Walmart Shoppers Beware

[dex08]

I went to Walmart this afternoon to pickup two things that totaled $7.32. I swiped my Discover card and selected no cash back as I always do and then I signed. The cashier hands me a $20 bill and my receipt and says "Here's your cash back". What the hec? I didn't ask for cashback!! She looked at me and said "You got to take it... it says right here you wanted $20 back!"

There was a Customer Service person right there at the register (it said so on her ID tag and we were in the line by the cigarettes) and I asked her if it could be voided and she said no and said their credit card machines are really sensitive and do that a lot. What on earth? So it does this to people frequently and they are aware of it??!!

So I marched to the main Customer Service Counter by the front entrance and the girl there said the same thing ----> happens all the time and there's nothing that can be done about it.

I was livid!! So livid that I don't ever want to shop at Walmart again!

I marched to my car and immediately called the Discover Card customer service #. The sweetest agent told me that for some reason for the past week or so that Walmart's credit card swiping machines have been doing this a lot and that they are supposedly aware of it. She said that she'd talked to over 15 customers this week who had the same issue!!!

Rest assured though -- the $20 doesn't come out like a cash advance and she said that it would appear like I had made a total purchase of $27.32.

We pay off all of our credit cards in full every month and never keep a balance. We have never taken out a cash advance on a credit card either.

So for those of you who use debit/credit cards at Walmart, be extra careful with their swiping credit card devices. I know I did not click for a cash advance and although my Discover card doesn't count the $20 as a cash advance, yours may.

 

[mrsklamc]

Seems like a possible lawsuit- what if they were to put someone over their limit?

 

[rparmfamily]

Wow!! That is so odd!

 

[dex08]

Seems like a possible lawsuit- what if they were to put someone over their limit?

I believe there is a cashback limit. For me, it'd be nowhere close to our cc limit.

The more I think about it, their touchpad/signature pads probably need to be re-calibrated, similar to how you calibrate a Nintendo DS.

The whole thing is crazy and I hope nobody else goes through the stress I went through with this! I really was freaking out that they would look at the $20 as a cash advance which accrues interest daily!

 

[S. C.]

I've seen a similar story of this somewhere else. Did you recieve this in an email or did this actually happen to you?

Did you have another thread about this?

 

[dex08]

I've seen a similar story of this somewhere else. Did you recieve this in an email or did this actually happen to you?

Did you have another thread about this?

This actually happened to me today at the Walmart in South Jersey. And no, I didn't have another thread about this.

 

[Janet Hill]

I think the hero in all of this is the cashier who knew this was happening and knew that you were unaware that an extra $20 had been charged to your card and she forked it over instead of pocketing easy money.

I'm just trying to look at this positively.

 

[dreamin_disney]

I went to Walmart this afternoon to pickup two things that totaled $7.32. I swiped my Discover card and selected no cash back as I always do and then I signed. The cashier hands me a $20 bill and my receipt and says "Here's your cash back". What the hec? I didn't ask for cashback!! She looked at me and said "You got to take it... it says right here you wanted $20 back!"

There was a Customer Service person right there at the register (it said so on her ID tag and we were in the line by the cigarettes) and I asked her if it could be voided and she said no and said their credit card machines are really sensitive and do that a lot. What on earth? So it does this to people frequently and they are aware of it??!!

So I marched to the main Customer Service Counter by the front entrance and the girl there said the same thing ----> happens all the time and there's nothing that can be done about it.

I was livid!! So livid that I don't ever want to shop at Walmart again!

I marched to my car and immediately called the Discover Card customer service #. The sweetest agent told me that for some reason for the past week or so that Walmart's credit card swiping machines have been doing this a lot and that they are supposedly aware of it. She said that she'd talked to over 15 customers this week who had the same issue!!!

Rest assured though -- the $20 doesn't come out like a cash advance and she said that it would appear like I had made a total purchase of $27.32.

We pay off all of our credit cards in full every month and never keep a balance. We have never taken out a cash advance on a credit card either.

So for those of you who use debit/credit cards at Walmart, be extra careful with their swiping credit card devices. I know I did not click for a cash advance and although my Discover card doesn't count the $20 as a cash advance, yours may.

Thanks for the warning. They should at least have a sign up. I would be annoyed to if that happend to me and they had an oh well attitude. I feel for those who have a high blance. Cash back rates are high.

 

[SOnotLayuh]

I'm sorry that you had bad luck! They really should warn people when using debit about the issue, because as a pp said this could absolutely lead to a law suit.

 

[TheRatPack]

We had this happen many years ago. We used our debit card though and it took an extra 100.00 out....they said the pen cord hits the cash back amount. We didn't have that 100.00 in our debit account to take out at Walmart! Thankfully it was during a weekday so I was able to drive to the bank and put it right back in....still it was evident that it happened all the time when I spoke to customer service and evident that they didn't care.

 

[pintamino]

This happened to my mom about 2 years back at Sams Club, so it's not a new issue! She got $60 back. Not a huge issue, but she didn't WANT it! Apparently there is nothing they can do there either once it's gone through, if it is a debit card it's now on YOU to drive to the bank and put your money back in.

 

[Disneyhay]

I had an issue, not the same issue, but an issue at a walmart in Indiana today too. I ended up walking out and leaving $150 worth of stuff at the registar. When I was driving to my next destination I called and spoke with a manager (was on a time budget so I didnt have time to talk to him there) and he acted like he didnt care so I called corporate and sat on hold for 11 mins before I hung up w/o talking to anyone. Walmarts customer care Sucks Butt anymore and they only carry half of what you are looking for.

