Lady Buys At Walmart, Then Notices Something On Her Receipt
Many customers were in and out of Walmart in Lincoln, Arkansas, on a typical shopping day. A lady was filling up her shopping cart with weekly needs when a commotion happened at the cashier station. Something was off. Though she couldn’t quite place her finger on it, she had a sneaking suspicion that something wasn’t right. Whatever it was, it would completely shake up Walmart and make thousands of regulars nervous.
We’ve been privileged to have the wonders of Walmart at our convenience for over 50 years now. The chain stores offer us a variety at low costs, meaning that we can get more of what we want at affordable prices. But even with all the pros that Walmart has brought us, it hasn’t gone by without its fair share of controversy. We’re living in a fast-paced, unpredictable world where from one moment to the next, your life can change. The most important thing to remember is that we are the ones who make that decision.
Like A Regular Day
It was July 22nd, 2017, and it seemed like a regular day for shoppers at Walmart in Arkansas. One of those shoppers was Sharon Bufford, going about her regular grocery shopping. She had just finished choosing all the products she wanted, and she headed to the checkout counter. The more Sharon thought about it now, the more she realized she could have done so much better with her reaction.
Like A Regular Day
But who can blame her? Nothing prepared her for what was about to happen next. What she thought was a regular shopping day turned out to be a shocking one. No one had any idea that her life would change drastically in just a few hours. What happened to her in Walmart?
Something Strange
She carefully ran through a list in her mind and checked if she missed any grocery item list. It seems that she got everything she needed for the week. As Sharon loaded her groceries on the conveyor belt, she watched the attendant pass her items through the barcode scanner. When all the items had been scanned, the cashier told her the price of her groceries. But it sounded like more than she expected.
Something Strange
What could have happened to the cashier station? It is something unusual, for sure. Because she had been going to this grocery store for the last couple of years, everything had gone smoothly… Until now. What will about to unfold next will change the course of her life.
Trying Not To Think About It
The cashier started punching all the items she got at the Barcode scanner. And one thing was on her mind. Something is not adding up. Even though she felt like the price total didn’t match what she had bought, she decided to leave. Other shoppers were lining up behind her, waiting to pay for their goods, so she didn’t want to make a scene.
Trying Not To Think About It
As frustrating as it may sound, she really tried to leave the scene without stressing much about it. What would you have done if it were you? We are pretty sure you would at least speak up. You should not just waste any hard-earned money, no matter how much you make. However, Sharon decided not to say anything.
Checking It Over
Once Sharon arrived home from Walmart, she remembered that she wanted to review her receipt. She felt certain that she was overcharged, but when she took a look, it all seemed to add up correctly. Since she had never felt this feeling before, she forced herself to take another, closer inspection of the receipt.
Checking It Over
What happens if you get overcharged? At this point, she is really confused about what she needs to do next. All that anxiety was building up inside of her, and she even contemplated just going on about her day. She wanted to ignore what had happened at Walmart. However, a gut feeling is telling her to check the receipt.
Finding The Mistake
She quickly scanned over the receipt and thought nothing was really strange about it. However, she tried to check it again. This time, it’s more specific. On the second inspection, Sharon noticed what made her charge come up more than she thought it would. There was an item on the receipt that was called “JAJKET,” and she paid $10 for this mystery item. it wasn’t just a strange item, it had a nonsense barcode too. Sharon was very confused.
Finding The Mistake
What kind of computer error is this? Did this happen by mistake, or did the cashier do this on purpose? What was the reason behind this unauthorized sale? Sharon did not have all the answers. However, she was determined to get to the bottom of this. She needs to find out what happened.
Demanding Answers
What will she do? Well, she decided that her first move was to give her local Walmart in Clinton a call. After all, it might have been just a simple mistake that can be reversed. But she was not going to take this unnecessary charge unchecked. She was determined to hear what this mystery “JAJKET” thing was that she supposedly bought without her own knowledge. After a few rings, someone picked up the line, and the complaint started.
Demanding Answers
She was calm at first. She did not plan to be rude or sarcastic during the call. After all, she respects all customer service representatives. She was also informed that the call was recorded and monitored. She introduced herself and explained what had happened to her in a concise manner.
