Tales of Wamart, or How to Go Postal Without Really Trying...

Tales of Walmart, or How to Go Postal Without Really Trying...

I just sent an email to my brother about my adventures at Walmart this morning. Thought you might enjoy it, since it is motorcycle related:

Hey brother T-Bone!

I received the connector patch kits (R/R and Stator) from Tightwad late Saturday at work. Sunday I cut out the bad and spliced in and soldered the good. Haven’t soldered in 35 years, so it isn’t real purty. The fried connectors literally crumbled into pieces. Connected the battery, fired it up (had just enough juice to start the bike), and the battery would not charge. Wouldn’t charge on the Dellran either. The green and red lights just alternated blinking, which is supposed to mean something isn’t connected right, or the ground is loose, or the battery is bad.

Took the battery to have it tested this morning to a guy I know isn’t an idiot. Showed 11.6v, and took a dump when put under load. So, bad battery, I guess. Returned battery to Walmart thinking it was still under warranty (purchased 9/14,2009). Waited forever for service (I was the only one waiting). They tested it and said it was OK. I asked to look at the print out. It read 11.6v. Told them it should read 12.8v, that it won’t take a charge, and that it dumps on load – a bad battery. I asked if they load tested it. They don’t have the equipment to perform a load test (!?). So, then, how the fuck do they know it’s a good battery (I said to myself)?

It gets better, after waiting all that time, the guy said it was under warranty and that they would replace it. But he had to get a manager. The manager went to the magic computer, which said it was under a 90-day warranty, which had expired, so no replacement or credit of any kind.

I purchased a new battery. Left, and when I came to a stop light, thought I should check inside the box. I just had a bad feeling. It was the right box, but someone had put the wrong battery in it.

So, back I go. Nobody was anywhere to be found. Finally a guy shows up and tells me they can’t do refunds or exchanges back in the auto center. I said, you sold it to me here, how about just giving me the right battery that I already paid for. No go. I was told I had to take the old battery way up to the front of the store (about a mile away), and get a refund. Then I would have to come back to the auto service center and buy a new one. Now that’s customer focus!

I told him I wasn’t going to make two trips. So I went over and took a new battery off the shelf, left the premises with the old and new batteries, got in my car, and drove all the way around to the front of the store, and went in to customer service (a complete misnomer, by the way).

Well, guess what. One service guy and two people in front of me. And the computer was F.U.B.A.R. I waited, and waited, and waited. Then “Joe” the customer service manager happened to walk by. I grabbed him and told him he sold me the wrong battery, and had him open another computer/register and do the refund and purchase so I could get the hell out of there. I think the two people in front of me were miffed.

Quite a productive morning so far, heh?

So tonight I’ll dump the electrolyte in the battery, let it sit for an hour, seal it up, put it in the bike, and charge it up. I’m skeptical that I only fried the battery and nothing else, because I couldn’t be that lucky.

If I still have a problem, then I have to test the R/R and the stator (if I can figure out how to do it with the instructions I downloaded from Spectrasport). I need step-by-step instructions, or I’m screwed. I really need “Testing the R/R and Stator for Dummies” book.

So, to answer your question, no, the bike isn’t fixed yet. If I can’t get it fixed by Thursday night, I guess I’ll drive out to the Triumph Come Home gathering (even though the thought kills me).

I did register us and reserve a camp site many months ago. It’s for two (admittance) and a camp site. Now I have to find the hard copy proof. We’ll have to get Bob an admission ticket (I’ll split it with you).

P.S. I need a second bike so I can have one to fix and one to ride.

Later,

Brother Knife

P.S. The only reason I got a battery at Walmart was because I needed one immediately and it was Monday and none of the cycle dealers are open on Mondays. It was also cheap, but cheap can prove to be costly.

 

Knife, I would love to read what you wrote. I can't due to the black text. If it has to do with pink taco, I'm interested!

 

I feel bad for you, but try to take comfort in the fact that service(?) at Walmart is bad everywhere. Good luck!

 

all you had to say was walmart. Bad service is a given.

 

It's not just Walmart, bad service is abound everywhere. Nobody working in the retail sector gives a rat's ass anymore. If you find a place with good service, keep going there and give them a compliment. Also send e-mails to the stores and complain about the lousy service. Home depot here was bad, everybody I knew complained about it. Last time I was there, all the staff was asking if I needed help. Or better yet, vote with your wallet and shop elsewhere.