Why Does Everyone Hate Walmart? (recall, television, used, cheaper)

[boxus]

Originally Posted by mbalmedpoet

This lady would actually detain people from leaving the store and create a line. She stepped in front of my cart as I put the receipt in one of my bags, asked to see my receipt, and told her no, that it was in a bag. She went through all my bags until she found it. All of my items were in bags. Walmart is NOT Sam's, customers don't sign a contract consenting to a search. What she did was illegal search and seizure, there are no signs posted on WM property warning customers that they will be subjected to such a practice. I called the store manager, regional manager, and even though this practice rarely continues in our area it left a horrible taste in my mouth.

That company has many, many issues they need to work out. BTW, that happened earlier this year and was one of the final things that made me decide that company no longer needed the thousands of dollars I spend.

You are not obligated at all to wait to have your receipt checked, they cannot stop and force you to either. I have no idea why you would even waste one second letting someone do this.

I had this happen to me at IKEA once, I just walked right by the line, the lady yelled out cordially to me, but I kept going, not a thing they can do, and they did not do anything either.

[bumpus7]

Originally Posted by mbalmedpoet

This lady would actually detain people from leaving the store and create a line. She stepped in front of my cart as I put the receipt in one of my bags, asked to see my receipt, and told her no, that it was in a bag. She went through all my bags until she found it. All of my items were in bags. Walmart is NOT Sam's, customers don't sign a contract consenting to a search. What she did was illegal search and seizure, there are no signs posted on WM property warning customers that they will be subjected to such a practice. I called the store manager, regional manager, and even though this practice rarely continues in our area it left a horrible taste in my mouth.

That company has many, many issues they need to work out. BTW, that happened earlier this year and was one of the final things that made me decide that company no longer needed the thousands of dollars I spend.

Get a lawyer.

.

[bumpus7]

.

They can not search your belongings without a legal search warrant.

Get a lawyer and stop this madness so others will not get mistreated also.

.

[LIFL]

Originally Posted by Catdancer

A lot of people that dislike Walmart shop there out of necessity. In small towns or more rural areas, once Walmart takes hold, they drive many of the smaller "mom and pop" type of business out because they just can't compete with the pricing. That means that they also corner the unskilled labor market in the area, making themselves one of the areas larger employers.

Then since they've cornered the cheap retail market in the area, your only option is to travel to shop or shop online. So in other words, even though you may have bought X brand underwear your whole life, if Walmart can't strongarm a business deal with them, they won't carry that brand any more and you have to switch. You buy what they have to sell you.

When it comes to Walmart wages, this article says it way better than I ever could: Why Wal-Mart can afford to give its workers a 50%*raise - Fortune

So with the low pay, full time adult Walmart employees have to resort to programs like SNAP. Coincidentally, figures estimate that nearly 20% of food stamp benefits are spent at Walmart. That's quite a racket. Pay low wages, get your employees on food stamps which they then spend in your store. Win, Win for the Waltons.

If you're serious about why people hate Walmart, type that question into a Google search. BAM - Instant reading material for the next week.

Here's a couple to start ya off: How Walmart Hurts the Economy - Small Towns - BusinessNewsDaily

Walmart’s Impact on America | Economy In Crisis

Is Walmart Good or Bad for America? A Debate: Events: The Independent Institute - This is an interesting transcript of a good/bad Walmart debate

I Won -Note - This article is sponsored by the AFL-CIO and the unions have a whole other reason to hate Walmart.

Pretty much everything I was thinking. They are in part responsible for today lack of manufacturing. Americas problem is that we aren't economically patriotic; our patriotism is all talk, no action. Ultimately, Americas problem is most people care about saving 7 cents, rather than a better country. We don't protect our industries like they do in Europe.

