Reader F. put some Consumerist-savvy to work and got Walmart to honor the price shown on their website. You see, when something is out of stock on Walmart.com — the item’s description says “Not Sold Online,” rather than “Out of Stock.” Not being psychic, F. took this to mean that the item was not sold online, and would be available at the listed price at the store…
Normally I avoid Walmart like the plague, but having just moved I am skint (broke, out of money, impoverished). My computer monitor was broken (cracked, actually) sometime in the process of moving residences, and I needed a replacement ASAP. So I was price comparing online, and the Dell SE198WFP seemed like a nice enough deal.
Walmart advertises the SE198WFP for $188.72 on their website, and the site also says it’s in stock at my local store. **The website also specifically says “Not Sold Online.”**
Well, we get to the Walmart in Okemos, Michigan and find the monitor. It is tagged as $198.00, $10 more than the price as listed online. I grab the girl at the electronics counter (as she sighs because I am interrupting her text messaging), and inform her I need a monitor. At this point I am assuming this is a non-issue, and they will happily give me the web advertised price. Not so.
As she is unlocking the monitor from its electronic alarm, I mention the price discrepancy. She now has a sour look on her face and says she can’t sell it to me for that price. But I read The Consumerist every single day. I felt bad enough shopping at Walmart to begin with, I wasn’t going to let them get away with this.
I point out that advertising one price to lure customers into the store and then trying to charge another higher price is tantamount to false advertising. She says there is nothing she can do (lies!), and I need to talk to a manager. I ask for a manager.
Well, she walks away and ostensibly calls a manager with the issue. We wait for around five minutes, and the girl comes back. I get some more information, but the manager never appears.
She proceeds to tell me that when a product is sold out online, the website says “Not Sold Online,” but they can’t “comp” themselves. She then informs me she dealt with this same issue earlier in the day; someone wanted to buy a computer advertised online for $50 less than the store had it listed for. She continued with this talk of not being able to “comp” themselves, and how even though the website says “not sold online,” lists a price, and informs you of your local stores stock status, that the price isn’t actually valid.
I wasn’t having it. I asked point blank, “so you are unwavering on the issue?” She says yes.
My response is simple. I tell her that it was unacceptable for a corporately controlled chain to lure customers into their stores with no intent to honor prices advertised by that very same corporation. Furthermore I tell her to do so is illegal in the state of Michigan (it is). I go on to say that if they were insistent, I was left with a specific course of action. I would file with the state AG office, file with the BBB (even though it does nothing), call exec.. cu… tive… I am cut off mid-sentence. That’s all she needed to hear.
In a huff, she unlocks the monitor, takes it to the counter, and rings me up at the web advertised price without so much as a call to her manager. Apparently they can “comp” themselves.
What concerns me is not a measly $10. What concerns me is that, as she evidenced, this happens often. How many customers are going to brick and mortar stores to pick up items advertised online, only to find prices markedly higher than advertised? And how many of those customers cave in, not being aggressive about their rights as a consumer?
-F Scott
We hear about this sort of thing often. Some general advice: Some stores have mouse-print on their websites that specifically excuse themselves from having to price match their own websites. If you’re going to try to get them to price match, make sure to bring a printout of the website with you, as some retailers have a habit of trying to skirt the issue by tricking you into thinking that the “sale ended while you were in the car.”
As far as Walmart.com goes, “not sold online” is a very misleading way to say “out of stock.” You were correct to demand the “not sold online” price. We’re so proud!
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The local Best Buy does this all the time. One time I went to see if they’d match the online 7.99 price for a CD with a sticker that said 13.99. Nope, not in our system, sorry. I went over to their “search to see if your media is in-stock so we don’t have to” kiosk and the KIOSK listed it as 7.99. Very weird. They gave in after the kiosk price was 7.99 and sold it at that price. I’m pretty sure the kiosk was just searching their website anyways, so why not give it up for the website price to begin with?
@stacye:
and also if you click on the find in store button it says they don’t match prices online and store prices may vary from store to store.
But who cares now it’s back in stock online and has 97 cent shipping.
@murphy1701: Something is confusing to me. At what point does the 188.72 price state that it was for in store pricing?
At the point where it says “Wal-Mart” at the top of the page, and on the front of the building that the OP entered. I just find something highly irregular with a company advertising some price for an item “not sold online”, then tacking on another $10 for you to buy it in their brick and mortar location.
“Pricing Policy
About Our Prices
We strive to provide you with the lowest prices possible on Walmart.com as well as in our stores. However, sometimes a price online does not match the price in a store. Walmart.com’s prices may be either higher or lower than local store prices. Our local stores do not honor Walmart.com pricing or competitor advertisements from outside of a store’s local trade territory.”
thats on their site, waaaaay down, but its there.
lame.
@endless:
Yeah, they just recently added this, I believe. You used to have to sift through a few pages of bullshit to get to it. Working in the cell phone department I don’t have much to do, so I’ve sadly become too familiar with the Wal-mart website.
