Wal-mart oil change could have killed me or others Calais Maine

I applied at Wal-Mart for the lube technician opening. The manager I spoke with said that Wal-Mart hires cheap labor and is not authorized to touch the brake fluid or the radiator cap due to their liability and limits on their insurance.

Maybe the throttle stuck on this car and the three managers decided to make their own interpretation of the events to prevent any liability on behalf of their store. This is unclear but not uncommon in business today, money has priority over ethics anymore.

This is what happened: You went to Wal-Mart for a 'cheap oil change' and something happened from contracting with incompetent automotive technicians who earn $5-6 per hour. A qualified shop will pay their trained lube technicians $8-12 per hour and have a similar service offered for $20-30 as apposed to $12.95 at Wal-Mart. It never pays to be cheap, your safety may be compromised.

My education and experience is in: Automotive Technologies, Business Administration, Electronics and Heavy Equipment Repair.

CSM. Think about this.

70 mph in FIRST GEAR? It's not gonna happen! Even at RED LINE the car is not going to be moving at 70 mph.

Try making a 90 degree turn (as most city street do) at 70 mph! You're gonna be in someone's living room. Basic physics - can't happen.

Hit a pile of debris at 70 mph? And NO AIRBAG DEPLOYED! There must have been a landing ramp on the other side.

This ROR is nothing more than a good tale.

Even though I run the Front End now, I have had a couple days of experience as a Service Writer/Greeter, and at our store, it's employee policy that the technician is to drive the car around the parking lot once and back to the TLE area before calling the service "complete!" I know this probably isn't the case for all TLE shops, but maybe it should be.

I'm believing that this story is not completely absurd because in some cars this is possible that tubes and wires would be passing so close to the air filter that if you don't pay attention, they could end up being pinched and, therefore, useless. Many of you are asking why he didn't just turn off the key or put it in neutral...

If you were in a panic about something, would you be able to think fast enough to do something like that? If you're younger, probably so... but for the 35+ people out there, thought/impulse speed is decreasing!!! I don't know how old the OP is, but maybe his instincts were overpowered by fear. We can't completely throw out his credibility.

I am an employee of WM TLE, and your story is absurd. Your only hope is to find a good attourney that is mechanically ignorant, and doesn't realize that testimony by any mechanics (that aren't on your payrole) are going to make you both look like fools. The car you are driving has brakes that will stop an 18 wheeler, and will not allow your car to travel at "70 mph." with the brake pedal to the floor, especially in first gear.

Secondly, if this miracle of imaginary misfortune did happen, why wouldn't you just put the transmision in neutral or turn the key off? (crisis averted).

It is people like you who are fishing for a frivalous lawsuit brought before an ignorant, female, big-city judge, that creates an unbeleivable liability risk for the automotive service industry.

As a tire and lube technician, the last thing I (we) want to see is you or your family injured by negligent, sub-standard work, but you seem to be incubating the idea that we are willing to send you out of our shop with no recognition of a potentially dangerous situation.

We are not perfect, but we do the best that we can to identify and notify customers of potentially unsafe conditions on their vehicles. Most of the vehicles I service have child seats in the back, and nobody employed there would send a vehicle out with the throttle linkage snagged on the air cleaner housing. I doubt this is even possible on a car without mechanical linkage and a broken motor mount. I could go on, but I,m out of room.

""After I raced around residential streets at 70 mph (through stop signs etc) with my brake pedal pressed to the floor and my car in 1st gear in an attempt to slow down, I realized I would have to drive into something to get my car to stop. ""

I don't know of ANY automobile that has drive train gearing that would allow a car to go 70 mph in FIRST gear. Just isn't gonna happen. The engine will rev out at about 40 mph (maybe that fast.) Also, it might have been a tad tricky making a 90 degree left or right turn (as residential streets have a tendancy to do) at 70 mph.

Brakes to the floor? What does an oil change have to do with the brakes?

