An Unsolicited Testimonial to Wal-Mart

So I woke up yesterday to take the lovely and gracious Ariane to work -- and the car won't start. The battery just "click-click-clicks" past the solenoid, unable to raise a charge to start the car.

Dammit!

I had just replaced the alternator three weeks earlier, so I knew it wasn't that. These new Ford alternators have the voltage regulator built into them now, so it's not that, either. The battery terminals were cleaned and lubed when I got the alternator, so that's out, too.

So it's pretty much gotta be the battery, which I bought in January 2006. Well, with all the heat in South Texas, a battery's only good for a year or two anyway. We parted company with our last battery almost two years to the day we got the car, so it's something I was thinking of anyway. So I got a jump from Wonder-Boy and headed over to Wal-mart for another $38.00 (installed) battery.

I got there and told the lady I needed a battery, and she's explaining the warrantee (24 months), and I said, "Really? I just bought this one here 19 months ago!" She asks my phone number, then looks it up.

Then she frowns. Bingo!

She looks up the battery -- they might have it in stock -- and asks me if I want the anti-corrosion coating on the battery terminals. (It's an extra $2.00, but who wouldn't?) She gives me a shop ticket, and tells me it'll be a half hour. I wander across the store to window shop and get breakfast at the in-store McDonald's (which is very bad for me -- but sacrifices must be made.)

Forty-five minutes later I walk back to the service bays and they're just finishing up. They actually had to have another Wal-Mart across town bring them the right battery, but it's been installed and tested and it's terminals coated with anti-corrosive.

I'm expecting a partial rebate on he cost of the battery, like Sears used to do with the Diehard batteries. Since I had about 25% battery life expected still, I'd be really happy with a 25% discount. Guess what my total cost for the battery with installation and anti-corrosive coating was?

Two dollars. They only charged me for the coating.

I am so damned happy I could spit. I LOVE Wal-Mart!

~~JD~~