Additional Information
Sharon expected to wait for at least half an hour on the phone. This is a normal waiting time if you want to talk to corporate. However, she was willing to wait just to obtain additional information. Half an hour had passed, and she was still determined to talk to a corporate representative. At last, someone answered and she started to state her name and other personal information before inquiring.
Additional Information
Sharon explained what had happened at the checkout counter and how she only truly revealed what had happened once she got home. But then she remembered that when the cashier scanned the butternut squash, the price magically popped up to $10, but that seemed a bit expensive. Was the butternut squash related to the “JAJKET”?
What’s With The Butternut Squash
Sharon told her story during an interview, “The butternut squash came up, but a second after it went through the butternut squash, it rang ten dollars because I saw it flash, and I thought, gosh, that’s a lot of money for butternut squash. I just assumed it was the butternut.” Why was there a sudden price hike for butternut squashes? Something is really not adding up here.
What’s With The Butternut Squash?
Then she rang the spaghetti squash, and it came up too well then, when I got home and looked in between them, there was something for ten dollars, and I didn’t know what it was.”
A Loyal Customer
If it had been any other establishment, especially if it was a small business, perhaps Sharon wouldn’t be so adamant about answers. However, she was a loyal customer who bought her groceries at Walmart on a regular basis. She wanted answers because she knew for a fact that wrongdoing had been committed. It wouldn’t feel right if a million-dollar company is taking an extra dollar from her. God knows she needs it more than them.
A Loyal Customer
Additionally, this is not the correct way of treating loyal customers. In fact, Sharon believes she should be rewarded or given a discount for the number of groceries she is buying weekly.
A Hidden Item
Eventually, Sharon received an answer about the extra $10 charge. But instead of giving her an answer that would relax her, it confused her. The Walmart customer support representative explained that the “JAJKET” item was a so-called “phantom” item. The representative then revealed that the item didn’t exist at all and that it appeared on customers’ receipts at random. Who wants to pay for a ghostly item? Sharon is furious.
A Hidden Item
Making Demands
Sharon’s face was red, but the blush was not because she was flattered. She was fuming with anger. She wanted her money back. It was clear that Sharon wanted a refund, and she fully deserved it. The local Walmart didn’t fight her for it and agreed that she deserved to get her money back. The store manager told her to come to the store to get her refund, but that wouldn’t be the end of it.
Making Demands
She wanted a refund. However, she thinks this kind of malpractice from million-dollar corporations should stop. But first, she wanted to know if this was an isolated case or not. Can this really go through in court? Will the company be reprimanded for its wrongdoings?
Other Complaints
Sharon wanted to know if the same case also happened with other customers. So she started to look for clues and evidence. With a little more research, Sharon realized that some other customers were having issues with Walmart’s hidden charges game. Some claimed that they noticed certain products coming up with higher charges than normal. This should not be happening, especially in a big company.
Other Complaints
Why is another person’s can of milk more expensive than a different receipt? She proceeded to collect more evidence and written proof. Mostly, they consist of receipts from various different customers.
Chasing The Phantom
Sharon felt very uncomfortable with what she was hearing, and she wanted to take the issue further to see if it was really true. But what stood out most for her was the Walmart store representative admitted something very serious and harmful. Was it possible that the representative admitted they had been using a phantom code to charge customers extra money randomly?
Chasing The Phantom
Why would Walmart do this? Is there a plausible legal reason for this? The second question is whether the phantom item really exists. Does Walmart do this on a regular basis, or is the customer representative just making things up? It’s time to get to the bottom of this.
A Relentless Ghost
What Sharon exposed about that strange conversation with a Walmart employee sparked even more outrage. The employee explained that aside from this “phantom code” being operational, it is impossible to remove it from Walmart’s cashiers’ systems. This meant that this nonsense item had definitely charged many others too. She could not believe what she was hearing.