Was the ignition lock stuck on? You couldn't simply turn the key to OFF? You can turn the key part way to off which kills the ignition but still leaves the steering unlocked.

""I heard my engine start to run normally. I returned to Wal-mart shaking as you can imagine.""

I can't imagine driving a car that just did what you claim it did. I would have called to have it towed to a good mechanic to have it fixed before anyone drove it again.

""That particular manager then threatened to have me arrested if I spoke to anyone in the store about what happened.""

And the charge would have been what? We don't arrest someone for speaking out of turn or asking questions unless he/she is a college student at a Hillary Clinton "Town Hall" meeting.

""I asked to have the technician lookk at my brakes since I had come into the Wal-mart parkinig lot in a stinking cloud of burned up brake fluid. The manager stated Wal-mart didn't work on my brakes so they didn't need to check them. Finally the technician went under the car and said there was still plenty of brake fluid. ""

The brake fluid reservoir is NOT located under the car. It's usually off to the side and readily visable when the engine hood is opened. It may or may not be integral to the master cylinder. One does not go under the car to check the brake fluid level.

So, I have to conclude that either you didn't have the brake pedal to the floor or you have a lot of AIR in your brake lines.

""I had someone look at my car and there was no damage other than debris from the pile of road waste I had driven into which was packed into the underside of the car. ""

Now it's road waste? What happened to the ""huge pile of dirt, rocks and macadam. I drove straight into it (or rather my car tried to drive straight up the pile).""

At 70 mph, one of two things should have occured when you drove at the pile. Either you would have come to an abrupt stop with much damage to the front of the car (including air bag deployment) or you would have performed a very convincing impersonation of Evel Kneivel.

I don't doubt that perhaps your throttle temporarily stuck - it happens or that you eventually stopped your car off the road. However, if THIS is the story you told to folks at Walmart, it's no wonder they were annoyed with you.

It's unfortunate this happened to you but this story seems to be...well...highly embellished. I suspect that the throttle did get stuck, you panicked, but finally stopped off the road. As to the embellishments...well...as Joe Friday used to say ""Just the facts, ma'am.""

I would recommend you have the throttle cable replaced and the throttle linkage thoroughly checked by a mechanic to prevent this from happening again.

Further, if you really did return to Walmart in ""a stinking cloud of burned up brake fluid"" it is very likely that your brakes are damaged. At the least the pads/shoes are scorched and at the worse the rotors/drums are scored and retempered. You probably should have the brake system serviced very soon.

as J. Peterman would say.
But, you lost all credibility once you stated this:
"After I raced around residential streets at 70 mph (through stop signs etc) with my brake pedal pressed to the floor and my car in 1st gear in an attempt to slow down"
Not going to happen in 1st gear. The shock value to those who know nothing about cars is amazing though isn't it? And, why not just shut the vehicle off? Or did they somehow glue the ignition on in some sort of wacky conspiracy?

I don't know where to start here!

"I went to Wal-mart to have an oil change and air filter change. When I left the parking lot my car started to go 70 mph and I couldn't slow down or stop".
**70 MPH starting out? What kind of car do you have? Not possible. All you had to do was hold the brake hard and turn off the key. Simple solution.

"After I raced around residential streets at 70 mph (through stop signs etc) with my brake pedal pressed to the floor and my car in 1st gear in an attempt to slow down, I realized I would have to drive into something to get my car to stop".
**You cannot go 70MPH in first gear. Guaranteed. This is a LIE. Again, why did you not just turn off the ignition key??? This was the obvious solution.

"I found a field but it was gated with jersey barriers and I panicked even more until I saw a huge pile of dirt, rocks and macadam. I drove straight into it (or rather my car tried to drive straight up the pile). I heard my engine start to run normally. I returned to Wal-mart shaking as you can imagine".
**All you had was a stuck throttle cable or linkage. If you have an older car with a removable air cleaner over the carb, they probably did not put it back on right causing your linkage to jam. all you had to do was hit the accelerator pedal hard a few times to release it, and if that didn't work, jam on brakes and turn off ignition key. Very simple.

