topic Re: Is Your Walmart Doing a Bait and Switch Game? in Community Chat

Is Your Walmart Doing a Bait and Switch Game?

Sooner — Fri, 04 Dec 2020 14:16:06 GMT

We have been doing grocery pickups and two things are a pattern with them.

First of all, unless you say no substitutes, you get their store brands for a LOT of products.

Second, they always say they have wipes and things hard to find. So even if you don't allow substitutions on these, after it's all said and done, at the last minute when you can't change or cancel, guess what? They are out of these and you can't get any.

AND they are holding funds on your card for the whole amount. I see a dirty pattern of bait and switch and a shell game of what they have and don't have going on here and it makes me mad!

Re: Is Your Walmart Doing a Bait and Switch Game?

SharkE — Fri, 04 Dec 2020 14:18:29 GMT

I'd never use that service, myself. As long as I'm able to walk and drive I want to depend only on myself.

Re: Is Your Walmart Doing a Bait and Switch Game?

TheMemphisVette — Fri, 04 Dec 2020 14:20:35 GMT

nope

i order house brand on many items.

they have subbed more expensive name brands more times than i can count.

i have been doing walmart grocery pickup since spring of 2019

Re: Is Your Walmart Doing a Bait and Switch Game?

Anonymous032819 — Fri, 04 Dec 2020 14:23:50 GMT

And this is why I put on a mask and go out and shop myself.

That way I know exactly what I am getting.

Problem solved.

Re: Is Your Walmart Doing a Bait and Switch Game?

FranandZoe — Fri, 04 Dec 2020 14:30:32 GMT

I don't use the service either - I prefer to do my own shopping.

Re: Is Your Walmart Doing a Bait and Switch Game?

RespectLife — Fri, 04 Dec 2020 14:45:24 GMT

I don't call that bait and switch at all!

They are not trying to lure you into purchasing a more expensive item while advertising lesser.

You are using a service that is doing its best to provide what is on your list. There are going to be subs of course. They will not have everything exactly as you want it.

Be thankful there is even these kinds of services.

If you are not satisfied with their shopping for you and are unable to go yourself, maybe a family member could go for you. That way you could be on the phone with them and guide them through exactly what you want.

Re: Is Your Walmart Doing a Bait and Switch Game?

Sooner — Fri, 04 Dec 2020 14:58:15 GMT

@RespectLife wrote:
I don't call that bait and switch at all!

They are not trying to lure you into purchasing a more expensive item while advertising lesser.

You are using a service that is doing its best to provide what is on your list. There are going to be subs of course. They will not have everything exactly as you want it.

Be thankful there is even these kinds of services.

If you are not satisfied with their shopping for you and are unable to go yourself, maybe a family member could go for you. That way you could be on the phone with them and guide them through exactly what you want.

@RespectLife It IS bait and switch because I don't want their house brand products, I want the brand name product they say they have when I order, then don't tell me they don't have until I can't delete the item.

They make more profit when they sell me their own brand, that I don't want, than the national brand I do want.

It's a business not a charity and they are playing a game of switching things on the order to things that are more profitable to them, and luring people to order saying they have things hard to get when they really don't have them in stock.

And no, I don't have someone to shop for me, wouldn't ask that anyway.

We live near enough a Whole Foods to go every few weeks and they are always upfront about what they have and don't have.

What makes me mad about Walmart is they have a computerized inventory and it's that they cancel or switch at the last minute, after you are allowed to agree or disagree with the decision.

Re: Is Your Walmart Doing a Bait and Switch Game?

mimomof4 — Fri, 04 Dec 2020 14:59:44 GMT

Normally I'm not a big fan of Walmart. Everything you described does NOT sound like bait and switch to me. You as the consumer have the ability to refuse substitutes. As YOU the consumer placed an order they should be holding the entire amount on your credit card until the amount is verifed upon order pick up. I see nothing wrong with this at all. When I place grocery orders I often make changes so I accept that additional funds will be held on my account temporarily and then resolved.

I have actually found Walmart (and Sams) grocery order pick up to be very well run and have had great success using it when it needed. While I prefer shopping myself COVID did go through our home a month ago so it was nice to have a way to still get groceries and not come in contact with anyone.

Re: Is Your Walmart Doing a Bait and Switch Game?

SilleeMee — Fri, 04 Dec 2020 15:02:35 GMT

WM offers a place, at checkout, where you can choose a specific substitution from a list they show you and those are not always their in-house brands but others as well. The ones they offer as substitutes largely depends on what they have in inventory at the time you place your order so you may not see very many items listed there or sometimes you may see several. Their substitutions are usually items which are similar in type but may not be exactly what you want and in that case you can just choose not to accept that at the time of order, it won't be substituted and you won't be charged when you pick up your order. You should get an email ahead of time to let you know about substitutions and out-of-stock (not substituted) items before you pick up your order.

Re: Is Your Walmart Doing a Bait and Switch Game?

Sooner — Fri, 04 Dec 2020 15:04:51 GMT

@mimomof4 Not the way it works. They too often substitute house brands. They also DO NOT tell you they are out of wipes until almost time to pick up the order. And these happen consistently. So it is a pattern.

Re: Is Your Walmart Doing a Bait and Switch Game?

ValuSkr — Fri, 04 Dec 2020 15:06:42 GMT

Walmart is a poor substitute for a supermarket. Yes, prices are good. But don't go into the store wanting something specific because there's a greater than 50% chance they won't have it - either the shelf is bare or they don't carry it. The only time I go is when there's a really good offer, like the Ibotta-Walmart free Thanksgiving dinner.