A Relentless Ghost
Taking To Social Media
Sharon Bufford was not ready to let this secret remain uncovered at the cost of other shoppers. She first emailed Walmart’s corporate office, and then she did what most people do – she turned to social media. Sharon uploaded a picture of her receipt and detailed the story of what happened on Facebook. She posted it online because she wanted to vent out and tell her side of the story.
Taking To Social Media
However, she did not expect that millions of people would notice her post. It was not her initial intent to badmouth Walmart. She simply wants to let out all her frustrations and find out the truth. But it seems everything is taking up a turn, and it won’t be good for her.
Going Viral
When Sharon’s story hit the internet, it hit it hard! The story took off and became viral; everyone was talking about the phantom $10 item at Walmart. The public was both angry and concerned, no one knew if they had fallen prey to this scam. If this were true, it would be chaos. People would stop buying at Walmart, and worse, they might sue the company. What would you do if you were Sharon?
Going Viral
Sharon’s story raged the internet community. Each user has their own opinion about the matter. Some are giving additional proof and evidence. While some are giving unsolicited legal advice. Sharon is confused about what she is going to do next. What should be the appropriate action for this?
Conspiracies And Theories
Just like any big story, once Sharon’s came to the surface, everyone had a theory about the extra $10 charge. Some suggested that Walmart was looking for a way to make extra money without the customer’s knowledge. Even though it was only ten dollars, it would add up to something significant if it was being done nationwide. If Walmart gets at least a million customers each year, that is already 10 million in total!
Conspiracies And Theories
However, it does not appear in all receipts. Some receipts are perfect and do not have any errors in them. Could it be possible that this is just a system glitch that needs to be fixed? Regardless if it was a gimmick or a glitch, people should be refunded of that phantom charge, if there was any in their receipts.
The Cashier
Some people dismissed that idea, but they provided their own. Others believed that the extra charge was set up by the cashier in order to be able to pocket the extra money for themselves. The idea was that the cashier would be able to take the money out of the cash register after the customer had left. However, this theory may have several loop holes because a cashier should not have any type of permission to change anything in the computer system.
The Cashier
Unless that certain cashier has IT support backing up all her evil schemes. However, if you come to think of it, a million-dollar company should need to have a centralized computer system that cannot be easily used for deceit.
Passing The Blame
Although it seemed like a plausible excuse to blame the cashier, others weren’t buying it. Some critics claimed that it would be a lot easier to mislead the public’s attention and anger to a “single cashier” than have to face the idea of a major issue inside Walmart’s business model. After all, it is easier to fire one employee than get sued by the public. Walmart would get so much loss if that were the case.
Passing The Blame
Even if the fired employee sued Walmart for the lack of due process, they could still setup a financial arrangement for him to make him sign an NDA. So it is safe to say that Sharon was not aiming to get the employee fired. She wanted to expose the company for its wrongdoings if there were any.
Just A Missing Barcode
After all, we are not against the employee. However, some people say it could have just been a simple mistake from the employee’s part. The reason, as some put it forward, could have simply been a missing barcode for an item. The claim was that it could have come down to a simple human error who entered a number by mistake without noticing. But that begs the question – “how would that have charged someone $10?”
Just A Missing Barcode
Additionally, if it was a manually inputted barcode, it should have shown a different item description, not just some weird codes with unknown item names. Theories kept coming in, and everyone wanted to put their opinions and theory out there.
Feedback From Walmart Employees
Finally, after many speculations and conspiracies, some people working in retail gave some insight into this happening. Some light was shed on the situation when employees of Walmart and other people who worked in retail commented on her post. They explained that if a cashier mistakenly entered just the number ‘1’, then it’s most likely this charge would have occurred. It could have been entered when the cashier was entering a quantity.
Feedback From Walmart Employees
Still, no matter the reason, it is unacceptable to charge your customers extra for something that does not exist. It is just not right, and a big company like Walmart should rectify this situation immediately. That is, if it were truly the case.
The Barcode Purpose
Did you know the purpose of the barcode and why it was invented for international use? Why does every grocery in the whole world rely on this technology? No one needs an explanation as to what a barcode is, but what most people don’t know is that the multitudes of barcode numbers and line combinations are virtually unlimited. Having said that, the barcode system is so specific and accurate that every time an item is scanned, it cannot make a mistake.
