Complaint Review: Walmart-Beaufort SC - Beaufort South Carolina

As pointed out, the pricing difference means nothing. There are two other Wal-Marts within 30 minutes of the one I work at. Our prices are frequently lower than the other two because we're right next to a mall and a strip of all major competitors from Best Buy to Target, so we comp-price a lot more than the other stores. And not only do Wal-Marts have different prices, but they don't price-match each other. So as far as that goes, get over it. For you dissatisfaction with computers being sold to customers that were there before you, understandable, but it's doubtful anything will happen with it because they do it for good reason. Wal-Mart SUCKS royally at ordering enough of anything it puts on sale. Computers, X-boxes, Jewelry, toys... it doesn't matter. If it's an item that a thousand people will want, leave it to Wal-Mart to price it lower than anyone else and only order 50 of them. It happens all the time with all items. Holiday sales and new releases are all the same. They can't be sold until a certain time so they do one of the following: 1. They let the line build up until the time of release then bring out the pallets and, like keepers in a zoo at lunch time, cut the plastic and run for dear life while the customers maul each other for the goods. -OR- 2. They whip out the roll of raffle tickets, mark and initial one for each of the item they have, then hand them out to the first however many people in line until the last ticket is gone. That way, no one risks losing an limb trying to get whatever it is. Smarter stores did the latter. So, be mad a pitch a fit about not getting a computer on sale day, but don't be mad because they all went to people who were waiting before you. Be mad that your Wal-Mart, like every other Wal-Mart, was too stupid to order even a fraction of enough.

I feel it's only right to report that Walmart gave me a laptop computer that was slightly better than the ones that they sold at 2am, and they honored the sale price. I still think it was a poor decision to sell the other computers at 2am, but they corrected that error... Good customer service is becoming a rarity, so I commend Walmarts management for making things right..

Pete.. I don't really care if you believe me or not. I told exactly what happened, and as far as whether they used vouchers or not I don't know nor do I care. The employees (assistant manager included)said that the computers were sold at 2am. Even if they used vouchers they still did not have any available for sale at 5am, and that's a violation of the law. I realize that you're probably a walmart employee trying to protect your company, but sometimes people make mistakes, and in this case even the employees in the store said it was the wrong thing to do... However I would like to point out that walmart contacted me today and they're going to make it right. So I am satisfied...

Hey Michael! Did you hear that? Poster "pete" who lives in the Mecca of Valley View, Michigan says "no way" because it didn't happen at HIS local Walmart! And if something "doesn't happen" there in Valley View, Michigan, I guess there is no effing it could have happened anywhere else. People with complaints the world over need to pay attention to this! Note to self: cancel upcoming 2 month vaction to Europe and reschedule to Valley View, Michigan. Hey Steve! Yeah! Walmart ain't gonna care about your loss of business! EXCEPT, there is an ever increasing number of "Steves" in this country! WHOOPS! Yeah, poster "pete" is right in that they don't care about YOUR business! But if you times it by the ever growing number of "Steves", guess what? They are gonna have to start to care.

Federal law and most states have enacted something with very nearly the same language. If a store advertises an item, they are supposed to have a "reasonable" amount of stock on hand in anticipation of the opening of the sale. A good example is when I went to buy a computer monitor on sale for $99.00. The sale was to start at 8:00am and I arrived at 8:00am and they had none in stock. They then told me I would have to buy the more expensive monitor that was not on sale. (this is known as a Bait & Switch) Long story short, since I knew the law, I bought the most expensive monitor and filed a complaint with the state AG's office. They had to refund me my money except for $99.00 plus tax.

Steve, 'Phila'--yep, sure a 'disgrace' to be the largest retailer, right? I'm sure they won't miss your not doing your Christmas shopping there. Michael, I don't believe the computers were 'sold' at 2:00am. At my local WalMart (open 24hrs) none were available at 5:00am because after 2:00am, any customers in the store were able to obtain a voucher for the computer. Some stayed to shop until after 5:00am, but others went home and returned after the designated time to redeem their vouchers. There were a few unhappy customers when they saw someone in line at around 7:00am with a computer, but 'the early bird gets the worm'--and also the computer.

Steve, 'Phila'--yep, sure a 'disgrace' to be the largest retailer, right? I'm sure they won't miss your not doing your Christmas shopping there. Michael, I don't believe the computers were 'sold' at 2:00am. At my local WalMart (open 24hrs) none were available at 5:00am because after 2:00am, any customers in the store were able to obtain a voucher for the computer. Some stayed to shop until after 5:00am, but others went home and returned after the designated time to redeem their vouchers. There were a few unhappy customers when they saw someone in line at around 7:00am with a computer, but 'the early bird gets the worm'--and also the computer.

Steve, 'Phila'--yep, sure a 'disgrace' to be the largest retailer, right? I'm sure they won't miss your not doing your Christmas shopping there. Michael, I don't believe the computers were 'sold' at 2:00am. At my local WalMart (open 24hrs) none were available at 5:00am because after 2:00am, any customers in the store were able to obtain a voucher for the computer. Some stayed to shop until after 5:00am, but others went home and returned after the designated time to redeem their vouchers. There were a few unhappy customers when they saw someone in line at around 7:00am with a computer, but 'the early bird gets the worm'--and also the computer.