 

[3boymthr]

For OP -that really stinks because it could have put you over the limit, and if you already had a balance you'd be paying interest on that cash - even if it wasn't at the higher cash advance rate.

I had an issue, not the same issue, but an issue at a walmart in Indiana today too. I ended up walking out and leaving $150 worth of stuff at the registar. When I was driving to my next destination I called and spoke with a manager (was on a time budget so I didnt have time to talk to him there) and he acted like he didnt care so I called corporate and sat on hold for 11 mins before I hung up w/o talking to anyone. Walmarts customer care Sucks Butt anymore and they only carry half of what you are looking for.

The people in the stores definitely don't care or at least present themselves to the customers as though they don't care. But the corporate offices definitely DO care. I had a major issue with the customer service I received, called corporate - I did have to wait on the phone for a while - and spoke to someone who was very kind and caring. I had letters apologizing in two days from the corporate offices, the regional manager and the store manager with a plan outlined to resolve my issue for future guests.

 

[dex08]

Wow! So many responses of other DISers experiences that are similar to mine!

Lesson learned: ALWAYS, always, always check your receipts!

And to the person who said the hero was the cashier who was honest about the $20 -- yes! Kudos to her for her honesty!!!!

 

[MrsPooh]

Wow, I would have been very upset. If the store knows that this machine has problems then it absolutely should not be used IMO. That is a customer service issue. At the same time I am not at all shocked by your Walmart store's apparent lack of concern about the fact that they potentially causing major problems for their customers.

About a month ago I had a problem at my local Walmart. I was checking out and was chatting nicely with the cashier. I paid with cash and while the transaction took place the customer service manager stopped and interrupted my cashier. She handed me the coin portion of my change but I didn't realize until I was pulling out of the lot that I had not received my $8 back. Like you I was on a time crunch so I couldn't go back in. I called immediately so it had only been perhaps five mintues since the transaction. I was told the drawer would have to be counted and if I wanted they could call me back. Acted like it was a huge problem for them to check the drawer. I received a call back later from the customer service manager telling me that they drawer was not over $8, it was actually short $12 so I could not have my $8! I was livid although I realize I should have been paying more attention at the time rather than chatting nicely with the cashier and rushing because I needed to be somewhere else.

The part that really bothered me was that it seems rather obvious that the cashier actually shorted someone else $20 and then kept my $8. That gives the balance they had of being short $12.

At this point in my life $8 makes a big difference not to mention then I didn't have enough money to purchase what I needed at my next stop.

Since my store remodeled and became a super-store the customer service has declined. I try to not shop there but sometimes there are things I need to get there. My store stocks fewer of the things I could always be certain to get at Walmart and fewer choice within each category. Around here it seems like Walmart is trying to commit corporate suicide simply by not caring about customers.

 

[mrsklamc]

Speaking of corporate suicide- Did you hear about that employee they fired for using medical marijuana in a state where it was legal? He's a terminal cancer patient who had been employee of the year. Regardless of how one feels about using the drug, he had a legal prescription and in my opinion wal-mart should not be able to fire someone for using a legally prescribed drug.

 

[dex08]

...

Since my store remodeled and became a super-store the customer service has declined. I try to not shop there but sometimes there are things I need to get there. My store stocks fewer of the things I could always be certain to get at Walmart and fewer choice within each category. Around here it seems like Walmart is trying to commit corporate suicide simply by not caring about customers.

I'm from West Tennessee very close to Arkansas where the Walmart chain started and I live there for nearly 30 years of my life but live in the Northeast now. When I moved up here 10 yrs ago I noticed a significant difference in the employee attitudes and willingness to provide the superior customer service I was accustomed to at Walmarts in the South.

It's truly a shame. I have reported issues to the Corporate Office and then get advised that the Regional Manager has been advised but when I return to the stores I do not see any differences or improvement.

I much prefer Target over Walmart.

 

[cheshireqt]

That would have made me very upset as well. Thank you for warning us that this was not a one time issue but apparently a much larger issue. IF I swipe a card at Walmart after reading this I will check my receipt very closely!

 

[balletmom97]

I have had this happen to me several times at my local WM over the past few months.

It is definitely a problem with their system, as it will show "53.37 is this correct?" on the screen, then your receipt will show "amount tendered 73.37, change 20.00". In other words...you can't "catch" it before it is processed.

We have noticed that it occurs at two particular self-checkouts and one manned checkout, so we just try to avoid those. It is irritating, but one of the things we put up with in exchange for the convenience of using a debit card instead of cash.

 

[LilyWDW]

I was told the drawer would have to be counted and if I wanted they could call me back. Acted like it was a huge problem for them to check the drawer. I received a call back later from the customer service manager telling me that they drawer was not over $8, it was actually short $12 so I could not have my $8! I was livid although I realize I should have been paying more attention at the time rather than chatting nicely with the cashier and rushing because I needed to be somewhere else.

I'll be honest... everywhere I have ever worked we would have had to count the drawer and if the drawer didn't match what the customer said... we most likely would not have given you any money. It's because of scammers who try to trick a cashier with things like this. That's also why I was always taught to lay the cash on top of the drawer until I have given change to someone. This way they couldn't do the "oh, but I gave you a $20" when they only gave me a ten (I can just say, "Oh, you must be mistaken... I have not even put your cash in the drawer yet. See, it's right here... and a $10").

Now, we would have taken to drawer back and done it right then and there... but since you called quite a bit after the fact... it's much harder to figure out what happened.