Hassle at WalMart

[RustyHammer]

In any event, a box of .45 cartridges, whether exchanged or taken, is NOT WORTH GOING TO JAIL FOR!!!

With attorney fees, time off from work, other associated costs ..... $$$$$ .... not worth it ... even if you "win" you lose!

Your buddy should have checked the boxes before leaving the store.

 

[mlheppl]

Your friend lost the battle when he lost his cool and grabbed the 45 ammo and left. Everyone knows that the majority of the people behind the gun counter at Wally World have no idea what they're doing. Knowing this before hand, he should have checked everything out before he left the store the first time.

Something to think about: Never argue with idiots, they bring you down to their level, then beat you with experience!

 

[bogie]

What Wally World is worried about is that Bubba is gonna buy a box of rounds, shoot 'em up, then handload 'em with some unknown concoction, and return 'em, and have some other Bubba's gun blow up in his face, and he'll then sue Wally World. Since the clerks are largely untrained, and they don't wanna explain all this crap, they tell 'em it's the law. No biggie. It's the corporate "law" - the corporation is NOT a democracy.

I wouldn't have tried to return 'em - I WOULD have explained the snafu to the manager, and likely would have gotten a box of .45s out of it. I suspect that the fellow at hand went in and immediately created an adversarial situation. Not cool, and doesn't reflect well on gun owners.

 

[R.H. Lee]

The 'shoplifting' allegation is weak. Here's why:

There was no intent to defraud. At the point of the original transaction, title to 5 boxes of .45 ACP passed when my buddy paid for 5 boxes of .45 ACP. He acted in good faith by accepting the bag handed to him by the clerk and left the store. He did not know that he had only 4 boxes of .45,
which he legally owned, and one box of .40, which he did not own.

Upon discovery of the error he returned to WalMart in a good faith attempt to correct the store's error. WalMart not only refused to correct their own mistake, they refused to deal with it in any reasonable fashion. In addition to that, the clerk at the ammo counter should not have handed over the box of .45 to my buddy which he took back to the customer service counter.

WalMart made a series of errors here and refused to correct any of them.

IF this should go for prosecution, it may very well be dismissed, in which case WalMart may find themselves on the receiving end of a civil suit for malicious prosecution.

 

[ksnecktieman]

IMHO,,,,, I think he should fix his problem now, before he is arrested. Maybe he will be, and maybe not, but going to court is expensive, both in money and in time. I think he should go to the walmart, and ask for the manager. He should explain the situation, and claim "Walmart Rage". Tell the manager he will pay for the box of .45 he carried out, if they will return the .40 he returned. Then sell it or give it to a friend. I say this with the assumption that he is on camera multiple times. Yes, that is the chicken way out,,,, so? Fifteen dollars out of pocket is better than the wages for half of a days work, even if he does have insurance to cover the lawyer, and one half days work probable will not cover the time it takes.

If he does nothing else, I think maybe a letter of protest to Walmart headquarters is in order. If/when he does have to go to court it will demonstrate that theft was not his intent.

 

[R.H. Lee]

Your friend lost the battle when he lost his cool and grabbed the 45 ammo and left.

and

I suspect that the fellow at hand went in and immediately created an adversarial situation. Not cool, and doesn't reflect well on gun owners.

It was not a 'grab and run'. There were two boxes of ammo on the counter, one he owned and one he did not own. He calmly picked up the one he owned and exited the store. He was not shouting or agitated. He explained twice what had happened and what it would take to correct it.

It was 100% percent WalMart error. However, if he had it to do all over again, he wouldn't, obviously. He did not however break any law, and any allegation of such is a stretch.

 

[Kharn]

If I were your buddy, I wouldnt go back to that Walmart for a very, very long time.

And, IMHO, he committed shoplifting by grabbing the box he did not enter with and leaving the store.

Kharn

 

[Double Maduro]

A couple suggestions.

1. If you shop at wal mart be prepared for sloppy and stupid service.

2. If you shop at wal mart check your purchases, especially if the clerk is dumber than usual.

3. When someone says "federal law" ask which one. I once had a clerk in a mall knife shop tell me that OSHA wouldn't let anyone sell carbon steel chef's knives because "they will turn your onions yellow". When I challenged him he went ballistic and lost some customers.

