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BEWARE of Walmart & Sams Club Return Policy without Receipt

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NCtramp

Member
Joined
Aug 10, 2002
I have shopped at both places frequently the last few years and was never aware of their return policy until NOW!

I returned something at Sams Club without a receipt and was asked before I even showed my memebership card to give my drivers license which the persaon at customer return copied to an index card with my name and put in a little file box under the counter and ONLy then did she ask for my memebership card (which btw has pix on it for ID) and proccessed the return.

Upon that I protested to Sams Club headquarters and was told that's against their policy to keep personal data on file (Under Personal freedoms act).

Today I got a call from the local Sams Club Manager (becaus headquarters had send him an email) that he would erase my drivers license number but leave my name on file!

I ask around some more and found out that SamsClub & Walmarts combined returnpolicy is 3 returns inper 6 months without receipt. After that...who knows..!!! after that seems to be gray area what personal info allows them to ask the customer..and get away with


so people save your receipts otherwise they will write you down in their black book:)
:D :sn:
 
I'm suprised they take returns without receipts at all. Most retail stores won't due to theft and then trying to return it for cash. I've seen it happen at a store I used to work at where people would steal stuff and then return it for cash. Corporate made a policy of no returns without receipt because of this.
 
Reminds me of something interesting last summer at Costco. A lady bought about 80 pounds (must have been a family reunion or something), anywho she brought this shopping cart full of steak back. What happened according to her was that she had the meat sit in her car a little too long in the summer heat, talk about dumb. And it of course spoiled. So she took it back and explained that she wanted her money back since the meat was bad. She flat out told the returns dept. their that it was due to spoilage from sitting in her car. They said "you realize that we can't resell this and would have to throw it out." and she said "yes." and they still gave her back her money due to their policy.

People who are so dishonest like that makes it just plain bad for everyone.
 
NCTramp, although it would be very odd for any place to take your drivers license information (anything other than your name and your address) and keep it on file, taking your name and address when you do not have a receipt seems perfectly fine to me. I used to work at Target right out of high school, and one of the positions I worked at was the customer service desk. The policy that we had was that if you had your receipt then it was a no hassle return (as long as nothing obviously broken by abuse or whatever). However, if you did not have a receipt, then we would still give you your money back as long as the total was under $10. If it was over $10, then we would still refund you, but it would be in the form of a check being sent to you within two weeks. Everyone had to fill out a form for returns. Anyhow, if you returned more than three times without a receipt in a one year period, then you were put on the no returns at all without receipt list. And as someone else mentioned, it is because there were plenty of people that would abuse our liberal policy. There was one time where security called me at the desk and told me to watch for a woman coming up. Anyhow, she didn't have a receipt and wanted to return something. As it turned out, security had seen her before, and this was like her 8th time in a two month period returning something without a receipt, and they finally caught her on tape just walking into the store, grabbing something off the shelf, and bringing it up to the desk to return it. People do some crazy things =/
 
I work at a fred meyer (a store simlair to walmart) and it is policy to keep drivers licence info on file if you return without a receipt.
We accept all returns without a reciept but if the ammount is over $10 it is credited to a gift card and personal info is taken down and stored on file.

This is done to keep the lame people from ripping off the store, its not a new poilcy and doesnt suprise me that several other stores have the same one.
 
I work for Wal-Mart. The records are kept to keep track of number of returns without a receipt. At the store I work for they simply input your DL number and it stays on file in Wal-Marts network. BTW, I dont know about Sams, but WM now has a "customer satisfaction first" return policy. They will pretty much do anything, with or without a receipt. I've seen people take full advantage of this, and return things that were several years old. Latest was a TV from 1997.
 
My gripe with them is ...

to buy at Sams you have to be " a member with a Photo ID card" at at fee of $30 +/-

in order to get that you have to give them your personal data..that means my info is in their data system already PLUS the samsclub memebership card is a photo ID card.

what bothers me is that the keep customers personal data (drivers license number & name) on a plain index card handwritten in a little file box under the counter at customer service...which mmeans any body and every employee there can look at it...and copy that info...and to make Xtra money sell that info at a GOOD PRICE for identity theft....

Besides SamsClub manager admitted that's illegal and the drivers license should only be shown as double id...but...that should be irrelevant because the memebership card has A PHOTO on it and without that card you cant return any merchandise at SamsClub!
and Since Sams?Walmart share one data system to show a drivers licebnse for SamsClub customers should ONLY be used as personal ID.

nctramp
 
MechaWyvern said:
I work for Wal-Mart. The records are kept to keep track of number of returns without a receipt. At the store I work for they simply input your DL number and it stays on file in Wal-Marts network. BTW, I dont know about Sams, but WM now has a "customer satisfaction first" return policy. They will pretty much do anything, with or without a receipt. I've seen people take full advantage of this, and return things that were several years old. Latest was a TV from 1997.

Man, half the time they take back stuff they don't even sell. I was in there once for something, and asked a clerk about a certian model (I think it was a coffee maker) and she was looking around, and hauled out a huge, old, beaten up box while talking about the return policy. She says to me: You're worried about keeping your receipt? Take a look at this *hauls out the box* this was made before Wal-Mart was even formed, and we took it back. Don't worry about a few coffee stains on your coffee maker if you have to bring it back."
 
I bought a Videocard from Walmart and then tried to return it the next day. I had a receipt, but they said they would not take it back cause it was opened. So I told them I only took the shrink wrap off the box and never actually used the card. Then they gave me my money back.

If that didn't work I was gonna shrink wrap it at work an then take it back.
 
a friend of mine bought a ps2 off ebay, and it broke a while later. so he took it back to wal-mart without even having a box for it and told them he bought it there a couple of months ago, and they swaped it with a new one. wal marts in my area have stopped doing that kind of stuff though. they make it a hassle to return anything it seems like.
 
The problem on that is for the companies finding a happy medium. I think that they should have something in place to keep dishonest people away, but I also think that they should make it easy for ligitimate people.

But as far as identity, it should be safegaurded. I know my colllege, student #'s are actually your ss#, and my health insurance had it that way until just barely. You can put your ss# on your licence, in fact Hawaii they use the ss# as your dl #.

When will companies/government learn in this day that it is unacceptible. Took many calls to my wireless company of complaining to have them take mine of their file.
 
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