Wal Mart and their ridiculous practices

[P. Aaron]

Anyone else read this article:

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed].

Getting hired turned out to be a challenge. The personnel manager told me she had received more than 100 applications during that month alone, chasing just a handful of jobs. Thus the mystery deepened. If Wal-Mart was such an exploiter of the working poor, why were the working poor so eager to be exploited? And after they were hired, why did they seem so happy to be there? Anytime I shopped at the store, blue-clad Walmartians encouraged me to "Have a nice day" with the sincerity of the pope issuing a benediction.

In addition, despite its huge size, the corporation turned out to have an eerie resemblance to a Silicon Valley startup. There was the same gung-ho spirit, same lack of dogma, same lax dress code, same informality - and same interest in owning a piece of the company. All of my coworkers accepted the offer to buy Wal-Mart stock by setting aside $2 of every paycheck.

 

[hbarcat]

Anyone else read this article:

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed].

Ssshhhhh. It's a secret!

 

[mike_v_s]

Me too. It seems dishonest to take an item purchased from store "A" and exchange it at store "B". Especially when store "A" does not have what you want. What are we missing here Mike?

I'm not sure. This is a very curious practice to me. I gave it some thoguht and, although I worked a good amount of retail, I don't recall ever asking someone exchanging somthing (no receipt required) if they got it from "us", I just assumed it.

Both you and L-A seem to have the same experience I have and the guy who brought this up didn't respond as to whether or not he informs the stores of the product's origin, leading me to believe this isn't a common thing. I was hoping more people would chime in, though. I might start a thread tonight or tomorrow.

Mike

 

[mike_v_s]

There are two types of people who hate WalMart.

1) People who believe that WalMart represents the excesses of capitalism and the evils of globalization.

2) People who believe that WalMart is the quintessential low-rent shopping district of trailer park trash and they would rather go completely without toilet paper in an emergency than to have to buy a roll at WalMart and momentarily share a store aisle with any potentially tooth deficient WalMart shopper.


While I don't necessarily agree with #1, at least I understand why some feel that way and, in my experience, those in this category are genuinely motivated by concern for individuals and compassion for others.

As far as #2 goes, my experience tells me that they are . . . well . . . . #2.

Dear God. So only two kinds of people hate Wal-Mart? Hippies and human piles of crap? In this corner we have black. And in this corner we have white. Thankfully there is NO grey in this picture otherwise we might have to think a little harder.

I assume I'm slotted in #2 as #2? Don't strain yourself answering. I don't share aisles with anyone as I don't go to Wal-Mart for all the reasons I typed and more that I didn't, but I share a bed with someone who loves the store (it's a woman...so anyone who bet the opposite needs to pay up). I know this is going to ruin your evening, so instead of even approaching the possibility that there might be a third group, I'll just put myself in an easy-to-digest group number 2.5!!!

How's that?

Mike

 

[WHughes]

You have to wonder, then, why the store has such a terrible reputation, and I have to tell you that so far as I can determine, trade unions have done most of the mudslinging. Web sites that serve as a source for negative stories are often affiliated with unions. Walmartwatch.com, for instance, is partnered with the Service Employees International Union; Wakeupwalmart.com is entirely owned by United Food and Commercial Workers International Union. For years, now, they've campaigned against Wal-Mart, for reasons that may have more to do with money than compassion for the working poor. If more than one million Wal-Mart employees in the United States could be induced to join a union, by my calculation they'd be compelled to pay more than half-billion dollars each year in dues.[/QUOTE

Walmart does its share of mudslinging against trade unions. In Germany, walmart was forced to unionize by the government because that is how it is done there. If they wanted to do business in Germany, they had to pay a good wage. Still, walmart went there and you bet they are not losing money because of the wages they pay there.

 

[WHughes]

I'm not sure. This is a very curious practice to me. I gave it some thoguht and, although I worked a good amount of retail, I don't recall ever asking someone exchanging somthing (no receipt required) if they got it from "us", I just assumed it.

Both you and L-A seem to have the same experience I have and the guy who brought this up didn't respond as to whether or not he informs the stores of the product's origin, leading me to believe this isn't a common thing. I was hoping more people would chime in, though. I might start a thread tonight or tomorrow.

Mike

I went to a game store and told them that I received it as a gift and wanted to exchange it for another game. I realize you cannot do this with many items, but software is software.

 

[India_Sierra]

It sounds like Wal Mart is a great place to work!

 

[tplyons]

I went to a game store and told them that I received it as a gift and wanted to exchange it for another game. I realize you cannot do this with many items, but software is software.

Even though you yourself stated that software is not software, in this thread.

 

[cassanova]

There are two types of people who hate WalMart.

1) People who believe that WalMart represents the excesses of capitalism and the evils of globalization.

2) People who believe that WalMart is the quintessential low-rent shopping district of trailer park trash and they would rather go completely without toilet paper in an emergency than to have to buy a roll at WalMart and momentarily share a store aisle with any potentially tooth deficient WalMart shopper.

I dislike them for different reasons. I learned in my social problems class that wal mart being the billion dollar enterprise that it is pays their employees some of the lowest wages in the country, treats their employees like crap, and also receives corporate welfare when technically speaking they don't need it.