When did the OP do this? “Not sold online” has always meant just that, not sure why the employee told him it meant “out of stock” (probably misinformed/lazy). It’s available to purchase online as of right now, though. I know at one point all the Dell merchandise was online, but only available for purchase in stores (something to do with their agreement, I’d assume). If the OP did this in the last couple days it may have been a glitch that it said “not sold online”.
As an employee of Wal-mart, I do agree that it’s silly that the company does not match it’s own website. At least now they do a better(albeit not great) job of indicating that on the site.
And actually, if the OP did search for stock in stores, he missed the pink box at the top of the “In-Store Availability” pop-up that says “Online and store prices may differ, and prices may vary from store to store. See Pricing Information for details.” with a link to the details.
@jbball: Send out $10.00 to every person who has responded to this blog. I think you’ll get the picture.
Walmart is cleaning up by fleecing people with their bait and switch. It’s the principle of the matter, not a measly $10.00.
It’s sad that so many consumers think the way you do. It’s only $10.00………..
I got caught in the price bait and switch a month or so back. I needed a play and charge kit for my xbox360.
I see it on Walmarts website for $17.xx, I get a ride to the store and it’s $20.xx. I of course complained about the price, but since there was “nothing” the cashier could do, I begrudgingly payed the $20 plus tax.
First of all, I don’t see why everyone is attacking Jball. His opinion was basically suck it up. Whether you agree with it or not, it was a valid opinion. Yet, half the posters here filet him alive like he’s a complete moron. I just don’t see the anonymous net hatred because “his opinion is different from mine!??!??!”
As far as the situation itself, I work at Wal-Mart. It is a malevolent, evil, sadistic company. That being said, some random cashier didn’t actually make the rules. Treating other people like shit because your angry because she’s doing her job is ridiculous. If she did that for every person that complained about unfair Wal-Mart practices, she wouldn’t have a job. People on here are complaining about Jball sending ten dollars to everyone. Are you going to send 6.50 and hour to this girl?
I really love the Gawker media websites (specifically Kotaku, but this one and Lifehacker are growing on me). I just don’t see why people have to argue so vehemently over what should be a civil discussion.
@SkokieGuy: LOL. It is a sphincter, isn’t it?
Well done, Walmart!
@Jbball:
“$10 f—ing dollars.”
Hilarious!
Translates to: Ten dollars f—ing dollars.
Get your GSP straight before you start ripping the OP, genius.
Although shady practices as described in the OP suck balls, so do customers who throw all kinds of statutes around people who’d rather be at home with their family. There’s a fine line between knowing your rights and behaving civilly, and in this case I believe the OP behaved as despicably as the bait-and-switch.
Hey wait a damn minute……
What about Shipping and Handling Costs?
OP it would have probably cost you $10 just to ship it to your address anyway. If not more.
Chill the fuck out
Why not take it to Best Buy or another retailer and have them price match wal-mart?
@Jbball:Ah, welcome to bizarro world where broken actually means “fuly functional”! Plus, how does the layman know that “Not Sold Online” actually means “Out of Stock”? Plus with gas prices what they are, and him already spending the time to go out, it’s just as worth it to wait and force the price there.
@StellaSquash: And according to the electronics person the OP talked to, Not Sold Online means out of stock.
@Azraeus: Everyone is “attacking” him because he’s basically saying it was wrong to force a company to live up to their advertisements, which is counter to the idea of this site to begin with.
I think it’s strange that if, like some other commenters have suggested, Not Sold Online means just that rather than some replacement for Out of Stock that WalMart would have a higher price in store. Disclaimer or not, that’s bait and switch. If the only place it can be bought is in store, one would likely assume that the price is being offered in store, particularly the way that page is laid out.
Target does the same thing. Prices online are priced strategically to be competitive with other online retailers. The in-store prices are competitive with stores in the local area. Therefore, online prices may be different than store prices. Also, the store a few towns over may have a different price. I’m assuming Walmart is the same way.
The Walmart website does say that prices in local stores may differ from the price shown online, so I don’t see how there’s an argument here. There is no deception if the policy is spelled out right in front of your face. DON’T ASSUME THINGS!
(I am a Target Team Member, but not an official spokesperson)
I think you’ll find that if the item was sold online, you’d pay about $10 for shipping and handling.
Generally the “Free Site to Store” shipping items are the same price as the items in the store.
I had one “savvy” Wal Mart manager explain this once, saying they could match the online prices with shipping and handling.
Just shop at Newegg. No tax most places.
@Xerloq: Just checked, and this qualifies for Site to Store. Glad you stood up to Wally.
Meg,
One thing I found interesting on Wal-Mart’s website regarding price
issues from the web vs. in-store. Please see the picture attached.
Disclaimer is stated below:
Online and store prices may differ, and prices may vary from store to
store. See Pricing Information > for details.
>
I feel a small part of me dissolving every time I step into Chin.. err Walmart.