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What to do with a Wal-mart gift card?

nbergus — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 20:40:49 -0800

My daughter, for her fourth birthday, was given a $10 Wal-mart gift card by a girl with whom she goes to daycare. We have not shopped at Wal-mart for more than a decade and would like to keep it that way, and my daughter doesn't seem to care about spending the money. But I really don't want Wal-mart to end up with what would essentially be a $10 if the card isn't used. What should we do?

Wal-Mart employee data

ClaudiaCenter — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 14:51:42 -0800

In search of Wal-Mart employee data. I'm trying to find publicly available data on the number of Wal-Mart employees by state, and then by store. I'm particularly interested in the number of Wal-Mart employees in Arkansas, number of Wal-Mart employees in Johnson County, number of employees in particular Johnson, Cty., Arkansas stores. I'm also interested in data about rates of employee turnover.

should i buy this black friday computer from wal-mart?

allthewhile — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 19:20:45 -0800

Should I buy the Compaq Presario that Wal-Mart is selling on black Friday? Computer nerds please help! Here's a link to the specks

Here's what I need my computer to do:

1. Browse the internet
2. Play Half life 2
3. Watch DVDs

I have another gfx card from an old computer that I can install (if the included one won't work), the only thing is that I don't know anything about processors anymore because I haven't followed them in forever.

Is this in any way a golden deal? 3 years ago I could say yes or no at the drop of a hat.

How much notice do i give that i'm quitting my summer job?

itheearl — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 21:33:11 -0800

How much notice do i give that i'm quitting my summer job? Cashiering at W**-mart this summer.
I tried to be upfront with them when i was hired that i would be seasonal, but i havent exactly been advertising it - especially to the people that i work up front with on a daily basis.
I've worked there for over two months, and am currently scheduled in for the next three weeks - just a week shy of 90 days.
I've never been late, and i've been a model employee.
While i'd like to get a 90 day review, i'm not sure that i really want to stick around the week before college starts again.
I feel like i've been stuck inside my whole summer, and i think $200 or so in lost potential wages is not too high a price to pay for having a week or so off.
I'm living with my parents this summer (free rent), and the town i go to college in is about an hour and a half away.
I might consider a transfer - and working a few hours a week at the w**-mart in my college town, but i wouldnt want to start there immediately... or i might just come back to the parent's town for winter break and maybe a work bit then.

So is three weeks in advance too soon to go into personnel and start with something like 'well, i decided that i probably better go back to school..." ?
(I figure i dont have to tell them that i'll be a junior with a 3.8 clumulative gpa and some scholarships. )
I figure that if they are perpetually understaffed and i am already scheduled, they wont do anything evil like can me right there and then... right?
Do i apply for a transfer? A leave of absence? Is there any way i can get a 90 day evaluation without actually working there all 90 days?

why is wal-mart getting into banking bad?

krautland — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 21:31:48 -0800

why is wal-mart getting into banking bad? I'm not a fan of wal-mart but I fear I am an even greater enemy of the current U.S. banking system. let's face it -- we don't have real competition between banks or the addiction to horrendous fees ($27 overdrafts, anyone?) wouldn't be something they could get away with.

a lot has been made of the fact that wal-mart is catering to low-income residents. twenty-seven percent of them don't have any kind of banking accounts (nightly business report, pbs, june 20, 2007) and most likely frequent the dreadful payday lenders. wal-mart has tried getting a banking charter but withdrawn their application under fierce fire multiple times. now they're trying to still get some financial business going with so called "money centers" and pre-paid visa cards.

the bentonville giant is merciless when it comes to crushing price barriers. banks charge too much for anything they do. this should feel like a good development.

still: everything they have done thus far that initially sounded great ($4 prescriptions) ended up nothing more than a red herring (laughably few pharmaceuticals actually available at that price).

I have the feeling I should be opposed to wal-mart's foray into this field but what am I missing? what is the evil detail not obvious to me? they can't drive prices up, so where's the problem?

privacy: I am aware of the "wal-mart knows everything" argument but I don't think this is a matter most contemporary americans are very concerned with. case in point: myspace profiles.

banks: it's obvious why they wouldn't want competition. this is more about why other people are opposed.

What leverage does Wal-Mart have?

sbutler — Thu, 21 Sep 2006 11:48:11 -0800

Wal-Mart is going to start offering many common generic drugs for $4. What's stopping CVS or Walgreens from doing the same? We were talking about this at work, and no one has a good answer. Obviously Wal-Mart has a better barganing position, but it can't just be volume... can it? My best guess is that because of Wal-Mart's extensive data mining they don't have to hold much extra inventory of a drug, but I'm not convinced.

