Complaint Review: Wal-mart - Whitewater Wisconsin

is this report being bumped...its from 2003!!?!?!?! Early, this report was over a year and a half old...why did you comment?

Wal Mart DOES have propane tanks inside the store. Both Coleman and American Camper produces PROPANE tanks for campstoves, lanterns, heaters, etc. These are NOT butane.

Wal Mart DOES have propane tanks inside the store. Both Coleman and American Camper produces PROPANE tanks for campstoves, lanterns, heaters, etc. These are NOT butane.

Wal Mart DOES have propane tanks inside the store. Both Coleman and American Camper produces PROPANE tanks for campstoves, lanterns, heaters, etc. These are NOT butane.

I spent the lunch hour of my shift yesterday looking for the torches you were talking about... While I didn't find a propane torch, I did find a butane one. The only difference is that propane is more explosive. But, if I remember the anatomy of propane and butane tanks, butane containers are a few times thicker than the propane containers, so the risk of explosiveness is slightly reduced... But I still have to hold strong to the fact that gasoline or gasoline-filled products are not to be brought into the store. It's an enclosed space and can fill with fumes pretty easily.

I read a news article back in 2002 that explained it to me. Apperantly some idiot tried to use a propane tank at a bomb outside of a Wal-Mart in Canada. That, I guess, prompted corporate to keep the big propane tanks outside of the stores. And by what my management told me, any fire extinguisher measuring more than 5 inches in diameter (from the bottom of it) shouldn't be brought into the store either by a customer. It might be because of the same risk of the propane tank, or it may be because of our fire extinguishers. I dunno.

If they won't let me take my propane tanks for my grill into the store, why do they have propane torch kits and replacement canisters on the shelves in the plumbing section? And don't tell me it's because mine is used and less reliable, while those canisters are new. Wal-Mart new is a lot of times crappier and less dependable than flea market merchandise.

As a current employee for Walmart, I can honestly say that the return policy is governed by the store manager. (I live in Tx) I work at a store which believes in customer satisfaction, so bringing back a snow plow would not have been a problem (we do not have snow in our area, but do get lawn mowers back) Naturally we would ask that you leave it outside so that the fuel can be removed properly. My store is one of the best for customer service, but I'll be the first to say that sometimes we get merchandise back which I would have refused. ie, I think using a lawnmower for a season, and then bringing it back for a refund or replacement is a little much. However, we do sell the used ones, and the snow mobile could have been sold as used to someone with repair skills. Now, that said...I have a sister who lived in Louisville, Kentucky. She hated her local Walmart, because she bought a coffee pot, used it once, and it quit working. She wanted to exchange it, had her receipt and was told no exchange, no refund. So remember...Walmart policy is left up to the manager, and it all depends on his idea of customer satisfaction. Also don't forget calling 1-800-walmart. That usually works.

I'm a Customer Service Rep for Oakland MD. Wal-Mart, and I think it's plain and simple... Gasoline is flammable... If the blower had gasoline in it to begin with, it shouldn't have even gotten through the doors, per company policy AND NATIONAL REGULATION!!! Where were the greeters during this happening??? Think about it. For a propane tank, you have to pay for it INSIDE and pick it up OUTSIDE!!! You cannot bring it inside, due to the possibility of fumes it may emit if the valve's not fully shut, and the explosive factor is off the charts, especially with how much static electricity some wal-marts have. Ya know what? I think I rest my case here.

just because the purchaser may not know how to use it should this be the case. Read the manuals that came with it. Also, there is a 2 year manufacturer warranty on the unit. If something is actually "defective", then a qualified small engine repair shop can perform the warranty task needed. All a customer would be required to cover is if it is not a warrantable repair such as lack of operation knowledge, dirt from their fuel, etc. and pickup/delivery if the customer can't get the unit there themselves.

All they would do is turn it into claims and give it back to the manufacturer. They get a full credit back on it. Yes, Wal-mart does have specific returns on the items. The thing is they are never consistent from store to store. Some stores go by policies and most of them do not.

I have serious doubts over the claim the item was difficult to start because of defect. By the OP's admission, the item was difficult to start. In a gasoline-powered anything (a mower, a go-cart, etc...), the first starts will ALWAYS be difficult because there has never been gasoline going through the pumps, the filters, etc... So yes, the item would have been hard to start the first time. The question would then be, is it hard to start a second time, or a third - after everything has been primed? If the blower was given as a gift and the person decided they didn't need it - then it could be returned based on the way the policy seems to be interpreted. I guess I'm not certain as to the claim of defective simply because the item was hard to pull start the first time. Maybe a blower with an electric starter would have been a better way to go to begin with...?

It sounds like the product they sold was defective. You have to put gas in the item to make it work. After doing that, and it doesnt start, then it is defective. What if they had bought a toaster, plugged it in, and it didnt heat up. Would that make it used, since they had plugged it in? The bigger issue here is that walmart simply does not care about its customers. They have so many, that if they make a few of them upset, it just doesnt matter. As much money as that store makes, they can afford to eat the cost of a few defective products. That machine would probably go back to the manufacturer anyway. If I spend big bucks on a major item like that, I expect it to work flawlessly, and for many years afterwords as well. If you are not getting good service from a store, quit going there. Just think, if enough of quit going to walley world, they might start to realize they have a problem.

I'll keep this short, in response to the individual that wrote the rebuttal above. If your apparently bursting at the seals with common sense, here is a little more for you. I would hope that you could assume that unless a person posseses some form of super power, or psychic ability, they would not know a product is defective until they in fact try to use that product. If Wal-Mart would in fact try to sell this product either as new or used as you indicated above, then I guess they lack the common sense you say "whiney" customers don't have. The pure and simple fact of the matter is that Wal-Mart does not stand behind the products they sell anymore. They wouldn't be a multi billion dollar company if they actually stood behind this crap they sell us today.

How much information should Walmart or any other store provide for idiot consumers? What is your definition of used? You purchased it, put gas in it and started it.... That sounds like you used it to me. You call the store and ask can you return a snow blower, the associate asks if it was used and you say no, we didnt use it to blow snow. When you take it back he finds out you put gas in it and started it. Sorry to inform you dear but that is using it Now you expect Walmart to take it back and return your money. What are they suppose to do with it after you USED it... They can't resell it as new and they can't sell it as used because there was gas placed in it. Its now Walmarts fault because they didn't explain to you that operating the unit means using it and voids the return. I am sick and tired of idiot consumers that cry that a store did not explain common sense issues to them before they purchase a product (the lines are long enough already). One reason stores do not explain common sense issues to idots is because it wastes time, they wouldnt listen anyway and they would still find something else to b***h about. Next time buy a shovel and remember during the first heavy snow do not over exert yourself.