Ken asks…

Walmart Auto messed up my steering column…?

I took my 2002 Dodge Dakota v8 4.7l Quad-Cab into WalMart‘s Automotive branch to have them replace a tire, and balance my tires. Now I have about 1/4 of a full revolution of the wheel worth of slack! I’ve google’d it and it seems like there’s some sort of adjustment on the steering column (Locking nut and inner adjustment screw)… So I guess my question is what should I do? Fix it myself or take it back to WalMart? Has anyone adjusted this? How hard is it? Specifically, what needs to be done? This seems to dangerous to leave be! What if I need to swerve to avoid a wreck?

Wize Guy answers:

It really as simple as backing the nut off and slowly tightening down the screw while bumping the steering play back and forth till the play gets smaller and smaller ……when adjusting that steering screw.

being a 2002 it probably wont completely get rid of all the slack ……..but you should definitely not have a 1/4 turn of empty steering .

But…. there is too many other points to consider that may be collectively causing the play……wheel bearings….tie rod ends…ball joints

I say take it back immediately to Wal-Mart

Sharon asks…

Does anyone know where i can buy a laudry spot cleaner ?

Called Clear Magic? I used to buy it in Walmart the sold it in the automotive section ,I guess because it could be used for cleaning other things too. It’s biodegradeable and smells nice and takes out any stain even ones that are set in.
Thanks SO much you saved me !

Wize Guy answers:

http://www.topbrandtools.com/housewares/Floor_Waxes/Westley_s_Clear_Magic_Spray_Cleaner_603775.htm

Thomas asks…

What does it tell you when they start to join department and grocery stores together?

Ie; Walmart, Super k- mart, BJ’s wholesale and even automotive accessories departments are combined. Besides convenience. What’s your reason to this.

Wize Guy answers:

simple answer Money. If someone can go to one place to get all their shopping done they will, the store will make more money

Jenny asks…

Accused shoplifting at walmart?

I was in wal-mart looking in the automotive section. next to me happens to be a couple who is stuffing a big box in their pocket. He had on ahoody to hide it. I have been in this section for a while and had placed somethin in my hoodie pocket. now i didn’t have an intent to shoplift. but i continued looking. after a while i start heading for the doors, as soon is a pass the sensors i realized i still had this item in my hoodie pocket. This walmart has like a little room betwen the main store and the exit doors. Before i could go back into the main store part two employees come up to me and ask if i know of any items. I told them yes i did and handed them the items appologising and telling them i never had the intent to take it. The took me to a back room where it was me and this lady. she alled in for another employee as a witness. they were discussing where the supposed shoplifting took place. The Automotive Section. I tld them i knew of what the were talking about and described the couple. Still they took my ID, scanned it, and took my info. They handed me my ID back, and a piece of paper with a number i have to call. No cops were called, but they did give me a warning. I did not have to sign a paper that some people say had to. They told me i would have to pay a fine. Now this item wasn’t actually stolen though. i never made it outside of the building, and realized that i still had the item. once i did i was gonna go back in and return it. Still they are claiming i stole this item. Even though i told them i didn’t mean to, but the couple did. this item was like $3. what do i do? I mean yea i have to pay, but do i call corporate and complain? what do i do?

Wize Guy answers:

Innocent -

I am an attorney and I know a lot about this subject. Do not take this as creating an attorney-client relationship. You may, however, find it helpful.

Unless Wal-Mart itself asks you further questions about the other couple that was shoplifting, you can pretty much forget about that. What the other couple did doesn’t matter. What matters is how this incident affects you.

I also would not bother to “call corporate and complain”. They will think you are a shoplifter and won’t listen to you.

From your post, it sounds like you were not charged with a crime. If it turns out that I am wrong on that and you do get charged with a crime, you absolutely must consult an attorney. If you can’t afford an attorney, you should tell the judge that and ask that one be appointed for you.

Assuming that you have not and will not be charged with a crime, then you have just barely escaped having a criminal record because of this incident.

