WalMart, Claims Mangement Of Arkansas Damaged wheels hub bolts on auto, loose wheel, claim denied Benton Arkansas

Thursday
8/30/2007
3:30 p.m.
WalMart/Smithville, TN

To Whom this matter may concern;

Here following is a record of events transpiring beginning at the above time on the above date.

Today at the afore-stated time and place I stopped on my way back to Rutherford County to have the tires rotated and balanced on my wifes 2000 Toyota Corolla Sedan. I presented the technician with a copy of my receipt from my last such visit to a WalMart Tire and Lube center in Smyrna, Tennessee, thereby documenting that I had purchased the tire rotation, road hazard, and balance plan when the Goodyear Viva 2 tires were put on new at the North Murfreesboro WalMart. He looked at the receipt and filled out the work order on his hand held computer. I signed my initials so the work could begin. The tech told me that the work should take about 35 minutes. I decided to do some shopping.

About 45 minutes later I was paged to the Tire and Lube center. I went there and was met by the same tech that had filled out the work order. He told me that he and another tech had found something wrong with some of the lug nuts on the car. He stated that on the passenger side rear wheel all of the lug nuts were put on backwards.

He went on to take me to the car and to point out to me that he and the other tech had struggled with getting the lugs off but had dome so after applying a bolt/nut loosening agent to the reversed lugs. He showed me another lug on the drivers side rear wheel that had also been reversed, but they had successfully turned that lug around and got it to go on correctly (I presume).

The second tech, a young man with an artificial right arm, advised me that he thought that the lug bolts might have to be replaced since when they rotated the front tire to the rear, after getting the reversed lugs off, they could only get the lugs to go back on wrongly reversed as they had found them. Both of these employees stated they would verify how they found the lugs at the beginning of the work session.

This car had last had its tires removed at the Smyrna, Tennessee WalMart in November 2006 when the car had approximately 112,300 miles on it. The car has approximately 124,700 miles on it now. I have been driving the car recently along with my wife. I dont normally drive the car. I brought it in today because of a vibration I felt when the car reached speeds of around 65 miles per hour. The vibration could be felt in the seats, not the steering wheel.

Being away from my home in Murfreesboro I knew I would have to drive the car such as it was. I was asked to sign a waiver so I could take the car in the condition that the techs had described to me, and was given my receipt for the work done. I left for home.



As I pulled away from the Smithville WalMart onto the roadway leading out of Smithville I accelerated to about 50 mph. The front end shook moderately. I sped up. The front end shook a little harder. I decided to keep my speed low as I went home.

When I got close to Rutherford County I called my wife and had her look up the number for the Smyrna WalMarts Tire and Lube Center. I called and asked for the Tire and Lube Center manager. I was told that he had gone for the day. I asked for the name of the District Manager for Tire and Lube Centers with WalMart and I was told that that persons name was Keith Fox.

I asked if a store manager was available and shortly thereafter I was on the phone with Roberta. I related my story, along with my statement to her that when I got home I would be taking the tires on the passenger side of the vehicle off and returning them to their original pre-rotation places on the car to avoid any further possible damage to another wheel due to reversed lug nuts. I was told that I should come in to the Tire and Lube Center on Friday morning when an incident report would be made. I said that I would and with that the call ended.

When I got home I did what I said I would do and took the rear tire on the passenger side and put it back on the front and took the front passenger tire and put it on the passenger side rear, still having to place the damaged lug nuts on in a reversed position on the passenger side rear hub. I drove the car at speed and this seemed to resolve the shaking in the front end, but the shaking from the right rear seemed to still be present. This leads me to believe that the wheel has been damaged by improperly installed lug nuts, probably causing a wollering out of the holes in the wheel allowing it to loosen, wobble, and vibrate at road speed.

Thats my claim filed with WalMart's claim service, Claims Management Inc. of Benton Arkansas after the car was inspected by the auto service manager at the Smyrna, Tennessee WalMart, store # 406, on 8/31/2007 at 0800 hours. The lugs on the passenger side rear hub were replaced by an independent shop that morning since WalMart does not clean as was one lug on the drivers side rear hub. The wheel was inspected and shown to have its bolt holes enlarged due to loose operation. Cost of lugs and installation $33.00. Cost of wheel $116.00. Claim denied 9/7/2007 by Susan Martin, Claims Case Manager. WalMart's auto service is unsafe and unreliable at any speed. Its claims service exists to run interference and to deny claims outright regardless of merit. One large ripoff operation from the git go.

Bill H
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
U.S.A.