Typical walmart gun customer service

[Remington788]

I was in walmart wednesday the 24th when I got involved in a frustrating situation.

I was looking for a scope mount for my wifes shotgun for deer season when this young lady asked me if I could help her. Her and two friends from Florida were on break from college and were visiting family here in Illinois. They came to walmart to buy some .22 ammo to do some shooting on thanksgiving at their familys house. The clerk told them that he could not sell them ammo unless they were from a neighboring state or had an out-of-state hunting license. She asked if I could buy them some ammo and I told her that I didn't have to as long as they were 18 or older and had a state drivers license to prove it. She said they did, but the clerk told her the above requirments were needed. So I, being the helpfull guy I am, went to find the clerk to see if I could convince him he is misinformed.

I find the clerk and explain to him that to purchase ammo by an out-of-state resident, all that is needed is a drivers license that shows them to be 18 or older. He then went through the whole neighboring state or hunting license crap. I told him no you do not need a hunting license and you do not need to be from a neighboting state. He went to get a manager.

The manager shows up and I again explain that they only need to be 18 to buy ammo. He goes through the same speech about hunting license and neighboring state. I argue with him about this and then he shows me a map of the United States that has green states and red states and he says that he can only sell guns and ammo to the green states. Florida was red, but the map only said firearms and nothing about ammunition. I pointed this out to him and he said that it also ment ammunition even though it was not stated on the map. :banghead:

At this point I gave up. I tolp the people to try the farm store down the road since they carry a limited amount of ammunition and were more likely to understand the law. I also left without purchasing anything and doubt I will ever buy from there again.

Question, should I have just bought the ammo and went on, or should I have argued the point further?

 

[HKrazy]

The stupidest thing is the law about only being able to sell long guns to bordering state residents went out the window with the Firearm Owners Protection Act of 1986. Yet, almost twenty years later, WalMart still thinks it's the law. Who is their attorney???

 

[Mal H]

As the old saying goes, "You can't fix dumb."

However, to answer your question about whether you should have bought the ammo for them, I would say no. Your advice to go elsewhere is better advice. Even though you wouldn't get into any trouble by buying ammo (not guns) as a strawman purchase, you might get into a lot of bother. Who knows what the manager of the store would do if he got wind of the sale?

I don't think I've ever been asked if I live in-state. They do ask if the ammo is for a handgun. The answer to that is always - no it's for a rifle, and that includes 40 S&W, .380 ACP, etc. (Please see the "old saying" above.)

 

[musher]

Just out of morbid curiosity, I went to our (newish) walmart here in Fairbanks and bought a 22. All the stories are true. I purchased a henry youth 22. I used a drivers license and an nics-exempt AK concealed carry permit. The total sale involved 3 clerks, 2 managers, 4 broadcasts over the PA "I'm working on a gun sale here and I need a manager, he has a concealed weapon permit (sic)" It took 40 minutes to get the form filled out.

We had a big snag when I asked to inspect the rifle I was buying. "Sir we can't let you handle the rifle until you leave the store" Got over that one by rounding up a manager. As reported by others, I got the escort out of the store. Funniest part was the receipt checking. A clerk printed the receipt, the first manager compared the receipt to the price on the rifle. The second manager checked the first manager's work, then taped the receipt to the rifle. The guy at the front door then inspected the receipt taped to the rifle, carried by the 2nd manager.

Just to yank their chains, I asked about the escort policy while the whole bunch of them were doing their receipt verification routine. The 2nd manager told me a disjointed story about someone who bought a gun and killed someone. After he told me the story, I asked "You do realize that I used a concealed handgun permit as my ID don't you?" Of the 4 folks standing there 3 clearly didn't get it, but 1 kind of chuckled and rolled his eyes.

At any rate, I do believe that's the last Walmart gun I'm buying.

I did have a hard time believing the stories, but after doing it...I believe them all.

 

[Remington788]

I forgot to include that fact that this happened in Illinois where you have to have a FOID card to buy guns and ammo.

The managers mistake about the neighboring states residents only being allowed to purchase ammo was proven wrong as soon as he showed me the map of green and red states because there was only about 8 states that were red. It was just dumb bad luck that these people were from Florida and it was one of the few states colored red.

 

[BlkHawk73]

I won't even adknowledge thefirearms dept in a walmart. I'll pay more elsewhere to buy the same thing I could for less money at walmart. Too bad other wouldn't do the same. maybe the leather-chair-sitters would finally get the message. Won't happen so long as the almighty buck is stronger than most people's morals.

 

[standingbear]

A clerk printed the receipt, the first manager compared the receipt to the price on the rifle. The second manager checked the first manager's work, then taped the receipt to the rifle. The guy at the front door then inspected the receipt taped to the rifle, carried by the 2nd manager.

Ida asked them when the clowns are coming out.

 

[neoncowboy]

I hate WalMart.

It's not an influence for the betterment of our communities or our country. So, I don't shop there.

I'd rather pay more for ammo than to further enrich the Walton's.

 

[wdlsguy]

Rocket scientist at local Academy store

My son and I dropped by a local Academy sporting goods store the other day. I asked the guy at the counter if I could handle a 12 gauge Mossberg Persuader. After handing the Mossberg back I asked if they carried the 20 gauge model. The guy told me Mossberg didn't make a Persuader in 20 gauge. (Mossberg's web site says they do.) Then he told me a 20 gauge would only make a bad guy angry. I politely thanked him for his time and left.

