Walmart Black Friday - What a joke!

[firstcruiser]

My friend and I went to Walmart on BF like we do every year. We lined up around 3:45 a.m. and were past gardening. Not that bad because everyone had carts. Last year they gave you a ticket for the big items and you went around back to pick them up. Not this year. I asked where the desktop PC's were and was told electronics. When I tried to make my way into electronics someone said they were in girls clothes. I got the last one. My friend didn't get one. She also wanted the laptop and plasma tv. We found out our Walmart only had 10 desktops, 10 laptops and 6 plasma TV's. Walmart should have to put something in their ad stating only 10 at each store or something. It was such a joke. I got my pc, one movie and some of the toy deals for Toys 4 Tots. I've already send in a complaint to Walmart. They had a lot of unhappy customers. I hope they do better next year or I think we're going to give up our tradition.

 

[Jetstorm]

I didn't get up early as there was nothing I really needed or wanted, but I did venture out later to Walmart where the cashier tried to sell me T.V.s. I said "they're not all gone?" and she said no they had alot left, no plasmas though. She also told me that they only had ten laptops so I figure all the stores had ten. I saw later that night that it caused alot of fights nationwide. One of the reported scuffles was in Orlando.
The news casts today are reporting that this was one of the biggest Black Fridays ever, but I don't see it as everyone I've talked to says there was few really good sales.

 

[dvcgirl]

My friend and I went to Walmart on BF like we do every year. We lined up around 3:45 a.m. and were past gardening. Not that bad because everyone had carts. Last year they gave you a ticket for the big items and you went around back to pick them up. Not this year. I asked where the desktop PC's were and was told electronics. When I tried to make my way into electronics someone said they were in girls clothes. I got the last one. My friend didn't get one. She also wanted the laptop and plasma tv. We found out our Walmart only had 10 desktops, 10 laptops and 6 plasma TV's. Walmart should have to put something in their ad stating only 10 at each store or something. It was such a joke. I got my pc, one movie and some of the toy deals for Toys 4 Tots. I've already send in a complaint to Walmart. They had a lot of unhappy customers. I hope they do better next year or I think we're going to give up our tradition.

These sorts of Black Friday sales are gimmicks and nothing more. All just to get you in the door....As far as them advertising how many of the items that they have, well, isn't it sort of common knowledge at this point that there are very few of any of these items available? And not just at Walmart either, other stores do the same thing...have 10 laptops or whatever, and end up with hundreds of people in line. People actually get on line on Thanksgiving Day now.....as early as 3 or 4 pm....just crazy.

Here in Orlando, and at other Walmarts, Black Friday is downright dangerous. People were tackled, items ripped from their hands, the laptops thrown in the air by employees....all for just a so-so product. Dell had a much better laptop on sale for a comparable price.

 

[Julia M]

I expect that some of the items (cheap computers, specialty tv's etc) to be limited. On the other hand, at least Best Buy tells you there will only be a few. If a store only has 10, that should be in the ad.

I was shocked, though, that by 7am they were out of the basic Fisher Price toys......the Noah's Ark and the Animal Sounds.....i picked up what appeared to be the last of each. I actually found them on a stack of different items, as if someone had picked them up and set them down.

On the other hand, I found everything I wanted at Target, although perhaps I wasn't going for the "biggies"? I got the 9 inch DVD player, iPod clock radio, some DVD's, and kids toys. They ran out quickly of the Lite Brite, but ran to the back to get more. I was impressed at the quantity of staff working. I actually was back on Saturday and found many of the items still there (probably had been restocked)

Julia

 

[MickeyEars]

I ordered the Dell laptop on their website and I'm so glad I did. It was a better deal as I also received a free printer and a free wireless card. I could have been killed fighting for one at Walmart!!!

Carla

 

[gr8ful4Him]

I'm not a "die hard" black friday shopper, but if the deal is good enough, I consider going out. Not this year though...with the windshield factor, it was about 0 degrees!
I did venture to Walmart later in the morning the cashier said it wasn't so bad... they were open Thanksgiving and all night long, so people were in the store when the sales started, probably already with the items in their carts, etc! Had I known that, I may have gone there at 2 A.M. and just strolled around for a few hours...like I normally do any time I go to walmart!

 

[WaltD4Me]

These sorts of Black Friday sales are gimmicks and nothing more. All just to get you in the door....As far as them advertising how many of the items that they have, well, isn't it sort of common knowledge at this point that there are very few of any of these items available? And not just at Walmart either, other stores do the same thing...have 10 laptops or whatever, and end up with hundreds of people in line. People actually get on line on Thanksgiving Day now.....as early as 3 or 4 pm....just crazy.

I totally agree, I didn't see much this year that looked that great, but in past years I know all the really good deals were gone in about 2 minutes as the stores only had maybe 10 of each of those items.

