Is Your Walmart Doing a Bait and Switch Game? - Page 6

Nonametoday · ‎03-09-2010

@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 · ‎03-09-2010

@KatieB wrote:
@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!
Go somewhere else to shop if you don't like their service. Griping about it is not going to change their policies.

@KatieB

Excuse me. That was totally rude. I believe this is a community chat where people voice their concerns and their joys. She has as much right to complain about her grocery experience as you do to gripe about her posting experience.

I have had the same experiences at WM and I have had better experiences. I have read many posts here that I did not care for, just as you apparently did, but had nothing to do with me, so I did not reply. May I suggest that we all not comment if our commentary has nothing to do with the same experience.

KatieB · ‎03-10-2010

@Nonametoday wrote:
@KatieB wrote:
@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!
Go somewhere else to shop if you don't like their service. Griping about it is not going to change their policies.
@KatieB
Excuse me. That was totally rude. I believe this is a community chat where people voice their concerns and their joys. She has as much right to complain about her grocery experience as you do to gripe about her posting experience.

I have had the same experiences at WM and I have had better experiences. I have read many posts here that I did not care for, just as you apparently did, but had nothing to do with me, so I did not reply. May I suggest that we all not comment if our commentary has nothing to do with the same experience.

@Nonametoday No, it was not 'totally rude" (is that worse than plain old rude?). Like you said I was voicing my opinion - to shop at another place if she didn' like their service and that complaining (griping) about it was not going to change it.

Nonametoday · ‎03-09-2010

@San Antonio Gal wrote:
@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.
I agree with @RespectLife . I think they're doing the best they can. If you're not able to shop, pay someone to do it for you that you can be on the phone with for each item needed.

@San Antonio Gal I have done that with Instacart where they notify you, supposedly before picking up a substitute item. However, that was not a pleasant experience and I am a good tipper but had to stop that as well.

However, Walmart misrepresents what they do. They say they pick a higher-end item for you at the same price as the lower end item you chose. WRONG. They choose a lower end item (their house brand) for you and often you are charged the same price, or that has happened to me.

Once, I was charged for 96 diet cokes which I did not get. I called the manager because their pick-up supervsior, in all her arrogance would not even let me show her where I had ordered but had not gotten but had been charged for 96 diet cokes, #4 of the 24-cans. I don't think she was even literate enough to understand what I was saying.

I went home and tried to correct it on line. I called the manager of the store and he refused to take my call.

I was talking with a friend, whose husband is a state senator. Not about that but about some gardening business and just mentioned why I was late calling her. I got the 96 cokes delivered to me. I don't want that. I want what I ordered right then if I paid for it.

How many other people had a similar experience but were not fortunate enough to have a friend whose husband was in a position to call on the store's district manager to get it straight. Rare, probably never. It might have only been $20 or thereabout but if that or similar thing happens to 2,000 people per day, how much that come to over a year's time.

Sooner · ‎03-10-2010

@Kachina624 wrote:
@Sooner. The purpose of bait and switch is to sell you a more expensive item. Walmart doesn't do that. Read the definition above.

@Kachina624

Bait and switch is a tactic to promote items you do not have or have enough of, and maybe selling at a great loss to pull people into a store and hope they buy something else while they are there.

It does not have to be targeted toawrd a more expensive similar item, but it can be just to pull customers to you

That's about all I've got, but bait and switch does not have be involve a similar item. It can be just to get traffic to you.

CrazyDaisy · ‎03-20-2010

@Nonametoday wrote:
@San Antonio Gal wrote:
@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.
I agree with @RespectLife . I think they're doing the best they can. If you're not able to shop, pay someone to do it for you that you can be on the phone with for each item needed.
@San Antonio Gal I have done that with Instacart where they notify you, supposedly before picking up a substitute item. However, that was not a pleasant experience and I am a good tipper but had to stop that as well.

However, Walmart misrepresents what they do. They say they pick a higher-end item for you at the same price as the lower end item you chose. WRONG. They choose a lower end item (their house brand) for you and often you are charged the same price, or that has happened to me.

Once, I was charged for 96 diet cokes which I did not get. I called the manager because their pick-up supervsior, in all her arrogance would not even let me show her where I had ordered but had not gotten but had been charged for 96 diet cokes, #4 of the 24-cans. I don't think she was even literate enough to understand what I was saying.

I went home and tried to correct it on line. I called the manager of the store and he refused to take my call.

I was talking with a friend, whose husband is a state senator. Not about that but about some gardening business and just mentioned why I was late calling her. I got the 96 cokes delivered to me. I don't want that. I want what I ordered right then if I paid for it.

How many other people had a similar experience but were not fortunate enough to have a friend whose husband was in a position to call on the store's district manager to get it straight. Rare, probably never. It might have only been $20 or thereabout but if that or similar thing happens to 2,000 people per day, how much that come to over a year's time.

My understanding is that any discrepancy is to be resolved when you take delivery. Once you leave neither side can prove who is right.

Someday, when scientists discover the center of the Universe....some people will be disappointed it is not them.

novamc1 · ‎07-02-2015

If you haven't personally visited grocery stores lately, you might not know that the shelves are only partially filled or entirely wiped out.

Either store personnel or personal shoppers filling orders for pickup or delivery to customers can easily deplete a store's inventory of popular items. And I'm not talking about paper products or disinfecting wipes..........just basic foods, seasonings, canned goods, etc.

I chased around to three stores recently just to find one item I mistakenly thought I already had and needed to fix a planned meal that night. Eventually wound up with a Kroger house brand for that item. I felt lucky to find the item at all, after that whirlwind shopping trip!

red&curly · ‎12-30-2019

I feel bad that some have had bad experiences but it is a free service I have used since its beginning. All in All I am grateful to have now cause people in our area don't mask either.

I always use store brands .Working in a factory lets me know low end & high end brands come from same plant alot if times.My substitutions are almost always higher price goods. Even larger size.I appreciate that the sell to me at lesser price.They certainly don't have to do this nor do they have to give free service.

I understand if I order on Thursday. That by Sat.some things are sold out as I can imagine how many people shopped between those days.

I order alot online sent to the house 2day free shipping on $35.

I'm thankful those girls out in pouring rain & now the cold place my groceries in my car while I sit in dry & warm.

Not perfect but then nothing is but I take it & love it.

SuhseK · ‎08-19-2018

I don't think you quite, understand bait and switch.

Bait and switch, is when a retailer, advertises, or offers, an item at a certain price, but, when consumers try to purchase the item, they're told, " it's out of stock, we didn't get stock in, we're being told we can't get anymore, so, no rain checks, etc. Customers are then, given a sales pitch, for a similar, but higher priced item. This usually involves, higher ticket items, often appliances, TV's, furniture, that sort of thing. If it can be proven, the retailer, can be heavily fined!

If you place a grocery order, there is a risk, of the item selling out; especially high demand items, like cleaning supplies and name brands. As busy as many Walmart's are, I don't find that unusual.

Sure it's annoying, but, I guess either do your own shopping, and, if you choose not to, be sure and Mark no substitutes.