Consumerist

walmart

Bad Manners: Walmart Borrows Your Car Without Asking

My parents had a similarly horrible experience at Walmart last year here in South Edmonton Common, Edmonton, AB. They took their car into get an oil change, and left it there to do other errands. When they got there, the clerk at the desk could not ‘find’ their car and got all nervous. After about 15 minutes of ‘checking the lot’ the clerk gave in and said one of the mechanics had taken their car to go pick up a friend who’s car had broken down! My parents immediately got the manager involved, and the manager seemed to be taking the appropriate actions, and when the tech came back ~10 minutes later he wasn’t even apologetic about stealing their car to get his friend, he seemed to think he had the right to! My parents, being the nice pushovers they are, and seeing it as someone helping someone else and no harm was done other than ~20 minutes of time let it go. Walmart even made them pay for the oil change! The manager said he would call them back with a resolution, but none ever came.

Jonny’s parents should have explained to the manager that they charged $5.00 a minute for unauthorized car rental. —MEGHANN MARCO

walmart

Target Giddy Over Walmart's New York Defeat

By Meg Marco 4.3.07

The Minneapolis-based retailer views Wal-Mart’s move as “an opportunity,” but will take its time to find the right space at the right price, Jim Hogan, Target’s group vice president for New England stores, told M.B.A. candidates at Harvard Business School on Sunday.

Target is already alive and well in New York City, but has not yet made the move to Manhattan. —MEGHANN MARCO

cars

Don't Get Your Oil Changed At Walmart

By Meg Marco 4.2.07

The employees and their manager spent most the time spraying each other with air hoses and windshield fluid. 3 hours later, after seeing other folks come and go, we were told our vehicles were ready. We paid and left quickly, trying to avoid any other confrontation that would delay us even more. Flash forward to last week, my wife told me that her check engine light came on while going to work and the same on the way home.

We have to admit we didn’t know there was such a thing as a Walmart oil change before this letter.

retail

Walmart Gives Up: No Stores For New York City

By Meg Marco 3.28.07

Frustrated by a bruising, and so far unsuccessful battle to open its first discount store in the nation’s largest city, Wal-Mart’s chief executive said yesterday, “I don’t care if we are ever here.”

spin

Spinning Walmart: Astroturfing, Edelman, And Why Walmart's TVs Are Tuned To Fox News

By Meg Marco 3.27.07

The Edelman team assigned to Wal-Mart, I learned, is divided into three groups: “promote,” “response,” and “pressure.” The Jobs and Opportunity Zones notion came from the promotions team. The response-team members–veterans of political campaigns–are supposed to quickly counter criticism in the press or on the Web. The pressure group works on opposition research, focussing on the unions and the press.

recalls

Walmart's Ailing Recall System

By CareyGB 3.24.07

Walmart watcher “Behind the Counter” has identified the weakness in the retailer’s notoriously ineffective recall system. [More]

credit cards

TJ Maxx Data Thieves Caught Buying $8 Million in Walmart Gift Cards

By Meg Marco 3.23.07

Stolen TJX data has been linked to 6 arrests in the Miami area. According to the AP, the ID thieves exploited a Walmart gift card loophole that allowed them to buy multiple $400 gift cards without showing ID, which they would then redeem or sell.

recalls

Woman Buys $1,000 In Tainted Pet Food At Walmart

By Meg Marco 3.23.07

A woman said she was so worried about reports of tainted pet food she spent more than $1,000 buying all the product she could find at her local Wal-Mart. Margaret Trask said she filled a shopping cart full of canned pet food made by Canadian company Menu Foods at the Beaufort Wal-Mart after hearing about the recall Friday.

recalls

Recalled Pet Food Still On Walmart Shelves

By Meg Marco 3.21.07

We found over three shelves full of Ol’ Roy, one of the recalled brands.

donuts

Warning: Rats In The Walmart!

By Meg Marco 3.21.07

Rats! In the Walmart! New York City may have more than its share of rodents, but one pest we don’t have is Walmart…which is why for this rat infestation report we’ll be traveling all the way to sunny Phoenix! From KTAR:

A health inspector said he found mouse droppings at a Valley Wal-Mart on Monday after shoppers reported seeing rodents in a bakery case.

banking

Walmart Abandons Plan To Become A Bank

By Meg Marco 3.16.07

“Since the approval process is now likely to take years rather than months, we decided to withdraw our application to better focus on other ways to serve customers,” said Wal-Mart Financial Services President Jane Thompson in a statement.

banking