I HATE Walmart! But what can I do??

[Planogirl]

Child abuse?

I like my nearby Wal-Mart a lot but I've been in some nasty ones. My store is clean and tidy and I've seen the same people there for years. I know what costs less there and what costs less at Target so I go to both. I also throw in Kroger since they have better sales.

 

[DINKDisneyAddict]

I totally agree with some of the previous posters. For me, it's all about the time of day, and I buy everything except meat and produce there...or misc. other things if I have a coupon to double/triple for. Even for big grocery shopping trips for big family meals like Thanksgiving, 4am is ten million times better than 4pm. I can always take a nap, LOL. I've witnessed all the bad sides of Walmart that you've mentioned as well. As for my husband, he won't set foot in Walmart or Target...Walmart for the reasons you mentioned, and Target because it is too "trendy". (LOL Whatever! I think he just doesn't like grocery shopping in general.)

 

[ABtwinmommy]

The Walmart nearest me has such horrible customer service it's unreal! I stopped shopping there a long time ago for several years, but about two years ago I started going back periodically... MISTAKE! Big time. I've had it now, I will not shop there again! it makes me mad to even think about it..ugh.

 

[CrAzY4DL]

I really dislike Wal-Mart. But, recently DH was prescribed a medication that our insuranc doesn't cover. It would have been $75/month to pay OOP at other pharmacies. WM has it for $9/month. I just can't pass up that savings, so I've been getting the prescription there.

Target pharmacy and Walgreens all have the same list of low-cost generics. I love getting my scrips filled at Target, they take less than 15 minutes while I get my shopping done. Also, they frequently offer coupons in their sales ads and that they hand out that gives you a $10 Target gift card for every new prescription you bring in. Sweet!!! Hope that helps!

There's nothing at WalMart that could make me step inside. I have one 2 blocks from DD7's school and I just drive on by and go to the Target miles away. Blech, WalMart. Also, DH and my father both work in the grocery industry and would skin me alive for buying groceries at WalMart...

 

[sdzman]

Comedian John Pinette said it best; "Shopping at Walmart is just like shopping at Target only sadder"

 

[VAfamily1998]

I'm not a regular Walmart shopper, but I go there occasionally if there is something specific I am looking for (like last Christmas, looking for specific Beyblade toys for my kids I searched all the local Targets, Toys R Us, and Walmart looking for the right ones!) or if I am out of town and it happens to be there.
I've shopped in Walmarts in California, Maine, Virginia, Florida...I've found them to be consistently like the way the OP described in her first post. Going there is usually a last resort for me.

I know the one most local to me (a Walmart supercenter) many of the other customers there are just gross. I swear, a couple months ago I was there and a couple men walked in looking like they had just dug a ditch. They were wearing FILTHY, covered with mud overalls and you could see the sweat pouring off these guys--and it was February!
Other people were walking around just looking...greasy, like they hadn't bathed in a week.

 

[nunzia]

honestly. I would NOT do it. Ever.

Someone gave us two gift cards for Walmart last year....I am going to end up passing them on to someone else because I simply refuse to shop there.

You can pass them to me Seriously..I'm not crazy about Walmart, but I live in a very small town where you have exactly 2 options for grocery shopping..WalMart and a small very high priced chain called Lowe's Pay and Save (which should be called Pay and Pay). Many of their prices are easily double Walmart. I do shop there for sales and produce, but really can't afford to shift it all there. As far as lower cost household things we have Walmart and Kmart..that is it...many small towns have this same issue.
I will say our Walmart is overall clean, decently stocked and well kept. If we don't want lines we go super early in the morning.

 

[ilovejack02]

I very very rarely shop at Walmart. I shop at Target or my local family owned grocery store which is sooo nice to shop in, I know they are a bit more expensive, but I use coupons and shop sales
. I also shop on Amazon.com quite a bit. Amazing the deals you can get, I bought all my Oil of Olay products recently for more than 50% off normal prices. I rarely CVS or Walgreens shop, I know some get tons for free that way, I just don't have the time or patience .

 

[JB2K]

I hate, hate, hate, them! Their aisles full of boxes that you cannot get around, their half empty shelves, their rude and uncaring employees (not all of them obviously, but the ones that are just kill me!), the rampant child abuse going on (this obviously isn't WM's fault, but why does this not go on at Target?!) and on and on.

Oh, but it does here...or, perhaps here...or, maybe even here?

I'm not "hating" on either Target or Walmart (as both are very important factors in the U.S. retail landscape) -- I'm just saying that child abuse can happen anywhere...

Note to OP: You, too could've done the same research before you go making statements like the one I quoted...

