Help!..Young friends of mine stranded in Texas after Wal-Mart ruined their van!

Some young friends of mine are stranded, in Amarillo, Texas, after the local Wal-Mart left the oil out of the oil change that the kids had done at the Wal-Mart service center. Their van engine died due to no oil put in during the Wal-Mart “oil change”. Wal-Mart has put them up in a local hotel, but will do no more for them.
They were told they would be arrested if they returned to the Wal-Mart.

We’re talking about four people, in their early twenties, tribal hippie types with dreadlocks etc., and three doggies. They have been threated by locals.

We’re afraid something bad is going to happen to them. They are trying to get to Louisville, KY, or Manchester, TN.

Can anyone can offer any advice or help with this? I’m really worried about these kids. I think they need a lawyer in the area to help them fight Wal-Mart on this.

Never mind, missed that in the OP. I see now, it is Amarillo.

Also - is Wal-Mart repairing the car, since it was their fault?

Wal-Mart is refusing to do anything, but put them up in a motel for a couple of days.

"Thanks for shopping at Wal-Mart!"

They need to contact a lawyer - legal aid may be their best bet. But they need to do it fast.

Passing through there but going west to New Mexico, I don't know how to fix the issue with sprawlmart but it seems to me that they are in the right and sprawlmart is simply ignoring them.
If nothing else, try Stars Rainbow rideshare, I already looked at CL rideshare in Amarillo and there is nothing.

Wish I could help.
Cuz hippies in Amarillo will get busted or worse:scared:

a start.

These are the same people who took Oprah to court simply because she said she'd never eat another hamburger on her show. I've spent enough time in Amarillo to know that the wingnuts have a pretty good stranglehold on that town. I wouldn't be surprised if the local media is already working on making them look like thugs, gang-bangers, etc.

Not the whole town. Some of us thought that rancher was an idiot. But we did enjoy seeing Oprah. But yes that area is very red. That's why I got the hell out of there as fast as I could.

Since beef is a huge business in Amarillo, I know a lot of people who supported that lawsuit. I guess they were scared that if everyone in America quit eating beef, it would hurt their community?

Or so some of them thought. I knew a few people who thought that too. But most of the people I knew thought it was total garbage that he was doing it.

This kid grew up there. His friends called him "sunshine". Nice kid by all accounts and loved by his family and friend...active in his community and caring but he was a punk rocker.

He was killed by a highschool football play. The jock got off just about scott free.

http://www.myspace.com/brian_deneke_tribute

And yes, without a doubt, the justice system in this country has many tiers. If you're the right type of person, you can be sure that "justice" will swing your way. If you're the wrong type of person, you're unlikely to ever see justice.

It was such bullshit what happened.

through a band he used to tour with. Terrible, terrible place. Whenever I drive out west from Oklahoma, I pass through Amarillo as fast as I can. If I gas up at the OK/TX border, I don't have to stop there at all (I am a female covered in tattoos). I don't need to attract any a-holes in that town.

But that's why I keep an eye on my car in any station. I love it when they try to charge me for filling the wiper fluid when they don't even know you have to open the back to do so, and they definitely didn't open the back. Sometimes I'll ask them to show me where they put it, to lots of stammering and a suddenly accurate bill.

That's bullshit!

It depends on how they acted when they were at the WalMart. Doncha think? If they were yelling and cussing then WalMart has the right to have them barred from the store.

Merely putting them up in a hotel is NOT sufficient recompense for out of towners whose car was ruined by their idiocy. How are they going to get home as their mode of transportation is dead? How long is it going to take to get the car running? Who pays for this?

Mention Jesus. In a reverent way, of course.

Then find a lawyer. Play their cards right and maybe one of the cops will recommend one.

the tie thing is a dead giveaway of a "clean-up attempt". ;)

says his nickname is Marjoe or "Mitt" .... or something!

I'm not that familiar with Amarillo but I don't think you'd want to be mistaken for a mormon there. Better carry that bible and spout off yapping in tongues when approached by a cop. Tell him you need to find a route to worship with that nutjob John Hagee.

The Gideons give them away for free.

