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

tiny 2 · ‎03-10-2010

@Nonametoday wrote:
@SilleeMee wrote:
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.
@SilleeMee
Maybe your WM but not mine.

@Nonametoday They just started this. My last order was the first time. It will probably get to you soon.

cottoncandi · ‎03-29-2012

The very same happens to me and a few family members when we use curbside at our local Walmart. This Walmart substitutes their brand for many of the name brand items we select for our online order and this happens on every single order. My husband or I will go inside immediately after our order is loaded into our car and find the exact item we originally ordered on their shelf inside the store. The very item they say they do NOT have available is there on the shelf.

We prefer to use Kroger and on occasion HEB now for our online grocery ordering because they most usually have every item we want or need. Typically not many substitutions.

My mom places her Walmart order every Monday and it's always the same. Her ordered name brand items are substituted for the Walmart brand. She no longer allows any substitutions of Walmart brand food items as she does not like the taste of that brand. It's too far for her to drive to another store. She's glad she has a store available but frustrating when you cannot get what they say they have available online. You're right Its bait and switch no matter how you look at it.

Kachina624 · ‎03-10-2010

@cottoncandi. Your husband must be really short on things to do if he rushes into the store to check on items. Did it ever occur to either of you that perhaps the items were stocked after your order was pulled? Why would they want to sell you less expensive merchandise?

New Mexico☀️Land Of Enchantment

Anonymous032819 · ‎03-29-2019

@Kachina624 wrote:
@cottoncandi. Your husband must be really short on things to do if he rushes into the store to check on items. Did it ever occur to either of you that perhaps the items were stocked after your order was pulled? Why would they want to sell you less expensive merchandise?

@Kachina624

My take on it is, if she or the husband has time to "rush in to the store", then they have the time to do the shopping themselves.

That way there is no "bait & switch" being pulled on them .

Problem solved.

The Sky looks different when you have someone you love up there.

Kachina624 · ‎03-10-2010

@Anonymous032819. Good point.

New Mexico☀️Land Of Enchantment

Georgiagrama · ‎03-19-2010

@Sooner wrote:
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!

@Sooner I've had much better service at Wal Mart than I have at Kroger. I will often accept substitutions at Wal Mart and have actually gotten a better product than what I ordered.

I am checking Wal Mart even more frequently than Amazon these days, and I'm an Amazon Prime member.

Georgiagrama · ‎03-19-2010

@TheMemphisVette wrote:
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

@TheMemphisVette I just began using Wal Mart in the past few months. Kroger has let me down more times than I could recover from so I gave Wal Mart a try.

Much, much, better service. I'm very happy with them.

Georgiagrama · ‎03-19-2010

@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 I agree. I'm quite pleased with Wal Mart's curb service. I've never been charged for anything that I did not get and the person that brings my order out, ALWAYS has shown that my charges were adjusted. Several times, I didn't even meet the minimum when that happened.

My local Kroger however is just the opposite.

kitcat51 · ‎09-15-2016

Walmart isn doing a bait & switch, the OP simply doesn't understand what that means. On the order list substitutions can be turned off, if you do choose them you can say no to any substitution you don't like when you pick the order up & nothing is charged to your CC until the transaction is completed, then a receipt is emailed & if there are any charges that aren't correct all it takes is a phone call to get a credit. It's a great service & I'm grateful it's available.

bonnielu · ‎03-11-2010

I have never had any grocery pickups. Never tried it. I do see the orders being set up and have come across the people doing it. Just the other day I stopped one of them for help since they seem to know where everything is. Upon talking to them they do not work for the store itself but are part of an independent service (Walmart was where I was).