"I spoke to the cashier at the automotive desk and she called a manager but three individuals(managers?) showed up. The customers in the waiting area could see I was panicked".
**That is the root of the problem here. You panicked.

The three managers went outside to look at my car. One of the managers said that perhaps my car had been like this when I arrived (don't ask me how I would have survived a 25 mile trip at 70 mph and unable to stop/slow down).

I told him there was no way my car was like that and then he said if I was "too scared" to drive my car home I would have to call a tow truck. I responded that if that was necessary *I* would not be the one hiring the tow truck. One of the managers informed me that Wal-mart does not have mechanics and therefore are not responsible for anything that happened to my car. They did agree to look at my car to make sure the oil change had been "done properly".

I went into the lobby area and was asked by a customer what the managers had decided. I told the other customer that the managers had stated Wal-mart didn't have mechanics (they are called "technicians") so they weren't responsible for what happened. One of the managers told me not to speak to anyone. I told her I was free to speak to whomever I choose. That particular manager then threatened to have me arrested if I spoke to anyone in the store about what happened. It's important to note that while I was visibly shaken, I was not out of control. In fact, I waited to speak to someone while the woman at the automotive desk waited on a tire customer.

They brought my car into the bay area and left me with a manager who followed my every move. After 15 or 20 minutes the other two managers returned to tell me they had found the problem. They said my throttle cables had been stretched but they said it was because the cables must have gotten snagged on the plastic cover (that covers the cables and air filter). I asked them to show me what the cables could have gotten snagged on. There were no cracks or anything else for the cables to be caught on.

I suggested perhaps the cables could have been snagged when the air filter was replaced (Wal-mart had just replaced the air filter which is immediately next to the throttle cables). The Wal-mart automotive technician agreed it could have been the case.

I asked to have the technician lookk at my brakes since I had come into the Wal-mart parkinig lot in a stinking cloud of burned up brake fluid. The manager stated Wal-mart didn't work on my brakes so they didn't need to check them. Finally the technician went under the car and said there was still plenty of brake fluid.

Wal-mart refunded my money since I was "less than satisfied". I could have been killed. I could have killed someone else or caused serious damage to property as my car raced around residential streets at 70 mph. Not even an apology. what I got was abuse.

I had someone look at my car and there was no damage other than debris from the pile of road waste I had driven into which was packed into the underside of the car.

I contacted Wal-mart headquarters (via email) and heard from what I can only assume must be a regional manager. Immediately he asked me what I wanted from Wal-mart. I told him "nothing"; that I was trying to let them know what happened and how I was treated.

This gentleman told me that my story was considerably different from the store managers' story. I reminded him of who had more to lose in this situation...the managers or me (remember: I didn't want anything from Wal-mart other than maybe an apology). He didn't believe one word of what I said. He even went so far as to say he was very familiar with the roads I careened around and wanted to know the location of the big pile of dirt, rocks etc I had driven into. He wanted the name and telephone number of the person who examined my car afterward.

He made me feel like I was lying even though I reiterated to him that I wasn't after anything and that I realize mistakes are made because people are human but the treatment I received was inexcusable (seriously--threaten to arrest a customer?).

The whole experience was frightening and infuriating. I told the regional manager that he was "doing what Wal-mart does best: cover each other's a**es". I thanked him for his call and hung up.

One would think that when a customer has an issue like I had, they might be sympathetic or apologetic. What I got was outrageous.

Red967
Eastport, Maine
U.S.A.
>>

Keep in mind that WalMart TLE does not have mechanics or even "technicians". In ost cases, there is not even 1 ASE certified person in any WalMart TLE. These are kids hired off the street who know nothing and get paid nothing.

WHY would you even consider letting Walmart even touch your car? You wanted CHEAP, so you got CHEAP.

