I purchased an EverStart (made by Exide for WalMart) 24-3N battery for my car last summer. The car has become increasingly difficult to start and finally the battery died. The smart charger I use on my boat and RV reported an error code which indicated the battery was defective and could not be charged.
These batteries have a gigantic black and yellow label on the front and top that says "Free Three Year Replacement". I took the battery out of my car, and drove to WalMart in my wife's car. I picked up the replacement battery and headed to Customer Service.
The replacement battery was $68.48 and I was only credited $40 for my defective battery, a $28.48 difference, plus sales taxes. The cashier pointed out some small-print lettering on the top of the battery that reads as follows:
"108 Month Limited Warranty. Customer pays pro-rated charge. Receipt required for warranty protection."
At best, this "Free Three Year Replacement" scam is a deceptive business practice. I brought in 1 year old defective battery and got a replacement, at a cost of over $30 with taxes. I fail to see how this replacement is actually "free".
I firmly believe the contradictory statements on the battery regarding warranty coverage is deceptive. I will be contacting the District Manager of WalMart as well as the North Carolina Attorney General.
Beware.
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