[mbalmedpoet]

Previously I would simply say "No, thanks" when asked. Since that incident and since I have stopped shopping there I have simply stated my experiences, referred people to the previously mentioned documentary, and have actually have numerous people tell me they have also stopped shopping there. Word of mouth and lack of sales will hurt worse than anything else. I don't think it's a coincidence at all that WM's sales are down:

Lack of respect for people (staff and customers) add in low hours, pay, no check lanes open....
Lack of respect for community (wanting tax breaks, giving little back, agendas to hurt local business)
Lack of respect for laws (international sweatshops) other companies may import goods too, but not to the extent to violate laws

Walmart may be the retail giant right now, but if they continue doing business the wrong way and treating people badly more people will get the clue. 30 years ago no one thought Montgomery Ward would cease to exist either.

[Carolina Knight]

Walmart has its share of positives and negatives. As I cannot speak for everyone else, I can offer my thoughts on it.

Positives:

• Walmart has convenient locations that provide necessities and other goods and services at fair competitive prices.
• Walmart is constantly growing. Supercenter stores are still coming along, but Neighborhood Market stores are taking off quickly.

Negatives:

• Specific departments at specific locations at Walmart dilute the quality of products or services. Walmart Tire and Lube Express locations do not quality check their work. For example, an oil drain plug was broken and not fixed.
• Specific locations lack necessities to be successful. For example, a Walmart Neighborhood Market has grocery, meat and pharmacy departments, but it lacks bakery and delicatessen departments. It has cashiers, but no baggers.
• Checking out can be an issue dependent on the time of day you shop and if the front end is adequately staffed. If you shop late at night, find a busy store, and find four of 32 registers open, it is not the best time to shop. No one wants to work all night. Shopping at night is convenient for others.

[FlightAttendant]

First, I almost never shop at Walmart. My reasons for avoiding it are similar to those already expressed here.

My biggest reason for not shopping there is this: the customers. It never fails. On the rare occasion I do happen to go there, the parking lot is a nightmare. They have what seems scores of handicapped spots....well, ok, I understand that many handicapped people like to shop there, but almost every time I go there, a huge family of what appears to be totally healthy and fit people pile out of an SUV and waddle in. They walk abreast in the lot and I am always almost sure I will run one of them over since they have almost no regard for walking-in-a-parking lot curtesy. You know, you REALLY do not need to walk 5 abreast.

Next, once in, almost always the same kind of family wanders in a pack through the aisles. They are rude if you want to get past them to pick something off the shelf. They let their kids run WILD. It is simply too stressful for me.

The shelves are arranged to put their brands front and center...well, sure....but I dont buy off brands. So sometimes finding what I want is not quick

Their meat is the worst. Enough said. I would never buy meat or fish there again. Never. ever.

Check out there is a nightmare almost always. They offer few open check out stand and they are always mobbed. And, yeah, I know it is kind of silly...but I HATE their grey plastic bags.

I understand many like to shop there and for them it is probably a good place to save money. I would rather spend more and shop where I am less stressed and I put up with a lot less "humanity".

[ellysbelly]

Honestly, there's very little reason TO shop at Walmart.

HBA (Health/Beauty): You can do better either by shopping at any of the three national drug store chains (CVS, Rite Aid, and Walgreens) if you scoop up their sales (and even better if you combine their sales with coupons) and/or Amazon, especially with their subscribe & save program-- and/or their online coupons-- plus it comes to your door, so you save time, gas and aggravation.

Food: many 'expensive' grocery stores' sales beat Walmart prices, especially when they have BOGO (buy one, get one free) sales, as Walmart is usually approximately 30% off of retail, BOGO is 50% off; ALDI often has both better quality AND lower prices on food (if you have ALDI local to you); the warehouse stores (Costco/BJs/Sam's) prices usually meet or beat Walmart's and are far more pleasant to shop at-- and/or consider buying your meat direct from a farm (i.e. you can buy 1/4 cow-- approximately 100 lbs of beef-- and it will often run $4ish/lb including all cuts from ground to filet).