FYI..The idustry standard terminology is now "Technician", not mechanic. A "Technician" has formal training and certifications. Walmart DOES NOT have any "Technicians" regardless of what the punk manager told you. These people are idiots. I wouldn't let them wash my windows, much less change my oil.

I don't know where to start here!

"I went to Wal-mart to have an oil change and air filter change. When I left the parking lot my car started to go 70 mph and I couldn't slow down or stop".
**70 MPH starting out? What kind of car do you have? Not possible. All you had to do was hold the brake hard and turn off the key. Simple solution.

"After I raced around residential streets at 70 mph (through stop signs etc) with my brake pedal pressed to the floor and my car in 1st gear in an attempt to slow down, I realized I would have to drive into something to get my car to stop".
**You cannot go 70MPH in first gear. Guaranteed. This is a LIE. Again, why did you not just turn off the ignition key??? This was the obvious solution.

"I found a field but it was gated with jersey barriers and I panicked even more until I saw a huge pile of dirt, rocks and macadam. I drove straight into it (or rather my car tried to drive straight up the pile). I heard my engine start to run normally. I returned to Wal-mart shaking as you can imagine".
**All you had was a stuck throttle cable or linkage. If you have an older car with a removable air cleaner over the carb, they probably did not put it back on right causing your linkage to jam. all you had to do was hit the accelerator pedal hard a few times to release it, and if that didn't work, jam on brakes and turn off ignition key. Very simple.

"I spoke to the cashier at the automotive desk and she called a manager but three individuals(managers?) showed up. The customers in the waiting area could see I was panicked".
**That is the root of the problem here. You panicked.

The three managers went outside to look at my car. One of the managers said that perhaps my car had been like this when I arrived (don't ask me how I would have survived a 25 mile trip at 70 mph and unable to stop/slow down).

I told him there was no way my car was like that and then he said if I was "too scared" to drive my car home I would have to call a tow truck. I responded that if that was necessary *I* would not be the one hiring the tow truck. One of the managers informed me that Wal-mart does not have mechanics and therefore are not responsible for anything that happened to my car. They did agree to look at my car to make sure the oil change had been "done properly".

I went into the lobby area and was asked by a customer what the managers had decided. I told the other customer that the managers had stated Wal-mart didn't have mechanics (they are called "technicians") so they weren't responsible for what happened. One of the managers told me not to speak to anyone. I told her I was free to speak to whomever I choose. That particular manager then threatened to have me arrested if I spoke to anyone in the store about what happened. It's important to note that while I was visibly shaken, I was not out of control. In fact, I waited to speak to someone while the woman at the automotive desk waited on a tire customer.

They brought my car into the bay area and left me with a manager who followed my every move. After 15 or 20 minutes the other two managers returned to tell me they had found the problem. They said my throttle cables had been stretched but they said it was because the cables must have gotten snagged on the plastic cover (that covers the cables and air filter). I asked them to show me what the cables could have gotten snagged on. There were no cracks or anything else for the cables to be caught on.

I suggested perhaps the cables could have been snagged when the air filter was replaced (Wal-mart had just replaced the air filter which is immediately next to the throttle cables). The Wal-mart automotive technician agreed it could have been the case.

I asked to have the technician lookk at my brakes since I had come into the Wal-mart parkinig lot in a stinking cloud of burned up brake fluid. The manager stated Wal-mart didn't work on my brakes so they didn't need to check them. Finally the technician went under the car and said there was still plenty of brake fluid.

Wal-mart refunded my money since I was "less than satisfied". I could have been killed. I could have killed someone else or caused serious damage to property as my car raced around residential streets at 70 mph. Not even an apology. what I got was abuse.

I had someone look at my car and there was no damage other than debris from the pile of road waste I had driven into which was packed into the underside of the car.

I contacted Wal-mart headquarters (via email) and heard from what I can only assume must be a regional manager. Immediately he asked me what I wanted from Wal-mart. I told him "nothing"; that I was trying to let them know what happened and how I was treated.

