Wal-Mart fouls -- another chain takes the good publicity

[Sheep]

Am I missing something? The guy purchased Walmart gift cards with his own money and started giving them away to random people, and Walmart doesn't like that? I'm assuming there was no scamming involved with the gift cards? My Google-fu didn't turn up this story on the first page of news stories.

Why would they not want people spending money in their stores?

 

[opali]

I've only ever been to three Walmarts, and two of them didn't have the best of crowds. If I ever went back to them, I'd need some Kevlar.

That would be in housewares, next to the vacuum cleaners. If you need ammo, that's one aisle over from the Lego section.

I've always found it funny that in every Walmart I've been in, the toys section ends and the very section is hunting and camping.

"Junior you run off and see if they've got them there new Richard Petty collectible Hot Wheels, momma needs to see if they still have thirty-ought six buy one get one."

That really made me laugh.

 

[Trekker4747]

Am I missing something? The guy purchased Walmart gift cards with his own money and started giving them away to random people, and Walmart doesn't like that? I'm assuming there was no scamming involved with the gift cards? My Google-fu didn't turn up this story on the first page of news stories.

Why would they not want people spending money in their stores?

Not sure I understand their logic either. I mean the money is spent there, he is not taking any money from them by giving out the gift cards (other than, maybe, any fees/money Walmart collects from non-use of the cards.)

Nor do I understand what Target gains by accepting another store's giftcards.

This story is odd.

 

[Amaris]

Am I missing something? The guy purchased Walmart gift cards with his own money and started giving them away to random people, and Walmart doesn't like that? I'm assuming there was no scamming involved with the gift cards? My Google-fu didn't turn up this story on the first page of news stories.

Why would they not want people spending money in their stores?

Not sure I understand their logic either. I mean the money is spent there, he
s not taking any money from them by giving out the gift cards (other than, maybe, any fees/money Walmart collects from non-use of the cards.)

Nor do I understand what Target gains by accepting another store's giftcards.

This story is odd.

While I don't understand why Walmart is against this, I do know why Target likes it. This is Ebenezer Scrooge throwing out the charity workers while his nephew Fred invites them in to his home for Christmas dinner.

Or even better, it makes Macy's look like they're putting the Christmas spirit above the commercial, and Gimbels and everyone else look like stingy, self absorbed opportunists.

One more; Walmart is like Potter's field, and Target is like Bailey Park. Potter turn you down? Go see ol' George at the Bailey Building and Loan. It exists if for nothing else than to make it possible for people to have something nice without having to crawl on their hands and knees to Potter.

This makes Target look warm and generous, and Walmart look miserly. It seems to have worked.

J.

 

[SeerSGB]

Am I missing something? The guy purchased Walmart gift cards with his own money and started giving them away to random people, and Walmart doesn't like that? I'm assuming there was no scamming involved with the gift cards? My Google-fu didn't turn up this story on the first page of news stories.

Why would they not want people spending money in their stores?

Not sure I understand their logic either. I mean the money is spent there, he
s not taking any money from them by giving out the gift cards (other than, maybe, any fees/money Walmart collects from non-use of the cards.)

Nor do I understand what Target gains by accepting another store's giftcards.

This story is odd.

They take the cost of the conversion off as a loss, or sell them back to Wal-Mart at a loss. Plus they get a shitload of free good PR for being the "good" store.

 

[Trekker4747]

Am I missing something? The guy purchased Walmart gift cards with his own money and started giving them away to random people, and Walmart doesn't like that? I'm assuming there was no scamming involved with the gift cards? My Google-fu didn't turn up this story on the first page of news stories.

Why would they not want people spending money in their stores?

Not sure I understand their logic either. I mean the money is spent there, he
s not taking any money from them by giving out the gift cards (other than, maybe, any fees/money Walmart collects from non-use of the cards.)

Nor do I understand what Target gains by accepting another store's giftcards.

This story is odd.

They take the cost of the conversion off as a loss, or sell them back to Wal-Mart at a loss. Plus they get a shitload of free good PR for being the "good" store.

Well, I take Target as the "good" store over Walmart any day. For the simple fact that Target stores are not humongous and are somewhat shopable.

 

[Amaris]

Agreed. I shop at Walmart when I have to, but I prefer Target.


J.

 

[Trekker4747]

Agreed. I shop at Walmart when I have to, but I prefer Target.


J.

There's only been a couple of times I've "shopped" at Walmart, but the place makes me want to kill myself with its sheer size, illogical floor layout and the slovenly people I often see there. I've popped in there a couple of times to see if they had, say, a DVD I wanted and better options -like Target- didn't and Best Buy was closed (as they do at, like, 8pm on Sunday nights )

Just running into the 120-year-old greeter at the door was enough to make we want to plant a bullet in my skull.

Hell, I almost want to do that in the parking lot.

It takes a... "special" kind of person to stand shopping there. One of the aspects of that person is the patience of a Saint.