Steve, 'Phila'--yep, sure a 'disgrace' to be the largest retailer, right? I'm sure they won't miss your not doing your Christmas shopping there. Michael, I don't believe the computers were 'sold' at 2:00am. At my local WalMart (open 24hrs) none were available at 5:00am because after 2:00am, any customers in the store were able to obtain a voucher for the computer. Some stayed to shop until after 5:00am, but others went home and returned after the designated time to redeem their vouchers. There were a few unhappy customers when they saw someone in line at around 7:00am with a computer, but 'the early bird gets the worm'--and also the computer.

The same thing happened in Sanford Florida. I got there at 3am, they never closed the store so I was waiting in a line in electronics. at about 5am I overheard a clerk telling another customer that all of the computers were gone. I went to the clerk and asked what he was talking about since it was not yet 5 am, and he said that the manager decided to sell them at 2am. They never bothered to tell the customers who were waiting. I went to the service desk and complained to an assistant manager. she said that she was appalled when she came in and heard what the manager had done. I demanded a rainceck but they refused. I let them know I would be filing a deceptive advertising complaint but they didn't seem to care. I think that we should all file a class action suit...

The same thing happened in Sanford Florida. I got there at 3am, they never closed the store so I was waiting in a line in electronics. at about 5am I overheard a clerk telling another customer that all of the computers were gone. I went to the clerk and asked what he was talking about since it was not yet 5 am, and he said that the manager decided to sell them at 2am. They never bothered to tell the customers who were waiting. I went to the service desk and complained to an assistant manager. she said that she was appalled when she came in and heard what the manager had done. I demanded a rainceck but they refused. I let them know I would be filing a deceptive advertising complaint but they didn't seem to care. I think that we should all file a class action suit...

The same thing happened in Sanford Florida. I got there at 3am, they never closed the store so I was waiting in a line in electronics. at about 5am I overheard a clerk telling another customer that all of the computers were gone. I went to the clerk and asked what he was talking about since it was not yet 5 am, and he said that the manager decided to sell them at 2am. They never bothered to tell the customers who were waiting. I went to the service desk and complained to an assistant manager. she said that she was appalled when she came in and heard what the manager had done. I demanded a rainceck but they refused. I let them know I would be filing a deceptive advertising complaint but they didn't seem to care. I think that we should all file a class action suit...

The same thing happened in Sanford Florida. I got there at 3am, they never closed the store so I was waiting in a line in electronics. at about 5am I overheard a clerk telling another customer that all of the computers were gone. I went to the clerk and asked what he was talking about since it was not yet 5 am, and he said that the manager decided to sell them at 2am. They never bothered to tell the customers who were waiting. I went to the service desk and complained to an assistant manager. she said that she was appalled when she came in and heard what the manager had done. I demanded a rainceck but they refused. I let them know I would be filing a deceptive advertising complaint but they didn't seem to care. I think that we should all file a class action suit...

I was watching the news about that guy. Its Walmarts fault first off if they're going to put anything on sale. They know its the biggest day for the retailers in this country but this company is a disgrace in our country. I can't stand their commercials and the way the company takes their leverage. If they had a list then complain to the stores or go else where. Ebay will have items also.

Regarding this sale, prices and so forth. Pricing: these laptop computers were originally priced at $398. However, word was leaked out before the price release date and the prices were reduced to $378 to counter competitors possible pricing. However many flyers were already printed by this time. There are other products which are priced differently at different Wal-Mart stores. This varies by region and the main price difference is due to shipping costs. It is obvious that if you have a product made in North Carolina that it will be more expensive in California than on the East Coast. Early Sales: These computers went on sale at 5 a.m. in our store. We had 60 units -- about the number of computers we sell in three months. Wal-Mart was obviously unprepared for the incredible demand. When the doors opened, people stormed into the electronics department and those computers were sold by 5:05 a.m. In our store, people started rioting, knocking over a counter and climbing over it to grab the computers and assualting associates who tried to stop them. They also ripped them out of the hands of customers who already had them. By the way, employees who purchased the units were required to be "off the clock" and had to wait along with everyone else. The store manager personally made sure that no pieces were sold prior to 5 a.m. This happened all over the country and I commend the managers of the stores who had the foresight to start giving out numbers at midnight. It prevented riots. Obviously Wal-Mart was unprepared for the demand on these computers. But customers should be aware that the people who work in the stores did their very best to cope with the situation. As an aside, if you are shopping at a Wal-Mart in the next week, take it easy on the employees. Many are very upset with customers at this time because of the rioting, not to mention the verbal abuse we took from people when we sold out. The employees didn't cause the riots. The customers did.

Sorry, but I think that anyone that partcipates in the mass-marketing feeding frenzy of post-Thanksgivings sales only contributes to the entire situation. Shop responsibily, shop away from the "conspicuous consumption" centers and enjoy the season as it was truly meant...this comes with love from a non-Christian.

Get over it and have a Merry Christmas anyway.

I also find it unethical to allow people there already to effectively purchase the "sale" goods prior to the actual "sale". However, your second complaint is meaningless. You obviously have no concept of "Supply & Demand", or "Fair Market Value". Something offered for sale in Manhattan is always going to cost the customer more than in Macon Ga. Every region has "cost of living" factored into the price. The region can be from town to town, county to county, state to state, or even larger territories. This is all part of Economics 101. I'd call Wally World Corporate and complain about the first complaint, and forget about the second, since it's not valid.