Walmart Return Policy. Ugh!

[Lewisc]

The OP tried to return an iPad purchased on BF. Walmart told her the return period had passed. Several posters documented Walmarts extended return policy, including electronics, applicable for holiday time purchases.

Do people think the low pay scale at Walmart is attracting employees who are illiterate? Lazy? Too busy to learn holiday return policy? Poorly trained? Told to intentionally try to avoid accepting a legitimate return?

Walmart stores had employees stocking shelves at night, after the store had closed. They didn't want the employees stealing nor did they want to pay for employees to supervise (security to check on the employees) so they locked the store. At one time they even put chains (or otherwise disabling) fire doors. Obviously this violated fire codes and Walmart stopped when their practice was discovered by the appropriate authorities.

 

[Indy Denise]

The OP tried to return an iPad purchased on BF. Walmart told her the return period had passed. Several posters documented Walmarts extended return policy, including electronics, applicable for holiday time purchases.

Do people think the low pay scale at Walmart is attracting employees who are illiterate? Lazy? Too busy to learn holiday return policy? Poorly trained? Told to intentionally try to avoid accepting a legitimate return?

Walmart stores had employees stocking shelves at night, after the store had closed. They didn't want the employees stealing nor did they want to pay for employees to supervise (security to check on the employees) so they locked the store. At one time they even put chains (or otherwise disabling) fire doors. Obviously this violated fire codes and Walmart stopped when their practice was discovered by the appropriate authorities.

Not only that they also clocked the employees out and made them " zone" ( straighten ) the store for free.

 

[scbelleatheart]

OP here. I have not returned the Ipad. I did appreciate the link to the return policies. Thank you. I have until Jan 10th but my DSis might want it for her 11 year old son. Sitting on the fence!
The managers attitude was wrong but that does not reflect on the good job the employees do.

 

[scbelleatheart]

The OP tried to return an iPad purchased on BF. Walmart told her the return period had passed. Several posters documented Walmarts extended return policy, including electronics, applicable for holiday time purchases.

Do people think the low pay scale at Walmart is attracting employees who are illiterate? Lazy? Too busy to learn holiday return policy? Poorly trained? Told to intentionally try to avoid accepting a legitimate return?

Walmart stores had employees stocking shelves at night, after the store had closed. They didn't want the employees stealing nor did they want to pay for employees to supervise (security to check on the employees) so they locked the store. At one time they even put chains (or otherwise disabling) fire doors. Obviously this violated fire codes and Walmart stopped when their practice was discovered by the appropriate authorities.

What are you asking/implying?
Our Walmart provides jobs to many that other companies would not consider. They are respectful, pleasant people who go out of their way to help.
As far as putting the Mom & Pop stores out of business, I don't get that. Until Walmart, I had to drive 30 miles just to get a pair of socks or soccor shorts or PJ,s. We didn't have a single place in town that sold clothes, applainces, toys.
As far as Mom & Pop groceries, we have 2. I still shop at 1. They will special order anything and always do their meat fresh each morning. The other I do not shop at. I do not like being told where to shop so because they complained about ordering things for our concession stands at the school. At the same price you buy it at their store. I expect a discount if I order 500 cases of pop and picked it up. But that is how it goes in a little town and Daddy is the school board president.
I have a lot of respect for those people who work at Walmart or any job. We all started someplace.
PS. I worked at KMart thru high school and college. There was no Walmart then.

 

[Lewisc]

The OP tried to return an iPad purchased on BF. Walmart told her the return period had passed. Several posters documented Walmarts extended return policy, including electronics, applicable for holiday time purchases.

Do people think the low pay scale at Walmart is attracting employees who are illiterate? Lazy? Too busy to learn holiday return policy? Poorly trained? Told to intentionally try to avoid accepting a legitimate return?
...

What are you asking/implying?
Our Walmart provides jobs to many that other companies would not consider. They are respectful, pleasant people who go out of their way to help.

I was asking for an opinion, maybe speculation, as to why the OP was refused a refund when Walmart's holiday return policy clearly permits such a return.

That's the topic of this thread. I thought my question was pretty clear. I certainly wasn't asking for general opinion on how Walmart affected your community. Not sure why you quoted my post when your reply has nothing to do with my point.

In many parts of the country supermarkets run loss leaders. Items like soda is sold slightly above, and sometimes even below, cost. A way to get people into a store. I wouldn't expect a store to offer a quantity discount on such an item. The reverse, I'd be surprised if the store let customers buy huge quantities. I have no idea if that's why your local store wouldn't give you an additional discount on soda.

 

[robinb]

Do people think the low pay scale at Walmart is attracting employees who are illiterate? Lazy? Too busy to learn holiday return policy? Poorly trained? Told to intentionally try to avoid accepting a legitimate return?