 

[ADisneyQueen]

Our walmart here is so different, but we live in a small town. All the cashiers are so nice, mainly older ladies. Our store is very clean, and usually stocked really well, unless it is the weekend when you might find a few things gone. I think if you all came to my walmart, you would love it. It's like a social center here b/c you always see someone you know!

We used to live in NY state, and the walmart near us was gross and everyone who worked there rude. Unstocked shelves and bad produce.

 

[smkiya]

I prefer Target. It is the same distance as Walmart but much cleaner, organized, and bright. I have their debit card so I save 5% on purchases. I haven't been to Walmart in ages and I don't miss it in the least bit!

 

[bettymae1121]

I'm not a fan of WM and rarely shop there. The WM near the home I grew up in was like entering a 3rd world country in the middle of a civil war. Dirty and nasty, with rude employees and even ruder shopers. No thanks!

The WM near where I live now isn't too bad though. I still only go there about once a year (here in the NW burbs we have tons of choices and competition keeps prices in line at most stores) but I have to say, it's a decent store. I even had a very positive experiance there last month, to the extent that I sent WM an email complementing the employee that helped us. I don't shop there much because although the store itself is in decent shape and the employees are, for the most part, pretty good, it's just too dang crowded and lines are always long and slow! Since their prices are generally about the same as Meijer and Target, I shop there instead of WM (funny thing is that Meijers is just as crowded as WM but they handle their checkout lines A LOT better, so time waiting in line isn't a factor, plus their aisles are wider so it's easier to get around the throngs of people!).

So it's really hit and miss with WM's. I have to say I've never set foot in a bad Target though, if they're out there I haven't found one!

 

[maxiesmom]

Comedian John Pinette said it best; "Shopping at Walmart is just like shopping at Target only sadder"

Until you have to return something, then Target is much sadder! Target has one of the worst return policies out there! They won't even do an exchange without a receipt, and if you are outside of their 90 day return window, forget it. They won't do anything for you.


The Target closest to me is also horrible about stocking merchandise in the correct spot. So you pick up an item thinking it is one price, but it may actually be another. And even if they fill in the shelves with the wrong item, they won't honor the price that is there. I will still shop at Target, but I know I have to double check that the price on the shelves matches the price on the goods.

Walmart is a lot more forgiving when it comes to returns and exchanges. In fact, I just returned a shirt without a receipt, and they actually gave me cash back! I thought the best I could hope for was an instore credit, so I was happily suprised.

I really wish we would get a SuperWalmart, because we are pretty much stuck going to Meijer for groceries and goods. I won't step food in any of our K-Marts, because they are disaster zones.

 

[4orm]

I'm another that won't shop there. I find their business practices deplorable.

I did read an interesting article recently though... Since the price match one guy with time on his hands looks for the 'loss leaders' each week then goes and gets all of them from different store flyers at Walmart in hope of sticking it to them causing them to lose money.

I look at dollars as votes. I don't vote for WM.

 

[QVCshopper]

I don't shop there. They don't deserve my business. The only time I do enter a Walmart is when I'm on vacation and there's no other option. I feel bad for others who have no choice. I have so many choices, with Targets and food stores galore all within a few miles. But, to those who think these box stores are cheaper, I've found many many items cheaper at Wegmans, from cat food to paper bathroom cups. You really need to check prices nowadays. Oh, and buy less.

I will add that I think Walmart is different in the south. They seem to be hubs of towns and people have pride. In the north, it's sooooo different.

 

[ArielRae]

I have 4 Walmarts around me that I have shopped at and only one is nice the other three are nasty. Floors are always dirty and don't even think sbout using the restrooms. They are worse then gas station bathrooms. I have never seen them clean.

I also have 2 Targets near me and I shop them before I go to the Walmarts looking for something.

 

[ceroarty]

One of the reasons the cashiers are not allowed to give money on the spot is simple...theft. And this isn't just Walmart, it is most places. The register drawers would be coming up short all the time and people could try and pass it off as... I forgot to ring in coupons. By having you to customer service they are eliminating that. It is alot easier to keep track of say two registers giving money back on coupons, then say 20 something. I really think what that cashier did was wrong, but there is no way to gove back money on coupons once the transaction is finalized.

 

[maggiew]

I think a lot of this has to do with management. The only way to make it better is to call the corporate office.

I had a Walgreens that was terrible with coupon usage. They made up their own rules (not corporate rules or even the rules listed on the Walgreens coupons) and would post up home made rules on coupon usage. I called corporate and asked about the coupon rules and they contacted the store. Ever since then this store has been so nice when it comes to coupon usage. (I am only an occasional coupon user - not an extreme couponer. So it wasn't like they were trying to curb my use.)