 

[cracked butt]

Since we only hear about stores when there are complaints, I'l put my $0.02 in.

I have never had a problem with Walmart. I buy alot of handgun ammo and all of my hunting licenses there (except they don't carry the Federal Waterfowl Stamp for some reason).

Maybe it has a lot to do with the state you live in. Living in a state that requires you to have a license to buy guns or ammo is going to affect places like Walmart. Walmart can't afford to send all of their clerks to law school so that they understand all of the minutia of each state's gun laws. Walmart is going to be extra cautious when selling guns and will alwys be overcareful in transactions- if they were to get lax and get caught in a screwup, there would be a major feces storm because it seems everyone in the country from anitgun leftists to right wingers have their own personal reasons to see Walmart take a fall.

 

[skich]

Half the people in the world are below average intelligence.

 

[bratch]

Most large stores seem to have the escort policy. I know Academy does and a store in Denver did too.

That being said I've never had any problems with Wally world. I was buying some 9mm and when the pstol/rifle question came up the lady asked if there were any 9mm rifles. I exlpained lots of rifles are chambered for handgun rounds. She replied neat learn something new everyday.

All in all everyone is just trying to make a living. Some people just have better means to do it.

 

[Irish Jaeger]

I no longer even consider buying guns at chain stores! Their all in the feds pocket when it comes to records etc., prices aren't all that great, and they can be real pains to work with!

I think you did the right thing by sending them down the road...

 

[cerberus]

At many stores

I think there is a lot of fear of doing something wrong in many stores and getting fired also I don't think WalMart or Academy gives any real training about gun and Ammo. But some sales people or what ever they call them just hate gun people and give them a hard time. Our local Wal Mart has helpful people if you can find them close to the gun and Ammo. counter. Also the local Academy's have some helpful people. My major complaint at both stores here keep the handgun Ammo. behind their display counter's out of reach making it very hard to tell just what they have piled on the shelve's. But the shotgun and rifle Ammo. is setting right out front where anyone can pick it up. Again it's all about crazy people thinking they can make the world a safer place by making it harder to buy Ammo.

 

[Daemon688]

I went to Walmart to buy some 9mm.

They asked what it was for.....I replied for my carbine.
He blankly stares at his computer screen for about 10 seconds....then asks "What's a carbine?" :banghead:

I was later carded for the ammunition and denied since I was not 21 (I am 18 by the way).

I went to the checkout lines to pay for my cetane and was carded for it again. Apparently people that are not 18 can not buy cetane. A little strange considering people who drive cars start at 16. :banghead:

 

[Zackmeister]

I was later carded for the ammunition and denied since I was not 21 (I am 18 by the way).

What is the legal age to buy ammo? I was wondering whether I have to wait until I am 21.

 

[monsternav]

Varies by state.

Here in Maryland, it is 18 for rifle ammo, 21 for pistol.

 

[Preacherman]

In Louisiana and Texas, I've had no problems whatsoever in buying firearms and ammunition from Wal-Mart. As mentioned earlier, I suspect that in a state such as Illinois, with a gun-grabber governor, legislature, laws and regulations, Wal-Mart has to be a lot more anal about such things than they do in the easy-going South... but don't blame Wal-Mart for that!

 

[Zackmeister]

Here in Maryland, it is 18 for rifle ammo, 21 for pistol.

Does anyone know if this is the same for Texas?

 

[chaim]

What is the legal age to buy ammo? I was wondering whether I have to wait until I am 21

Believe it or not, that depends upon the gun you plan to use the ammo in. For long guns you have to be 18 to buy ammo. For handguns you have to be 21 to buy ammo.


Edit:

I see others answered just as I was opening the window to answer. Some say it is state by state, I was under the impression this was a federal law. Anyone know for sure (not guessing, know)?

 

[rbernie]

Does anyone know if this is the same for Texas?

Although Chapter 46 of the TX Penal Code appears to allow firearms ownership at age 18, I was of the impression that you have to be 21 to purchase either pistol or rifle ammo.

 

[Standing Wolf]

My neighbor's somewhat mentally slow younger son is the assistant manager of a Wal Mart. He's a nice young man, but...

 

[taliv]

musher, my experience with walmart was similar, but even worse. i bought the henry lever 22, but i wanted the big loop. that meant i had to order it. walmart was nice enough to do that, but they made me put it on layaway. i paid all but $1 of it, then waited two weeks for it to arrive.

if you think getting a gun out of the sport dept is bad, try getting it out of layaway.

i still buy groceries from walmart, but only because i hate kroger more. i sure wouldn't buy a gun from them again.

while they were walking me out, i gave them a reasonable amount of grief about how stupid their store policies are.

 

[musher]

while they were walking me out, i gave them a reasonable amount of grief about how stupid their store policies are

Ha, I did too. Had a nice little chat with manager #2 as we paraded out to the front door (you'd think they'd put the sporting goods in the front to minimize their customer's exposure to those delicately carried weapons).

I asked him if he didn't think the rigamarole was a bit silly.

"Oh no," says he, "I think it's very important for safety, besides it's the law."

"It's not the law," I told him, "It's your store's policy"

"Oh yes, it's the law," he replied, "Besides, store policy and the law are one and the same as far as I'm concerned."

mmmkayyy.

 

[cerberus]

Thats the problem

They the stores many times think they are the law makers.