The Barcode Purpose
Understanding the purpose of the barcode in the retail industry will make you wonder about this certain incident. If a certain barcode cannot be mistaken, then what was the real reason for its appearance in the receipt?
Before Barcodes
Indeed, technology has changed the way we do business. It made clerk and accounting tasks easier. It’s almost impossible to imagine a time without bar codes, but that’s how life was. A cashier had a list (or memory of a genius) that had the price of every item the store stocked. Each time the cashier added another item, the register would make a “ding” sound – hence the term “ring it up.”
Before Barcodes
In the past, it is much easier to cheat the system. However, current digital technologies are primarily aimed at preventing that from happening. Every time a new POS system is made or updated, its main goal is to solidify integrity in the system.
Walmart’s Investigation
Why then was this certain issue happening now? Fortunately, Sharon didn’t have to wait very long. Walmart was quick to jump onto the issue and warrant an investigation. The only problem was that they only took action once the story had already flooded the internet. Walmart in Clinton quickly released a statement that said that customers weren’t facing any danger when it came to overpaying for their groceries.
Walmart’s Investigation
An incident like this can spread like wildfire. If the corporate did not take action as soon as possible, it could damage its reputation and therefore lose millions. As we all know, this huge retail company is in the business of gaining money, not losing.
An Honest Mistake
The quick investigation into the $10 overcharge brought by quick answers. Walmart claimed that it truly was an honest mistake of an incorrect barcode being entered into the system. Despite having a quick answer and giving Sharon a refund, the saga wasn’t over just yet. Sharon was not going to let them off the hook that easily. She wanted to know the truth- the whole truth.
An Honest Mistake
Was it really just an honest mistake, or is there something more to it that we need to uncover? Was the company just trying to disguise everything and make sure their little scheme was not halted to a stop? There are so many questions in Sharon’s mind.
Still Mysterious
When Walmart responded to Sharon’s inquiry, it felt like that was the end of it all. It seemed like everything had been sorted out, but there was something strange that followed the great drama. People quickly recalled what the Walmart representative had told Sharon about the secret item scam. Not everyone was ready to let that sensitive information disappear so easily.
Still Mysterious
People are demanding answers from the corporate. Why would the representative say that sensitive information? Aside from Sharon, many people who have read the post were furious and wanted to know if they had been charged a phantom item too.
Deleted From Facebook
What truly happened to Sharon? What was discussed between her and the corporate? It was weird because after Sharon received her $10 refund, she deleted her post on Facebook about the issue. She posted no follow-up about the situation either. The public’s suspicion grew, seeing as that was the only evidence that could have possibly led to a revelation of a great scam based on the phantom item.
Deleted From Facebook
Walmart needed to address this as soon as possible, or they could start losing loyal customers who shop there on a regular basis. If the deletion of the post was legal advice from a lawyer, we could understand. However, a TV show picked up the scene and started digging up for more information.
TV Investigation
Television station WUSA tried to find out why Sharon had deleted her Facebook post. They tried to get an exclusive interview. However, they were unable to do so. They didn’t get much from her, but what they did uncover was that her post (that had been deleted) was the only online claim of this problem. It wasn’t the only claim of this happening, but it was the only one on the internet.
TV Investigation
Apparently, there are no other cases like this that were published on the internet. There could be speculations and theories. However, unless they have solid proof that this is a widespread incident, Sharon can be in a sweaty situation here. Have you heard of a cyber libel?
Labeling A Libel
Unfortunately, the only piece of evidence presented was no longer to be found. With the only evidence of the whole ordeal deleted, Sharon could face great backlash. We are unsure Sharon is prepared and can afford a legal battle with this company. Walmart could potentially sue her in a libel suit – because this claim could potentially destroy Walmart’s name, even if the claims are true.
Labeling A Libel
What is a cyber libel? It is an act of spreading false information about another person, group, or organization through a computer network. Libel is the act of publicly and maliciously ascribing a crime, vice, or defect (actual or fictional) to a person or disrespecting the memory of someone dead.