This gentleman told me that my story was considerably different from the store managers' story. I reminded him of who had more to lose in this situation...the managers or me (remember: I didn't want anything from Wal-mart other than maybe an apology). He didn't believe one word of what I said. He even went so far as to say he was very familiar with the roads I careened around and wanted to know the location of the big pile of dirt, rocks etc I had driven into. He wanted the name and telephone number of the person who examined my car afterward.

He made me feel like I was lying even though I reiterated to him that I wasn't after anything and that I realize mistakes are made because people are human but the treatment I received was inexcusable (seriously--threaten to arrest a customer?).

The whole experience was frightening and infuriating. I told the regional manager that he was "doing what Wal-mart does best: cover each other's a**es". I thanked him for his call and hung up.

One would think that when a customer has an issue like I had, they might be sympathetic or apologetic. What I got was outrageous.

Red967
Eastport, Maine
U.S.A.
>>

Keep in mind that WalMart TLE does not have mechanics or even "technicians". In ost cases, there is not even 1 ASE certified person in any WalMart TLE. These are kids hired off the street who know nothing and get paid nothing.

WHY would you even consider letting Walmart even touch your car? You wanted CHEAP, so you got CHEAP.

FYI..The idustry standard terminology is now "Technician", not mechanic. A "Technician" has formal training and certifications. Walmart DOES NOT have any "Technicians" regardless of what the punk manager told you. These people are idiots. I wouldn't let them wash my windows, much less change my oil.

I don't know where to start here!

"I went to Wal-mart to have an oil change and air filter change. When I left the parking lot my car started to go 70 mph and I couldn't slow down or stop".
**70 MPH starting out? What kind of car do you have? Not possible. All you had to do was hold the brake hard and turn off the key. Simple solution.

"After I raced around residential streets at 70 mph (through stop signs etc) with my brake pedal pressed to the floor and my car in 1st gear in an attempt to slow down, I realized I would have to drive into something to get my car to stop".
**You cannot go 70MPH in first gear. Guaranteed. This is a LIE. Again, why did you not just turn off the ignition key??? This was the obvious solution.

"I found a field but it was gated with jersey barriers and I panicked even more until I saw a huge pile of dirt, rocks and macadam. I drove straight into it (or rather my car tried to drive straight up the pile). I heard my engine start to run normally. I returned to Wal-mart shaking as you can imagine".
**All you had was a stuck throttle cable or linkage. If you have an older car with a removable air cleaner over the carb, they probably did not put it back on right causing your linkage to jam. all you had to do was hit the accelerator pedal hard a few times to release it, and if that didn't work, jam on brakes and turn off ignition key. Very simple.

"I spoke to the cashier at the automotive desk and she called a manager but three individuals(managers?) showed up. The customers in the waiting area could see I was panicked".
**That is the root of the problem here. You panicked.

The three managers went outside to look at my car. One of the managers said that perhaps my car had been like this when I arrived (don't ask me how I would have survived a 25 mile trip at 70 mph and unable to stop/slow down).

I told him there was no way my car was like that and then he said if I was "too scared" to drive my car home I would have to call a tow truck. I responded that if that was necessary *I* would not be the one hiring the tow truck. One of the managers informed me that Wal-mart does not have mechanics and therefore are not responsible for anything that happened to my car. They did agree to look at my car to make sure the oil change had been "done properly".

I went into the lobby area and was asked by a customer what the managers had decided. I told the other customer that the managers had stated Wal-mart didn't have mechanics (they are called "technicians") so they weren't responsible for what happened. One of the managers told me not to speak to anyone. I told her I was free to speak to whomever I choose. That particular manager then threatened to have me arrested if I spoke to anyone in the store about what happened. It's important to note that while I was visibly shaken, I was not out of control. In fact, I waited to speak to someone while the woman at the automotive desk waited on a tire customer.

