Hidden cost of markups at WalMart!

[gtaus]

UPDATE: Dear Wife forgot to pick up a few items from WalMart yesterday. I was heading into town today to pick up a few tools at Menards, so I stopped at WalMart to get her items. While there, I checked out the Cup of Soup aisle again.

Here comes....

I'm looking at the shelves of Cup of Soup, all displaying 37 cents each as the price. There was a young girl in that aisle stocking the shelves, so I asked her if she had a price scanner with her. She did. So, I asked her to scan the price of the Cup of Soup. She said it scans at 42 cents each. I point at the price on the shelf and ask her what the price displayed is on the shelf. She says it reads 37 cents.

OK, back in the day, I would have expected the employee to say something like, "Just tell them at the price check out and I'll correct the price on the display." But no. She just looks at me with a blank stare and does not make any connection between the price displayed on the shelf and the price she just scanned.

I see that she is just not picking up on the situation here, so I ask her what price I am going to have to pay at the checkout. She tells me that I will pay 42 cents each at the checkout without batting an eye. I then ask her what WalMart policy is if the display price is lower than the scanned price, will I get the display price? She responds that she cannot mark down the price. Well, I'm not even checking out the groceries yet, so that point was moot.

Moving on, I ask her what WalMart does when they are notified that the price on the shelf is less than the scanned price. She tells me that it will get corrected within the week. To which I respond, but I was here last week and this same issue came up and I see a week later you are still displaying the lower price on the shelf and scanning in the item at a higher price.

I'm getting nowhere with this employee, so I ask her for her name so when I checkout they can call her and verify with her the display price on the shelf. She gives me her name but tells me that nobody will call her.

Well, I pick up 6 Cup of Soups and head to the checkout with my cart of groceries. The first item I scan is the Cup of Soup, which indeed scans in at 42 cents each. Once again, I call over the checkout supervisor, this time a young man, and tell him that the display price is 37 cents each and that it is scanning at 42 cents each. He tells me it's not a problem and he overrides all the Cup of Soup items, then asks me if there is anything else he can do for me. I thank him for his time, and just ask him to have someone correct the price either on the scanner or on the shelf.

I don't expect that to happen, of course, because they are selling Cup of Soup off the shelf by the pallet loads, displaying a lower price, but then charging you their hidden 20% markup on that item.

At what point do you just suspect that WalMart knows full well what they are doing with the higher prices scanned in at the checkout and not being sold at the display price?

I know it's just a pet peeve of mine that I should only have to pay the display price for items I put into my cart. All I ask is that you display the price the item will scan at the checkout. That way I don't feel cheated - even if only 5 cents per Cup of Soup.

 

[STACEYH]

Why don't you call corporate and tell them? You could also call the news station. Most people see something complain and then do nothing. These companies know it and that is how they get that .05 for a million cups of soup.

 

[gtaus]

Why don't you call corporate and tell them? You could also call the news station. Most people see something complain and then do nothing. These companies know it and that is how they get that .05 for a million cups of soup.

I made my complaint at the store, but nobody cares. I am not going to spend my time calling corporate, because they probably know what they are doing and know full well that I cannot do anything about it. So, I post a small rant on this forum, let some of the frustration out, and get on with life.

If only a few people following this thread bother to check their prices at the scanner and get the store to mark down the item(s) to the display price, then I think that is about all I can hope for in the end.

 

[Cluckerdoodle]

It I ran my business like WalMart I would probably lose customers like flies.

 

[STACEYH]

I made my complaint at the store, but nobody cares. I am not going to spend my time calling corporate, because they probably know what they are doing and know full well that I cannot do anything about it. So, I post a small rant on this forum, let some of the frustration out, and get on with life.

If only a few people following this thread bother to check their prices at the scanner and get the store to mark down the item(s) to the display price, then I think that is about all I can hope for in the end.

I get it but it won't stop until someone stands up.

 

[gtaus]

It I ran my business like WalMart I would probably lose customers like flies.

To me, the display price on the shelf is what you agree to pay for an item that you put into your shopping cart. Jacking up the price at the scanner is a violation of that basic agreement. I doubt many people ever notice the hidden markup on their products. We just mindlessly scan the item, wait for the beep, then bag it. I doubt if most people even look at the screen to check the prices.

 

[Sally PB]

You could also call the news station.

If this ever happens to me, I am going to call Channel 8 (local station), ask for one of their investigative reporters, and give them the story. I bet they would run with it. I have the time to do this, however.

I almost did this a couple of times with personal experiences with medical care, but I didn't document things, so it wouldn't have made a verifiable story.

 

[STACEYH]

To me, the display price on the shelf is what you agree to pay for an item that you put into your shopping cart. Jacking up the price at the scanner is a violation of that basic agreement. I doubt many people ever notice the hidden markup on their products. We just mindlessly scan the item, wait for the beep, then bag it. I doubt if most people even look at the screen to check the prices.

I have memory issues, but I have paper and pencil with me. I write down what it is and how much it says. When I check myself out I check it off my list. I use to be able to do it with the paper lol. I have found many things at Walmart do not scan correctly. I do call head quarters and complain. It is usually fixed within two days. They know they are doing it they just rely on our laziness not to comfront them.

 

[STACEYH]

If this ever happens to me, I am going to call Channel 8 (local station), ask for one of their investigative reporters, and give them the story. I bet they would run with it. I have the time to do this, however.

I almost did this a couple of times with personal experiences with medical care, but I didn't document things, so it wouldn't have made a verifiable story.

I can remember awhile back it was on the news about the same thing. Walmart was also sued and the guy won the case. Not enough people do it so it isn't worth the companies time to stop.

 

[gtaus]

I have memory issues, but I have paper and pencil with me.

When I asked the young lady stocking the shelves to price scan the Cup of Soup, I told her that the front checkout manager told me that I had been wrong on the shelf price. To which I told the young girl, I may be old, but I'm not senile. I did think about taking a picture of the shelf display price with my cell phone, just in case I needed it as proof. But I got the young employees name instead. Good thinking about carrying a paper and pencil with you.

I have found many things at Walmart do not scan correctly. I do call head quarters and complain. It is usually fixed within two days. They know they are doing it they just rely on our laziness not to comfront them.

I don't live in town. Typically, I only go to WalMart once every 2 or 3 months. Dear Wife does the grocery shopping for our house, not me. Probably a good thing, because I feel cheated when the price scans higher than the display price. I really don't think Dear Wife bothers to check the price at the scanner, she just assumes it will be correct. And if not, she is not likely to get upset about a 5 cents per Cup of Soup hidden markup. That's not how I think. So, better she buys the groceries at WalMart.