Walmart’s Statement
Walmart released a statement, commenting, “We immediately began looking into this issue when it was brought to our attention and want to assure customers at our Clinton store that they are only being charged for items they purchase. We isolated the problem our customer experienced to an incorrect product barcode that one of our cashiers entered as she was checking out.”
Walmart’s Statement
According to Walmart, “The issue was immediately resolved, and as a precaution, we’re training the store’s associates on what to look for should anything like that happen again and ensuring none of our other stores are affected.”
Paying Her Back
The primary reason for Sharon’s call with the customer representative was to get a $10 refund. Fortunately, this was processed right away. Sharon was able to receive the refund after several business days. As for Walmart, well, they released a statement. The Walmart statement went on to say, “we reimbursed the customer for the incorrect charge, apologized to her, and appreciate that she brought this to our attention.”
Paying Her Back
That official statement was pretty professional and calm, indicating that they may not take legal action against Sharon. This is a huge benefit on her part, as facing a big company might not be the best situation to be in.
Walmart Abroad
Fortunately, everything went back to normal. Soon, people forgot all about the controversial issue and went on with their grocery shopping. As the heat seemed to die down in America for Walmart, the smell of smoke was coming from neighboring Mexico. The issues Walmart was facing in Mexico were far more than $10, it involved millions of dollars and the Mexican government.
Walmart Abroad
Did you know that Walmart Mexico is also a publicly traded company on the Mexican Stock Market known as Walmex? What really happened with Walmart and the government of Mexico? Is it an ethical or a political issue? Let’s find out!
Mexico’s Story
In 2012, Mexico’s Walmart – Walmart de Mexico – was involved in a series of bribery allegations that caught the media’s attention. Mexico became dotted with Walmart stores in a very short amount of time. In fact, it was so quick that many claimed that the speed at which they popped up meant that they were not built legally. The CEO of Walmart de Mexico was said to have personally delivered suitcases of cash to Mexican officials so that he could get building permits.
Mexico’s Story
It is an ethical issue that Walmart participated in bribery to get what it wanted in Mexico and lied once they were confronted. Executives were aware of the bribery and corruption taking place in the Mexican operations but failed to stop it.
Covering Their Tracks
With over 2.2 million employees worldwide, Walmart has faced a torrent of lawsuits and issues with regard to its workforce. These issues involve low wages, poor working conditions, inadequate health care, as well as issues involving the company’s strong anti-union policies. Walmart de Mexico’s accounting department would claim that the money they were spending was just legal fees.
Covering Their Tracks
This would also show on the invoices they sent to Walmart International. But it was an inside source that revealed what was really going on, fueling a full investigation. The story then reached The New York Times.
A Global Issue
When a series of New York Times articles in 2012 exposed alleged bribes made by Walmart in Mexico to acquire permission to open stores there, the Justice Department initiated an investigation into the business. Mexico may have been the first country to be involved in bribery, but it certainly wasn’t the last.
A Global Issue
Walmart officials were allegedly taking and giving bribes in other countries like China, India, and Brazil. The claims were that bribes were the only way to ensure that projects would get done.
Paying The Price
Walmart wanted to settle the international issues they were facing without as little coverage as possible. In addition, they didn’t want to enter a legal battle or have their name dragged through the mud. At first, the government demanded $600 million, but they settled on $300 million in the end. That is definitely a lot of money. Do you think it could potentially harm the business?
Paying The Price
Walmart (WMT) agreed to pay more than $144 million to settle SEC charges and another $138 million to settle criminal charges brought by the DOJ. In accordance with the agreement, Walmart’s (WMT) Brazilian subsidiary also pled guilty.
Changing Sides
After paying up a great sum of money for the lawsuit, the company tried a change of heart. Following Walmart’s international ordeal with bribery and corruption, Walmart decided to become active in fighting corruption. In fact, Walmart claimed that they would team up with the US government by setting up a task force that would deal with countries where corruption is considered normal.
Changing Sides
The upgraded anti-corruption compliance measures include rigorous rules and procedures, internal controls, training, increased auditing procedures, and issue escalation and remediation protocols that are meant to meet or surpass federal law enforcement agencies’ existing expectations.
