Walmart ~ Vent: Walmart: Read before posting vent or complaint ~ 2009 - 2010

[mom2lucas]

I have bragged on my Walmart (and made some small complaints) on here before, but the bragging has always outranked the complaints. Today's visit ended with a call to 1-800-WALMART. It was that bad.

The CSM and cashier loudly and rudely accuse me of "fraudulently taking advantage of a coupon offer because it made the item free". The quotes are their words. They both refused to scan the coupon period. I told them that I had used the same coupon at Walmart many times before without a problem, and one yelled at me that I was gaming the system and taking advantage of Walmart and the coupon offer. Then the CSM rudely said, "I can just take those items off your order, ma'am." I told her to keep the whole and started dialing while asking for their names. I didn't try to argue, I just pointed out policy and former transactions. Both we adamant that I was committing fraud. The cashier even went as far to say as I was walking off, "Go ahead and try to get me in trouble. We'll see who the problem is." Seriously. No one ever tried to scan a coupon at all. They just kept saying they wouldn't run.

Normally, I would have just paid and went to the service desk to get it taken care of or asked to have the items removed. I do not tolerate being accused of fraud by store personnel just because I am correctly using coupons to get the best deal. I was not rude; I was not irate. I did tell both store associates that I would be contacting corporate and started dialing at that moment. If it wasn't for the 30 minute wait to talk to someone, I would have stood right there. The CSM also said no manager was in the store.

[ilonamitchell]

I had the same thing happen to me this morning. If you sign up for blue bunny.com they will send you an email confirming your subscription plus you are able to print a coupon for $1 off ANY PRODUCT. Well you print the couon it prompts you to print however many you want, so I did. Walmart has 4 items from blue bunny that are $1 because they are novelity items. I was using my coupon for that but on the coupon picture it show a 1 qt of ice cream and a pack of ice cream bars but again it clearly states $1 off ANY PRODUCT. NO EXCLUSIONS AT ALL! The cashier called a csm over and the csm refused my coupon and then accused me of fraud because i have 10 coupons I was using. Then she had the nerve to tell me I could only use 1 coupon for another item and that was it. I had 6 coupons for the free downy wrinkle release. I was so pissed I came home and wrote an email to corporate and I hope to hear from them soon

[Tracy_in_Missouri]

Ive always hated shopping at WM - even before my couponing days. I only go once every 2-3 months anymore because it rarely seem worth the stress( yes you heard that from a diehard couponer,lol) When I do go, I expect the worst and console myself with the knowledge that WM didnt ever aim for customer service. Their model is all about the lowest prices possible and thats it. It shows in alot of ways. When I hear people making comments like the one poster told about his cashier scolding him for buying more than his fair share............. It makes me cringe - sounds so communist. We live in the land of the free --- free to purchase whatever you can afford - and share it if you want to !

[Ilovecoupons]

I have been going to walmarts all week, to get stuff here and there so as not to take all of what is in stock. I haven't had any issue until today. The other day we needed a CSM override for # of coupons (anyone know what the limit is for future reference for me??) and the CSM came over and I noticed she had a marine corps pin on her lanyard and we started talking. Her son is marines, the cashiers son is marines, I was marines as was my ex husband and the guy behind me was army. Funny. But anyway she kinda looked at what I bought and I told her what I was getting most of it for (over seas boxes and battered womens shelter) and she did the over ride and all was well...

Today on the other hand...I about lost it. I got more stuff, different walmart but also things for me with coupons, etc. Well it did the CSM override thing for coupon #. I don't know how many I used. Anyway so the CSM comes over and looks at my first coupon and says "this is one per purchase" and I said yep, and I Have multiple of that so it's fine. It was a $3 off of 2 johnson first aid, and I didn't even get all trial size first aid kits either, I got gauze and other things. Anyway she was like "you can only use ONE coupon and besides these don't say manufacturers coupons on them, they are smart source machine ones and can only be used at the store where you got them". And I told her "I have used them a few other times with no problem. The register did not beep. If it was store exclusive, it would beep and not accept it, just as it does for coupons scanned with no eligible items purchased. It says retailer will be reimbursed, it does not specifiy a retailor."