Maggie

 

[ceecee]

I didn't realize all Walmarts were the same. I hate them too!!! What really gets me are the people who go thru the self serve check outs and only ring up half the order. I mentioned it once to the lady standing there and she acted like it was no big deal! Then there are the food wrappers and dirty diapers they leave in the parking lot! Our Target mgr took same employees to Walmart and told them, this is what we do NOT want to be.

 

[edk35]

Okay so today.... my son had his eyes checked and has to get glasses for reading at a distance at school. SO I decided since my dd and I get our contacts from Walmart that we would get his glasses from there. NOW I don't like Walmart...... said that in an earlier post on here. Have I shopped there, YES, off and on for years but RARELY.

HOWEVER...we went to one NOT near my house TODAY (HATE THAT ONE) but close to the eye doctor. We go, not crowded, pleasant experience picking out the glasses, ordering them and since it was NOT crowded and the store looked NEW and CLEAN I decided to pick up a few things from the grocery side. The funny thing...the whole time I was in there..I kept thinking of the WALMART thread on the Dis boards that I had commented on.....and I was kind of laughing at myself shopping in there but it was really a nice experience. At least I thought it was.


We get in line to check out..not too long a wait. There was a shift change and we got the new checker. She was nice, we chatted, she was handing bags to me and my son to put into the cart. I swiped my card, paid, exchanged a few more words with her. All was good. I DIDN'T check the spinning bag thingie to make sure all my stuff was off, but she was the one handing them off to me and my son so I guess it didn't occur to me to check. We load the stuff into my van..there were several bags and my son was putting some in and so was I. I didn't pay attention to what was there or NOT THERE.

I get home... my bananas, oranges, tangelos, and some of the Easter candy was not there. I kind of knew what was missing but figured it would be in bags at Walmart. I was leaving pretty much as soon as I got home to drive to pick our dd up from college, but I did call Walmart and ask about my stuff that was missing. I new my fruit was not there and I knew some of the Easter candy was not there. The customer service girl asked me for some information on my receipt and I gave it to her.... THEN she asked "Is it some oranges, bananas and Easter candy?" I said YES. She said okay it is here and will be in CS and bring my receipt. I was annoyed to know I had to make another trip, but at least they had it and it didn't go home with the customer behind me. OKAY since I was trying to get on the road soon I decided I better just call back and let them know that I would NOT be back for about 3 hours and I was NOT coming right away to pick the items up. I got a man this time... he asked if I had already spoken to someone about this "Yes I did". He said to bring in my receipt when I came in.

Exactly 3 hours later I have my dd drop me at the door...I run in with JUST MY RECEIPT and go to CS. The guy remembered talking to me, but he said IT WAS NOT THERE. I explained that the lady actually named the stuff in the bag.... NOPE not there. Of course I ask WHY???? Blah blah blah. SO he tells ME TO GO AND RESHOP THE ITEMS AND BRING THEM BACK UP. SERIOUSLY????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
I was NOT HAPPY at all. So I go and get the stuff, but of course my receipt is not specific for some stuff and because I didn't unload all of my items when I got home... I wasn't COMPLETELY SURE what was missing as far as the EASTER CANDY WENT. I had a good idea, but could not find a couple of items when I was looking. I go back.. and the GUYS IS GONEEEEEEE. SO another lady does it. IT TOOK FOREVERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR. My dd is outside in our van and my cell is in the van too so I couldn't call her to tell her what was taking so long. UGH I was in there FOREVER it seemed. I told CS lady that obviously MY STUFF was there earlier and how it got put back out in the store is BEYOND ME. I left some bottled water ONCE at Target and called when I realized it, it was in CS with my name written on the bag. I didn't rush back out to get it either.

This lady..... had to scan the price, log each item in a book, then when I told her I could not find two things on the receipt, she basically told me to GO FIND THEM or there was nothing she could do. What amazed me was "I could have brought back STUFF to CS that I had at home already and gotten them again and they would have given them to me without paying. I even brought that to her attention. They had NO PROOF that I had NOT gotten my items when I was there in the first place. I told her their system is seriously FLAWED. I GAVE UP. I left there COMPLETELY ANNOYED vowing TO NEVER GO AGAIN.

I get home.... my son says "Mom did you get the pickles?" NO that was the thing on the receipt I could not figure out what it was..it was coded weird and didn't say PICKLES. He loves pickles and wanted them. SO other than getting my sons glasses next week..... this GIRL will not be shopping in WALMART AGAIN. EVER!!!