When Walmart Came To Town
Although Walmart changed the American way of shopping for the best, it wasn’t without backlash. When Walmart started to offer bulk shopping and low prices, small mom-and-pop shops suffered. These small shops couldn’t keep up with Walmart, and as a result, many collapsed. Of course, most American citizens would prefer to pay low prices even if they have to buy a dozen.
When Walmart Came To Town
You may cut both your packaging and food waste by buying at bulk food stores. Purchasing in bulk eliminates the need for needless packing and single-use plastic, allowing you to focus on the delicious food rather than the additional packaging.
When Amazon Came To Town
In what some people are calling “a taste of their own medicine,” Walmart has suffered at the hands of Amazon. As an online shopping platform, Amazon offers consumers a place to buy from all over the world. At the same time, the company can avoid so many taxes that Walmart can’t. Amazon has surpassed Walmart as the world’s largest retailer outside of China for the first time.
When Amazon Came To Town
According to a story in today’s New York Times, Amazon sold more than $610 billion in items in the 12 months that ended in June, compared to $566 billion in sales by Walmart in the same period.
Covering Themselves
In order to protect themselves from going through an ordeal like this again, Walmart took further action. They released a statement to let the public know that their staff was being trained fully to ensure that this issue wouldn’t happen again. They also stated that they would train their staff to learn how to fix a problem like this and spot the issue with speed.
Covering Themselves
Walmart’s success can be credited to its own supply chain, which streamlines fulfillment and reduces costs. It also offers them greater control over their logistical network. Additionally, they have great customer service.
Clearing The Air
The whole saga that took place in the summer has left Walmart in a precarious position. Regardless of what allegations were put forward about Walmart having some secret plan to cheat people out of their money, Walmart has proven that it never intended to do so. Investigations have proven this point, and it has been confirmed that customers are safe to continue shopping there.
Clearing The Air
They even ensured the security of any online transaction. “You may have a compromised card if you don’t recognize Walmart.com charges on your credit/debit card Use the Contact us button to receive instant help,” according to Walmart’s website.
Snopes To The Rescue
Is Walmart sneaking charges on your bill without you even knowing it? After the massive story broke about the woman who paid $10 extra, Snopes.com got involved. Snopes is a website that fights to dispel fake stories and myths and clarify the truths. Their findings concluded that there was no such thing as a “jajket” phantom item.
Snopes To The Rescue
There was a claim that says Walmart has been adding a “phantom charge” of $10 to shoppers’ bills for ten years.
After a fact check by Snopes, the answer is NO. They are not adding phantom charges to their shoppers’ bills.
The Dangers Of Social Media
Whether Sharon’s intentions were well-intended or not, the result of her online posting was quite damaging. Walmart managed to recover its image and reputation, but it very easily could have lost it. The dangers of posting on social media without fully knowing or understanding a situation can potentially destroy a business or a person. So as the saying goes, think before you click.
The Dangers Of Social Media
Although social media has many advantages, it may also give a platform for bullying and exclusion, false expectations about body image and sources of popularity, normalization of risk-taking behaviors, and damage to mental health.
A Lesson To Learn
Coming away from this story, we can all learn something valuable. Right at the beginning of the story, a store representative told Sharon that the company had a plan to rip customers off. Instead of investigating the issue further, this ridiculous rumor exploded in the media as a “fact.” Investigating from valid sources should be a top priority before judging someone or making conclusions.
A Lesson To Learn
Despite its many perks, social media is regarded as one of society’s most dangerous aspects. If social media usage is not supervised, it can have serious effects. It is harmful because it invades your privacy like never before.
Final Note
If we all take a second to step back and look at the full picture, we can see a situation more clearly. Instead of jumping to conclusions, which is easier, we should give the other the benefit of the doubt. After all, isn’t it that we state, “innocent until proven guilty?” Sometimes they’re never proven guilty. Giving others the benefit of the doubt is an essential element of life.