So she calls another CSM over who looks at it and is baffeled. Poor cashier is now due to go home. I shoulda been driving away by then. Then they call another CSM to come and she is looking at it, and then a 4th looks at it. By this time I'm starting to sweat pretty good. I do that when I get in situations that make me uncomfotable and having someone scrutinize me like that pretty well did me in. I think it's mild anxiety/panic attacks.

Anyway about 5 mins later one of the other CSM that had been called comes over and says it's fine. And I asked about the 1 coupon thing saying "the coupon says 1 per purchase, and I have many purchases of each item. The other lady was talking like it was 1 per overall transaction" and the new CSM told me that was not correct but they still weren't sure about the coupon. They did take it since it didn't beep though.

So if someone knows the coupon amount that requires the CSM override that would be great. I tought it was like 40 or something but the other day I used 35 ( I got 8 different items) and today I used only 22 and it did it.

Also does anyone know how it works when you use self check out with coupons? Is it easy to scan with out issue and needing to have someone come validate them all?

[Tracy_in_Missouri]

My experience with # of coupons for override varies as much as yours. I wish I had an answer - its sure not the # stated in the coupon policy ! Also- I never do U-scan at WM anymore because every single coupon beeped. It was more of a pain than anything. My best advice is - send your hubby with the WM coupons LOL- Thats my new routine. He is far more thick skinned and persistent than I.

A Question for you gals : I went to WM the other day with a few items plus 6 boxes of Willy Wonka movie theatre boxes. They cost $1 each and I had 6 of the $1/1 coupons making them free. I checked out with young lady maybe 17yrs old. My totaly was correct so I walked off happily to my van. When I looked at my receipt, i realized that she only rang up 5 of the candies and 5 of the coupons. Nothing beeped and my transaction was as smooth as pie. Is it likely that the cashier did this on purpose so that she could keep the coupon for herself ? If so - this is obviously bad for WM since they had an item go out the door without being rung out - and a coupon not being rung in. WWYD ?

[Ilovecoupons]

Oh wow in a case like that I don't know. I mean her drawer won't come up short (like if she gave you too much money back) but basically she is allowing you to inadvertantly steal 2 items from walmart. Their stock level will be off obviously and her taking your coupons is a big no no as well. I'd go back and talk to her directly and ask her what the heck. I mean you don't have the coupons now so if you go customer service and tell them, they may want the 2 boxes back and you won't get your coupons back. It's a tough one for sure because either way WM is losing out on $2.

As far as sending my hubby, I don't have one. So it's all me. And if I was still married, he'd tell me to piss off lol. He's too "manly" to do coupons. Even my 6 year old DD, who LOVES couponing with me, said "Dad doesn't understand why you use coupons". He is the type that will pay $20 for a $5 item even if he doesn't need it.

I guess no self check out for me and I will just do small transactions and go to my car, come in get more and go to another register and do another transaction lol.

[gzc721]

OK. So after reading these, I have to vent myself. I swore off Wal-Mart about 8 months ago. Literally. We had a new one open in our area about 3 months ago and I went in to try it out thinking if they don't cause me any grief, then I will shop here. Well, grief caused, but that is a different story.
I decided to try WM again on Saturday. Walgreen's had coke products 4/$10 which is a great deal in our area. A friend of mine had given me some q's for $0.50/1 12 pack which brought the price to 4/$8. She had gotten them from Coke for complaining or something and no longer drinks soda.
So anyway, I went and picked up four and took my ad in from Walgreen's. I ONLY picked up four because the ad stated limit of 4. I bought 1 Minute Maid lemonade and 1 of each of the Fanta flavors they had. I showed the cashier the ad and she told me they couldn't price match because it wasn't what was in the picture. I of course pointed out to her that the writing stated for any Coca-Cola product. She told me that I was being "absurd" and should just pay the price that they had them for.
OK. I again asked for her to price match the ad since it didn't say that it was only for the pictured items. She called over a CSM who looked at her like she was craze and told her that he himself had been matching the ad all week. So I think to myself, all clear.
Then I hand her the coupons (the CSM has left by now). She stands there and reads them through front to back and then again tells me, I can't use the coupons because it doesn't show what I am buying on the picture!! I actually laughed at this point. I told her since the picture showed the words Coca-Cola it was kind of hard to match anything in the picture. I probably shouldn't have said it, but I was so frustrated! My kids were at home waiting on me to take them trick or treating and I had been stuck in line for about 15 minutes. She again called over the same CSM who again told her it was okay to use them!!
This is why I don't shop at Wal-Mart and why I should have just stuck to not going back there! I did get what I had wanted to buy, but talk about a process! Won't be going back anytime soon!