What are we missing?

How much physical abuse can "Wal-Mart Cops" legally dish during a detainment for suspected shoplifting?

Anonymous — Fri, 09 Jun 2006 17:53:56 -0800

How much physical abuse can "Wal-Mart Cops" legally dish during a detainment for suspected shoplifting? Can cops seize a car for being used in a crime when no charges are ever filed? My wife was shopping at a Wal-Mart supercenter. During her check-out, she had a pan that did not have a price. The cashier called a CSM over to look into the pan. She continued scanning items. She was also purchasing two spindles of blank DVDs. The cashier scanned the items and then said "These barcodes are not right." She removed a sticker and there was another barcode. She deleted the two wrong scans, and scanned one and the price came up. She asked my wife if that was OK, and she said yes, that was fine. She scanned the other set and continued. The CSM left with the pan for several minutes while they continued scanning the other items. The CSM returned, did not have a price for the pan, but told the cashier that the first stickered price on the blank DVDs was the correct price. My wife asked if that was correct, and the CSM said yes. The CSM had the cashier delete the more expensive priced line items and rescan the stickers that were on the DVDs. The transaction finished and my wife went to leave.

At the exit, she was stopped by a Loss Prevention employee on her way out of the store. The employee told her "I think you know what this is for," to which she responded that she did not. He forced her to accompany him to a room inside the store. She asked him if he was a police officer, and he said he was not. He proceeded to detain her while calling the police. When she asked why he was holding her, he replied that had the right to keep her, and asked her "Haven't you ever heard of a citizen's arrest?"

During the course of her detention by Wal-Mart, the employee told her to show him her identification. She was standing at the push side of her shopping cart and the employee was at the front end of the cart. She reached for her purse to get her ID, and the employee grabbed her by the arm and threw her to the ground. He pinned her down with his knee in her back, and proceed to hold her in this position for several minutes while yelling at her. She tried to explain that he told her to show him her ID and that's what she was doing. He handcuffed her, pulled her up, and then began to yell at her some more. The line of yelling consisted of things such as "You can take this to court and contest it, but you will lose, because I am the best loss prevention person in the Midwest" (she had not suggested anything of the sort, he was pre-emptive) and "You're just a thief." He was close enough that his spit was hitting her in the face while she was being yelled at. The tackle caused her to suffer a laceration on her knee, a deep muscle bruise on her arm, and discomfort in her shoulder.

Later, when law enforcement arrived, she tried to tell the officer what happened and how she was assaulted by the Wal-Mart employee. The officer told her "Be glad it was him. I would have tased you." He refused to listen to her protests about her detainment and what was going on. When the officer went to take her out, she asked what was happening. The officer responded "You don't get to ask any questions." She was taken into his cruiser. They proceeded to drive through the parking lot while the officer pressed buttons on the keyless entry for my car (her name is not on the registration, and I was not with her) car until he found it. He then told her that she was going to have our car seized under forfeiture laws. The car was towed and she was taken to the jail intake (Large city, 500,000-1 million people).

After being held for 14 hours, she was released without any charges being filed and no citations issued. During her time, no one told her she was under arrest. No one told her what crime she was being accused of. No one told her of her rights. No one told her what was going to happen to her. No one told her anything. She was denied access to an attorney during this time.

So, here is why this is posted here. I know from previous threads and other readings that there is a certain amount of leeway offered under storekeeper rights for detaining someone suspected of shoplifting. However, this seems excessive. Did Wal-Mart's employee commit assault, false imprisonment, and other assorted crimes? Should we investigate suing Wal-Mart for the actions of their employee? Should we see action against the law enforcement agency for denying access to an attorney during processing?

Bonus question: Following up with the lieutenant who is the whole of the forfeiture unit, he told me that even though no charges were filed, they could still proceed with the civil forfeiture since the vehicle was used in a crime (She was not in the car at the time, and since no charges were filed, was there a crime?). However, since her name was not on the title, they said they would release it to me. I have to sign a "promissory note" (his words) saying that if I let her use the vehicle and it is used in a crime by her, I lose any standing for vehicle release. Does anyone else see anything wrong with that?

Obligatory throw-away account: walmart.abuse@gmail.com - Contact with any questions. I won't be posting here with my account, but, will respond to e-mails (and ask that you repost them if you see fit).