4. $10 isn't worth the hassle of driving back to wall mart and fighting with the clerk again.

5. You saved about $2 a box on the ammo and it cost you most of that in time, gas, and aggravation.

6. I am about tired of hearing these tails of woe about shopping at wal mart. Everyone knows and most agree that wally world sucks. If you are stupid and or cheap enough to shop there then don't come crying to us when you get burned.

7. Getting bad, shoddy service at wal mart is nothing new and we don't need to hear about it. It is nothing to be proud of or brag about.

8. Getting one over on the disadvantaged is also nothing to brag about.

9. These threads are getting to be as common as the 9mm vs .45 threads and are not nearly as entertaining.

Sorry, I'm in a bad mood today.

But I am serious, if you shop at wally world don't come crying to us about the service you received. We have heard it before.

DM

 

[R.H. Lee]

Double Maduro

Re: Points 1 thru 9.

Amen.

Lesson learned.

 

[general]

But more importantly, if the reason for no ammo returns is liability, why don't manufacturers start sealing their boxes?

Devonai:
Careful now... they'll childproof 'em!
Similar scenario:
Dad orders a case of what he thought was .357 Mag. - receives a case of .357 SIG... couldn't remember if he got the numbers fouled up or not, but he didn't even check the ammo till he went to shoot some several weeks later.. now it's too late.
Remember...
"Trust - but verify."
I'm still looking for a good deal on a XD or Glock in .357 SIG..... anyone?

 

[Bill Hook]

Cops aren't going to arrest the guy for stealing $13 worth merchandise if they didn't do it before he left the premises. I wouldn't go back there again, but your buddy's face isn't posted over at the PO, either.

 

[foghornl]

Wal-Mart has a pretty good history of placing employees in areas they don't know about. Case in point...ex-mom-in-law kept getting assigned to areas like sporting goods & automotive and hardware/paint..but hardly ever in household/domestic or clothing areas

So, ya pays yer penny & takes yer chance

 

[olyAR73]

Good for your buddy. There are sheep in this world who will follow every policy, regulation, or law no matter how rediculous. Sometimes you just have to be a "bad" citizen.

"Signs, signs, everywhere theres signs...."

 

[Correia]

I hate to say this, but if I owned a store that sold ammo, I would never accept returned ammo. All it takes is one nutjob to return a box with some double charges or squib loads and another customer could get badly hurt and I could get sued.

And getting bad and incompetant service at Walmart is like getting wet if you stand in the rain.

As for taking the .45 and walking out. Good lawyers start at around $250 an hour. It just isn't worth losing your cool, even if you are right.

 

[Mark13]

Walmart gave me the wrong ammo too, but I got over it. Now I am always very careful to check everything I get. I'm all for their no return policy. The chance that some jerkoff tampers with ammo and then returns it is very small, but we are dealing with explosives and expensive guns, so I'd rather be safe than sorry.

Taking the ammo he'd paid for was funny, and technically probably not illegal, but dumb nonetheless. The last thing you want is law enforcement thinking of your name and gun-related problems together.

 

[Zundfolge]

If a store has good prices and good service, it ain't similar to Wally World.

Some of you guys sure seem desperate to give Wal Mart your business. Working hard at it, too.

I'm always amazed by the anti Wal Mart attitude I see in these (and other) forums (although I expect it from the anti-capitalist forums like DU).

• You don't have this problem at K-Mart or Target or any other mass merchandiser I know of because they have all caved to the antis and don't sell ammo.
• You anti Wal Mart guys must be richer then I ... There's a Safeway and an Albertson's closer to my house then the Wal Mart I shop at and I've compared prices ... if I was to shop at either I'd pay $30-$50 more per week for my groceries and other staple items ... that's upwards of $2600 per year (just under a month's pay for me). Plus I'd be putting money in the pockets of labor unions that want to disarm me.
• Some of you guys must expect the same kind of service at Wal Mart that you'd get at high end specialty shops (how many "gun shop guy is an idiot" type threads have we had here?).
• Maybe I'm lucky and the Wal Marts in Colorado Springs, CO and Wichita, KS are the only good ones in the entire chain.