I am not in a position to judge the truth or untruth of your statement that you did not intend to steal the item you put into your hoodie pocket. I can say that the act of having concealed the item in the pocket and then having walked past the last point of sale and into the security area, where the alarm sounded, would be enough to convict you in a criminal trial. In most states it does not matter that you actually did not make it out of the building before you were stopped. From the act of concealing the merchandise and then proceeding past the last point of sale, it can be inferred that you intended to steal the item.

I agree with the other poster, Quite New Here, that saying that it was a mistake and that you meant to pay for the item is a common excuse given by shoplifters. Of course, some people actually do make that mistake. The store loss prevention lady who was involved in your detention did not believe you. Loss prevention employees almost never believe that someone “made a mistake” if she or he is caught, past the last point of sale, with goods which were not paid for. This is not surprising. The job of loss prevention personnel is to catch shoplifters and they quickly become very cynical.

Now, if you were charged with a crime, conviction would not be “automatic”. A jury would be free to accept your explanation that it was a mistake. If it was a mistake, it was not actually theft. However, I must say that most juries are not much more forgiving than most loss prevention personnel. A jury would probably reject your explanation and convict you. So, assuming that no criminal charge is brought against you, count yourself very lucky to have gotten off with a warning and a “fine”.

What you and the lady at the store are calling a “fine” is technically a “civil demand”. A “fine” is actually something you pay to a governement body. In most states, if someone is caught shoplifting, the store can sue you for damages and a civil penalty. This is true whether you are charged and convicted of a crime or just let go. I can’t say the amount the store can charge as a penalty because I do not know what state you are in and the law on this is a little different from state to state. Usually, the penalty is many times the value of the goods you tried to steal. The lowest minimum penalty I know of is in California, where the minimum is $50 and the maximum is $500. Typically, the penalty runs into the hundreds of dollars. If you do not pay the civil demand voluntarily, it may be possible for the store to add attorney fees to the debt if it sues you, which could run into the thousands of dollars.

What is unusual about your situation is that the store gave you a number to call. Most stores would handle the penalty differently. I think it would be best if you called the number they gave you and find out what the store wants.

I wouldn’t argue too much about the penalty if I were you. If you make the employees who collect the penalty angry, they may refer the case to criminal prosecution. Not likely, but you should not risk that. If you really have no money to pay, the odds are that they won’t sue you or charge your criminally, but you would have this hanging over your head, wondering what was going to happen. Generally, it is better to pay it and move on.

So, paying a penalty of several hundred dollars for something you did not intend to steal may seem harsh. However, you should think about the fact that by your own actions you set yourself up to look guilty and, as it is, you are getting off pretty lightly if you are not being charged with a crime.

William asks…

can walmart fire me for addressing another worker old man?

A customer ask to be helped in automotive depatment and could not locate anyone in there. I stated to her there was an old man there to better he to find the worker. After sometime was caled to the back and fire. Told I was being disrespectful to the worker in the department. That the customer said that my words were……That old man will help you! wish I fine hard to blieve because I did not see the worker or I would have said…..He will help you. Not only that, but that another worker heard me say..That old man will help you…. I know this was a set-up and thy will not tell me who the other worker is. I have been having problems with a group of workers and the worker they said I address as old man and managments for years. I can show where all this workers have herass me and managemaent did not support me and why management wanted to fire me. I was single out and need to know if I should contact the main office or get a lawyer…….I have documents, satements and witnesses for a peiod of six to ten years. There are alot of issues here and not that of how I address to the other worker……………………………..If any….Can I sue walmart by mysel without a lawyerand request a hearing by jury and have everyone come in (half the store people).
But the statement is wronge on what I said…I was not thinking cleardue to reasons. This worker and others have been herassing me for the longest and I have compliant even to the store manager to the point I called the police. The store manager said as long as they did not say my name they are not herassing me. She did not even called everyone in to see what was the problem. So you know she did not want to support me. In this case they… all of management alter by behavior and the way I ated against others who herass me with them knowing that management was not helping me nor did they want to. Due to my complaints they used this to fire me. There is more to all of the story that management just wanted to get back at me and if I have the chance alot of situations not nice about management would come out.

Wize Guy answers:

You could not sue Wal Mart unless you have an employment contract and they breached it, they can hire or fire for any reason or no reason, a lawsuit would be impossible and only waste more of your time.}{

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