Their insurance company should at least be able to get them into a rental car. The insurance company should then go after Wal-mart for any damages to the van that were caused by their NEGLIGENCE.

I was in an accident awhile back, where it was the other person's fault. I didn't have the rental car clause on my policy, but since it wasn't my fault, the other person's insurance company picked it up.

Hopefully if they have a decent insurance plan, they can get someone to take care of them.

When they put them up in a hotel, they admitted they were at fault. It will take ALL of their high priced corporate lawyer types LOTS of hours to try and backpedal out of that admission.

Something like this could easily turn into a huge PR blunder for Walmart.

Legal Aid of Northwest Texas
www.lanwt.org
203 SW 8th Ave, Amarillo - (806) 373-6808

If they can't help, maybe they can suggest someone who can. I would also suggest they start calling local TV news stations. Please keep us posted.

I'd honestly look for the nearest health food restaurant or something where "like minds" may be. If they connect maybe they can give a sense of comfort and direct them about their options locally.

Seems silly, but this is one step I'd take, being a stranger in a strange land. ;)

http://www.happycow.net/north_america/usa/texas/amarillo/

I'll give them this info. :hi:

my thoughts as well!

If they can see a lawyer in time before the video is deleted or copied over they might have something.

It should show whether a service person did or didn't add oil. If WM hems and haws about producing

a tape or DVD then the van owner will have a pretty good idea WM is at fault.

They have legal cause to sue and will win, if you're providing accurate facts.

Why would Walmart put them up, if not for the fact their negligence stranded the vehicle?

Unfortunately for your friends, it (legal action) won't happen over night. It won't even happen this month.

The first thing I'd do is contact my insurance company.

On edit...I agree with someone else about contacting the media. It's a good consumer investigation story for an aggressive reporter.

about admission of fault. Same thing happens when a car dealer attempts to cover half the cost of a warranty repair.

Good post.

Sid

citizen advocates.

Posting stuff like this is good ... DU is like a huge network. If they were in Baltimore, and a fellow-DU'er posted asking for help in Baltimore, I'd do whatever I could.

These sorts of networks are gold. When I was part of the animal rescue network following Katrina, we had a similar call for help from two young ladies who were in an accident in a small town about a 2 hour drive from me; they were transporting Katrina dogs from a shelter to their owners. I wasn't able to personally get to them but paid their motel bills and made sure they were doing OK. (The town they were at was wonderful; the vet refused payment when he heard they had Katrina dogs, a local massage therapist gave them free massages, and a local dog search team showed up to search for a dog that had been lost during the accident--Fortunately, he was found by a trucker and brought to a vet for treatment.

The situation with these kids is different, of course, and I hope someone is able to help them. Please let us know how they're doing ....

She is in the area. She might know some way to help.

Just a guess.

n.t.

Good idea.

it was their fault, that is fairly standard at any oil lube place, even a WalMart.

They should contact the manager, if need be the district manager.
And they should return regardless to the WalMart, but be calm about it and demand to see the manager or the contact info for the district manager.

They should also call the local newspaper, nothing like a little bad press to get things fixed. ;)

I know a woman here in central Florida this sort of thing happened to. the local Merritt Island WalMart changed her oil, but didn't replace the cap on the bottom, and it all drained out and destroyed her engine.

edited for clarity

The only way to resolve this is to have a lawyer, whether through legal aide or hiring a real lawyer, send a letter to Walmart advising them of their intention to sue for the damages.

That's why Wal Mart should know what they are doing, before working on them for any reason.

Wal Mart could have saved themselves a lot of trouble and money, by towing the van to a real shop and installing a rebuilt engine for them. They could have solved their problem in a day.

And installed a rebuilt engine for them at no cost to them, along with putting them up in a hotel. Actually, they could have done it in a day.

first:
By putting them up in a motel Walmart has already admitted guilt.

Second:
Arresting someone for showing up at a place of business means that your friends made a giant scene at that WalMart - they probably were angry and acted a bit foolish. Now their asses are in a sling.
They need to contact the police - choose a spokesperson for the group who can and will remain calm and civil - Yelling and calling the cops names will get them in trouble. That spokesperson needs to explain their dilemma in a rational manner and ask the police to help them so they can get in their repaired van and leave the state of Texas.