For toys and other items, Amazon generally beats Walmart's prices and, again, offers free shipping when you spend $35+ or when you join Prime (which you can share with family members)

For clothing, I routinely get name brand clothing either on sale at 'expensive' stores (Macy's, GAP, etc) at a DEEP discount when I combine their clearance sales with either a coupon and/or free shipping and/or cashback from ebates-- or on eBay for considerably less than Walmart items (and with arguably both better quality materials and workmanship)

Do I *hate* Walmart? No, but I can and do do better, both cost AND quality-wise, elsewhere.

[DR2012]

1. I used to work there, so I know how crappy they treat their associates. I am still in contact with some of the people I worked with. Its not gotten any better.

2. I have gone there a few times recently - can't get help when I need it. There were no registers open but express, so I was forced to use "self-check-out" because I had too many items but express. Had nothing but issues, hate self check out. Lady wouldn't help me when I needed it.

3. My spouse works for a refrigeration company that services their meat cases. Often meat would sit out too long and need to be disposed of. However, Wal-Mart would not, thus putting it back into the cases. It had really spoiled but Wal-Mart didn't care! Nasty meat could make a customer sick.

4. Wal-Mart, at least a few around here, are firing long time employees (finding false reasons to) so they can stop paying them elevated wages, insurance, and retirement - replacing them with "temps". I'm sure Wal-Mart isn't the only one, but my local grocer is at least much better than this.

5. I know for a fact tire lube and express is NOT to be trusted. Having worked there, having experienced it, too many people have gotten home and nearly experienced a vehicle badly damaged due to that place. It is NOT quality nor do they care.



I agree with the above poster - I don't *hate* them, but I can do better.

[In_Correct]

Originally Posted by GeniusGirl800

I don't get it. Every Walmart I've been to is rather nice and clean. I can always find what I want and the prices are nice. It's no Saks Fifth Avenue or any upscale store, but it's certainly a lot better than my local Kmart store!

Why does everyone hate on Walmart so much, especially when so many of the "haters" tend to shop there? Is it because a lot of poor people shop there? Is it because the store doesn't pay their employees that much? Most retail stores DON'T pay their employees much to begin with, but these jobs are really meant for part-time supplemental income and/or kids to get their feet wet in the job market.

Surviving in land there are only Dollar Generals. And some little towns have these dinky Walmarts that they called "Supercenters" but they are NOT big. And the associates that work there are also very rude. So it depends on the Walmart store. There is this other Walmart store. I survive at the edge of this county and so there is another Walmart not far from there although it sounds far. (I don't care it is worth it.) Two counties over and There is a HUGE Walmart. The largest I have seen. There is this winding street quite a distance from the highway (I imagine this is for better traffic flow.) and therer are trees growing in the parking lot. The associates are much friendlier and they have tons of things on the shelves and they even put a fabric department last year. The garden center is much larger and I get just about everything I need at this walmart.

Also what makes me shop at Walmart is I get to save more money. This is even more important when the cost of everything else is going up (and they do it for no reason too ) so to be able to pay my bills I will shop at Walmart. I don't care if society looks down on it. Walmart does not sell everything but I can get the rest at Home Depot or some other giant store. I love Walmart and all the other Hypermarkets. But as for Target and their dumb hippies:

Also I can't stand those tiny ma and pa stores. With larger stores people leave you alone and you even have (malfunctioning) self check out registers but the smaller ma and pa stores have cashiers and bag boys that follow you to your car (so they can try to steal it later?!) and nosey associates that won't leave you alone. Just go away!

I think there aren't any Walmarts in nyccccccccccccccc. I had this "friend" but he kept bashing Walmart. He thought he was better than everybody that shops at Walmart because he lives in this area where there are no Walmarts.

Walmarts may not be everywhere in the world but there are other Hypermarkets. I don't think they are bad places to shop and I think Target is much more corrupt than Walmart.