wal-Mart with PZ bulk) that uses bulk oil.
Having worked at a Wal-mart TLE for about a year and half, I feel I should know a little more about what actually goes on behind the scenes there. I don't really want to go through every point, but many have a logically explanation, many are one-time observations, and some are just out of anger.
Here are several points:
1. Their training methods very from store to store depending on management. Some employees go right out without any training and are usually the cause of most problems. That said, if they are trained correctly Wal-marts procedures are very throughout and problems are rare. I'd say their probably better then a lot of other chains, and many dealers as far as training goes.
2. Wal-mart cares more about losing a customer then hundreds of dollars of sales and it's own employees. I know that in the time I worked their they gave away hundreds of tires, oil pugs, repairs, and free oil changes.
3. I found more problems from other shops then with Wal-mart jobs.
-T
Here are several points:
1. Their training methods very from store to store depending on management. Some employees go right out without any training and are usually the cause of most problems. That said, if they are trained correctly Wal-marts procedures are very throughout and problems are rare. I'd say their probably better then a lot of other chains, and many dealers as far as training goes.
2. Wal-mart cares more about losing a customer then hundreds of dollars of sales and it's own employees. I know that in the time I worked their they gave away hundreds of tires, oil pugs, repairs, and free oil changes.
3. I found more problems from other shops then with Wal-mart jobs.
-T
My father in law says that he gets his oil changed at Wal Mart for 29.99 for Mobil 1. That seems really cheap, you could hardly do it yourself for that. He said he watched them do it. They walk in and get the Mobil 1 off the shelf and dump it in. He also said if the drain plug is damaged or looks to be leaking that they come and show you and refuse to change the oil until it is fixed. This must be a liability thing. He seems to be happy. I'm sure the service quality varies from store to store.
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