Trouble getting Walmart to replace my (N)Everstart battery

[Aging TOO Fast]

I one time had a clerk want to charge me a $8 core charge on a warranty exchange.....
I had to explain repeatedly that" there was no core-charge because the exchanged bad battery WAS THE CORE!

Another time I got stuck ( just to get transaction done ) paying a $15 difference in price ( although the batteries are typically priced the same for the MAXX series) I had the dual post (side and top post) battery no longer stocked, but they wanted to say the "difference in price" of the battery I got to exchange was higher...... than the last posted price of dual post in the System....

I had a third battery (it would not take any form of charge), after they started using their tester, the box said replace,
walked out with new battery.

I have found in my walmart battery exchanges, That the "brightest bulbs" <grin> are not necessarily
at the "customer Service desk.

The Maxx prices have jumped alot in the past several years. time to go back to Centennial or Interstate maybe.

 

[BigBoyinMS]

Wal-Marts are like a box of choc-lits... you never know what you're gonna get. Everyone has different people behind the counter. I've exchanged 2 from my local Wally with no problem. Btw, they were both from Johnson Controls. (Which is Interstate, and many other brands.)
One thing that is pure insanity is to let anyone in their (the local Wally) shop get anywhere near your car. I just had to order a battery cable harness set for one of the guys that works here. He went in and bought a new battery and had them put in in then started having starting issues. When we looked at the battery they had broke the factory cable clamp end and had SOLDERED the cable to the battery post then covered it up with the plastic cable end cover to hide the job.
:confused3:

 

[Aging TOO Fast]

The thing I wonder... Johnson controls manufactures batteries for many companies.
Like costco's kirkland, Sears DIEHARD, Interstate and more.

But I would assume that some proprietary brand design or cost features( or deficiencies) are part of the different brand batteries and different price points..IE, a Costco battery is Not equal to a DIEHARD or Interstate, etc......
Years ago I had bought some costco batteries believing "Hey, It's Johnson Controls, They make DIEHARD and Interstate", but was disappointed in the life and power of the Batteries compared to a Diehard, Interstate, or whoever makes DELCO and Ford Batteries.

And so the search continues Good quality fair priced.

 

[boggen]

i will go to a walmart, but i avoid wal mart as much as possible. batteries, tires, alignments, grocery prices. and dealing with returns. not a chance. been there done that. and rather go some place else. wal-mart any more for me = wal-fart.

 

[Soundguy]

Wal-Marts are like a box of choc-lits... you never know what you're gonna get.

yep.. when I had my bat replacement issue.. it took 2 trips to get it replaced. first walmart, the one i purchased it from and shop at daily gave me flak. i went to one across town.. same bat, same test..e tc.. and their machine said replace..

 

[jinman]

I have never found a better standard lead-acid battery than the Duralast Gold from AutoZone. My service and exchange on those batteries has been exceptional. Not only that, but my wife purchased a battery at their local store for her van and they helped her install it for no charge. I know every store is not the same, but that sealed the deal for me. When I need a standard lead-acid battery for auto or pickup, I go to our local AutoZone. Now, for lawnmower batteries, I buy from Tractor Supply. I get good prices and service on their lawnmower batteries.

 

[firedog]

The thing I wonder... Johnson controls manufactures batteries for many companies.
Like costco's kirkland, Sears DIEHARD, Interstate and more.

But I would assume that some proprietary brand design or cost features( or deficiencies) are part of the different brand batteries and different price points..IE, a Costco battery is Not equal to a DIEHARD or Interstate, etc......
Years ago I had bought some costco batteries believing "Hey, It's Johnson Controls, They make DIEHARD and Interstate", but was disappointed in the life and power of the Batteries compared to a Diehard, Interstate, or whoever makes DELCO and Ford Batteries.

And so the search continues Good quality fair priced.

Some years ago, I was scoffed at by a young man (who worked for Walmart) because I bought a batt from AutoZone. He claimed they were the same battery. Well, after some research, my answer was Yes and No. Yes, Johnson Controls does make batteries for AutoZone,and they make batteries for Walmart, along with about 30 other battery manufacturers.
There's the difference between manufacturing and retail. the retailer contracts with the manufacturer to supply or build a product according the retailers specifications. Walmart's in this case is on the low end of the spectrum, AutoZone has 3 series of batteries, each badged with the retailers name.
So the search does indeed continue. Just need to know who makes it and where it falls on the quality scale.

 

[jonyyuma]

Really, It would be interesting IF, we could see some specs for the different Batterys that are sold...Several companys make and spec out the battery...Suppossed to be so many Amps and hours..But there sure is some differences where it counts and you cannot see?? One is weight of the lead plates involved, volumn of acid, plate design, and Space below the plates for accumlated lead sulfate...or grounding out of the plates...So the battery you bought 5 years ago, will last or just fail at a couple years....No way to be able to say, YOU really are buying the best battery available, for the price..And man are they ever getting High Priced???

 

[Soundguy]

didn't walmart used to carry 3 'levels' of bats.. liek a yellow, red and black. yellow being the cheapest I think.. etc?

last time I was in ( and bat shopping ).. I didn't notice that setup anymore?

 

[Aging TOO Fast]

At Wally I'm thinking 2 levels I'm aware of, the standard and the MAXX.

Unless garden or deep cycled possibly?