Good luck.

trespass warnings. I dont know if they would hold up, but I was banned from a WalMart about 20 years ago by a security guard.

A security guard at Wal Mart is not a certified LEO, the only one who can give the criminal trespass warning.

dg

I dont know if it was a legal trespass notice or not. They said I would be arrested if I returned.

until they are warned by law enforcement.

dg

I've had to give many, & they need to be given by law enforcement.

dg

if they paid for a service that wasn't provided, then Wal Mart is responsible for the damages to their car. And were they told by a cop they would be arrested if they went back or just the manager? You can't arrest someone for criminal trespass unless the warning has been given by law enforcement. (but I wouldn't push it until they got a lawyer)

dg

They are deep in dangerous enemy territory and their misfortune is a threat to Jethro, the local oil change hero, not a good combination.

The local Hispanic community might be a safe place to hole up, but the engine is shot and if they have no resources, the best thing might be to scrape up what they can and thumb/bus it back home. I haven't been in Amarillo for a very long time by design, but unless it's changed a lot they will have a hard time getting any help. Going undercover as mentioned above might help.

ProNews7

http://www.connectamarillo.com/

--------------------------

KFDA news 10

http://www.newschannel10.com/

.................

NBC4 Amarillo



http://myhighplains.com/

I hope this helps a little. :hi:

les.simpson@amarillo.com AMARILLO NEWS email for station (I have sent him this OP story)

kacvtv@actx.edu channel 2 public tv (I have sent this OP story)

to anyone from Wal-Mart. They may want to contact legal aid and the ACLU. They should not just cut and run from this.

pending against walmart in that area.

Also, they should contact the Texas Attorney General's office, consumer protection division

Texas Attorney General's
Consumer Protection Hotline:
(800) 621-0508
Regional Offices

http://www.oag.state.tx.us/consumer/index.shtml

tell them not to do anything stupid and get arrested. Depending on which Walmart they are at they might end up in a county jail 30 miles away from Amarillo. Back in my younger days I spent more than one night in that jail. It is a pain to try to find a ride back to Amarillo. Next call the district manager. They might be able to do something more for them. Do you know what part of Amarillo they are in?

Lots of good advice in this thread. Thanks all!:thumbsup:

Those are there to tell you something is wrong in this type of situation. If gauge or light was not working, or ignored, Wallyworld is gonna have a way out as to responsibility.

Now that the news agencies are being informed of this story (by us at DU), HOW will they find your young friends so that they can cover the story? Can you say where they are located (hotel)? I suppose there is risk in that, but how the heck are the news crews supposed to contact them (should they deem this a worthy news story, as we hope)?

They can point them in the right direction, if nothing else:

Amarillo UU Fellowship
Number of Members: 104


Address: 4901 Cornell St.
marillo, TX 79109-5812

Map

Phone: (806) 355-9351
Email: auuf @ auuf-amarillo.org
Website: www.auuf-amarillo.org

Church ID: 7711

We're working on getting them out of there. They have talked to the police regarding threats from Wal-Mart rednecks.

They will definitely be pursuing legal action.

I'm sending them all the good info and links posted here. :thumbsup:

Like others have stated above, the store admitted responsibility when it paid for their hotel room. If the local Walmart is trying to screw them over, maybe someone at the corporate level could step in. I'm sure that they wouldn't want to take the chance of this turning into yet another PR blunder for their company.

That, and them contacting their insurance company, should get most of this sorted out. If it doesn't, then it would be time to contact a lawyer and take them to court.

Says :shrug: , famous blue dogger. Seriously, I hope everything works out for your friends.

On Bell Ave, after about 5pm.....This is where the Very few Rainbo/Progressive folk in Amarillo hang out after work. I know this cuz I rode my Mt Bike from Boulder to Austin a few years ago and ended up there as we needed to stop for a couple of days.