[shaeharbin]

I'm not usually one to complain but...I went to Walmart last night to pick up some WIC items. They recently changed the stuff you can get and this was my first time using the new WIC check. The check said a 64 oz. juice. I got Lucky Leaf b/c it was the first thing I seen that was 64 oz. and I new that it worked when I used to get the 46 oz. juice. So, I go up to check out and the cashier scans it and says that it is not the right thing. A CSM came over and said she would go get the correct juice for me. I thanked her and the cashier (who was really nice) and I made small talk. Well, I waited and waited and waited for about 10 to 15 minutes. I said do you think I should go check on her and the cashier said no. So another CSM came over and said this is crap (talking about how long I had been made to wait) she said I'll just overide it so you can go home. I told her thank you and that I was sorry that I had gotten the wrong thing. So, as I walk out the door I look over and the 1st CSM is checking people out. Um, couldn't she have told us that she couldn't go get the juice I mean my goodness if the 2nd CSM hadn't came over I would have been there 30 minutes to an hour......It just really ticked me off!!!

[vickilmp]

I went to walmart yesterday to pricematch the air wick freshamatic kits to our albertsons for $5.99. I like apple cinnamon only, albies does not carry those..no problem, had my ad,she hemmed and hawed, but then did it. I had 5, and several other items to buy. I gave her my MQ's on them from sunday, for $5/1..she would not do it..I said, please call manager. front end supervisor teenaged boy came over,lol..said same thing..can't do both, that would make them almost free. yes, that's why I am doing it,lol..I told him, I can take my business elsewhere, and get the sale price AND use my MQ, or can bring you my business. He said MQ only at regular price, or price match, not both, even though have never had problem doing both before. this is same store where some cashiers tell me don't PM, only the supercenters. Had to straighten that one out with customer sevice, and yes, all walmarts do PM. Zo, he said no, would make them almost free, we can't do that. I explained, you get your money back on the MQ..no budge, so I cancelled order and left. Line very long at CS, so called from my car. Asked about PM and MQ, said yes, that's ok..Great, I will come back in, what's your name in case I have problems..uhhhh/let me check with my supervisor to make sure I am right, hold on. Yeah....ok, so after holding several minutes, male came on line, told me no, won't take MQ on price match, as get this......." MQ don't work on sales prices" what? LOL...you are kidding me.. yes, they do I explain, they work on any price...NO, they only work on regular prices. I said maybe that is his store's policy, but not how a MQ works. so I called supercenter half hour away, talked to manager, yes, will pM, AND wil take MQ on item also. Great, called my less than 2 miles away store this morning, told the MANAGER the story, what manager at supercenter said, and did I really need to take my business all the way up there? he will have no problem taking my MQ on a PM item now, said give his name if problem. I told him maybe he needs a meeting with his employees, some don't think they even PM, and not knowing a MQ can be used for a sales price by a supervisor is pretty bad.lol what an experience.....

[chyilan]

Phew, what an adventure! The Walmart here in my area gives me problems 9 out of 10 times when I want to use a coupon, especially if it makes the item free or close to free. When will these people ever learn that the store still gets their money back when the coupons are turned in?