Hamster- wet tail and allergies?

I've had my hamster for about week and he seems to have developed wet tail. His tail is indeed quite wet as well as the rest of the area and he has been totally unactive for days, until I just cleaned out his cage. There didn't seem to be any diarrhea though, just him sleeping in his own urine. So- is this really wet tail?
One of his eyes is also crusted shut. I have read to use a warm compress on it, but he isn't tame enough to let me do this and I can't get near him. I'm not sure what he'd be allergic to- he has that cardboard-ish bedding that is supposedly the best. I have temporarily replaced his bedding with plain white paper towel strips.
What can I do? I know I can replace him at PetsMart still, but I want to HELP him and not just trade him in. No offense, but the vet is really not worth it for something with such a short life span, so I can't really spend the money unless this little guy has a true chance at life.
Answers:
RETURN HIM TO THE STORE ASAP. They can treat the hamster and sell him back to you when he is healthy. This is really the best thing you can do for him. That or contact a vet and ask for nutralyte and uromyacin (not sure how to spell it) which are better for treating wet tail then the product called dri tail. Please return him to the store ASAP.

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Go to the vet first, they will probrably tell you what to do. If they support PetSmart they will treat it for free. If not go to PetSmart and return it and ask them to keep it for you till it gets better.

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A wet tail is sometimes a sign of diarrhea but just to double check, look at the consistency of his stool if its solid or loose. To help prevent him from sleeping in his own bodily fluids, try placing some boxes large enough for him to sit in. My hamster used to sit in the feed boxes to urinate.
As for his conjunctivitis (crusty eyes), check if he's rubbing his face where he's going to the bathroom. If so, try cleaning his cage more often. Also, try flushing his eyes out with tear drops (water only) to try and flush out bacteria.

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youre using the wrong litter for the hamster,all rodents get upper respiratory trouble when they are exposed to cedar shavings or pine shavings,paper towling isnt good either,what you should use is something called "CAREFRESH" it looks like paper mache,this by far is the cadillac of pet litter.oh,its very absorbent too,as for the wet tail i would have a vet check the little guy anyways.good luck!