Complaint Review: Walmart - Mesa Arizona

Hi, I have a lot of experience with Walmart, and I like it generally, but have learned to be careful. About the oil change and the 3000 miles, if you use full synthetic oil, as I do, these rules do not necessarily apply and changing your oil at 3000 miles is not the best route to take. See this website: http://neptune.spacebears.com/cars/stories/mobil1.html I will be changing my oil at 8000 miles with a new oil filter at 4000 miles. What I do to ensure that the right oil gets in my car, is first of all to use Mobil 1, because they pretty much only make synthetic. Once at Walmart, when I asked for Valvoline full synthetic, I caught one of their employees about to use another Valvoline product. Since then I have used Mobile 1 only. Also, I buy the 5-gallon bottle (from Walmart) and have them use that, and they return it to me with the gallon that is left. This way, I am relatively confident that the right oil is getting into the car. Every time they change your oil, they are supposed to check the level it was brought in at. The level always checked out as "full" on their report, and I stupidly trusted this information. It was my responsibility to check my oil and I became complacent. I caught my oil one time almost gone and realized the car must have been using oil for some time. So I started keeping careful track of oil use. When it would be about the right time for an oil change (I have always changed oil at ~4500 miles, this was before visiting the above-referenced website), and a quart low (at the "Add" mark), I would take my car in for its change. Each and every time I have done this, Walmart has given me a report saying the oil level was "full"... Now, this is very bad, to put out misleading information like this, and about something so important as oil level! I did mention it to them, twice, and they challenged me, --when did you check your oil--, to which I answered, right before coming here. One manager even tried to suggest that this was a result of the car not being level. I said no, maybe a small amount on the stick could account for the discrepancy, but not a whole quart! Bottom line, although Walmart is good in some ways, you have to cover your bases with them. It turns out that topping off with oil seems to be very important, so from now on I will keep my oil level at full at all times, so will never catch them in this error again. However, it is something that is consistently happening (consistently happened to me) and there will be people who, like I did for a while, trust the "oil full" report and run their car out of oil because of it. Back to the claim about the 3000 miles, I don't agree, it should depend on your car and the way the oil looks, if it is dirty oil that shows clear negligence in care, maybe their claim is reasonable, but for my part, nobody is going to dictate to me when it is time to change the oil. My oil is beautiful, and I have never changed it at 3000 miles.

Greg, Its nice that you worked there for a "short time", but as someone who worked there for a 'long time' I can guarantee you prices do differ. Why do you think individual stores do competitive shopping in their areas? Here's how it works. A new item that is to be carried in all stores (not all stores carry all items) is distributed. Each store would download the product info, including price from the Home Office. For a short time, all stores nation-wide would be at some price. But, shortly the department manager should be doing comp-shopping in his area- the price would be adjusted accordingly. The exception is items like Sony Playstations or Xbox's where it is contracted that price is dictated by manufacturer. That's why you can see a commercial put on by Sony for the Playstation for $200, and be able to buy it at Wal-Mart, Target, Circuit City for $200 (instead of say, $205)

I have shopped at the wal-mart in Terrell Texas (which is wet and near I-20) and then for some reason I find myself at the wal-mart in Greenville (which is dry and near I 30) and have found as much as a $20 dollar difference on televisions (Terrell being cheaper). Out of curosity, I went to the wal-mart in Rockwall which is closer to Dallas and found their prices were as much as $30 higher than in Greenville for the same item. That is a $50 dollar swing within about 50 miles. Just my own FYI.

I can understand her being upset about the prices. Yes there is a difference of prices between Walmart stores. I have see items priced $1.00 to $2.00 higher in different area stores. In the northern part Of Illinois items are cheaper than the southen part. I have found this in at least 6 Walmarts in this state.

This is a customary practice for most retailers. Generally, merchandise that are CLEARANCE should be price the same across board to all STORES. I am a bit surprised WALMART did not refunded you the $7.49. Customer satisfaction or customer service should be part of the service they are providing.

I worked at Walmart for a short time several years ago. Something I did learn, and now see first hand nationwide: those prices stay the same store to store. Sure, soda, cigarettes, dairy, and some other items vary city to city, but most items are priced the same. And yes, I have seen Walmart lowball prices in new stores (like many other stores do), but whether a Kmart, Target, or noone is around to compete, the prices stay the same. You found one of the few exceptions: clearance items. Many times store management chooses to clear out an item. But that non clearance towel is the same price coast to coast, as is that chunky soup, and the bag of snickers.

I worked at Walmart for a short time several years ago. Something I did learn, and now see first hand nationwide: those prices stay the same store to store. Sure, soda, cigarettes, dairy, and some other items vary city to city, but most items are priced the same. And yes, I have seen Walmart lowball prices in new stores (like many other stores do), but whether a Kmart, Target, or noone is around to compete, the prices stay the same. You found one of the few exceptions: clearance items. Many times store management chooses to clear out an item. But that non clearance towel is the same price coast to coast, as is that chunky soup, and the bag of snickers.

I happened to be in the area of the first one I purchased an item in. I don't think I have been in that Walmart in 2 years. Later in the day I remembered that there was something else that I had wanted to purchase and went to the Walmart closer to my home and did just that. I purchased an item. So what if it was a 2 dollar difference, it's not about the amount. I suppose you might feel that I was justified if it was a 30 dollar difference on a big ticket item? As for the other two rebuttals, I thank you for your insight and thoughtfulness in your responses. However the Alaska vs. Florida example wasn't really necessary. :-)

Kind of funny. Here's a shopper that isn't happy with Walmart, because she found an item at a second Walmart, on clearence, thus cheaper, then what she had paid earlier in the day at her first Walmart. What I would like to know is, does she normally cruise more than one or two Walmarts in a day? She's not happy over the $2+ change, but I imagine she spent more then that cruising Walmarts. She seemed to be concerned about spending gas money but not enough to curtail her Walmart cruising. Secondly, I would imagine if her second Walmart has way too many of one item and can't get rid of it, the manager has the ability to MARKDOWN the price of some items, put them on CLEARANCE and sell them for CHEAPER then her first Walmart. Needless to say, if the item doesn't sell at the regular price, the manager has to do something otherwise he's stuck with it forever. A simple solution to this is to drive to all the Walmarts in your area and check prices before you buy anything. That way you won't miss any clearance items.

Deb -You were surprised by different prices at different stores? I might pay more for an orange at a Wal-Mart in Alaska than a Wal-Mart in Florida?....Wow! Okay aside from the obvious, Wal-Mart stores price items on a number of factors. One of which is local competition. Eight miles can make a big difference if there is a K-Mart, Target, or even a specialty shop around. But this is no big deal, most chains adjust their prices like this, it's called being competitive and it benefits you as a consumer. Be happy. If it were clearance, that particular store probably was dropping the item and just wanted to get rid of them.

Deb, I understand your frustration at finding the same item cheaper at another store after you have already bought it at a higher price somewhere else. But that's the way it goes sometimes. This is what you should have done. You should have purchased the rug at the discounted amount at Falcon Field. Then, at a time when your travels took you back by the other store (Alma School & Main?), just returned it then. That way, you would not have had to make the extra trip that day. By the way, this is common to most grocery stores/fast food joints. I can go to the Fry's at Val Vista & Baseline for a sale on Pepsi 4/$10, then the same day go to the one at Power & Baseline and it won't be on sale there. My solution? I take all the ads to the new Super Wal-Mart at Williams Field & San Tan Village Pkwy and get a price match on everything all in one place. I like this location as it is brand new, and is not crowded yet.