SC "wins" against WalMart

[SmivMoc]

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/0...-Walmart-Today

This diary is written by someone who obviously never worked in retail. It hits almost every rung on the SC/EW ladder on the way to the xellar. The comments, where anyone who tries to call him on his sucky behavior gets dogpiled, are just as bad.

[LuvianBlue]

I was on his side until he started relaying how he made this giant scene and actually called the police.

I also was a bit confused as to why he was complaining to the employees about how Walmart treats its employees like shit, as if that would somehow help his cause.

[Dreamstalker]

I'm wondering if, given the revelation that the card he purchased at the register was a temporary card, the T&C on the package was for the temp card and the one that would be sent to him did in fact have all the features?

[Headset Hellion]

Other than calling the police for what was clearly a civil matter, I'm siding with the customer on this one. As a customer service rep, I don't process a $300 transaction if I don't know what the hell I'm doing. If I don't understand the terms and conditions, I research it or find someone who is familiar with the product. Every employee involved in this fiasco was wrong, and while I do feel sorry for them that they work at Wal Mart, it doesn't excuse their behavior.

[shopgirl15]

I don't think he was a SC. He was right to be ticked off by the situation and that they had sold him the wrong card. Though I wouldn't really rely on a cashier to know all the details of a prepaid card.

[mjr]

The problem is the perspective. If this guy writes for/works for the Daily KOS, that's part of the problem. The Daily KOS is generally a far left-wing rag that is generally anti-big business, and a lot of it's readers are the same way.

And I do agree that it seems like the guy has never worked a retail/service job in his life, based on a quick skim of the article (just going to the Daily KOS made me feel like I needed a long, hot shower).

[mathnerd]

I was against the customer the second he revealed that he didn't actually read the packaging of the card until after he paid for it.

[Dreamstalker]

Ditto. I agree with the commentors who are saying that employees can't (and shouldn't) be expected to know the ins and out of every gift card they sell. Yes, they should be informed on the basics (upfront fees, etc), but the customer has a duty to know what they're paying for especially that amount of money. If he read the T&C, and then asked someone about it he might have gotten it explained to his satisfaction sooner.

Wait...we all know customers never read...

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

I was on his side until he started relaying how he made this giant scene and actually called the police.

I also was a bit confused as to why he was complaining to the employees about how Walmart treats its employees like shit, as if that would somehow help his cause.

Because, like many SCs, he shot past resolving his complaint into Making A Larger Point.

Which is where he completely loses me.

As for the actual complaint--it doesn't sound like he had the actual card in his hand, to read the terms and conditions, until after he paid for it. I also don't know why it was so hard for his money to be refunded, but I'm sure there is a reason.

The biggest problem is with the poster's attitude. Was this really worth a call to the police?

[mathnerd]

The terms and conditions he mentioned were ones that, at least the last time I looked at those cards, are clearly printed on the outside packaging.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Yes, but from the story, it sounds like he waited in line at the service desk, told the person there what he needed, and she gave him the card only after he paid for it.

IOW, he didn't get to read the terms and conditions until he paid for the card.

[Kheldarson]

God, the Wal-Mart Money Card, how I hated thee.

Whole damn system is one confusing mess.

But the answers to his questions were technically correct...for the permanent card. Unfortunately, Wal-Mart only sells temporaries, which are then replaced through mail by the permanent.

And, no, we can't refund your money without going through a whole big paperwork mess, so why would we want to do that when you can get the money in a couple of weeks?

Ass.

[smileyeagle1021]

I have to side with the customer on this one simply on principle. I don't know his entire situation, I know what he told me is biased, and I know that I know everything I need to know about the Wal-Mart Money Card, which is that their security is piss poor and they'll hold you responsible for their mistakes (in my case it was a $200 fraudulent charge that they refused to accept a dispute on because the person who used it knew my address... which they got from a breach in the Money Card network), so given what I know about Money Card, I fail to see how they can be in the right. I feel bad for the employees involved, it is not their fault that the corporation they work for is corrupt, but I'm glad to see this guy cost that corporation money.

[mikoyan29]

I was with him until he decided to make this some sort of crusade.