Woman banned for life from all Walmart stores in the U.S.
27/06/2011 2:32:00 PM
by Monica Bugajski
A heated argument between a customer and store staff - over coupons - has resulted in a woman from Idaho being banned from all Walmarts in America, for life.
When Boise, Idaho extreme couponer April Cuevas discovered that her local Walmart had made changes to its "Ad-Match" policy (a policy in which the store matches the advertised prices of its competitors), she asked to speak to the manager so she could better understand why oh why they would ever commit such a grievous affront to her spendthrift ways. She also decided to video record the conversation on her iPhone.
Ms. Cuevas claims that the conversation escalated to a full-blown argument and that the manager slapped the phone out of her hand, telling her to pay the full price or leave. Unsurprisingly, she left.
On another trip to the store after the incident, Ms. Cuevas was pursued by a plainclothes Walmart employee in the parking lot who informed her that she had just committed a crime. Bewildered, Ms. Cueves called the local police who notified her that she had been banned not only from her local Walmart, but also from every other Walmart in the U.S. for life.
Though Walmart has not yet commented on the issue, Ms. Cuevas believes the recording is what sparked the ban. She is mystified by what else she could have done wrong. Her husband is terrified that he too will be barred from the chain for speaking out against the retail giant.
The couple, who reportedly shops at Walmart almost every day, says that in such a difficult economy they depend on the hundreds of dollars in savings they gain from the hundreds of coupons they collect, which they maintain in a special book divided into various categories. Ms. Cuevas is anxious to see this issue resolved because she really, really, really wants to continue shopping at the store.
Now, I can't help but think that this ban may just be the best thing that has ever happened to Ms. Cuevas and her husband? The couple can spin this tale as much as they like as defending their God-given right to save, but it's plain as day to me that the real problem here goes a tad bit deeper.
So, the couple claims to need the coupons to save money at the already ridiculously discounted chain, but here's a thought, maybe, just maybe if the couple didn't shop at Walmart every single day, then they would save even more money than they do with the coupons.
The mere fact that Ms. Cuevas was driven to record her conversation with the store manager (has this happened before?) and the fact that she even owns a video-capable iPhone (not a coupon-able purchase) suggests that money saving isn't the real issue here. Have you ever tried taking a drink away from an alcoholic? Not a pretty sight.
But in our culture, we are encouraged to buy, buy, buy, and although coupons can be advantageous, they are often just a way to get us hooked and keep us coming back time after time for just a little bit more. And yes, a shopping addiction is socially acceptable, yet the motive behind such destructive behavior is akin to that of, let's say, a shoplifter, hoarder, or compulsive eater. What's more, the consequences of such an addiction can be just as dire to the individual and the family. What happens when money runs out and the debt keeps pilling up?
Ms. Cuevas's need to get the media involved leads me to assume that self-reflection isn't her strong suit and that she's sitting teetering on the brink. I'm not usually inclined to defend Walmart, but maybe this time the store is right.
http://news.sympatico.ca/oped/coffe...almart_stores_in_the_us/68a37c58#.TgudyM1mxD4
I'm curious to see what other peoples thoughts are on this article. I personally agree with Walmart, which is shocking, as I rarely have anything nice to say about the big box mart chain stores. Customer Service people don't deserve the amount of flak they get from customers and it seems like this lady was going over the line. I don't agree with a lifetime ban or with the smacking the phone out of the hand, but I do think that they had the right to ban her from that particular store for a long period of time.
I'm all about pinching pennies in this economy and I don't have anything negative to say about couponers. I just think it's atrocious how people treat each other these days, trying to scrap every dime they can at the detriment to others whether by ripping them off or suing them. Retail people are people too!
27/06/2011 2:32:00 PM
by Monica Bugajski
A heated argument between a customer and store staff - over coupons - has resulted in a woman from Idaho being banned from all Walmarts in America, for life.
When Boise, Idaho extreme couponer April Cuevas discovered that her local Walmart had made changes to its "Ad-Match" policy (a policy in which the store matches the advertised prices of its competitors), she asked to speak to the manager so she could better understand why oh why they would ever commit such a grievous affront to her spendthrift ways. She also decided to video record the conversation on her iPhone.
Ms. Cuevas claims that the conversation escalated to a full-blown argument and that the manager slapped the phone out of her hand, telling her to pay the full price or leave. Unsurprisingly, she left.
On another trip to the store after the incident, Ms. Cuevas was pursued by a plainclothes Walmart employee in the parking lot who informed her that she had just committed a crime. Bewildered, Ms. Cueves called the local police who notified her that she had been banned not only from her local Walmart, but also from every other Walmart in the U.S. for life.
Though Walmart has not yet commented on the issue, Ms. Cuevas believes the recording is what sparked the ban. She is mystified by what else she could have done wrong. Her husband is terrified that he too will be barred from the chain for speaking out against the retail giant.
The couple, who reportedly shops at Walmart almost every day, says that in such a difficult economy they depend on the hundreds of dollars in savings they gain from the hundreds of coupons they collect, which they maintain in a special book divided into various categories. Ms. Cuevas is anxious to see this issue resolved because she really, really, really wants to continue shopping at the store.
Now, I can't help but think that this ban may just be the best thing that has ever happened to Ms. Cuevas and her husband? The couple can spin this tale as much as they like as defending their God-given right to save, but it's plain as day to me that the real problem here goes a tad bit deeper.
So, the couple claims to need the coupons to save money at the already ridiculously discounted chain, but here's a thought, maybe, just maybe if the couple didn't shop at Walmart every single day, then they would save even more money than they do with the coupons.
The mere fact that Ms. Cuevas was driven to record her conversation with the store manager (has this happened before?) and the fact that she even owns a video-capable iPhone (not a coupon-able purchase) suggests that money saving isn't the real issue here. Have you ever tried taking a drink away from an alcoholic? Not a pretty sight.
But in our culture, we are encouraged to buy, buy, buy, and although coupons can be advantageous, they are often just a way to get us hooked and keep us coming back time after time for just a little bit more. And yes, a shopping addiction is socially acceptable, yet the motive behind such destructive behavior is akin to that of, let's say, a shoplifter, hoarder, or compulsive eater. What's more, the consequences of such an addiction can be just as dire to the individual and the family. What happens when money runs out and the debt keeps pilling up?
Ms. Cuevas's need to get the media involved leads me to assume that self-reflection isn't her strong suit and that she's sitting teetering on the brink. I'm not usually inclined to defend Walmart, but maybe this time the store is right.
http://news.sympatico.ca/oped/coffe...almart_stores_in_the_us/68a37c58#.TgudyM1mxD4
I'm curious to see what other peoples thoughts are on this article. I personally agree with Walmart, which is shocking, as I rarely have anything nice to say about the big box mart chain stores. Customer Service people don't deserve the amount of flak they get from customers and it seems like this lady was going over the line. I don't agree with a lifetime ban or with the smacking the phone out of the hand, but I do think that they had the right to ban her from that particular store for a long period of time.
I'm all about pinching pennies in this economy and I don't have anything negative to say about couponers. I just think it's atrocious how people treat each other these days, trying to scrap every dime they can at the detriment to others whether by ripping them off or suing them. Retail people are people too!