Ayiyiyi. Walmart makes my blood boil.

Wouldn't want to wish working in that palce over this past weekend, or on "Black Friday" on anyone in the world.

 

[opali]

Agreed. I shop at Walmart when I have to, but I prefer Target.


J.

Me too. I bought a huge bag of Whoppers Malted Milk Balls there today. MMMM.

Here is a link to the short story. Not sure if there are others out there. He sounds like a decent fellow.

 

[Kryton]

Just running into the 120-year-old greeter at the door was enough to make we want to plant a bullet in my skull.

Hell, I almost want to do that in the parking lot.

Lucky for you ammo was on sale today at Walmart!

 

[Miss Chicken]

Video and article here about this here

The guy bought $1300 worth of $10 gift cards.

Wlamart said her couldn't hand them out because it was soliciting and also because they said it was interupting foot traffic.

I see that opali has bet me to the link teo posts above.

 

[tharpdevenport]

I wasn't aware handing out Wal-Mart gift cards for free was soliciting. What the hell is wrong with these people?

Target went ahead and too that thunder; they probably loved it. When he got home today, he probably had 100 calls from K-Mart begging him to come do it. ;-)


And you know what? With this dumb luck of being nice, he's probably stumbled his way into some fame. Each year now Target will probably ask him back and maybe even give him some cards. PEople will pay him for interviews. Target might have him in a commercial, so forth.

He must be in the dough, 'cause there is no way in hell any normal person could afford to give away $1300.00 dollars.


Two of the things I hate about Wal-Mart are:

1. They hire foreign labor during time people come from overseas to earn some money . Nice for them, but bad for people in town trying to make a living. And they pay these people less, so they profit more while at the expense of local work force.

2. They have the fucking nerve to ask you to work overtime, but then tell you "no overtime" and that if you go over 48 hours (that's what full time was back when I was working there) you have to "work it off" but going home early. So they drain extra amounts of your free time away and then take the money back from you.



Here is a site with facts and various news stories of horror:
http://wakeupwalmart.com/

 

[SeerSGB]

I wasn't aware handing out Wal-Mart gift cards for free was soliciting. What the hell is wrong with these people?

Target went ahead and too that thunder; they probably loved it. When he got home today, he probably had 100 calls from K-Mart begging him to come do it. ;-)


And you know what? With this dumb luck of being nice, he's probably stumbled his way into some fame. Each year now Target will probably ask him back and maybe even give him some cards. PEople will pay him for interviews. Target might have him in a commercial, so forth.

He must be in the dough, 'cause there is no way in hell any normal person could afford to give away $1300.00 dollars.


Two of the things I hate about Wal-Mart are:

1. They hire foreign labor during time people come from overseas to earn some money . Nice for them, but bad for people in town trying to make a living. And they pay these people less, so they profit more while at the expense of local work force.

2. They have the fucking nerve to ask you to work overtime, but then tell you "no overtime" and that if you go over 48 hours (that's what full time was back when I was working there) you have to "work it off" but going home early. So they drain extra amounts of your free time away and then take the money back from you.



Here is a site with facts and various news stories of horror:
http://wakeupwalmart.com/

From the linked site:

Wal-Mart has issued "A Manager's Toolbox to Remaining Union Free,"

• This toolbox provides managers with lists of warning signs that workers might be organizing, including "frequent meetings at associates' homes" and "associates who are never seen together start talking or associating with each other." The "Toolbox" gives managers a hotline to call so that company specialists can respond rapidly and head off any attempt by employees to organize. [Wal-Mart, A Manager's Toolbox to Remaining Union Free at 20-21]

Quick to the batsignal!!! Maybe we should hire ex-Walmart managers for Homeland security officers, they're certainly paranoid enough.

 

[Cutter John]

Their annual Black Friday riots pretty much say it all.

 

[Trekker4747]

Their annual Black Friday riots pretty much say it all.

Especially when people are killed at them.

 

[SeerSGB]

Their annual Black Friday riots pretty much say it all.

Especially when people are killed at them.

But...but...but Haynes socks 50%!!!! If someone must die for me to save a couple of dollars, so be it!

 

[Meat Tenderizer]

I never ceased to be amazed at the sheer level of hate that can be leveled at a company that has done nothing to its detractors.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I never ceased to be amazed at the sheer level of hate that can be leveled at a company that has done nothing to its detractors.

Seems to be doing plenty to the poor slaves who WORK there, though. Have you even read that Wake Up site?

 

[David cgc]

A tale of the hellish conditions of Walmart, and Ultimate Revenge.

 

[Meat Tenderizer]

I never ceased to be amazed at the sheer level of hate that can be leveled at a company that has done nothing to its detractors.

Seems to be doing plenty to the poor slaves who WORK there, though. Have you even read that Wake Up site?

No one is forcing them to work there. If the employees are skilled enough, they will move up the ladder.