Edit to ask: What kinda Van (Dodge Chevy VW) I know a GOOD VW Airsucker (Aircooled)shop in Amarillo as well.....Don't ask It was a rough week,very much like what these kids are dealing with right now,but with a Hippiefide VW Splitty Van,lol

Do not go back to the store. Call the store and ask for the market managers name and office phone number and call him/her right away.t
Explain the situation in a calm and polite manner. Do not mention legal representation or whomever they are talking to will tell them they will need to speak to WM's legal department. Firmly but politely insist on the need for alternate transportation. It may take a day or two if they can spare it to get them to agree. Call the corporate office @(1-800-925-6278) and explain the situation. Make sure to ask to speak to a supervisor but above all be polite. Wal-Mart is responsible and they know it. They will have to pay to have the van repaired. Let us know how it goes.

Just some background, I had sold my neighbor my car, I had 2 at the time. Neighbor puts a lot of mileage on cars, and he had the oil changed at Jiffy Lube. He was driving on the highway when the car engine seized up and quit, the engine was gone. I had something similiar happen to me at Jiffy Lube, but caught it in time. Jiffy Lube had stripped the threads of the oil plug when they put it back in during the oil change and all the oil drained out of the engine. Since I caught it quickly, and added oil, I took it back to the Jiffy Lube and it was a simple matter for them to replace the oil plug. That was a different car than my neighbor bought, but I stopped going to Jiffy Lube after that.

Told my neighbor about that experience, so he had his mechanic check the oil plug, and that was indeed the problem in the neighbor's case. Neighbor got a letter from the mechanic that stated the cause and the fact that the engine needed to be replaced. Neighbor took the mechanics letter to the Jiffy Lube and they agreed to paying 1/2 the cost of a new engine. Neighbor wasn't going to accept that, and got a lawyer involved. It only took 1 letter from the lawyer and Jiffy Lube agreed to replace the engine.

Not sure what the answer is in your friend's case, could be something similiar. But it is definitely worth getting a lawyer involved in this, new engines are expensive.

but if a shop is willing to pay half, then they're admitting responsibility. And if they're responsible, they should be paying for all of the repair.

Sid

But the reason they offered to pay half was because of the letter from the mechanic about the stripped oil plug. If he hadn't had the mechanic check that, he may have been out of luck.

Amarillo is a city with 200,000 people. It isn't some backwater hole in the wall. If you're still looking for a lawyer, then call this man's office:

Jeff Blackburn Law Office
718 West 16th
Amarillo, TX 79101
806-371-8333

Here's his bio: http://www.superlawyers.com/texas/lawyer/Jeff-Blackburn/bdc79f2a-9597-4e24-8736-459ccc45ec83.html

He may not be able to help your friends but I am sure he can point them to someone who can.

As for threats, well, I'm sorry. Some people can be jerks but not everyone in Amarillo is like that. As long as your friends are respectful, they should be fine with the locals. It wouldn't hurt to throw around a few "sirs" and "mams".

Here is the site for the public bus lines: http://www.ci.amarillo.tx.us/departments/transit.htm

The schedules and maps are linked on that page.

It is unfortunate that Wally World is refusing to repair their van. I'm actually surprised that they're putting your friends up in a hotel. Just the same, all should be well. Others have already provided links to local media and help organizations. Amarillo prides itself on being friendly to people passing through town so if things get hairy, do not hesitate to call a local television station, I would recommend Channel 10.

Good luck.

They might not need to eat for days after that.

http://www.bigtexan.com/free72.html

And they have to eat everything, salad, rolls and all. And no sharing. :)

Last I heard Wal-Mart was going to get them a rental van and fix the one they broke. I'm not sure how it all came about, but sounds like a good outcome.

Thanks again for all the advise, links and support! DU Rocks! :yourock:

And you rock too!

:hi:

... they may have softened the stance.

Glad it all worked out.

I wish your friends luck and good fortune.

Find someone cool and helpful, and then make sure they send a big thank you note to anyone who helps them.

ACLU chapter of Amarillo:

http://www.aclutx.org/chapters/amarillo.php

On that site there are resources for finding a lawyer:

https://secure.aclu.org/site/SPageNavigator/TX_Legal_Intake

Unitarian Universalist Church of Amarillo
4901 Cornell St
Amarillo, TX 79109
(806) 355-9351‎

Democratic Party of Amarillo:
http://www.txdemocrats.org/page/group/AmarilloAreaDemocraticHeadquarters