Consumers Warned To Keep Their Purchases Close–Very Close
Shelton’s Walmart Wants Your Stuff
Shelton, WA — This town’s Walmart appears to practice selling its merchandise TWICE (once isn’t enough) if you’re inattentive enough to leave it behind after paying for it at the checkout stand. This reporter had the misfortune to find out about this deceptive business practice after inadvertently leaving a couple of clothing article purchases behind, the last ones on the shelf in the right size.
Adam, the late shift store manager on 2-17-14 got everything right…well, almost…when he received a call inquiring if the missing purchases had been left behind. He asked for information on the sales receipt including the time of the purchase, the checkout register number, and the item stocking number. Within a couple of minutes he had ascertained from the store’s video camera that the purchased merchandise had indeed been left behind after the sale. “Can you come back tonight to pick them up?” he asked. “No, we’re tired. We’ll try to make it in tomorrow instead,” was the reply.
‘Tomorrow’ was replete with inclement weather and flooding which preventing transiting the Skokomish Valley road. Wednesday would have to do. Adam had stated, after all, “This isn’t our first rodeo.” What he meant was it was common for customers to forget an item or bag of stuff they’d purchased at the checkout stand. So, from a titanic sized operation like Walmart, this was reassuring. WRONG! Very wrong. Things were rapidly deteriorating from bad to worse as a shopping experience.
Although Adam promised to hold the purchased merchandise, he did not take sufficient steps to accomplish this. The items had a presumed date affixed when the customer would return to retrieve them along with the purchaser’s name. Most retailers would have the common sense to figure out a rainy day doesn’t translate to a quit claim deed. Walmart employees appear to need the obvious pointed out to them: You cannot sell (even once, let alone twice) what you do not own!…not legally, anyway. But, Walmart tried. Adam hadn’t yet arrived for his shift on Wednesday and none of the staff seemed able to find the purchased items. The customer service desk advised the items had probably been placed on the sales floor once again. WHAT?? A purchased item that had been paid for and belonging to the customer was going to be sold twice by the vendor, Walmart? “Uh, you didn’t pick it up by yesterday,” the clerk drawled. “Let me speak with the manager,” demanded the customer.
The day shift manager couldn’t find the item where it should have been–somewhere other than back on the shelf of the sales floor. So, she went there to look for it. Not finding it there, she heard a lecture from the purchaser of how Walmart was not entitled to arrogantly take other people’s property, date ‘expiration’ or not, and sell it TWICE! The manager was reminded a fundamental element of business law and private property is you cannot sell, lawfully, what you do not own. It was suggested Walmart may be routinely engaging in a deceptive business practice. “You didn’t pick it up by the date attached to the items,” she muttered. She seemed to have NO explanation for why Walmart would do such a thing. However, to her credit, she finally did locate the misappropriated items in Walmart’s RESTOCKING BIN/CART!
Ah, but wait–it gets better. Adam received a call later after arriving for his shift from the frustrated customer. “I’m busy. I’m in a meeting,” he advised. A 2nd call was later placed that eventually got through to Adam. The particulars and distinctly unfunny comedy of errors was discussed, how Walmart had mishandled the purchase and appeared to routinely place purchased items left behind back onto the store’s retail shelves rather than in a secured place until the owner could retrieve them. “After all, you did say this wasn’t your 1st rodeo,” reminded the irritated customer. “I’m going to publish a story about the incident,” the customer continued, “I’m an independent local reporter.”
“What?” exclaimed Adam. “I can’t discuss any of this with you further since you’ve told me you’re with the media,” he protested. Adam wasn’t pressed to do so. He was informed of what the facts were and how they would be presented in the story. He was invited to comment before the story was published if he wanted to take advantage of the opportunity. He declined. But, he went on to say, “You can’t quote me. You didn’t tell me you were a reporter!”
“Sure I can,” he was advised. “No, you can’t. I’m going to contact my corporate office and legal department about this,” he bristled. “That’s fine. Would you like my contact info for them?” said the reporter, “I’ve already contacted the corporate office to report the pattern of errors in handling merchandise that no longer is the property of the store. I’m quite familiar with what I can print and who I can quote in a news article.”
“Have a nice day,” suggested Adam.
So, you have a nice day too–just remember, Walmart is a crap shoot should you forget to take your purchases with you. Selling an item twice is much more profitable than selling it only once. Any used car dealer will tell you that much. Usually, you get what you pay for in business, but that assumption may be premature in the case of Shelton’s Walmart.