I have no idea of the inner workings of WalMart corporate and goals that are set for each store. They may be penalized for too many returns. I sell on Amazon.com and my account is monitored for too returns or chargebacks even if it is because of buyer remorse or buying mistakes. While I would hope that it wasn't a deliberate act to ignore the return policy, I don't think it's a stretch that store management may have deliberately chosen to ignore holiday return rules in order to accept fewer returns. I believe the main reason the OP was denied her return was because of poor management and training. Either the management did not understand the policy themselves or they did not communicate the policy effectively. The Customer Service desk is a busy, high stress place at the Big Box stores like WalMart and I don't think they would place illiterate or lazy people in that position.

 

[zoemurr]

So I bought a karaoke machine off walmart.com. Arrived on time at the house as promised. I had used $200 in Gift cards I had earned through my cc and $20 or so on my cc.

We decided it just wasn't what we wanted to I returned it today in my 15 day window.

Holy cow.. what a production. I had the packing slip receipt, and had printed out the "easy return" slip from their website. Well, the scan bars didn't work on either. She hand entered the code, and it wanted a description of the item. Wouldn't take anything she tried. Only one poor woman working (right after the holiday in the middle of the morning?) and now there is a huge line forming.

On about her 10th try it took it. She kept saying she was sorry but the problem was that it wasn't an item they sold in the store. (?) If they let you return internet items to the store then shouldn't the computer recognize it? Then she couldn't figure out how to give me the balance back on a GC and cc like I had paid for it. Still not sure that worked out right.. will have to check cc balance in a few days.

Easy returns??!! It actually said that right on the sheet I handed her.

 

[JB2K]

Plus, at Target, you don't have to look at things like this.......

www.peopleofwalmart.com/photos/

Actually, you do see 'em at Target -- it's just that WM is so much bigger and in so many towns with a population of 5-10K, it gives the PoWM webmasters a lot more fodder.

 

[JB2K]

As far as putting the Mom & Pop stores out of business, I don't get that. Until Walmart, I had to drive 30 miles just to get a pair of socks or soccor shorts or PJ,s. We didn't have a single place in town that sold clothes, applainces, toys.

"Mom and Pop" has been a union buzzword since around the mid-1990's, when WM was on a nationwide expansion to places like the Northeast and West Coast. I never knew of these "Mom and Pop" stores they speak so fondly-of, but I saw plenty of places like Woolworth's, TG&Y, Ben Franklin, and others who may have closed, as those stores had a very small retail footprint and not a huge selection of merchandise.

I came from a small town (pop. 10,000) , and best I can recall, the only business that suffered when WM rolled-into town in 1980 (when they were still considered a regional discounter) was another regional (Southern) outfit called "Kuhn's Big K" out of Nashville (no relation to Kmart, which had its' roots in the S.S. Kresge five-and-dimes) -- WM ended-up buying Kuhn's, outright and the two merged in 1981 with only a handful of duplicate stores, including the one in my hometown, closing.

That small town, today, hasn't changed all that much -- if anything, it has grown a bit, which has little to do with Walmart, but my hometown now has a large store to support any population boom.

As far as Mom & Pop groceries, we have 2. I still shop at 1. They will special order anything and always do their meat fresh each morning. The other I do not shop at. I do not like being told where to shop so because they complained about ordering things for our concession stands at the school. At the same price you buy it at their store. I expect a discount if I order 500 cases of pop and picked it up. But that is how it goes in a little town and Daddy is the school board president.

Politics of living/doing business in a small town -- too bad some of the big city types simply don't "get it"...

I have a lot of respect for those people who work at Walmart or any job. We all started someplace.

IMO, today's retail jobs, are, unless you are a real go-getter, "starter jobs", and for many, that will be their first "big" work experience.

PS. I worked at KMart thru high school and college. There was no Walmart then.

I am old enough to remember those days -- up until the rise of both Walmart and Target in the 80's, Kmart was the only true nationwide discount department store (and though it's hard to believe, today, many people would drive up to 100 miles for the discount shopping experience, which is pretty much available everywhere, today). Fast-forward to December 2012 -- my local Kmart, which was an anemic store, at best, closed their doors and several people I know lost their jobs a couple of weeks before Christmas.

 

[undertheradar]

The OP tried to return an iPad purchased on BF. Walmart told her the return period had passed. Several posters documented Walmarts extended return policy, including electronics, applicable for holiday time purchases.

Do people think the low pay scale at Walmart is attracting employees who are illiterate? Lazy? Too busy to learn holiday return policy? Poorly trained? Told to intentionally try to avoid accepting a legitimate return?

Walmart stores had employees stocking shelves at night, after the store had closed. They didn't want the employees stealing nor did they want to pay for employees to supervise (security to check on the employees) so they locked the store. At one time they even put chains (or otherwise disabling) fire doors. Obviously this violated fire codes and Walmart stopped when their practice was discovered by the appropriate authorities.

