Shopping Discussion

Not allowed to look before buying at Walmart!

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  • Aug 9th, 2007 12:47 pm
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Deal Expert
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Nov 16, 2004
26683 posts
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Toronto
I feel for employees who work at Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart has the free-for-all / fleamarket feel that I hate and personally when I'm in there, I hate seeing everything all over the place.

The employee is right in saying that the displays are there for a reason ... if the item you were looking at did not have a display, then that's a bunch of different circumstances however it's a big unwritten rule for customers to NOT open packages, not open boxes.
Just the layout of the display gave you the feeling that you could open it to "see it" ... but if you had to ask for the item (almost order it) and then someone brought it out to you, I highly doubt anyone would be trying to open it to "see it."
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Dec 6, 2002
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Cheap Cat wrote: That's nothing. When I worked in a grocery store, a woman came in with the wrappings and a bone from a roast that she wanted to return because it was too tough. I asked where the roast was. She replied that they ate it. Obviously, it wasn't too tough. Then there was the woman who tried to return cut dead flowers. She had purchased them the week before and couldn't understand that flowers die. People will try to return anything. Of course both of these people walked away empty handed.
Walked away empty handed? Weird. I see these as both valid complaints. Safeway would refund the meat purchase... and cut flowers dead after a week or less isn't really acceptable.

Ron.
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Apr 17, 2005
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Brampton
Cheap Cat wrote: Then there was the woman who tried to return cut dead flowers. She had purchased them the week before and couldn't understand that flowers die.
Well few days ago I also returned almost dead cut roses that went from beautiful to wilted in only 2/3 days :mad: ... Since Fortinos has a 5 day Freshness guarantee on the flowers, I took them up on it :twisted: & got a full refund :D
Jr. Member
Nov 15, 2006
194 posts
7 upvotes
Mississauga
mart242 wrote: But I can't stand the idiots who open the boxes, look at the items and then either leave it there, or pack it improperly. The store can't sell that stuff at full price after.
Then i suggest the store as op says there was none on display would use this box assemble it and use it as a display for other customers :)

Make a complaint to head office or store manager...
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Dec 6, 2002
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patrob wrote: Well few days ago I also returned almost dead cut roses that went from beautiful to wilted in only 2/3 days :mad: ... Since Fortinos has a 5 day Freshness guarantee on the flowers, I took them up on it :twisted: & got a full refund :D
FTD has a 7-day freshness guarantee on their flowers as well.

Ron.
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Apr 23, 2004
14972 posts
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Montreal
Hi there,

Where I am, please ask me first before opening the box yourselves. I'm tired of peoples ripping boxes apart or just don't put it back together and leave it all mess up. I guess some of the staff really started to fight back and simply say no. Some of you like to do that, don't you? Hell, even damaged a "brand new item" just beause you open it and didn't like it. Plus, the next person who might want it don't like to buy open box stuff, no?

I don't mind opening boxes to see (if the item can be open that is), in this case, like this lamp or so, but ask one of us staff to do it.

Ju Leon...
Sr. Member
Apr 9, 2007
698 posts
3 upvotes
The best is people who open up a NEW package, rip the box apart, take everything out, put it together if needed, then do a half-a$$ed job of putting it back in the box. THEN they take a NEW package to purchase leaving the wrecked package behind.
Sr. Member
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Feb 4, 2006
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TO
C'mon, it's a Walmart employee. Is it reasonable to expect high levels of customer service from them? Walmart is not a service-oriented retailer.
Newbie
Apr 6, 2007
31 posts
The employee still gets paid to repackage it don't they?
I could understand complaining if they where expected to do it on their own time, otherwise its part of the job, seeing as they get paid to do it.

Perhaps some wouldn't have jobs if this never happened.

Everything should have a display unit, otherwise I rip them open as well. I'm not gonna waste my time buying it to return it...remember the customer is always right...the customer is the most important part of any business...well should be anyways, I realize there is egomaniacs out there.
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Apr 10, 2003
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Toronto
i'm sure retailers are getting too many irresponsible customer who open the box at the store, and don't put it back properly when they decide not to buy.

perhaps retailers rather want their customer pay the item and take it home, and if customers decide to return it, their staff can properly repackage the item back to the box, and put it back on the shelf for resale.
Deal Addict
Jul 18, 2005
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yearight wrote: The employee still gets paid to repackage it don't they?
I could understand complaining if they where expected to do it on their own time, otherwise its part of the job, seeing as they get paid to do it.

Perhaps some wouldn't have jobs if this never happened.

Everything should have a display unit, otherwise I rip them open as well. I'm not gonna waste my time buying it to return it...remember the customer is always right...the customer is the most important part of any business...well should be anyways, I realize there is egomaniacs out there.
usually bigger items DO have a display unit, such as a lamp or a stove. Why buy it in the first place if you're not sure you want it? And times have changed .. the customer is NOT always right :evil:
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Jul 15, 2005
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yearight wrote: The employee still gets paid to repackage it don't they?
I could understand complaining if they where expected to do it on their own time, otherwise its part of the job, seeing as they get paid to do it.