 

[charlz]

I know from RV forums that Walmart batteries are generally regarded to be crap. When they had a really good warranty policy nobody cared as they could always get new replacement batteries. Walmart then changed their warranty policy and people stopped buying their batteries. I think they have a better warranty policy now. I do know 'lawn and garden' batteries are only warrantied for 30 days and no pro-rate etc after that. I had a $65 ATV battery crap out about 60 days after I bought it and I was SOL. So I bought a replacement at a farm and garden place that has 1 year warranty on their batteries.

 

[Soundguy]

last atv/lawnmower bat I got was from autozone.. only lasted a year

the walmart lawnmower battery I have now is about 8ys old.. and weak.. if it sets more than a week, you get 1 start attempt and that's it. if it catches you are good. I usually just throw a 2a charger on it when i walk out to the garage.. let it charge for 5 -10m while I check oil and gas, get my ear plugs on, gloves and hat.. that short duration charge is enough to top it off and start it even if it has sat a couple weeks.

at 8ys it really needs a new battery.. but mower is over 15ys old now.. and i'm not really going to put any more $ in it. deck is work but useable.. one spindle stripped threads.. but had enough meat to rethread 1 size smaller ... tires are near bald but hold air now that I slimed them... deck belt got repalced last year.. blades a year ago as well. if it goes another couple like this.. I'm happy.. it was only a 700$ mower when i got it anyway..

 

[yelbike]

last atv/lawnmower bat I got was from autozone.. only lasted a year

the walmart lawnmower battery I have now is about 8ys old.. and weak.. if it sets more than a week, you get 1 start attempt and that's it. if it catches you are good. I usually just throw a 2a charger on it when i walk out to the garage.. let it charge for 5 -10m while I check oil and gas, get my ear plugs on, gloves and hat.. that short duration charge is enough to top it off and start it even if it has sat a couple weeks.

at 8ys it really needs a new battery.. but mower is over 15ys old now.. and i'm not really going to put any more $ in it. deck is work but useable.. one spindle stripped threads.. but had enough meat to rethread 1 size smaller ... tires are near bald but hold air now that I slimed them... deck belt got repalced last year.. blades a year ago as well. if it goes another couple like this.. I'm happy.. it was only a 700$ mower when i got it anyway..

It sounds like a bad country song.....

 

[Aging TOO Fast]

Originally Posted by Soundguy

last atv/lawnmower bat I got was from autozone.. only lasted a year

the walmart lawnmower battery I have now is about 8ys old.. and weak.. if it sets more than a week, you get 1 start attempt and that's it. if it catches you are good. I usually just throw a 2a charger on it when i walk out to the garage.. let it charge for 5 -10m while I check oil and gas, get my ear plugs on, gloves and hat.. that short duration charge is enough to top it off and start it even if it has sat a couple weeks.

at 8ys it really needs a new battery.. but mower is over 15ys old now.. and i'm not really going to put any more $ in it. deck is work but useable.. one spindle stripped threads.. but had enough meat to rethread 1 size smaller ... tires are near bald but hold air now that I slimed them... deck belt got repalced last year.. blades a year ago as well. if it goes another couple like this.. I'm happy.. it was only a 700$ mower when i got it anyway..

It sounds like a bad country song.....

hummmmm maybe tammy wynette "stand by your .........?"
or Kenny Rogers "You picked a fine time to .....?"

<grin>

 

[Gator6x4]

A carbon pile load tester is the only tester that can determine if a battery is defective. Does Wal-Mart have these in there Service Department or something else? All batteries I have had checked with one either failed or passed the first test, no multipile tests required. Did have a vehicle with a electrical problem that would drain a battery after setting overnight or during the day in a parking lot. Cost an arm and leg to finally locate and repair at dealership.

Carbon Pile Load Tester:Arco Battery Load Tester

 

[Cat_Driver]

I buy only from these guys.
EAST PENN manufacturing co., inc.: Lead-Acid Batteries; Battery Manufacturers; Thousands of Different Types of Batteries, Cable & Wire Product

I sat next to one of the managers on a plane and we talked batteries for a few hours. Bottom line they make a lot of OEM batteries, but more important, they REFUSE to make other OEM batteries because those companies want less quality to improve profit. They refuse. They make one great battery and will never compromise quality because of price.

I had two batteries side by side, one made by them the other made by a box store. The one from Deka weighed quite a bit more than the OEM battery.

If you call them they will tell you what Auto parts store they make them for.

 

[Aging TOO Fast]

A carbon pile load tester is the only tester that can determine if a battery is defective. Does Wal-Mart have these in there Service Department or something else?

Carbon Pile Load Tester:Arco Battery Load Tester

I believe it's just some computer chip setup about the size of a bigger volt/ohm tester at customer service counter, at front of the stores.
It's not anything with a carbon pile in it, I have ever seen at the counter.
Don't know about any equipment they might have out in service dept.

 

[aczlan]

Took my parents van (1999 E350 with the 7.3L Diesel, one battery in the engine compartment and one on the frame rail) in to Walmart tonight and found a few things out:
1. Walmart will not replace the battery on the frame rail
2. Some Walmarts will claim that they are not allowed to replace batteries on full size vans, others are more than happy to replace the one in the engine compartment, but will bow out on replacing the one on the frame rail (they only had the drive-over "pad" style lifts so they couldn't get it in the air
3. It takes me ~50 minutes (plus tool finding and cleanup) to change both batteries (850CCA group 65 batteries) in that van WITHOUT jacking it up
4. About 4 years ago Walmart stopped prorating batteries and (per the fellow I spoke to) will not prorate a battery purchased 4 years ago (age verified with the build date) without a receipt even though the battery says on it that it has a 108 month prorated warranty

I am glad that the van will probbaly be sold before those batteries are dead

Aaron Z