WalMart: Misunderstanding the Meaning of the word "Express"

Published on March 22, 2005 By Gideon MacLeish In Misc

Ok, to be technical, I looked up a few definitions of the word "express". I found the following relevant results:

rapid transport of goods
mail that is distributed by a rapid and efficient system
send by rapid transport or special messenger service; "She expressed the letter to Florida"
without unnecessary stops; "an express train"; "an express shipment"

Bearing that in mind, I took two rims in last week to WalMart's Tire and Lube EXPRESS to have new tires put on them for my vehicle, which was stranded back at our house. They mounted the two tires (one was the spare), a task that took them 51 minutes to perform.

Two days later, I was checking the front suspension, and noticed that the front tire I had not switched over badly needed to be changed. I pulled the spare from the trunk, and, no air. So, I figured it was possible the guy at TLE had forgotten to air up the tire, and promptly did so, placing it on the car.

Fast forward to yesterday morning. I get up, and the tire is once again flat. I air it up, take it back to the TLE, along with the warranty paperwork, and another 45 minute wait ensues, putting a damper on other things that I needed to do. But, they say, they found the problem, and I head out.

This morning, I wake up, guess what? yup...another flat tire. I air it up again and drive it into town, this time leaving an hour early to accomodate the slothful attendants. I loiter around WalMart, come back, and guess what? There's one vehicle in the bay, and it ISN'T mine. A quick look outside shows me my car hasn't been moved. I speak with the young lady who is nearby, and she pages one of the guys who is supposed to be working there, but apparently found his break to be more pressing. Another 45 minutes go by, and by this time, I can recite the title and order of all of the movies, computer hardware, and music in the adjoining electronics department. Finally, they tell me there's nothing wrong with my tire.

When I insist that a brand new tire should hold air for more than 24 consecutive hours, they mention that they need to check with the head of the TLE, who is conveniently unavailable. So far the tally is almost 2 1/2 hours of my time spent taking care of this tire, with more on the horizon. I'm starting to suspect that I have a faulty tire, and they're hoping they can give me the run around and hope I'll give up and take the tire elsewhere, in which case they can claim it nullified the warranty.

But, back to topic, it seems they have a funny idea of the word "express".

Comments

Dr Guy

on Mar 22, 2005

Funny you should mention Express and Wally World in the same breath. I ordered some books for my sons birthday 3 weeks before the date. They were in stock (supposedly). Guess what? They did not get there in time!

Wally World? Express? A new oxy-moron.

Gideon MacLeish

on Mar 23, 2005

One word of caution as to WalMart,from a former employee:

Their claims department is evaluated as to the amount of faulty merchandise they are allowed to send back for damage compensation. They are under intense pressure from the higher ups, and most returns that can be repackaged without too much problem, are. This means, if a package appears to have been opened and the product used,it probably has been, even though the store sells the product as "new" (this is fraud,by the way,but the hard part's proving it). Walmart knows that most faulty merchandise is never returned, and they operate on that premise, apparently with great success.

Gideon MacLeish

on Mar 23, 2005

Ugh. Thats just plain ignorant.

More to the point, it's illegal, which is why I wish I had a way of proving it.

(I did have a friend who was a film student, and we had strongly considered using hidden cameras while we were on the job, but didn't have the funds to get the proper equipment).

Add to that the fact that WalMart's "salary and benefit" claims are artificially inflated due to their stock purchase plan,which, I might add, serves the added purpose of artificially inflating their stock value, and you have the world's largest house of cards just waiting for someone to blow...

shadesofgrey

on Mar 23, 2005

Wow--that will certainly cause me to think twice about supporting their business. Thanks for the info, Gideon.

How's the tire?

I've found that many people have a "funny definition" of words like "express" and "thirty minutes or less." Why is it that my 30 minute lube, oil and filter always takes 45+ mintues?

kingbee

on Mar 23, 2005

I loiter around WalMart, come back, and guess what?

your first mistake. or actually maybe your fourth or fifth, the first being going to wal-mart in the first place.

Add to that the fact that WalMart's "salary and benefit" claims are artificially inflated due to their stock purchase plan

their salary & benefit plan is, in california anyway, federally funded health care. families of wal-mart employees make up a substantial percentage of those in this state receiving medi-cal benefits.

apparently they're now actively recruiting seniors...which can only improve the 'express' thing

Gideon MacLeish

on Mar 23, 2005

their salary & benefit plan is, in california anyway, federally funded health care. families of wal-mart employees make up a substantial percentage of those in this state receiving medi-cal benefits.

I was one of the few at our WalMart who was allowed "full time" status and had benefits available. The health insurance would have cost approximately 25% of my take home pay, a luxury that was far beyond our ability to pay for.

KarmaGirl

on Mar 23, 2005

your first mistake. or actually maybe your fourth or fifth, the first being going to wal-mart in the first place.

I won't shop at Walmart.

Even brands that you know by name are made different for Walmart. Walmart sets their own prices, and if you want to be sold in their store, you have to meet them.

So, you see a pair of jeans there in a brand you like. They cost $10.00 less than another store, so you buy them. What you don't realize is that they aren't the same. You bought the "Walmart" version that was made of substandard materials by cheap labor, whereas the more expensive ones are the quality item in another store. So, the jeans don't last as long, fit weird, etc.

You get what you pay for. It's cheaper for a reason. And, if it costs you a bunch of your time, it didn't save you anything. They bank on the fact that we want cheap stuff and lots of it, so they figure they can screw you over many times and you'll keep coming back.

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