They brought my car into the bay area and left me with a manager who followed my every move. After 15 or 20 minutes the other two managers returned to tell me they had found the problem. They said my throttle cables had been stretched but they said it was because the cables must have gotten snagged on the plastic cover (that covers the cables and air filter). I asked them to show me what the cables could have gotten snagged on. There were no cracks or anything else for the cables to be caught on.

I suggested perhaps the cables could have been snagged when the air filter was replaced (Wal-mart had just replaced the air filter which is immediately next to the throttle cables). The Wal-mart automotive technician agreed it could have been the case.

I asked to have the technician lookk at my brakes since I had come into the Wal-mart parkinig lot in a stinking cloud of burned up brake fluid. The manager stated Wal-mart didn't work on my brakes so they didn't need to check them. Finally the technician went under the car and said there was still plenty of brake fluid.

Wal-mart refunded my money since I was "less than satisfied". I could have been killed. I could have killed someone else or caused serious damage to property as my car raced around residential streets at 70 mph. Not even an apology. what I got was abuse.

I had someone look at my car and there was no damage other than debris from the pile of road waste I had driven into which was packed into the underside of the car.

I contacted Wal-mart headquarters (via email) and heard from what I can only assume must be a regional manager. Immediately he asked me what I wanted from Wal-mart. I told him "nothing"; that I was trying to let them know what happened and how I was treated.

This gentleman told me that my story was considerably different from the store managers' story. I reminded him of who had more to lose in this situation...the managers or me (remember: I didn't want anything from Wal-mart other than maybe an apology). He didn't believe one word of what I said. He even went so far as to say he was very familiar with the roads I careened around and wanted to know the location of the big pile of dirt, rocks etc I had driven into. He wanted the name and telephone number of the person who examined my car afterward.

He made me feel like I was lying even though I reiterated to him that I wasn't after anything and that I realize mistakes are made because people are human but the treatment I received was inexcusable (seriously--threaten to arrest a customer?).

The whole experience was frightening and infuriating. I told the regional manager that he was "doing what Wal-mart does best: cover each other's a**es". I thanked him for his call and hung up.

One would think that when a customer has an issue like I had, they might be sympathetic or apologetic. What I got was outrageous.

Red967
Eastport, Maine
U.S.A.
>>

Keep in mind that WalMart TLE does not have mechanics or even "technicians". In ost cases, there is not even 1 ASE certified person in any WalMart TLE. These are kids hired off the street who know nothing and get paid nothing.

WHY would you even consider letting Walmart even touch your car? You wanted CHEAP, so you got CHEAP.

FYI..The idustry standard terminology is now "Technician", not mechanic. A "Technician" has formal training and certifications. Walmart DOES NOT have any "Technicians" regardless of what the punk manager told you. These people are idiots. I wouldn't let them wash my windows, much less change my oil.

I don't know where to start here!

"I went to Wal-mart to have an oil change and air filter change. When I left the parking lot my car started to go 70 mph and I couldn't slow down or stop".
**70 MPH starting out? What kind of car do you have? Not possible. All you had to do was hold the brake hard and turn off the key. Simple solution.

"After I raced around residential streets at 70 mph (through stop signs etc) with my brake pedal pressed to the floor and my car in 1st gear in an attempt to slow down, I realized I would have to drive into something to get my car to stop".
**You cannot go 70MPH in first gear. Guaranteed. This is a LIE. Again, why did you not just turn off the ignition key??? This was the obvious solution.

"I found a field but it was gated with jersey barriers and I panicked even more until I saw a huge pile of dirt, rocks and macadam. I drove straight into it (or rather my car tried to drive straight up the pile). I heard my engine start to run normally. I returned to Wal-mart shaking as you can imagine".
**All you had was a stuck throttle cable or linkage. If you have an older car with a removable air cleaner over the carb, they probably did not put it back on right causing your linkage to jam. all you had to do was hit the accelerator pedal hard a few times to release it, and if that didn't work, jam on brakes and turn off ignition key. Very simple.