Perhaps some wouldn't have jobs if this never happened.

Everything should have a display unit, otherwise I rip them open as well. I'm not gonna waste my time buying it to return it...remember the customer is always right...the customer is the most important part of any business...well should be anyways, I realize there is egomaniacs out there.
http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/show ... p?t=448387

yr selling a steering wheel, since you don't have a picture is it ok if you send it to me and i check it out, and if i don't like it send it right back to you for full refund? I mean... I am a paying customer.... so im always right anyways
Sr. Member
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Nov 28, 2005
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For all those people supporting the employee, even if the customer is not always right, there is NEVER an excuse for an employee to be rude to a customer. Maybe times have changed, but I don't believe they will ever change to the point where it's ok for employees to harass customers.
Deal Guru
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Apr 23, 2004
14972 posts
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Montreal
Hi there,

Uh, it's no excuse to be rude (and outright mean) to an employee, either. Some customers are like that, really. :( We're not drones, you know...

Actually, it's not the point putting it back or whatnot, but if there is a floor display, look at that. Don't simply opening a BRAND NEW box and turn it all mess up just you want to check it and you don't want it. Sometimes, items are just way too mess up by customers (there are missing pieces, manual missing and so forth), we have to actually send it back or return it to the manufactures. Would you buy an OPEN BOX at full price when the next customer comes in to check out that thing? I always keep getting, can I have a discount because the box is open or ripped or whatever condition it is. :|

It's like, if I go to your home, open all your things and don't put it back, how would you feel? Even the employee are paid to do X jobs, you don't have to make things harder, no? :|

Ju Leon...
Newbie
Apr 6, 2007
31 posts
I guess I agree, the customer is not always right or everything would be free. However the customer is the most important part of any business.

We are comparing to a store you go to and not one that you order from, which is different. I cannot recoup my money from the supplier as Walmart can, again different.

If you were to come to my house I would let you open the box, I'd even hook it up to show that it works. Try that at Walmart.

Having to return stuff because you couldn't open at the store is a waste of the customers time, money and effort. It also costs the store more, now they gotta pay a customer service person to deal with this. They are already paying to repackage whether its in the isle or at the desk. Some people don't live next door to Walmart.

I bet some stores hope the cost is so cheap that its not worth your time etc. to return it and you keep it.
Banned
Jun 28, 2007
828 posts
yearight wrote: I guess I agree, the customer is not always right or everything would be free. However the customer is the most important part of any business.

We are comparing to a store you go to and not one that you order from, which is different. I cannot recoup my money from the supplier as Walmart can, again different.

If you were to come to my house I would let you open the box, I'd even hook it up to show that it works. Try that at Walmart.

Having to return stuff because you couldn't open at the store is a waste of the customers time, money and effort. It also costs the store more, now they gotta pay a customer service person to deal with this. They are already paying to repackage whether its in the isle or at the desk. Some people don't live next door to Walmart.

I bet some stores hope the cost is so cheap that its not worth your time etc. to return it and you keep it.

The probleam at the wal-mart i go to is this.People open up box's not to see the unit but they open it to take parts they need.
Deal Addict
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Dec 9, 2005
2088 posts
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chrome_dout wrote: I love Wal Mart threads! It brings out the most ghetto people on RFD to post, like the sleeping bag dude and the soap returner. :lol:
Tell me what's wrong with returning soap? I had no use for it as I just bought a 2-year supply at Costco for only slightly more than what I paid for a couple bars at Walmart.

Not even like it was opened, it was still sealed in the plastic packaging I bought it in.
Newbie
Jan 3, 2007
73 posts
dealtaker wrote: Out of curiosity did you then buy the one you opened or did you grab a new one?
In fact, we did buy the open one. Already had it off the shelf after all. And since we were just looking at a zipper, not like we had to completely unpackage everything.

As for the person I amused:
You're kidding, right!?! That's the most absurd thing I've ever heard! Exactly how many sleeping bags did you open to go through and just shove in the shelf or leave it on the floor after you were done!? If you wanted to join your sleeping bags, why didn't you just buy the "double/queen size" sleeping bag at Wal-Mart without going through the hassle of matching the "width/tooth size"
I'm not kidding. Already had 1 good sleeping bag, wanted 2. Besides, if I end up going on a backpacking trip by myself, I don't want to pack along a larger sleeping bag than absolutely necessary. I'm a miser who hangs out at RFD, so I didn't want to waste money on a double/queen size when I didn't have to. Incidentally, we looked at 2 sleeping bags, one of which had a zipper that was clearly not a match. - and thanks to their packaging, we only had to crack the holding bag open to take a look. So no sleeping bags were left on the floor, and the packaging was virtually undisturbed. Incidentally, since I was dealing with decent quality sleeping bags, and catching sales prices, I think it was worth the hassle.

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