Final Note
It’s what allows us to see the best in others, even when they mess up. It’s a trait we should all aim for since it makes us better individuals. Not to mention that it may lead to some pretty amazing things in life.
Getting The Experts
Today brought in Kelli Grant, a consumer reporter, to ask her some questions about overcharging in stores. She first suggested that shoppers know what they want from the store. She insisted that it wouldn’t help to argue with a store manager about an overcharge if you didn’t even know what you wanted out of it. An overcharge is when a business charges you too much money (price gouging), posts one price, and charges you more than the posted price.
Getting The Experts
It is a request for payment that is more than the real price or value of a product or service. You should contact the company as soon as you realize the wrong charge. Request a meeting with management and explain the circumstances.
Utilizing Social Media
Grant went on to explain that it doesn’t usually help to post a complaint on social media. Provide as much information as possible, such as when you went, what you ordered, how much you expected to be charged, and how much you were actually charged. Many times a consumer will have to tag the customer service branch of a company and not just the company itself. A company that consumers can utilize is Stellaservice.
Utilizing Social Media
Can a store overcharge you? No, the store is required by law to charge you the lowest of the advertised or posted prices. Should you use social media to address the problem? The easiest answer is NO.
Price Matches Item
A very important practice is to ensure the price on the shelf matches the item you take. So if you grab a pack of peanuts and the price tag shows $40, chances are that there was a mistake with the price. Unless, of course, they’re golden peanuts. Price matching, often known as a price guarantee, is a policy implemented by certain merchants that states that if you discover an identical item at a lower price, they will match or beat it.
Price Matches Item
Price matching can be requested online or in-store, usually, before you make the purchase, depending on the business. If you offer a product for $20 and your competitor sells it for $15, you will match the price but lose $5.
True Or False
A blogger posted a tip to customers about Walmart’s policy that drew a lot of attention. She wrote, “If your item rings up higher than the shelf price: If your item is $3 or less, you get the item for free. If the item is over $3, you get $3 off your total bill!”
True Or False
On the other hand, price matching is a policy implemented by certain merchants that states that if you discover an identical item at a lower price, they will match or beat it. Price matching can be requested online or in-store, usually, before you make the purchase, depending on the business.
Taking It Higher
Immediately people started trying this “trick,” but not everyone got the same response as Samantha. One man explained what happened to him: “I was told once at the Walmart in Broken Bow, Oklahoma that they did NOT honor that anymore.
Taking It Higher
So, I emailed the corporate headquarters and told them what the Customer Service representative told me, and they sent me a check for the $3.00 plus a $5.00 check for my trouble.”
Honest Mistakes
There are so many things that can get good, hard-working people fired. Honest mistakes often carry hard-hitting consequences. Sometimes a mistake can occur because there are so many different hands that are involved in the work. An employee explained from his perspective, “A lot of our shelves are stocked and tagged by vendors (pop, bread, chips, candy, magazines), so the mistakes that they make are not actually the store’s mistakes.”
Honest Mistakes
Just be honest about what you did and accept your faults without worrying about what others may think or perceive. Honesty is the only way to convert your mistake into a success. Be willing to learn from your errors and to be honest with yourself.
Just A Skirt
Social media user Donna Skipper said what happened to her, ” Today I bought a skirt at Walmart, from the clearance rack, that was marked $9.00. When the item was being rung up at the register, it came up for $16.94! The cashier noticed the error right away but had to have a CS rep. come over to correct something.”
Just A Skirt
According to her, “When she came up to the register, I pointed out to her that I wanted $3.00 off the total price. She didn’t argue with me and took it right off. So, the skirt that originally cost $16.94 I got for $6.00!”
What About Undercharging
Undercharging is asking someone to pay less than the real price or value of a product or service. A great question circling these arguments now is, what if the store you bought at undercharged you? Would most people go ahead and tell the cashier, or would they keep it to themselves? It’s actually an important question.
What About Undercharging
You can’t just issue a fresh invoice if you mistakenly undercharge a customer, whether due to an error or a change in expenses throughout a project. This might disrupt the customer’s financial operations and lead to a perplexing scenario, especially if the invoice has already been paid. Send a debit notice instead.