My complaint:
My boyfriend and I bought several items (including a garden hose and a box containing iron on transfers) with cash from this Walmart about (2) weeks ago. Upon checking out, we did receive a printed receipt for all the items purchased. This past week, my boyfriend discovered that the garden hose was not long enough to reach the far side of our home, and decided that it would be better to return that hose and look at longer ones, so he went to pack it up and I went to retrieve the receipt from my receipt file in my filing cabinet. Being unable to locate it, I asked my boyfriend if he had remembered to put the receipt in the file folder. My boyfriend had thought that I had taken care of the receipt filing because he didn’t see it when he originally removed the garden hose from the bag. Realizing that neither of us had filed the receipt, I turned my attention to my 5 year-old, who was helping my boyfriend unpack the hose earlier. My 5 year-old stated that he had, in fact, put the receipt in the pocket of the jeans he had been wearing earlier that morning but had replaced with shorts just prior to going outside to assist with the hose. I knew that I had placed those jeans in the washer right afterwards. Hopeful, I pulled the jeans from the now completed washer cycle. The receipt was nothing more than a white peice of paper with several smudges of smeared purple-blue marks on it. Absolutely nothing on it to read. I told my boyfriend that the receipt issue would not be a problem because Walmart’s Policy is that they will return anything within 90 days with or without a receipt, and if the item is less than $10 they refund in cash and if over $10, they refund in gift card. With that, we went to the Lancaster, PA Walmart and attempted to return the hose. We exceeded the Refund Policy expectations. It had been purchased within the last 90 days, and it had never been used or opened…it was still in it’s store shelf condition. We were denied a refund. The associate at the Customer Service Desk stated that because it was over $50 and we had no receipt, it was not eligible to be returned. I kept my mouth shut and we left. Upon arriving home, I called Walmart’s Customer Relations. While keeping me on hold, they called the store and spoke with the manager. I was then instructed to return to the store with the hose and ask for the manager if I encounter any further problems. I did as instructed. No problem at all. Until a few days later. I discovered that the iron-on transfer was black instead of blue. I also knew that the demolished receipt contained it’s proof of purchase. However, I wasn’t worried about it because I was just going to exchange it for a blue one. Again, I went to the Lancaster, PA store. Before asking for an exchange, I went to get a blue one so as not to have to get in the Customer Service line twice. Much to my dismay, they did not carry a blue one in the shade I needed. But again, I wasn’t worried…I would return the black one and use the cash refund (the iron-on was less than $10) at Michael’s and if I could find the one I needed. At the Customer Service Desk, I informed the associate that I did not have the receipt. The iron-on was never opened. She asked me how I had paid for it. I told her cash. She then asked for my Driver’s License and proceeded to process my refund on to a store gift card. Again, I kept my mouth shut until I got home. Again I called Walmart’s Customer Relations. Again, they called the manager, who is to call me sometime before Monday. I was also informed that the associate is supposed to ASK me if I want my refund put on a gift card or if I would like cash back instead.
I am BEYOND sick of Walmart!! I spend thousands of dollars in a year’s time there–mainly because they’re convenient AND they have virtually buried every other store that was similar (K-Mart specifically). I realize that complaining over a $10 refund might seem petty, but it’s not so much the amount of the refund as it is the principal. Twice this past week Walmart’s associates did not adhere to the Refund Policy that is POSTED in the store and on-line. One of those Refund Policy violations caused me to have to make a 2nd trip to Walmart that was completely unnecessary. To make matters worse, I took the liberty of calling two other Walmart’s in my area–Fruitville Pike and Parkersburg to inquire what their Return without receipt for an item less than $10 Policy was, and they both stated that my refund would go onto a gift card. Again, the Policy POSTED in both of those stores and online DO NOT state that…a gift card is not even mentioned (Return/Refund under $10 without a receipt). Walmart had the BEST inventory, associates, and Return/Refund Policy when they first started popping up here in Lancaster County; however, since Walmart is King–having driven out all of the competition and even some of the small, family owned grocery stores–their shelves are consistently lacking products to that have a price tag on the shelf where items are supposed to be, associates are rude, unhelpful, dismissive, and uncaring, and the POSTED Return/Return Policies (which are what we peons are led to believe) seem to be optional–optional to the associate before you as to whether they will follow what’s POSTED, or if they’lljust wing it.
Suggested solution:
I want a definitive answer regarding what EXACTLY the Return/Refund Policy is for an item valued at less than $10 for which there is no receipt available. I'm sure that if this has happened to me, I'm sure that it has probably happened to someone else. And, I'm sure that to some of us, a gift card is NOT the same as cash.