The chance that some jerkoff tampers with ammo and then returns it is very small, but we are dealing with explosives and expensive guns, so I'd rather be safe than sorry.

I may be wrong, but I seem to remember some anti plot to tamper with ammo and return it to the store ... I seem to remember reading about that in this forum. (looks like I have a date with Google)

 

[Eskimo Jim]

Many people have made the comment that it is possible to 'doctor' the loads in the ammunition that was bought and then try to return it or return ammunition that was really handloaded rather than the same factory load that was bought.

I find this rather ridiculous. Has anyone noticed that when you open a box that you end up tearing a little bit on the flaps when opening a new box of ammunition?

-Jim

 

[J.J.]

Just a quick comment...

From The people who work at wal-marts point of view.

Have y'all ever thought of doing this looking at it through another’s point of view.

No proof that the item he is showing is the item that he got by mistake. Its a week old someone can't verify if this could have happened. For all wal-mart knows He could be trying to exchange ammo he never bought etc.


2ndly it is shoplifting because he has no proof what he bought a week ago was some of the wrong stuff. It happens all the time at wal-mart people trying to leave with a week old sales receipt.

Instead of calling everyone who works at wal-mart stupid THINK about things from their perspective.

Y’all complain about the stupid people at wal-mart and this that and the other. And I get tired of it because

a. I work at wal-mart so I can get through college.
b. My friends work at wal-mart.

Yes you have stupid people everywhere. When a manager tells you to go work sporting goods, that does not automatically give a person years of experience and knowledge that y’all have accumulated.

I admit some of the people I work with are on the slow side but making fun of them is not the high road.

 

[Viking6]

J.J. has some good points; I reckon some of the folks would like to be Trump's Apprentice but ain't likely to happen. My experience at Walmart has been mixed but I generally curb my expectations. It's the same in most retail establishments and I'm sure my bosses are sometimes less than thrilled with some of my product. Your friend made a mistake by not paying closer attention initially to his purchase. Walmart for whatever reason has a policy, buyer beware.
Yesterday, I bought some hypodermic needles for my dog's insulin at Sam's Club. My wife had told what kind, as I was paying the pharmacist, he told me they didn't accept returns for the needles. I could have called my wife at work for third time that afternoon to ensure I had the right kind but I took a $13.87 risk. If I had screwed it up it would have been a lick on me. In my opinion, your friend didn't have the right to walk out with the ammo, that's my opinion. Hopefully, this tempest in a teapot will subside and he'll slide by.

 

[R.H. Lee]

No proof that the item he is showing is the item that he got by mistake. Its a week old someone can't verify if this could have happened. For all wal-mart knows He could be trying to exchange ammo he never bought etc.


2ndly it is shoplifting because he has no proof what he bought a week ago was some of the wrong stuff. It happens all the time at wal-mart people trying to leave with a week old sales receipt

These statements may be true. However the facts of the matter are as stated. There is no PROOF otherwise. The customer did not get what he paid for, tried to make it right, and WalMart refused to correct THEIR error.

If WalMart's procedures do not allow correction of their own mistakes, it is not the customer's fault.

I also think it's intersting that a WalMart employee would be predisposed, or automatically assume, that their customers are dishonest, or are likely to be pulling a 'fast one'.

 

[Pendragon]

I worked at Walmart when I was about 21 or 22.

I worked in electronics and moved a LOT of product by practicing salesmanship. I was the onlyone who could move big ticket items. Our department almost always had the highest volume compare to other stores.

Did they care? HA!

I wanted to get on nights to make an extra buck an hour - they kept running me in circles until I pinned a manager down.

The next day I was informed that I was needed the next day for a "special project" sweeping up the dirt when they move plants around or something.

I quit - I actually waited until my shift was half over, then walked in all casual and smiley. Manager was freaking out about being late. I said I quit.

She said "if you don't give 2 weeks notice, you can NEVER WORK AT ANY WAL-MART AGAIN - EVER!"