Re: Is Your Walmart Doing a Bait and Switch Game?

mimomof4 — Fri, 04 Dec 2020 15:13:49 GMT

@Sooner wrote:
@mimomof4 Not the way it works. They too often substitute house brands. They also DO NOT tell you they are out of wipes until almost time to pick up the order. And these happen consistently. So it is a pattern.

@Sooner Personally I tend to purchase house brands and rarely purchase wipes so that doesn't impact me. Regardless Walmart does not know until they actually do your shop what is on the shelf or not. They aren't going to do the shop until close to your pick up time so your products are fresh. I easily accept that I won't receive the text for substitutions until 45 minutes before my pick up time.

You do realize that all stores are selling out of wipes almost as soon as they are on the shelf, right? In all honesty the obsession with cleaning wipes is over the top and not necessary if you look at recent reports which have come out.

Sounds as if you shouldn't be using grocery pick up.

Re: Is Your Walmart Doing a Bait and Switch Game?

SilleeMee — Fri, 04 Dec 2020 15:17:00 GMT

The way I see grocery pick-up service is that it's they way it's going to be for a while for me. It's not perfect but I don't have a choice at the present time. I hope to go back into stores some day in the future but now is not the time. I just have to accept what they give me now and not complain because I couldn't do it without their help...even if it's not exactly 100% acceptable...I'll settle for less for now until things get better. Everyone is working hard and it's stressful to say the least.

Re: Is Your Walmart Doing a Bait and Switch Game?

KonaKat — Fri, 04 Dec 2020 15:17:35 GMT

I have used the Walmart grocery curbside service since March and cannot be more pleased. If you don't want substitutions, you can indicate that on the app. I have had one to two substitutions and was told via email what was being substituted. In those cases, the Walmart brand I wanted was replaced by a more expensive brand but charged at the lower Walmart price. On my last order, the possible substitutions were listed for me to choose one of them. They do a great job of picking out my fruit and is as good as if I had picked it out.

It certainly beats going into the store and not being tempted by unncessary purchases. Before submitting the order, I always make sure it is within the dollar limit or close to it and if more than $10 more than the budget, I then review and edit the order to bring the dollar amount into the accepted range. I get no "checkout sticker shock" with this.

Re: Is Your Walmart Doing a Bait and Switch Game?

mspatmac — Fri, 04 Dec 2020 15:21:44 GMT

I use a Walmart Neighborhood market rather than a Super Walmart for pick up and haven't experienced bait and switch. They are very upfront, give me the option of choosing substitutions, let me know before I get to the store if things are out of stock and what if any subsitutions have been made. The Naighborhood Market does not have a deli as yet so I also use pick up at a local small market for deli, meats, and bakery. So between the two, with the exception of wipes I can usually get most everything I want/need.

Re: Is Your Walmart Doing a Bait and Switch Game?

4kitties — Fri, 04 Dec 2020 15:26:12 GMT

No bait and switch at my Walmart. I have done both the pickup and shopping in person. The employees at my Walmart are working hard to get all the pickup orders filled and they do a great job. Any time they substitute an item for me, it has been of better quality or quantity.

When I shop in person, there are certain shelves that are almost bare and certain items that are just not available in the quantities they need. If you do not want any substitutes, just indicate that and there will not be any brands you do not want.

Re: Is Your Walmart Doing a Bait and Switch Game?

PickyPicky3 — Fri, 04 Dec 2020 15:38:16 GMT

@SilleeMee I've been using Walmart curbside pickup since March and have never had a specific substitution choice at checkout. I wonder if that's available only in certain stores. Do you have it for both curbside and delivery?

As far as quality, Walmart may not have the widest food selection, but I think its website/ordering/pickup system is the best. I find their prices average, given that there are no true sales and you can't use coupons. And where else could I get food and furnace filters in the same order?

Two months ago I asked Walmart if they could sell Lactaid cottage cheese, which they didn't carry, through their website. Ten days later it was there, at the lowest price I'd ever seen and available at four area stores. That's customer service.

Re: Is Your Walmart Doing a Bait and Switch Game?

Etoile308 — Fri, 04 Dec 2020 15:39:16 GMT

If you don’t want substitutions you simply check a box. If you don’t mind substitutions but then see what the substitutions are and don’t want it, you simply decline the substitutes item. In fact, you can decline a substitution up to the point they put it in your car. I don’t see a problem.

Also, inventory is constantly changing. Some items may be out of stock, two days later it becomes available and you can place it in your cart. It’s a constant ebb and flow and for me sure beats the alternative of shopping in a constantly busy store.

Re: Is Your Walmart Doing a Bait and Switch Game?

Wsmom — Fri, 04 Dec 2020 15:52:43 GMT

Unfortunately the two times I did the grocery pickup were fails so I don't do it anymore. The grocery store shopper appeared to just randomly grab whatever happened to be on the aisle. So not a substitution, just something totally different on the aisle kind of thing. It was like opening a mystery box. And I think Target uses that as a way to get rid of the damaged items...donuts that had clearly been run over and smashed. I have never had either of those problems with Instacart so if I just can't go into a store that's who I use.

Re: Is Your Walmart Doing a Bait and Switch Game?

MoJoV — Fri, 04 Dec 2020 15:58:01 GMT

We're very happy with Wal-Mart pick up. The substitutions we've had were from Wal-Mart brand to name brand and they charged us the lesser price. I'm so appreciative of this service and the pleasant people who load our groceries. We've also used Jewel pickup service and Wal-Mart is far better.