Why Do Enthusiasts Hate Walmart Products?

[macarose]

I created a group on Facebook called Mileage Impossible which is supposed to feature cars with high miles (250k+ and beyond).

Sometimes we have to ban a few folks. But in general, the site is pretty good at regulating itself and keeping it civil. Except for one weird thing.

Mention Walmart products even once, and it's Looney Tunes time for all the Internet trolls to come out and start screaming like banshees.

People accuse you of abusing your car. Buying junk. Being an idiot or worse. It's like wearing a Dallas Cowboys jersey at a Philadelphia Eagles game. The hate gets thicker than raw honey.

I really don't get it. Even 30 years ago I always bought Supertech oil and filters, along with the store brand coolant. They were perfectly fine for my daily driver which is still on the road 30 years and 400,000 miles later.

The price was always the cheapest (excluding rebates), and the quality was always there. I have probably bought over $250,000 worth of parts and fluids for the vehicles I have sold at my dealership and even today, I still buy Walmart labeled products without thinking twice.

There is almost a Pavolvian reaction that Walmart = cheap crappy product. That may be true for some items, and don't get me started on the hundreds of poorly kept plants they throw in the trash bin every month. But when it comes to the basics I think they're perfectly fine.

 

[burbguy82]

That because the stuff they sell to WalMart is the stuff on the bottom of the "good"scale, and thats why its so cheap.
Beyond conveince, I see no reason to buy oil from the auto parts stores. @ 10-12 buck more per 5qt jug.

 

[Vercingetorix]

The HT200 code reader used to be one the best deals in code readers out there. Autel quality at Walmart pricing.

 

[Malo83]

Totally agree, shop WM weekly, little biased as I spent 26 yrs at our local WM Distribution Center, plus my discount, can't beat it. My BIL who is a Union official hates it, always tell him I ain't joining no union just to pay for your out of town union trips. Lot of people here won't shop WM, fools.

 

[atikovi]

I created a group on Facebook

Mention Walmart products even once, and it's Looney Tunes time for all the Internet trolls to come out and start screaming like banshees.

What more do you need to know? That's Facebook, the Walmart of social media.

 

[HemiBenny]

When it comes to the oil and other fluids, maybe it's the marketing that has planted this idea in their head. They don't see Supertech plastered on the side of a Stock Car, F1 car, Indy car, Top fuel funny car, etc.
If it isn't good enough for a racecar, it isn't good enough for your daily driver.
I've always used Mobil 1, Pennzoil, QS, Valvoline, and even Castrol while maintaining the cars in my and my family's fleet through the years. I've only used Supertech ATF4 once in a transmission service, so there's that at least. (But ATF4 is the same, no matter the label)
Maybe I've subconsciously fallen victim to the idea that it's inferior without even thinking about it. Maybe it's because they don't send me stickers and other cool swag.
Seriously though, the price difference has become negligible between Supertech and the major brands, especially after rebates and Walmart rollback pricing.

 

[supton]

Quality costs. Therefore SuperTech must be bad, because it’s cheap.

Something like that. Sometimes people repeat what they have heard, or thought of, as if its the gospel truth—regardless of what time they have spent fact checking it.

 

[AZjeff]

Mention Walmart products even once, and it's Looney Tunes time for all the Internet trolls to come out and start screaming like banshees.

Walmart hate is an obsession like Tesla hate but there is some truth to the accusations of lower quality.

Walmart has such enormous buying power that it can require products built, made, sewn etc to their specifications and their specs are not making a product better. Not just their brand name stuff but major brand names. In another lifetime I owned a photography store. People would come in and ask why the Minolta camera I had was more money than the same camera at Wamart. Had to explain that it was missing features that the one I was selling had. Not always the case but often. The camera reps would admit it. It was documented for many different products and it's likely worse today. If you think the Hanes tee shirt that's $6 is the same as the Hanes tee shirt at Kohl's for $13 you're sadly mistaken. Cloth weight, stitch count, etc are different. Is the $6 shirt good enough? For lots of people sure. Are Supertech oil and filters equal in every way to other brands costing more? Maybe but probably not. Are they good enough? Probably. Is every brand name product in WalMart lower quality than at other retailers? Maybe, maybe not. But it could be. Of course you stand a good chance of getting counterfeit products from Amazon.

 

[SC Maintenance]

There is some range in this. Super tech oil is Warren which meets spec and works fine. I don’t think it’s the best out there but we haven’t seen a VOA in a while.

Super tech coolant is pretty much Prestone which is the 2EHA bottom of the heap. Won’t use it or Prestone.

Their MP filters were champ XL’s which were very good but they stopped selling them.

So there is a range.

The good thing is Walmart also sells a lot of brand names at the lowest price also. I shop there all the time - but mostly online now.

