Another Lucky Day or Why I Hate WalMart

This is going to be a long one, so everyone settle in.

If it seems like the last week my luck has been running bad, well you ain't seen nothing yet.

Today I decided to go back to BSI to pick up the missing Daredevil comic. Once I got there I found that it was sold out. So another trip for nothing. Heading back my check oil light came on, right in front of K Mart. So I do a right turn into the parking lot and head into the Big K to get some oil. Once I get the oil I'm back in the parking lot, popping the hood. I raise the hood and it's Ewwwww! The whole inside of the engine is covered with oil. Why you ask? Because the oil cap is missing. I had the oil changed about two weeks ago and they must have left off the oil cap and the oil has just been boiling out of the engine until now it's almost gone.

And where did I get the oil changed at? I'll give you one guess. Walmart.

So I call Walmart from Kmart's parking lot. Too many marts here. I speak to the manager of the automotive section. Guy couldn't be any ruder or could care less about my problem. It's like yeah, bring it in. So I bring it in, rude guy or not.

I get there and find the manager, which is him and a lady. I think he's actually the assitant and she's the manager. I explain the situation, tell him we just spoke on the phone, as polite as can be. I understand things happen, I work in retail, I don't want to be one of those crazy customers that just start yelling and screaming. The lady says find a cap and we'll pressure wash the engine. She says this to him, neither of them has said more than one word to me. He walks off. I watch him go up and down a few aisles, go back in the warehouse, come back out, get her and they walk off. Guess what they probably don't have?

She comes up to me and says "We dont' have the cap here. If you want you can go buy one and we'll reimburse you and than clean your engine." Walks off.

Ok, I'm really happy now. I go get in my car and head to the nearest auto parts store. So far I haven't gotten one "I'm sorry" or anything close to an apology from them. And I have to go get the part. So as the smoke drifts off me I decide to call Walmart again. I ask to speak to the store manager.

One thing in Walmart. You never can talk to the store manager. I didn't realize it than, but I was soon to find out. I ended up talking to an assitant manager. Which isn't even the next run down the ladder, that's a co manager. An assitant is below the co manager.

I explain the problem. She does apologize. Really didn't have a choice, since one of the reasons I tell her I'm upset is because of the way they treated me. Like I was the problem. She says she'll go talk to them while I'm gone.

I get back. The lady automotive manager is there. She tells me "Oh, you left before I could tell you that I'm sorry about all this." Yeah. "Here's a ten dollar gift card for Walmart." Bam, gone again. And this time she left...as in went home I was to find out later.

They take my car and pressure wash it. After about thirty minutes someone comes in and says it's ready. I get in and start to drive away. I didn't even think about the money for the oil cap or the oil that I had to buy. I barely get out of the parking lot and the car stalls. Turn around and go back, this time to the front of the store. I grab a door greeter and tell her I want to see the store manager.

Of course the store manager doesn't come up. It's another assitant, a different one this time. I explain the situation again. I politely tell her that I spent $7.50 for an oil cap that I was supposed to be paid back for but was given a ten dollar gift card. Is $2.50 supposed to make me feel good about all the trouble I've been through. And plus it's like I had to pay for a oil cap that they lost in the first place, cause even though they gave me a gift card, I can only spend it at walmart. So basically I paid $7.50 of the gift card. She's like, on no, that's not right. Let's go back and see what's going on.

That's when I find out that both managers have vanished for parts unknown. Automotive has no management guiding them. She asks me to go get my car and bring it around to the back so we can get it looked at. I do so. I get to the back with the car and now she's gone. I'm losing mangers left and right.

I know what's wrong. They got water in the spark plugs and other parts of the engine. One of the mechanics gets a blower and they start trying to blow dry the engine. After an hour and a half of this they finally say that it's ready now. I can drive it.

While all this was going on I'm inside. I ask the clerk that's behind the desk if the manager mentioned anything to her about paying me back for the oil cap. She says no, she said I got a gift card already. I don't say anything...I just walk away for a few minutes and think happy thoughts.

Now the car is ready. I go back to the counter, the girl that's been working back there is at lunch. I ask the guy back to call the assitant manager that I talked to earlier. He does, tells her it's me and she tells him on the phone that all she can do is give me a gift card, she can't give me cash. I ask him to tell her to come talk to me in person. She can't, she's in a meeting. I ask for the store manger

Of course I wait. And wait. He calls a few times. Finally he comes up and tells me that the store manger went home. Another manger is coming. I wait.

And wait.

Now the co manger comes up to me. At least I'm moving up. I explain the situation again (for how many times now I have no idea). I tell him that I'm not after any extra money, but if the gift card was their idea of trying to make it up for all my troubles it was insulting. All I want is the cash for the oil and oil cap I had to pay for. He agrees. He says he'll get one of his assitants to take care of it for me.

He calls her. And we wait.

And wait.

She comes. It's the first assitant that I spoke to on the phone. He also tells her to get me to fill out an incident report so if anything happens to the car they'll have something on record. And so if anything else happens I have to go through their insurance company.

So finally after more than four hours I drive away with a car that runs and the money I started out with in my pocket.

On the way home I decide to stop for chicken at Popeyes. I order two breasts, fries and a coke. I get home and I open the box. It's cole slaw, one breast and two wings. At least they got the coke right.

All in all, a wonderful day.