I said "Can I get that in writing?!"

 

[Kooter]

These statements may be true. However the facts of the matter are as stated. There is no PROOF otherwise. The customer did not get what he paid for, tried to make it right, and WalMart refused to correct THEIR error.

what do you mean there is no proof?

WM has him on camera entering store.

door greeter witnessed that.

door greeter witnessed him bring in ammo.

dude was sent back to sporting goods, to get exchange ammo.(on camera, witness testimony)

dude told sporting goods guy what happened, and he needed a box of 45 to exchange for the 40.(on camera, witness testimony)

dude went back to service desk and explained situation. camera/witness testimony

dude was told that WM will not accept his offer of exchanging some $15.97 ammo for some $19.97 ammo. camera/witness testimony

only "proof" dude has is a week old receipt.

dude informed that WM only accepts returns within 24 hours with a receipt. witness testimony

in a fit of rage, dude grabbed the store owned property and fled the premises. camera/witness testimony


seems like the only proof dude has is his word, and a week old receipt. walmart has a atleast 3 associates that can verify what he brought in, and what he wanted to trade it for. since it is against policy it was not allowed. he grabbed what he wanted and left. sounds like shop lifting to me. if you disagree then PROVE he got 4 boxes of 45 and 1 box of 40. can't do it with the receipt cause according to it he got 5 boxes of 45. guess that only leaves you with his word, which doesn't go very far in the courtroom when someone else has facts to base their argument on.


FYI- when ammo is returned to WM it is immediately sent to the claims department and from there sent to the police department. the police department (supposedly) destroys the ammo. even if the ammo doesn't leave the store, and is walked from the SG counter to the service desk by the customer then it is sent to the police dept. for destruction.

 

[caseydog]

The customer did not get what he paid for, tried to make it right, and WalMart refused to correct THEIR error.

This guy sounds like a blissninny stereotype (it can't be my fault), when I buy something the onus is on me to get what I asked for , heck I've been to alot of gunshops and asked for 44Spc. and got 44mag handed to me.

Also I'm glad that a clear 80% of the responders here are edumacated and all and never had to work in a retail establishment that was out of their element, since everyone at WalMart is a doofus or stupid , or just doesn't care according to most. Wake up - it's the best job they can get to try and do well by their families and maybe a second job for some trying to put their kids through school or something, at least they have a job. When you deal with someone who treats you pleasantly and with respect in spite of the crappy job they have to do , you don't take their dignity , see if you can spare them some of yours. HighRoad my butt !

I know you don't want to hear it since you spent this whole thread trying to justify what your buddy did , The sporting goods clerk who doesn't know hoot about ammo picked up a stack of boxes that had one wrong box in it and set it on the counter, your buddy looked at the stack to count the boxes at least , the 40 box is a good bit different in size and shape than the 45 boxes , why didn't he notice ?? He didn't notice in the car ? he didn't notice at home? He didn't notice for a week? he comes back a week later with a box of .40 ($14.97) that could have been bought at any time on a different reciept and wants 45 ($19.97) ,sounds like a great scam , lemme know if a store goes for it. He lifted the 45 ammo and it's not WalMarts fault in the least , if he is not smart enough to check his boxes he should go to a gunshop and say "I need ammo for my handgun" , and then hand them the gun so they can get him the right stuff, then the onus is on the clerk to get it right.

When I buy a rifle at my local shop that has an expert gunsmith behind the counter , the first thing I do is read the caliber stamping on the barrel, anyone can make a mistake , even an "expert".

Every gunshop i've been in within a 100 miles of here for at least the last five years has had a sign " all ammo sales are final"

Being that Ammo liability is a large problem , the manufacturers should start stickering the endflaps. This would cut down the "reload scammers" , which my local gunpimp admits he has been burned at once or twice.

And no I don't nor have I ever worked for WalMart.

 

[Bill Hook]

Wal-Mart cheated him and it is up to them to make it right.

 

[Scooter .45]

Interesting thread. I tend to side with Riley on most of this. Reason is, a single box of ammo is too pidley for a DA to get worked up about. Not saying I would have handled it the way his buddy did, there were other ways to go about it.