 

[Brad Johnson]

Yeah, that's some BS. I also can't stand how they check your receipts and your merchandise as you leave. $^#@ you. I just bought it. I own it. It's mine. I don't have to show it to you if I don't want to. Way to show that you value and trust your customer by treating them like they're all thieves.

Needless to say, I take my business elsewhere.

If they didn't check off on the receipt, as easy as it is to walk around with a cart in there, you could take a receipt, go back, fill up a cart with the same items and head for the door... again. And again.

I don't see what the big deal is about that. And trusting anyone you don't know isn't very bright in this day and age. Trust me.

 

[WHughes]

Even though you yourself stated that software is not software, in this thread.

That is correct. Apparently its not.

 

[cassanova]

Originally Posted by UnsungZeros View Post
Yeah, that's some BS. I also can't stand how they check your receipts and your merchandise as you leave. $^#@ you. I just bought it. I own it. It's mine. I don't have to show it to you if I don't want to. Way to show that you value and trust your customer by treating them like they're all thieves.

Needless to say, I take my business elsewhere.

The only time anyone has ever wanted to see the receipt was when for some reason I triggered the alarm system at the door. Other than that, I've never been asked to show the receipt upon leaving the store. Unless you wanna count GC when I bought my Ibanez a couple of weeks ago. The doorman had me show the receipt and open up the case after I bought it all.

 

[hbarcat]

I dislike them for different reasons. I learned in my social problems class that wal mart being the billion dollar enterprise that it is pays their employees some of the lowest wages in the country, treats their employees like crap, and also receives corporate welfare when technically speaking they don't need it.

WalMart employees generally tend to be more satisfied with their employer than those of other companies.

And as far as wages goes, how much compensation is reasonable for putting items on shelves, directing customers to where those items are located, scanning those items at the cash register and taking customers' cash and giving them their change? It's about the easiest job in the world.

Except for occasionally having to tackle suspected shoplifters in the parking lot.

 

[Craig_S]

WalMart employees generally tend to be more satisfied with their employer than those of other companies.

^ manages the local WalMart

*oops... thought this was the stereotype thread*

 

[guy n. cognito]

Cassanova on the wrong side of the law.....again?

Something like this must have made the news.......

 

[NJL]

^ did you read the thread?

 

[john turner]

There are two types of people who hate WalMart.

1) People who believe that WalMart represents the excesses of capitalism and the evils of globalization.

2) People who believe that WalMart is the quintessential low-rent shopping district of trailer park trash and they would rather go completely without toilet paper in an emergency than to have to buy a roll at WalMart and momentarily share a store aisle with any potentially tooth deficient WalMart shopper.


While I don't necessarily agree with #1, at least I understand why some feel that way and, in my experience, those in this category are genuinely motivated by concern for individuals and compassion for others.

As far as #2 goes, my experience tells me that they are . . . well . . . . #2.

not true.

i hate walmart because i was treated poorly by them.

i purchased a blu ray player from them and realized it would not work with the monitor i was going to use it with. i returned the very next day to return it, without the receipt. i did, however, have the credit card that i used to purchase it.

the "customer service" individuals who talked to me lied and said they could not use my credit card to verify the purchase, and therefore could not return the item. they were also rude with me - treated me like i was trying to rip them off and then made me wait while they "called a supervisor" who i never ended up speaking with anyway.

i know this is a lie, because at another walmart store i had that exactly happen with another item - the purchase was verified and the card was re-credited with the return.

now whether this return was a "Bending of the rules" or not, i was screwed by these people, and i will therefore never return to walmart under any circumstances.

so that's 200k they won't be seeing from me. .

i also do my best to encourage the folks that i know to not shop there either, for the same reason.

 

[mike_v_s]

not true.

i hate walmart because i was treated poorly by them.

i purchased a blu ray player from them and realized it would not work with the monitor i was going to use it with. i returned the very next day to return it, without the receipt. i did, however, have the credit card that i used to purchase it.

the "customer service" individuals who talked to me lied and said they could not use my credit card to verify the purchase, and therefore could not return the item. they were also rude with me - treated me like i was trying to rip them off and then made me wait while they "called a supervisor" who i never ended up speaking with anyway.

i know this is a lie, because at another walmart store i had that exactly happen with another item - the purchase was verified and the card was re-credited with the return.

now whether this return was a "Bending of the rules" or not, i was screwed by these people, and i will therefore never return to walmart under any circumstances.

so that's 200k they won't be seeing from me. .

i also do my best to encourage the folks that i know to not shop there either, for the same reason.

Wait. You're not a hippie OR a pile of fecal matter? Hmmmmm....and you're (most likely) not on ignore. We'll need to make this fit the 2-D mold, and quick, before a personal universe implodes. I think that, for ease of digestion, we'll call everyone who no longer shops at Wal-Mart due to customer service issues Group # 2.75

Disaster averted.

Mike

 

[Brad Johnson]

Fighting a stereotype by using a stereotype is way cool.

 

[cassanova]

Cassanova on the wrong side of the law.....again?

Something like this must have made the news.......

I'm not on the wrong side of the law. So please read the OP before making such an accusation.

Why would this make news? Its not really news worth around my area considering there are break ins, rapes, muggings, shootings, and much bigger, more sensational stories that can be covered.

I am also thinking you are calling me a criminal and a liar. But if you are, thats fine and dandy, you're entitled to your opinion. Have a good day.