Awesome! Where we are, Walmart is open 24/7, how does your theory work then?

 

[Lewisc]

Awesome! Where we are, Walmart is open 24/7, how does your theory work then?

You don't even need half a brain to realize this couldn't be done in a 24/7 store. Are you saying the policy was OK since it couldn't have been done at the store near you? Also an issue at Sams Club.

 

[tinatark]

I'm over hearing about how the "mom and pop" stores got put out of business by Wal Mart.

Where I lived, those mom and pop store owners made $$$$$$ off their neighbors because of the prices their monopoly could command. I remember once pharmacy owner in my area's home - the only one there with a tennis court. In my small town the mom and pop furniture store people are some of the wealthiest in town - mom drives a Range Rover EnVogue (whatever the newest one is) and they live in an 8k sf home on the golf course.

Perhaps if some of the mom and pop stores had been putting some of that profit into their facilities, or had a smaller profit margin, they would still be in business.

At least Wal Mart employs many, many more people than the little stores did.

 

[sweetdana]

I'm over hearing about how the "mom and pop" stores got put out of business by Wal Mart.

Where I lived, those mom and pop store owners made $$$$$$ off their neighbors because of the prices their monopoly could command. I remember once pharmacy owner in my area's home - the only one there with a tennis court. In my small town the mom and pop furniture store people are some of the wealthiest in town - mom drives a Range Rover EnVogue (whatever the newest one is) and they live in an 8k sf home on the golf course.

Perhaps if some of the mom and pop stores had been putting some of that profit into their facilities, or had a smaller profit margin, they would still be in business.

At least Wal Mart employs many, many more people than the little stores did.

this is why I thought some of the book stores "hating" all over amazon, it is nuts IMO.. It is not that people don't want to go to a local book store and buy it online instead.. It is when they look at the same book/item on there phone at the store and it is 10$ cheaper online with free 2 day shipping it is not competition. (best buy is worse, I looked at a cd it was 22$ there.. and it was 5.99 online.. Honestly if it was closer in price like 10% or even 15% lots of people would buy it at the store, and not wait 2 days for it.. but lots of places will not settle with 10% profit on an item ( like Walmart and Amazon and others will). I LOVE competition. TY walmart (and Amazon).

this is not okaying the manager not knowing what the stores return policy is.. only that I hate people solely knocking a store/business down for being okay not price fixing to there local neighbor. .. I am an UW for a mortgage company and see at least 1 borrower a week who works at walmart.. they might not make 60K a yr, but they are getting by enough to buy a home.. which they wouldn't if they didn't have that job.

 

[Lewisc]

Honestly if it was closer in price like 10% or even 15% lots of people would buy it at the store, and not wait 2 days for it.. but lots of places will not settle with 10% profit on an item ( like Walmart and Amazon and others will). I LOVE competition. TY walmart (and Amazon)

You're kidding. This is the budget board. People will do whatever it takes to save a dollar. 10%-15% (plus in many cases saving sales tax). Lots of people will kill their grandmother to save 10% + sales tax

The book stores used to be able to make money on best sellers. That covered all or most of their overhead and let them stock shelves with less popular books. Best sellers are discounted 40-45% at places like COSTCO and Walmart. Book stores try to compete with slightly lower (30-35%?) discounts on best sellers and tables of "remainder books".

 

[sweetdana]

You're kidding. This is the budget board. People will do whatever it takes to save a dollar. 10%-15% (plus in many cases saving sales tax). Lots of people will kill their grandmother to save 10% + sales tax

The book stores used to be able to make money on best sellers. That covered all or most of their overhead and let them stock shelves with less popular books. Best sellers are discounted 40-45% at places like COSTCO and Walmart. Book stores try to compete with slightly lower (30-35%?) discounts on best sellers and tables of "remainder books".

awee

 

[mhsjax]

this is why I thought some of the book stores "hating" all over amazon, it is nuts IMO.. It is not that people don't want to go to a local book store and buy it online instead.. It is when they look at the same book/item on there phone at the store and it is 10$ cheaper online with free 2 day shipping it is not competition. (best buy is worse, I looked at a cd it was 22$ there.. and it was 5.99 online.. Honestly if it was closer in price like 10% or even 15% lots of people would buy it at the store, and not wait 2 days for it.. but lots of places will not settle with 10% profit on an item ( like Walmart and Amazon and others will). I LOVE competition. TY walmart (and Amazon).

this is not okaying the manager not knowing what the stores return policy is.. only that I hate people solely knocking a store/business down for being okay not price fixing to there local neighbor. .. I am an UW for a mortgage company and see at least 1 borrower a week who works at walmart.. they might not make 60K a yr, but they are getting by enough to buy a home.. which they wouldn't if they didn't have that job.

So you are saying that these people wouldn't get a house if they didn't work for Walmart? Wow, I knew Walmart was powerful, but not that powerful.