 

[Bill7]

I created a group on Facebook called Mileage Impossible which is supposed to feature cars with high miles (250k+ and beyond).

Sometimes we have to ban a few folks. But in general, the site is pretty good at regulating itself and keeping it civil. Except for one weird thing.

Mention Walmart products even once, and it's Looney Tunes time for all the Internet trolls to come out and start screaming like banshees.

People accuse you of abusing your car. Buying junk. Being an idiot or worse. It's like wearing a Dallas Cowboys jersey at a Philadelphia Eagles game. The hate gets thicker than raw honey.

I really don't get it. Even 30 years ago I always bought Supertech oil and filters, along with the store brand coolant. They were perfectly fine for my daily driver which is still on the road 30 years and 400,000 miles later.

The price was always the cheapest (excluding rebates), and the quality was always there. I have probably bought over $250,000 worth of parts and fluids for the vehicles I have sold at my dealership and even today, I still buy Walmart labeled products without thinking twice.

There is almost a Pavolvian reaction that Walmart = cheap crappy product. That may be true for some items, and don't get me started on the hundreds of poorly kept plants they throw in the trash bin every month. But when it comes to the basics I think they're perfectly fine.

I do all my shopping only at Walmart, and 99% of what I buy is Walmart Store brand(s).
I use SuperTech Full Synthetic High Mileage 5W-30 oil in the 5 quart jugs. I use my Walmart credit card for 5% off.
Shopping at Walmart is a good way to escape the high prices due to inflation.
I wouldn't even consider shopping anywhere else.

 

[Zee09]

A bunch of hate is propagated by other vendors that don't have the buying power to compete. Nothing new..

 

[mrsilv04]

I drink Wal-Mart's "Great Value" decaffeinated coffee. It's not nearly as bad as you'd think it is... LOL.

And I get a 2 pound can of it, for what some people pay for one grande cup of whatever at $tarbuck$.

 

[dishdude]

My problem with Walmart is the shopping experience, but last time I stopped in I was kinda impressed. Store was cleaner than I remember and I was able to check out quickly.

Agreed they sell some junk but SuperTech oil is good quality.

 

[daves87rs]

Interesting, since I know what you are talking about (FB keeps trying to get me to join the MI group)

Not quite sure why it is like that- other car groups I am in are usually chill with WM.

I happen to like Wal Mart now anyways……

 

[StumblingElk]

The Walmart effect is real. But supertech oil is still decent

 

[4WD]

The Walmart effect is real. But supertech oil is still decent

 

[Hall]

why the Minolta camera I had was more money than the same camera at Wamart

It's not (or wasn't) the same camera. There was a difference in the part number.

If you think the Hanes tee shirt that's $6 is the same as the Hanes tee shirt at Kohl's for $13 you're sadly mistaken. Cloth weight, stitch count, etc are different.

Same as above. Check the SKU on the different shirts. If the SKU matches, there will be ZERO difference. This sounds no different than the auto parts store people claiming the Mobil1 they sell is higher quality than the Mobil1 that WM sells. It's cheaper because WM buys more, gets it at lower cost, and sells for lower margins (they make it up on the volume).

 

[CKN]

It's not (or wasn't) the same camera. There was a difference in the part number.


Same as above. Check the SKU on the different shirts. If the SKU matches, there will be ZERO difference. This sounds no different than the auto parts store people claiming the Mobil1 they sell is higher quality than the Mobil1 that WM sells. It's cheaper because WM buys more, gets it at lower cost, and sells for lower margins (they make it up on the volume).

This was a rumor that was going around this forum. Never heard an auto parts store as a source......

 

[AutoMechanic]

Probably because people like my friend join the group. He has it planted in his head that the Pennzoil he buys from the parts store is superior to that at Walmart because it’s not Walmart because he thinks Walmart has special formulas made for them. I’m like Walmart is the only place I buy oil because it’s usually on sale but even if not still cheaper than the parts store. He always tells me that I’m going to blow up my car with the Castrol from Walmart I’m like uh no but I can guarantee I’m going to spend less money for the same thing lol. Personally I don’t use store brand oils but there is nothing wrong with any of them from any place.

 

[AZjeff]

It's not (or wasn't) the same camera. There was a difference in the part number.


Same as above. Check the SKU on the different shirts. If the SKU matches, there will be ZERO difference. This sounds no different than the auto parts store people claiming the Mobil1 they sell is higher quality than the Mobil1 that WM sells. It's cheaper because WM buys more, gets it at lower cost, and sells for lower margins (they make it up on the volume).

The product looks identical, people don't look at the sku. No doubt WM buys at lower cost but some products that intentionally look the same, to the average person, were decontented. I had to deal with it and as I said my reps didn't like it and apologized. Walmart wasn't their account.