I've only done BF one time and believe me I will never do it again. Personally, I think the stores LOVE all the hype of the pushing and shoving and fist fights.
Otherwise why wouldn't they figure out a way not to have the mad rush, stampedes that there are every year? The stores promote all the madness for the publicity IMHO.

 

[crisi]

I totally agree, I didn't see much this year that looked that great, but in past years I know all the really good deals were gone in about 2 minutes as the stores only had maybe 10 of each of those items.

I've only done BF one time and believe me I will never do it again. Personally, I think the stores LOVE all the hype of the pushing and shoving and fist fights.
Otherwise why wouldn't they figure out a way not to have the mad rush, stampedes that there are every year? The stores promote all the madness for the publicity IMHO.

There is a lot of debate about the whole thing in the retail world right now. Stores don't like selling at a loss (which the door busters do - even though the stores go out of their way to find crap they wouldn't normally carry to mark down), they don't like the potential liability (shoppers whacking each other and suing the store), they aren't even sure if the door buster specials actually drive traffic - especially the traffic they want to drive - i.e. they'd like you to come in for the $200 laptop, and drop another $500 on other stuff, but they think what happens is people go in, grab the doorbusters, and don't spend the added money. The whole day is rife with fraud and shoplifting - and the store clerks and security are too overwhelmed to care. Then there are the customer complaints - which take time and money to resolve - even if you just have someone in India answer a phone. However, Wal-Mart doesn't want to stop doing door busters if Target keeps doing them - they might lose business!

 

[gr8ful4Him]

Otherwise why wouldn't they figure out a way not to have the mad rush, stampedes that there are every year?

I agree! I went to BestBuy a few years ago, and they do it right! They have their employees out there early starting at the front of the line and asking who's interested in the high ticket items. They then hand them printout for those items. Once the printouts are gone for that item, they are "soldout". It sure does cut down on the stampede! I for one think all stores should take a lesson from BestBuy!

 

[TnTWalter]

especially knowing they price match. I arrived between 4:30 and 4:45 and put about 10 items in my cart that i knew were BF sales other areas and therefore I'd price match. Then I strolled over to the pallat I was interested in [the advertisted $4.24 appliances that actually ended up being $3.98]. At 5, everyone started grabbing. I did notice the Cabbage Patch Babies were FLYING a couple Pallats down.

I wanted the $5 Care Bears and they had shoved them over in Lawn & Garden so there were lots left at 5:30 am. I think the Light sabres were going fast too.

The electronics department was scary and I was glad I didn't want anything from there. I did run into a neighbor who wanted the Gameboy but the line for that was around the corner. I told her to go to Meijer and see if they price match. I saw her there about a half hour later and she had the Gameboy but needed the Walmart ad so I gave her mine and she was happy.

I think the key is finding out who price matches.

I didn't have to have anything so it was fun for me. I think if I was dying for a laptop or one of the Meijer bikes it would not have been fun at all.

Some deals will be better before Christmas anyway. The Tumble Time tigger for a small example was $16 on BF at Walmart and is now $14.99 at Aldi.

Trish

 

[etwinchester]

I went out late afternoon around 4:00. No lines, nothing and I managed to get what I wanted. I also went to Circuit City and found the camcorder that I wanted for DH on sale for $499.00. Managed to pick that up since I found such a great deal (it was regularly $599.00).

If there is an item I definately want, I learned to buy now and not wait. I found something I really wanted before but since I waited and figured I'd buy it later, I was unable to find it when I needed it. Never again...not worth it!

 

[Southern4sure]

My sis wanted a laptop from Walmart so I went with her since this was her first time going out on black friday. I told her if she had any chance of getting a laptop we have to get there early. After much talking we decided to arrive at Walmart around midnight. She was the second person in line. Walmart handed out numbered pieces of paper and told the line by 1 AM that they only had 19 and to keep count as people lined up and to please tell others once #19 was in line that the laptops were gone. I was impressed how Walmart kept everything organized. There were no mad rushes like you see on TV. I went around and picked up my price match items then helped get items from differnt pallets from my sis. She did get everything she wanted and we were out the door by 6AM.

 

[Chicago526]

I got fooled last year by WM on a digital camera. It was such a low price that I went ahead and bought it online (it was an item they offered online as well as in the stores for BF). Turns out that the camera had been discontinued, so I couldn't buy any of the accesories like the photo printer I also wanted. I was so dazzled by the low price that I didn't do my research like I should have. My fault! It's still a great camera, but I wish I'd "looked before I leaped" on that one.

Now it sounds like it was the same thing with the cheap laptop. You could by a better model for a simular price straight from Dell and not bother with trying to be on of the first 10 people in line at 3 AM. WM (and other retailers) are betting that we are so impressed by the low price that we don't do our research and find we can usually get a better deal elsewhere. Well, I learned my lesson! I'll never buy an electronic from ANY retailer until I've done my homework!