"I spoke to the cashier at the automotive desk and she called a manager but three individuals(managers?) showed up. The customers in the waiting area could see I was panicked".
**That is the root of the problem here. You panicked.

The three managers went outside to look at my car. One of the managers said that perhaps my car had been like this when I arrived (don't ask me how I would have survived a 25 mile trip at 70 mph and unable to stop/slow down).

I told him there was no way my car was like that and then he said if I was "too scared" to drive my car home I would have to call a tow truck. I responded that if that was necessary *I* would not be the one hiring the tow truck. One of the managers informed me that Wal-mart does not have mechanics and therefore are not responsible for anything that happened to my car. They did agree to look at my car to make sure the oil change had been "done properly".

I went into the lobby area and was asked by a customer what the managers had decided. I told the other customer that the managers had stated Wal-mart didn't have mechanics (they are called "technicians") so they weren't responsible for what happened. One of the managers told me not to speak to anyone. I told her I was free to speak to whomever I choose. That particular manager then threatened to have me arrested if I spoke to anyone in the store about what happened. It's important to note that while I was visibly shaken, I was not out of control. In fact, I waited to speak to someone while the woman at the automotive desk waited on a tire customer.

They brought my car into the bay area and left me with a manager who followed my every move. After 15 or 20 minutes the other two managers returned to tell me they had found the problem. They said my throttle cables had been stretched but they said it was because the cables must have gotten snagged on the plastic cover (that covers the cables and air filter). I asked them to show me what the cables could have gotten snagged on. There were no cracks or anything else for the cables to be caught on.

I suggested perhaps the cables could have been snagged when the air filter was replaced (Wal-mart had just replaced the air filter which is immediately next to the throttle cables). The Wal-mart automotive technician agreed it could have been the case.

I asked to have the technician lookk at my brakes since I had come into the Wal-mart parkinig lot in a stinking cloud of burned up brake fluid. The manager stated Wal-mart didn't work on my brakes so they didn't need to check them. Finally the technician went under the car and said there was still plenty of brake fluid.

Wal-mart refunded my money since I was "less than satisfied". I could have been killed. I could have killed someone else or caused serious damage to property as my car raced around residential streets at 70 mph. Not even an apology. what I got was abuse.

I had someone look at my car and there was no damage other than debris from the pile of road waste I had driven into which was packed into the underside of the car.

I contacted Wal-mart headquarters (via email) and heard from what I can only assume must be a regional manager. Immediately he asked me what I wanted from Wal-mart. I told him "nothing"; that I was trying to let them know what happened and how I was treated.

This gentleman told me that my story was considerably different from the store managers' story. I reminded him of who had more to lose in this situation...the managers or me (remember: I didn't want anything from Wal-mart other than maybe an apology). He didn't believe one word of what I said. He even went so far as to say he was very familiar with the roads I careened around and wanted to know the location of the big pile of dirt, rocks etc I had driven into. He wanted the name and telephone number of the person who examined my car afterward.

He made me feel like I was lying even though I reiterated to him that I wasn't after anything and that I realize mistakes are made because people are human but the treatment I received was inexcusable (seriously--threaten to arrest a customer?).

The whole experience was frightening and infuriating. I told the regional manager that he was "doing what Wal-mart does best: cover each other's a**es". I thanked him for his call and hung up.

One would think that when a customer has an issue like I had, they might be sympathetic or apologetic. What I got was outrageous.

Red967
Eastport, Maine
U.S.A.
>>

Keep in mind that WalMart TLE does not have mechanics or even "technicians". In ost cases, there is not even 1 ASE certified person in any WalMart TLE. These are kids hired off the street who know nothing and get paid nothing.

WHY would you even consider letting Walmart even touch your car? You wanted CHEAP, so you got CHEAP.

FYI..The idustry standard terminology is now "Technician", not mechanic. A "Technician" has formal training and certifications. Walmart DOES NOT have any "Technicians" regardless of what the punk manager told you. These people are idiots. I wouldn't let them wash my windows, much less change my oil.